De Olifantenkooi / Fil Kafesi: New investment strategies for public space – Architectuur Lokaal

From 10-14 December eight young Dutch designers and real estate developers will meet a common group of Turkish young professionals in Ankara. With mr. Hugo Priemus (Delft University of Technology), Harm Wassink (UNStudio) and Herman Kok (Multi Development) as Dutch tutors, the participants will work on cases about Turkish housing – and shopping mall projects. During a return visit in March 2015, Dutch cases about public space and investment strategies will be studied.  Those who are interested, can apply for participation until 1 September.

Introduction of the theme
In Turkey the Turkish Mass Housing Development Administration (TOKI) is responsible for public housing. Since the formation of Erdogan’s government in 2003, this government body has drastically increased its production. Now TOKI does no longer focus exclusively on public housing, but also issues land to commercial parties and develops shopping malls. Thus TOKI is becoming increasingly commercial but at the same time the quality of urban design, housing and public space is lagging behind.

While the context and nature of problems differ radically from those in Turkey, there are interesting parallels with the situation in the Netherlands – where public housing is integrated with private housing and the value of good-quality public space is now broadly recognised. In The Netherlands, however, issues concerning responsibility for the maintenance of public space require attention, now that housing associations are increasingly concentrating on their core tasks: (only) housing thát section of the population that cannot organise or afford homes of their own. After a period of increasing participation in risky commercial projects and the onset of the property crisis, housing associations have been instructed to adopt a service-oriented and reactive role. No matter how understandable that may be in hindsight, it is also worrying. For who will assume responsibility for the quality of public space, mixture of functions, maintenance of pubic space and varied residential environments now that the government is playing a less active role? Who can take on (new) roles in these areas?

Focus of the project
Thus the key questions in both countries are: how can good-quality public space and affordable (public) housing projects go hand in hand? What constructions can we think of within the specific context of The Netherlands and Turkey? What solutions can we develop by looking beyond our own borders? De Olifantenkooi (The Elephant Cage) debate platform will examine these issues in Ankara, and is calling on young Dutch and Turkish architects and developers to take part in this ‘Fil Kafesi’.

Aim
The aim is to set up a dialogue and provide insight into the dynamic processes of spatial planning in the Netherlands and Turkey. And to reflect on and make designs related to a current planning question in both Turkey and the Netherlands. Fil Kafesi brings together developers and designers to provide them with insight into the dynamic processes of spatial development in both Turkey and the Netherlands.

What
We are travelling to Ankara with a group of eight Dutch designers and developers to meet with a similar group of young Turkish professionals.

About
Together with Turkish young professionals we are looking for ways to draw attention to the themes addressed. We will explore the assignment more deeply through excursions, debates, case studies and design sessions in Turkey (December 2014). The Turkish delegation will then come to the Netherlands in early 2015 for a return visit that will focus on Dutch case studies.

With whom The Turkish mentors are:

• Enis Öncüoğlu (Öncüoğlu Mimarlık)

• Prof. Dr. Güven Arif Sargın (chair of METU faculty of architecture)
• Faruk Göksu (Tak – Design Atelier Kadıköy)
• Omer K. Isvan (Servotel Corporation)

Representatives of TOKI and the Ministry of Economic Affairs will be present during the workshop.

The Dutch mentors are:
• Harm Wassink (director / senior architect UNStudio)
• Prof dr. Hugo Priemus (emeritus professor OTB Research Institute for the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology)
• Herman Kok (Associate Director Research & Concepts International Markets at Multi Development)

The Dutch participants are:
• Petar Zaklanovitz (Basic City)
• Freek Dech (Dechnology)
• Arzu Senel (AS Architecture)
• Milan Bergh (APTO)
• Durmus Gogus (351 Design Studio/Soeters van Eldonk)
• Bart van de Worp (Inspire Real Estate)
• Agnes van de Meij (Agnes van der Meij)
• Menno Kooistra (Kooistra Office)

When
10-14 December 2014

Travel schedule

10 December	flight to Ankara, stopover in Istanbul. Evening: introductory dinner
11 December	Fil Kafesi, definition of the assignment site visits to relevant projects (shopping malls and TOKI projects) interviews with Turkish experts
12 December	Fil Kafesi, working on case studies
13 December	Fil Kafesi, working on case studies, public presentations of assignments
14 December	return flight, stopover in Istanbul

Want to participate?Does this theme appeal to you and would you like to reflect on it with an international group of dedicated young professionals in the design- and building industry? This Fil Kafesi is open to young professionals in the construction industry, including (landscape) architects, urban designers, space composers, contractors, housing associations, public officials, (concept) developers, etc.

Some eight places are available for participants from the Netherlands, and a similar number from Turkey.

There are no precisely defined criteria for what constitutes “young”. Those to whom the programme appeals can apply with a CV and a letter of motivation. What matters is demonstrable affinity with Turkey and/or the theme.

Deadline: 1 September 2014 (Application is no longer possible)
Announcement of selected participants: 15 September 2014

Candidates who apply to take part in this Fil Kafesi also declare their readiness to take part in the return visit in the Netherlands in early 2015. Date to be announced at a later stage.

Organisation
Creative Initiative & TSMDhere (Onat Oktem (ONZ) and Ekin Turhan (Ercan Çoban Architects))
Architectuur Lokaal (Marleen van Dongen, Indira van ‘t Klooster and Cilly Jansen)

Costs
Participants in the five-day laboratory pay a contribution of € 750 (excluding sales tax) for the costs of travel and accommodation (flight, four nights accommodation, breakfast, three dinners), professional supervision, excursions, workshop facilities, organisation, publicity and publication. The contribution must be paid right after selection in September 2014 and cannot be refunded when flight and accomodation are booked.

Questions?
Please contact Marleen van Dongen or phone Architectuur Lokaal on T 0031 (0)205304000

This programme is made possible in part by the Creative Industries Fund NL