Collective Architectures

Collective Architectures: Trucks, Containers, Collectives
Vibok Works, 2010.
FAD Thought & Criticism 2011 First Prize
Authors: Santiago Cirugeda, Saskia
Sassen et al.
Edtion: Paula V. Álvarez.
Graphic Design: Buenos días,
Book Photography: Alberto G. Puras (Cienxcien).
Selection Program Arquía Próxima, 2008/09.

The Book Collective Architectures is is committed to an initiative of the activist Santiago Cirugeda (Recetas Urbanas) that rescues 42 home-containers of a provisional settlement from the dumping site, and encourages dozens of activist groups to transform them into self- managed centers throughout Spanish geography. The edition of the book had the honor of being awarded with the FAD Prize of Thought and Criticism in Archiecture 2011.

The experience of collaboration between different groups of activist led to the cooperation network Collective Architectures. The edition of this book was a big challenge as it involved the task of documenting this long-term process while it was being developed. In order to harvest these experiences, I decided to focus on adventurous, passionate and wishuful aspects of activist practices, while launching a number of questions about counter-forms of architecture and urban production. The main one was to envision if it was even possible to be critical while negotiating with authorities. Dealing wit collisions between opposing parties and the drive for emphaty and joy in collaborative work were examined as critical design procedures able to contest conventional modes in architecture.

The book takes the form of a collage of voices, adventures, desires and questionings, and continues to expand across the Re—write this Bookseries by Vibok Works.

You can find out more and get the book here.

Selected reviews:

· Regine Debbatty | We make money not art.
"The book Collective Architectures - Trucks, Containers, Collectives contains mostly essays by architects, art critics, curators, artists and academics who give their own interpretation of Cirugeda's work. The volume itself is encased in a cover along with a few sturdy leaflets that analyze in details some of Recet nas' most recent works. Each leaflet unveils the budget of the construction but also its story, the outcome of the project, the lessons learnt from it and the hopes that have arisen during the whole adventure”.Continue Reading.

· The G. Canyon in a Crack.
“The book of essays comes with the project files in an elegant but strong white cover with a QR-code on the front. The statements on the back warn us about the book being untrue, partial and useless and one of the first pages declares the volume incomplete and still open to contributions. Nevertheless, it can help the reader asking questions about the nature of the architectural practice, investigating facts and aspirations of this fascinating network”.Continue Reading.

· Anatxu Zabalbeascoa | El País.
"Arquitecturas colectivas –que se hizo este año con el premio FAD de pensamiento y ensayo (Editorial Vibok)— narra la vida de 42 módulos prefabricados en su periplo del desmantelamiento de un asentamiento provisional a su transformación en todo tipo de arquitecturas para evitar un desguace anunciado. Esas arquitecturas de subsistencia se han convertido en un modelo capaz de solucionar muchos de los problemas que la arquitectura académica todavía no ha detectado siquiera." Continue Reading.