CALL OUT FOR CAST MEMBERS: 'Clearance by Cappuccino' - a dialogue on affordable and diverse housing for everybody

(Above) role play and character development at our recent introductory workshop
Image credit: Free Theatre

'Clearance by Cappuccino' is a collaboration between Architects for Peace and Free Theatre using the mediums of dialogue and theatre to re-imagine the notion of affordable and diverse housing for everybody. We feel it is important to invite discussion into one space, bring the community together with architects, planners, urban designers, policy makers and more, to share perspectives on how housing affordability and housing stress involves and affects us all.

We are calling for people interested in taking part in a dialogue based performance as cast members. No prior acting experience is required. An interest in the topic is essential! We are looking for 5 - 6 cast members to form an ensemble.

Free Theatre will host a series of workshops and expose participants to the dialogue theatre methodology in the lead up to a public performance. Each cast member will have an opportunity to develop their character, and through this, develop a unique position on housing affordability.

Contact Nicole Mechkaroff at nicole@architectsforpeace.org for further details.

Alternative Housing Ideas Challenge - shortlist announced.

AHA! Alternative Homes Agency proposed by Architects for Peace

We’d like to congratulate the seven short-listed entries for the City of Sydney’s alternative housing ideas challenge, announced mid-June. These entrants will now have until November this year to develop their proposals further, and present them for public consultation.

https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/vision/planning-for-2050/alternative-housing

The competition attracted over 230 entries, among them a proposal on behalf of Architects for Peace, developed by Megan Spoor, Eva Rodriguez Riestra, Nicole Mechkaroff and Eleanor Chapman.

Although globally many kinds of housing models exist, in Australia, reliance on a very limited range of housing tenure options not only keeps housing costs high, but also excludes other kinds of housing possibilities from the public imagination. Our proposal seeks to disrupt a deeply-rooted reliance on the private market by opening up the public imagination to other ways of living together – and practical means to realise them. 

We propose to establish an information agency to foster awareness of alternative housing models, as well as support development and implementation of self-organised housing initiatives. Our proposed Alternative Homes Agency (AHA!) challenges the dominant acceptance of the private housing market by filling a crucial gap in community knowledge and skills - a gap that prevents the imagining of alternatives. AHA! will work alongside government service providers and NGOs to:

• Raise awareness among home-seekers of the diversity of possible communal housing models beyond private renting or ownership.
• Map and create a register of existing vacant and under-utilised properties.
• Educate home-seekers in the skills and knowledge needed to initiate a self-organised housing project.
• Connect independent home-seekers from a range of backgrounds with Community Housing Providers, with a view to realising joint projects.

View our proposal in detail here

We’re grateful to the City of Sydney for leading a much-needed public discussion of housing alternatives, and for the internal discussion it’s sparked within our team recently! Architects for Peace is committed to standing up for decent affordable housing for all.

If you are interested in getting involved with related A4P activities, please contact us at team@architectsforpeace.org.

Design for all? Quality affordable housing and the right to the city

On 23 March 2017, Architects for Peace joined the Melbourne Design Week (MDW) conversation by hosting a discussion forum, Design for all?  Quality affordable housing and the right to the city, to explore the challenges and opportunities for delivering well-designed housing that enhanced the right to the city for all.  A panel of five speakers from design and non-design backgrounds presented their personal views, before taking questions from the audience.  The presentation and discussion all pointed to the fact that inequality and unaffordability of housing in Melbourne is on the rise, although the panellists were hopeful about future change and that a range of potential solutions were identified.  Whilst many ideas discussed were design focused, and it can be agreed that design does play an important role in ensuring affordable and accessible housing in our cities, the panellists recognised that a 'whole systems approach' is the best way forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This event is sponsored by the City of Melbourne and ArchiTeam

 

 

 

 

Defending the right to public space: Architects for Peace opposes local law changes that seek to punish homelessness

In response to the City of Melbourne’s proposed amendments to the Activities (Public Amenity and Security) Local Law 2017, we made a submission, outlining our opposition to the changes. Not only would the proposed changes deny people experiencing homelessness their rightful access to public places, it would also allow for the confiscation and impoundment (a $338 fine!) of their belongings. We view these changes as effectively criminalising homelessness and in violation of human rights, in particular, the right to be protected from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. We’re not alone in our opposition: the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, Leilani Farha, has also condemned the amendments. You can read our submission here.

Representatives from Architects for Peace will present our viewpoint to a City Council Committee on Thursday 30 March 2017 in the Melbourne Town Hall. We’ll keep you posted on the results. #nohomelessban.

Image credit: EvoLens