Around The Table
Basic information
Project Title
Around The Table
Full project title
Transformation of urban gathering: Kitchen-inspired narratives in the cityscape of tomorrow
Category
Regaining a sense of belonging
Project Description
City centers have shifted from community-focused spaces to consumption-driven hubs. This change has raised questions about their role in modern society, especially in the post-Covid era. This project explores how to reintroduce social community spaces in cities and draws inspiration from private household kitchens and their multifunctional communal use. By leveraging existing public buildings, the proposal aims to expand the city's available public spaces, fostering community and inclusivity.
Geographical Scope
Local
Project Region
Aachen
The concept is adaptable to many urban settings though., Germany
The concept is adaptable to many urban settings though., Germany
Urban or rural issues
Mainly urban
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
This innovative project addresses the evolving nature of city centers, transforming them from consumption-driven hubs into community-centric spaces. The overarching aim is to reintroduce social community spaces in urban environments, particularly pertinent in the post-Covid era. Targeting the citizens of Aachen and beyond, the project draws inspiration from the communal use of private household kitchens, seeking to implement the concept of urban community kitchens in existing public buildings. The specific objectives center around sustainability, adaptability, aesthetics, and fostering community well-being. By minimizing planning efforts and utilizing a plug-in model, the project emphasizes efficient resource use and scalability. The emphasis on the aesthetics and quality of experience mirrors the familiar and multifunctional aspects of private kitchens, translating them into urban public spaces. Citizen involvement has been integral, with community workshops, surveys, and ongoing engagement shaping the project. This participatory approach ensures that communal kitchens align with genuine community needs and aspirations. The project stands out through its innovative character, departing from traditional urban development approaches. Its plug-in urbanism strategy creatively repurposes existing public buildings by adding new communal functions that serve the community, minimizing resource-intensive construction. The adaptability of the project, marked by ongoing adjustments based on community feedback, sets it apart. In the context of sustainability, the project maximizes urban potential while minimizing ecological impact. It demonstrates a scalable model that can be replicated globally, offering solutions to common challenges in urbanization, community well-being, and social cohesion. The project emerges not only as a micro intervention to urban challenges and as a catalyst for cultural exchange, social interaction, and sustainable urban development.
Key objectives for sustainability
The project aims to implement the concept of urban community kitchens in existing public buildings and spaces. The emphasis is on sustainability and efficient use of existing resources. The concept requires minimal planning efforts, as the kitchen is attached to existing structures like a plug-in. A standout feature of this project is its scalability and adaptability. Unlike comprehensive solutions that require drastic changes, the urban community kitchen is a micro-intervention in existing structures. These structures remain in their original use while gaining an additional public function. This allows for a gradual transformation of city centers that caters to the community's needs and implements a sense of belonging. The project focuses on creating points of connection for residents on a human scale. Collaboration with stakeholders, existing buildings, and operators is carried out with care and can be adjusted and fine-tuned as needed. The relatively low initial effort required to publicly open up existing structures involves minimal financial investment, limited planning, and minimal resource usage.
In terms of sustainability and resource conservation, this project sets an example. It utilizes existing infrastructure and builds upon existing buildings and spaces. This contributes to maximizing urban potential and minimizing the ecological footprint. The project's adaptability allows it to respond to changing community needs and urban development, resulting in a sustainable and future-oriented solution. The idea of informal community gathering places can be adapted by most cities throughout different cultures and climate zones. The concept of using existing public buildings to enhance the public life of a community and their sense of belonging is relevant in many context.
In terms of sustainability and resource conservation, this project sets an example. It utilizes existing infrastructure and builds upon existing buildings and spaces. This contributes to maximizing urban potential and minimizing the ecological footprint. The project's adaptability allows it to respond to changing community needs and urban development, resulting in a sustainable and future-oriented solution. The idea of informal community gathering places can be adapted by most cities throughout different cultures and climate zones. The concept of using existing public buildings to enhance the public life of a community and their sense of belonging is relevant in many context.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
In many households, families and cultures, the kitchen is traditionally a low-threshold meeting place that is used intensively and in various ways throughout the day. This is where food is prepared, cooked, baked, tidied up and, if a kitchen table is available, eaten. People sing along, talk on the phone or chat. Outside mealtimes, the kitchen, and especially the table, can serve as a workspace for all kinds of domestic activities. It is in the nature of these activities that they produce smells and noises and leave traces of use. The room thrives on constant supply and care and is an integral part of the daily routine. As the kitchen is often the liveliest and most use-intensive place in the home, it is of great importance. It can be summarized that the kitchen with its spatial, social and above all multifunctional characteristics provides the basis for a communicative and communal meeting place. The individual characteristics and patterns created by the variety of uses form the protected framework of the communicative meeting space. In the kitchen, this role is often filled by a table, but can also be taken on by a kitchen island, a serving trolley or similar. Compared to other rooms in private homes, the combination of the spatial and social conditions, the variety of uses and the common center of the table form an ideal framework for active activities. So when we look at lively communication and patterns of exchange, it is about the table, which serves as a common center and the space around the table, which provides the conditions for human well-being, identification and communication. It is about the space "AROUND the table" that initiates people to gather "around the TABLE". This projects aims to take all those traits and patterns of the kitchen everyone knows and bring them to the urban public space. The familiar use, aesthetic and function of the kitchen is thereby the communicative ground and provides an open and laidback environment.
Key objectives for inclusion
The project is based on public space and open doors. The fundamental idea of the project is the inclusion of all citizens and create community within the urban cityscape. The project is dedicated to fostering inclusion through communal urban kitchens. This approach transcends socioeconomic divides, promoting social equity and community engagement. The project's key objectives are deeply rooted in fostering inclusion in various dimensions. Firstly, it aims to address the challenge of the lack of 'third places'—informal, consumption-free gathering spots for the urban community. By creating communal urban kitchens in existing public buildings, the project seeks to provide accessible spaces that transcend socioeconomic divides. These communal spaces are designed to be open to everyone, irrespective of their economic status, promoting social equity and community engagement.
Affordability is ensured by minimizing construction through leveraging existing structures. The project's participatory approach engages the community from the outset, shaping the communal kitchens to meet diverse needs. By drawing inspiration from private household kitchens, the project integrates familiar and inclusive design elements. It embraces a design-for-all principle, creating culturally resonant and welcoming spaces for people from various backgrounds. The project's adaptability ensures relevance by allowing for scaling and adjustments based on specific community requirements. In summary, the project's inclusion objectives span economic accessibility, participatory governance, cultural resonance, and adaptability, striving to exemplify inclusive urban spaces that foster social cohesion and a sense of belonging for all community members.
Affordability is ensured by minimizing construction through leveraging existing structures. The project's participatory approach engages the community from the outset, shaping the communal kitchens to meet diverse needs. By drawing inspiration from private household kitchens, the project integrates familiar and inclusive design elements. It embraces a design-for-all principle, creating culturally resonant and welcoming spaces for people from various backgrounds. The project's adaptability ensures relevance by allowing for scaling and adjustments based on specific community requirements. In summary, the project's inclusion objectives span economic accessibility, participatory governance, cultural resonance, and adaptability, striving to exemplify inclusive urban spaces that foster social cohesion and a sense of belonging for all community members.
How Citizens benefit
The citizens of Aachen and all urban areas are the main beneficiates and driving source of motivation for the project. The lack of ‘third places’ and informal consumption-free gathering places for the urban community that allow communication, exchange and inclusion in todays cities is what sparked the idea for the project in the first place. The goal is to create informal, public and inclusive gathering places for the urban community. If implemented, the Urban Kitchens would extend the public space available to the citizens and increase the usability of the city. There would be more public spaces that can be used over a longer period of time, during any weather condition and season. Public spaces would be extended and public buildings inceasingly functional for the public.
The involvement of citizens and civil society in this project has been integral, reflecting a participatory approach that greatly influenced its design and impact. Key aspects include:
Community Workshops: Citizens were engaged from the project's inception through community workshops and surveys. Their opinions, preferences, and aspirations shaped the conceptualization of the communal-kitchen.
Data collection and surveys: To find out more about the practices, patterns and narratives taking place in private household kitchens, I collected Data from over 180 citizens through an online survey.
Surveys provided valuable quantitative data, while workshops facilitated qualitative insights.
In the future, the participation of the citizens is considered a great asset in the improvement and adaptation of the concept, as their feedback could further shape the kitchens use and design.
The involvement of citizens and civil society in this project has been integral, reflecting a participatory approach that greatly influenced its design and impact. Key aspects include:
Community Workshops: Citizens were engaged from the project's inception through community workshops and surveys. Their opinions, preferences, and aspirations shaped the conceptualization of the communal-kitchen.
Data collection and surveys: To find out more about the practices, patterns and narratives taking place in private household kitchens, I collected Data from over 180 citizens through an online survey.
Surveys provided valuable quantitative data, while workshops facilitated qualitative insights.
In the future, the participation of the citizens is considered a great asset in the improvement and adaptation of the concept, as their feedback could further shape the kitchens use and design.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Innovative character
This project emerges as a trailblazer in urban development, its innovation evident in a unique, community-centric design and plug-in urbanism approach. Unlike mainstream initiatives, it refrains from imposing structures, instead involving citizens in co-design processes, ensuring spaces align with genuine community needs. Utilizing a plug-in model, communal kitchens are creatively introduced into existing public buildings, showcasing a departure from traditional, resource-intensive construction projects. This innovative "micro-intervention" strategy allows for rapid implementation while adding historical and cultural significance to communal spaces. Interdisciplinary collaborations play a pivotal role, transcending conventional boundaries to integrate perspectives from architects, urban planners, sociologists, and community members. This approach ensures that the communal kitchens address not only architectural but also social, cultural, and economic dimensions. In addition, the project acts as a socio-cultural catalyst, challenging the conventional perception of urban spaces. The communal kitchens serve not only as functional hubs but also as spaces for cultural exchange, social interaction, and community-building. The adaptive nature of the project sets it apart. Unlike static urban development, this initiative is designed for continual adaptation. Its flexible design allows for ongoing adjustments based on feedback, evolving community needs, and changing circumstances. Furthermore, the project is environmentally conscious. It optimizes underutilized spaces within existing structures, contributing to sustainable practices, reducing environmental impact, and ensuring the longevity of urban infrastructure. Empowering communities is a cornerstone of the project. By involving citizens in co-design, skill-sharing programs, and ongoing management, it can foster a sense of ownership, creating sustainable, self-sufficient communities with a sense of belonging.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
The project integrates insights from various disciplines and knowledge fields to enrich its design and implementation. Collaborating disciplines include architecture, urban planning, sociology, and community engagement. The architectural perspective contributes expertise in spatial design, ensuring the efficient utilization of existing public buildings for communal kitchens. Urban planning brings a systemic understanding of city dynamics, assisting in the selection of suitable sites and the integration of the project into broader urban strategies.
Sociology plays a crucial role in understanding community dynamics, ensuring that the communal kitchens resonate with diverse cultural contexts and societal needs. The participatory approach involves representatives from these disciplines engaging with the community through workshops and surveys, fostering a holistic understanding of local requirements. This interdisciplinary collaboration generates multifaceted perspectives, enriching the project with nuanced insights.
The added value lies in the holistic nature of the project. The architectural perspective contributes to spatial efficiency, ensuring the kitchens fit seamlessly into existing structures. Urban planning align the project with broader city development goals. Sociology provide insights into community dynamics, ensuring that the communal kitchens become true hubs for diverse populations. The synergy among these disciplines enhances the project's adaptability, making it responsive to the complex interplay of spatial, cultural, and social factors in urban environments.
Sociology plays a crucial role in understanding community dynamics, ensuring that the communal kitchens resonate with diverse cultural contexts and societal needs. The participatory approach involves representatives from these disciplines engaging with the community through workshops and surveys, fostering a holistic understanding of local requirements. This interdisciplinary collaboration generates multifaceted perspectives, enriching the project with nuanced insights.
The added value lies in the holistic nature of the project. The architectural perspective contributes to spatial efficiency, ensuring the kitchens fit seamlessly into existing structures. Urban planning align the project with broader city development goals. Sociology provide insights into community dynamics, ensuring that the communal kitchens become true hubs for diverse populations. The synergy among these disciplines enhances the project's adaptability, making it responsive to the complex interplay of spatial, cultural, and social factors in urban environments.
Methodology used
The project's methodology is rooted in extensive research on urban transformation conducted over two years in collaboration with the City of Aachen and RWTH Aachen University. This research involved detailed data collection on city life, analyzing pathways, behavioral patterns, gathering spots, and economic factors. Residents were interviewed to understand their desires and concerns about the city's development.
The project identified a critical insight: a lack of local, non-commercial community spaces, or "third places." Many people expressed a desire for places fostering community, communication, and exchange. During the Masterthesis phase, I explored kitchens as multifunctional, highly utilized, and communicative spaces where community could thrive. Through surveys, interviews, and on-site observations, I identified usage patterns and spatial requirements.
Collaborating with the City of Aachen's building management, I analyzed public buildings' floor plans and structural features, understanding their organizational governance. The detailed implementation of Aachen's City Kitchen focused on the Aachen City Museum. To showcase transferability, I integrated the City Kitchen concept into three additional public buildings. This resulted in a Masterthesis book, illustrating the exemplary application in Aachen's urban area, presented to the City of Aachen authorities and currently under internal discussion.
The project identified a critical insight: a lack of local, non-commercial community spaces, or "third places." Many people expressed a desire for places fostering community, communication, and exchange. During the Masterthesis phase, I explored kitchens as multifunctional, highly utilized, and communicative spaces where community could thrive. Through surveys, interviews, and on-site observations, I identified usage patterns and spatial requirements.
Collaborating with the City of Aachen's building management, I analyzed public buildings' floor plans and structural features, understanding their organizational governance. The detailed implementation of Aachen's City Kitchen focused on the Aachen City Museum. To showcase transferability, I integrated the City Kitchen concept into three additional public buildings. This resulted in a Masterthesis book, illustrating the exemplary application in Aachen's urban area, presented to the City of Aachen authorities and currently under internal discussion.
How stakeholders are engaged
The project engages stakeholders at multiple levels, fostering a collaborative and inclusive approach. At the local level, The City of Aachen plays a pivotal role as a driving force. Engaging with municipal authorities ensures alignment with local development goals, adherence to regulations, and access to existing public buildings. The City of Aachen's involvement in workshops and presentations enables a shared vision and strategy for the project's integration into the city's fabric.
Citizen involvement is central to the project's success. Through workshops and data collection by RWTH Aachen University, residents actively shape the project. Community workshops provide a platform for citizens to express preferences, aspirations, and concerns, directly influencing the project's design. Data collection, facilitated by the university, ensures a scientifically grounded understanding of community needs.
While the national and European levels may not be directly involved, the project's adaptability and innovative approach contribute to broader discussions on urban development, community engagement, and sustainable practices. The local, regional, and national stakeholders collectively add value by providing diverse perspectives, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enhancing the project's applicability to different governance levels. The active involvement of citizens ensures the project remains rooted in local needs, fostering a sense of ownership and long-term sustainability.
Citizen involvement is central to the project's success. Through workshops and data collection by RWTH Aachen University, residents actively shape the project. Community workshops provide a platform for citizens to express preferences, aspirations, and concerns, directly influencing the project's design. Data collection, facilitated by the university, ensures a scientifically grounded understanding of community needs.
While the national and European levels may not be directly involved, the project's adaptability and innovative approach contribute to broader discussions on urban development, community engagement, and sustainable practices. The local, regional, and national stakeholders collectively add value by providing diverse perspectives, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enhancing the project's applicability to different governance levels. The active involvement of citizens ensures the project remains rooted in local needs, fostering a sense of ownership and long-term sustainability.
Global challenges
This project addresses global challenges related to urbanization, community well-being, and social cohesion by providing local solutions. In an evolving architectural and urban planning landscape, cities worldwide have faced common challenges driven by industrialization and urbanization. The focus on productivity and efficiency often led to the neglect of human-scale and residents' needs.
One of the primary global challenges is the loss of community and human interaction in urban spaces. The built environment, influenced by mass expansion and heavy auto infrastructure, often lacked the human touch, disregarding the essential elements of belonging, exchange, and community. Additionally, the rapid digitization of society has exacerbated urban anonymity, with increased remote work, online shopping, and reduced face-to-face interactions.
The project tackles the global issue of social exclusion, where marginalized and economically disadvantaged groups often have limited access to public life due to profit maximization and spatial efficiency. In this context, the concept of communal urban kitchens serves as a micro-intervention within existing community structures, fostering community engagement and inclusivity.
The idea is to provide spaces that are accessible to all segments of society, promoting acceptance, inclusion, and strengthening democratic values. The concept is not bound by size or location, making it adaptable to various settings, regardless of a city or community's scale or geographical location. By thinking locally and on a small scale, the project can contribute to the cohesion of communities, encourage inclusivity, and address global challenges concerning urban life, human interaction, and social equity.
One of the primary global challenges is the loss of community and human interaction in urban spaces. The built environment, influenced by mass expansion and heavy auto infrastructure, often lacked the human touch, disregarding the essential elements of belonging, exchange, and community. Additionally, the rapid digitization of society has exacerbated urban anonymity, with increased remote work, online shopping, and reduced face-to-face interactions.
The project tackles the global issue of social exclusion, where marginalized and economically disadvantaged groups often have limited access to public life due to profit maximization and spatial efficiency. In this context, the concept of communal urban kitchens serves as a micro-intervention within existing community structures, fostering community engagement and inclusivity.
The idea is to provide spaces that are accessible to all segments of society, promoting acceptance, inclusion, and strengthening democratic values. The concept is not bound by size or location, making it adaptable to various settings, regardless of a city or community's scale or geographical location. By thinking locally and on a small scale, the project can contribute to the cohesion of communities, encourage inclusivity, and address global challenges concerning urban life, human interaction, and social equity.
Learning transferred to other parties
1. Methodological Approach: The core of this project is rooted in a comprehensive methodology for studying urban transformation, which can be applied anywhere. By conducting extensive research, including data collection, surveys, and interviews, we gained insights into local needs and priorities.
2. The Concept of Urban Community Kitchens: The concept of urban community kitchens can be applied to various settings beyond Aachen. It addresses a fundamental need for communal, consumption-free spaces, which can promote community engagement and interactivity. This model can be adopted or adapted in different cities, regardless of their size or location.
3. Public Building Integration: The practice of integrating communal kitchens into public buildings is a replicable aspect of this project. Public buildings in many cities remain underutilized outside their primary functions. Repurposing these spaces is an innovative way to promote community engagement and efficient resource utilization. This principle can inspire other urban planners to leverage existing structures creatively and transform underused spaces into vibrant community hubs.
4. Transcending Socioeconomic Divides: This project emphasizes the importance of public spaces that promote inclusion and community. Cities worldwide can benefit from adopting similar practices. Such spaces foster social equity, as they are accessible to all socioeconomic groups, promoting cohesion within communities.
5. Flexibility in Adaptation: The design and implementation of communal kitchens must be adaptable and flexible, respecting local contexts. This flexibility allows for easy transferability of the concept to various urban environments.
6. Enhanced Community: The focus on enhancing community well-being, as underscored by this project, can be a guiding principle for urban development globally. Prioritizing the creation of spaces that foster community, inclusivity, and democracy should be a shared objective for other cities.
2. The Concept of Urban Community Kitchens: The concept of urban community kitchens can be applied to various settings beyond Aachen. It addresses a fundamental need for communal, consumption-free spaces, which can promote community engagement and interactivity. This model can be adopted or adapted in different cities, regardless of their size or location.
3. Public Building Integration: The practice of integrating communal kitchens into public buildings is a replicable aspect of this project. Public buildings in many cities remain underutilized outside their primary functions. Repurposing these spaces is an innovative way to promote community engagement and efficient resource utilization. This principle can inspire other urban planners to leverage existing structures creatively and transform underused spaces into vibrant community hubs.
4. Transcending Socioeconomic Divides: This project emphasizes the importance of public spaces that promote inclusion and community. Cities worldwide can benefit from adopting similar practices. Such spaces foster social equity, as they are accessible to all socioeconomic groups, promoting cohesion within communities.
5. Flexibility in Adaptation: The design and implementation of communal kitchens must be adaptable and flexible, respecting local contexts. This flexibility allows for easy transferability of the concept to various urban environments.
6. Enhanced Community: The focus on enhancing community well-being, as underscored by this project, can be a guiding principle for urban development globally. Prioritizing the creation of spaces that foster community, inclusivity, and democracy should be a shared objective for other cities.
Keywords
Community Gathering
Urban-Kitchen
Resourceful Transformation
Potential of the existing
Expansion of public space
