Urban Camping

The anarchist. The junkie. The homeless. These were subjects of the IAAC self-sufficient, self-fabricated proposal of OUR Office. How can one occupy the residual spaces of the city efficiently and creatively? These odd structures resolve fabrication issues by using easily found materials, optimize themselves for solar gain and ventilation, create their own energy, subsist on an internal water system, and present themselves as characters on the streets. Self sufficiency is radical! There is no need to live off of a large power conglomerate's grid when you can produce it yourself. The excluded take advantage of the excluded space. Gaps in the urban fabric that develop over time. Alleys, doorways and parks are places the excluded seek shelter. Our project finds one such niche in the city block. Constructed from a simple system of scavenged elements(palettes and scaffolding members), the inserted structure hangs above the street level provides a privileged view. In addition to providing a nurturing space to its inhabitants, the larger community's public space is enlarged with a street level garden, cultivated by the by-products of life in the hanging community.

project: Urban Camping
place: Copenhagen
team: with a. vann, a. geroussis
program: survival in urban environment
status: on-going
year: 2007

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