Architecture for the Homesick 101 : Making most of what they've got
For Aunty Heide. Thank you for loving me.
Preface: Growing up, I never knew the proper or
respectful way of addressing my ‘auntie’. I don’t want to put a label that
would leave any connotations, let alone any disrespect. I could go about it in
many ways: either address them as ‘Aunties’, ‘Nannies’, ‘Housekeeper’, ‘Maids’,
‘Domestic Worker’ or in my mother tongue
‘Gong Yan’. However, to maintain consistency for the written piece, as well as
after reading several articles and papers – I will address those who came from
overseas to work for families as Domestic Workers. Kindly please contact me if there
is a more respectable term to address them.
“Do you still
remember her? Have you contacted her ever since you moved away?”
I remember feeling so embarrassed when my tutor noted that
our architectural scheme in response to the Sharing Economy resembled the lifestyle
of Domestic Workers in Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines,
Indonesia, etc.). My friend and I were determined to give a bleak and dystopic
scenario marketed almost like a sunny paradise: the more you work for the
family, the better your living conditions will be.
Since then, returning to Hong Kong (my hometown) has always
been met with mixed emotions whenever I stroll past my usual places on Sundays
or any public holiday – I’d be navigating not only an ocean of tourists and
their luggage full of cosmetics, I’d be walking through a sea of picnics would pop up in places that
provide enough comfort for the Domestic Workers. It wasn't their happiness or
smiles that made me uncomfortable, rather it was the lack of facilities that
have been provided for them to gather and be treated fairly that saddens me -
if the space is meant to be "public", then how should we properly
construct a place for them to feel at ease without becoming an architecture
itself that potentially causes complaints.
"well if you look at this place, you can see that
they've got shade and shield from the wind and ample sunlight."
One of my favourite TED speakers Amanda Burden spoke of what
makes a public space work. Her study of Paley Park (a pocket park in midtown
Manhattan) allowed her to observe three key elements that activate a public/social
space: human presence for human attraction, furniture or objects that would
allow placemaking, and ultimately some greenery – something I couldn’t agree
more. It takes just one person and the other who follows to catalyse a public
space - whether it'd be simply sitting down or just be there, their presence is
enough to construct a certain atmosphere that can either be welcoming or
repulsing, in the end, it still gravitates attention.
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| Footbridge in Mong Kok - Weekends and Public Holidays would become a corridor of gatherings |
For those who were wondering, Domestic Workers make up about 5% of Hong Kong's population if not more. While the percentage seems very little in the city, when the community gathers, the scene is a site to behold. The typologies of the spaces the Domestic Workers occupy, they
generally substitute greenery for proper infrastructure. As my cousin once said
while we were walking the corridor of Sunday gatherings on the pedestrian
bridge in Mong Kok (once empty but now heavily occupied) "well if you look
at this place, you can see that they've got shade and shield from the wind and
ample sunlight."
My cousin’s statement about what makes certain places a
great activation for domestic workers almost paraphrases Burden’s study on
successful public spaces. While although it is ironic how the Domestic Workers
make a place for themselves in some of the busiest areas (if not secluded yet
still very lively) – their large population that dominates the space also
crafts another form of public space for passerbys to carefully navigate among
them. I myself as well find it amusing how they craft another kind of
architecture – allowing themselves to be photographed by tourists and can be in the comfort of their own community to not be paranoid about the occasional disapproving
glances from on-lookers.
Violence, racial prejudice, and disrespect to Domestic Workers
are quite common however on most cases are kept from the public spotlight. During
my stay in Hong Kong – my own Facebook news feed was flooded with several
articles about the domestic violence these workers have, and some are as
appalling as the crimes we have seen in our Australian news in the past couple
of years. It is heartbreaking to see domestic violence lingering in the news headlines.
Though I am glad that these incidents are brought forward, there is a part of
me that still questions on the safety and consideration when designing a sense
of 'place' for the community.
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| Central Area on weekends, roads are closed off from the large communities |
To design for a safe community, especially in a city facing
issues of high density and shrinking space (or controversially speaking, impractical
space planning) – there is a challenge of navigating through murky waters of
designing for communities that sometimes receive a level of animosity. Questions
of whether the space is worth being used simply for a single community
otherwise being treated respectfully; whether there will be those from the Domestic
Worker community willing to come forward to discuss their issues and wants to
have a safe space; another question of whether there would be fights of rights
of who could occupy the space; also other communities that would feel excluded otherwise
feel neglected from lack of consideration and communication.
I am aware that there are other kinds of communities
(cleaners, elders who help collect cardboard scraps and recyclable cans found
littered in the street), I am aware there have been cases where Domestic
Workers have been involved in breaking the law, and I am also aware that there
have been discussions about envisioning a better way of creating a better
environment for those mentioned above. Having said, it comes down to the amount
of active collaboration and participation that is needed should we facilitate
these visions for them to manifest. Albeit, it is another question on whether
these visions will allow itself to slowly meld and mould itself to fit with the
ever fast-paced change of Hong Kong. Given with larger political issues that are
happening right now, in conjunction with how the red sea of picnics and gatherings
only occur on weekends (and ironically in places where tourists populate the
area) these issues are being overshadowed, and thus does not give enough time
to plan thoroughly to match with the rapid pace of the city. So I beg to
question: when is it a good time for us to focus on these issues without hostility
otherwise assumptions and prejudice?
This is only just the beginning, and these issues for me still
require more research, communication, understanding and empathy for me to explore
further. However, I still think – despite the need to create a better community
space or at least make allow them to feel at home, we all have a responsibility
to treat others with respect. While I understand that there may be comments and
backlash from those remarking that working hierarchy is what leads to this type
of situation, we shouldn’t be hostile, rude nor disrespectful.
Because at the end of the day, to gain respect and trust,
begins with establishing respect and trust.
Response to:
Architecture for the Homesick 101 Series: I
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