Collective center in Oslo
Collective center in Oslo
The scheme proposes a hybrid typology of a community centre, production spaces and mental well-being centre that embeds the ideas of mental health prevention within the community fabric.
The project will focus on activating and strengthening the local community. The project aims to facilitate positive, safe, natural interactions amongst people and foster a sense of community and belonging. Helping multicultural communities build cohesion and mutual understanding. As well as being primary place during contingency, providing a welcoming community to be part of as well as enable interactions between displaced people and the local host community to come together to learn from each other through informal encounters and non-formal education. Also providing livelihood opportunity for long-term displaced people to become more self-reliant. And mental health support, provided as non-medical support, in the form of creative workshops and self-care/self-love activity.
This project is a complement to the existing mental health service, community houses and refugee reception centres infrastructure. Similar collective centre is proposed to take place in each district based on the boundaries of administrative districts, population densities and travel time ratio. Forming city-wide network of collective mental well-being centers.
The project also address the the lack of interaction between refugees and national ethos of the new land. Living and waiting on the periphery where your language teacher is sometimes the only connection to the new society. For refugees entering a new society, the interpretation of that ethos is essential to making sense of their new lives and re-constructing their identity. The project address the suffering through the collective trauma of the pandemic. Suggesting typology which would facilitate for healing process, self and collective care.
More about In Transit studio https://intransit.aho.no/updates/contingency-city-aho-works-fall-2020-digital-exhibition
Full project video
Research video
