During last months I’ve been working hard for dreamhamar network design process to transform the design of a public space in Norway into a collective dream. While I was working from Ecosistema Urbano in Madrid as a member of the DIGITAL LAB TEAM, another team was moving to Hamar in order to coordinate onsite activities.
A few days ago Noa, one of my colleagues in Hamar, published “Learning from Hamar”, a short essay about her 2 months experience in Norway. I think it is a great report and a touching text; it explains how a network design process goes beyond the pure participation process, by building a networked community (both local and international) to work on a mutual case.
Here is an extract of Noa’s essay:
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” said John Lennon, This is what I feel is happening in Hamar. We have made preliminary design, we are holding workshops and other activities locally and globally – some of them were planned, some of them are spontaneous -, but what really matters is the community that is being created around Stortorget Square through this process. To build a square we need to build a community first. A community is the foundation of a square. And the truth is, that the steps for building a community are impossible to plan. We can provide the setting, we can offer activities, but is up to you, to the people, to create that community or not.
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As I see it, dreamhamar is a project that goes beyond the workshops and the pure participation process. It is about cherishing a community, about finding excuses to meet up and talk, with your neighbor and from a guy from London or Madrid interested in this unique project – Hamar is a pioneer, giving the community this degree of power is not common.
In summary, dreamhamar is about getting together to work on a mutual cause.
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You can read the entire essay here
dreamhamar is a network design process led by Ecosistema Urbano in order to design the Stortorget Square in Hamar, Norway.
More info about dreamhamar dreamhamar.org/about
More info about Noa Peer, author of Learning from Hamar
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In the photo above (by Christoffer Horsfjord Nilsen) you can see creamhamar event, a collaborative lunch (with a cow!) taking place in Stortorget square, in Hamar.
2 thoughts on “Architects creating communities before buildings”