We are happy to announce that theOtherDada has participated in the DPU summerLab in collaboration with the Development Planning Unit, The Barlett by University College London. The DPU summerLab is an international workshop that seeks to establish a unique rotating platform, among different cities, for in situ immersion and experimentation where the boundaries of spatial agency and design processes are actively pushed, hinging upon critical analysis and design research.
The Beirut summerLab 2016 was a 5 day workshop bringing students from UCL and different Lebanese universities. The main theme focused on Riverside Ecologies and Contested Waterscapes. The workshop questioned the influence of natural elements, their immediate surroundings, and their potential use an opportunity for the whole city.
theOtherDada took this opportunity to present their project on Beirut River, and compared it with other proposals and works that have also proposed different interventions in the river and its adjacent neighborhood. The office also took the participants on a Toxic Tour in the areas of Bourj Hammoud and Nabaa. This was an opportunity for the students to get introduced to the neighborhoods, experience the different challenges that were presented, and have a better understanding of the solutions.
The summerLab ended with presentations where the students showed different proposals and interventions that answered some of the challenges that they had identified. They worked collaboratively to perform design research on site, construct alternative narratives of the River and develop people-centered strategies for its sustainable future with the aim of responding to issues that have emerged in the research phase.
theOtherDada 