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 Schema - Sketching PeaceThe project Schema- Sketching Peace was based on the idea to create and cultivate a dialogue program for Palestinian and Israeli students in architecture. Three sessions, spanned out from the end of 2005 and the end of 2006. They were organized with the ultimate aim to sketch housing prototypes in the Palestinian and Israeli societies. During the first session, lectures were given by Palestinian and Israeli planners on various planning systems employed in both societies. As a matter of fact, architectural designs drastically differ from one society to another and yet cohabit in very close environments. The students later on explored the respective tools employed for planning by Israelis and Palestinians as well as the reasons for the differences in planning. The social criteria of architectural designs were studied according to the habits of each respective population. The interior arrangements of buildings naturally depended on the cultural mores of Palestinians and Israelis, and the spaces needed for their own comforts were naturally different following the use Palestinians or Israelis made of them. As a result of these criteria, the students then moved on to examine the urban and political implications of these planning policies at a macro-level. While the second and third workshops also presented lectures by planners of both nationalities, the focus was shifted to studio work where students joined their efforts to sketch an architectural design in which Palestinian and Israeli comfort and living needs would be met in the same housing. Gilad Ofer's and Omar Yousef's lectures were keys to the understanding of the utility of both architectures and most specifically, how the architecture in Jerusalem and the West Bank are related to traditional Palestinian architecture. In order to substantiate and illustrate the lectures and discussions, the students were taken on a professional tour in Jerusalem that allowed them to study in more details the architectural designs and the spaces where Israeli and Palestinians societies meet through planning and architecture. The main success of this experience lies in the fact that students learnt about different architectural styles and needs from both the Israeli and the Palestinian populations. This cooperation, even if on a small level, allowed for exchange of ideas and the sharing of cultural habits through architecture. |
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