Humanitarian Architecture Thesis: Chiedza Solar Village

My Bachelor of Architecture Thesis at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo is a humanitarian project with Journeyman International, a humanitarian design non-profit, to design an agricultural training center in Zimbabwe. We are partnering with two local Zimbabwean companies, Foundations for Farming and Canotek Solar. Their input and advice was crucial to the success of this project, since we weren’t able to visit the site. I was very cautious of cultural appropriation during the project. Often, humanitarian projects have good intentions but fail to actually listen to what the local community needs. I prioritized listening to my local partners and doing a lot of research on Zimbabwean culture in order to design something that was in tune with their needs and their context. I am also partnering with an architectural engineering student from Cal Poly to engineer the project.

outdoor classroom — Rendering of the Outdoor Classroom

This project consists of master planning the development, and then zooming in to design in detail the Stewardship Center, where Foundations for Farming will train locals in sustainable agriculture techniques. The locals will then host trainings at the Stewardship Center for poor farmers throughout Zimbabwe. This project will serve as a hub for the resurgence of agriculture in Zimbabwe and foster relationships with nature, one’s community, oneself, and beyond. Some key design features of the project are indoor-outdoor spaces and views to the demonstration field. Our partner at Foundations for Farming said that their trainings are held half indoors and half outdoors so having a covered outdoor classroom is really important to them. I want people to feel a strong connection to nature when they visit this building.

The last quarter of my thesis was virtual because of the coronavirus pandemic. Although it was disappointing to not get to showcase our thesis projects at the annual Chumash show in person, the virtual format pushed me to expand my rendering skills and to publish a website about my thesis which you can visit here!

stewardship center — Rendering of the Stewardship Center

Real World Impact

Most college students pour their heart into their thesis project for a whole year, but it only lives on in their portfolio. I wanted to have a greater impact with my thesis. Because my project is partnered with Journeyman International and has real clients in Zimbabwe, when I finished my design, I handed it back to them. My design has two major benefits to the non-profits. First, the renderings and plans will help them secure funding for the project. Second, the design will serve as a starting point for the local architect once the project is ready to be built. I produced a design book and preliminary construction documents for the project. The local architect might change my design a lot or only a little, but it provides a strong and well-researched place for them to start. I am so excited to see where this project goes and hope to be able to visit it in Zimbabwe someday!

If walls could dream… they’d dream of building an agricultural training center in Zimbabwe!

Humanitarian Thesis Trip to Rwanda

I am volunteering with Journeyman International (JI) to design a humanitarian agricultural training center for my thesis and I got to visit JI in Rwanda over winter break. Two other student volunteers from Cal Poly and one JI employee from San Luis Obispo went on the trip with me. It was a great experience to meet people I’m working with remotely, see projects that JI and has completed, and get a taste of African culture.

My favorite project we visited was the Sunzu library, pictured above, which Journeyman International finished a few years ago. The library has a lot of natural light from the clerestory windows and built-in benches for the kids to sit on and read or study. It was also inspiring how the building brought the community together and how proud they were of it. I hope that my thesis building will also help its local community come together and feel empowered by the design.

Even though we weren’t able to visit my site in Zimbabwe, this trip was so helpful for my thesis. I know that African cultures are very diverse and shouldn’t be generalized, but Zimbabwean culture is a lot closer to Rwandan culture than anything else I’ve experienced. This trip gave me a deeper understanding of their sense of time and their use of space and materials.

If walls could dream… they’d dream of empowering local communities through design!

100 Fold Summer Design-Build

I had the amazing opportunity to spend the summer in Lakeside, Montana learning from an incredible group of architects and working with a diverse team of architecture students to design and build a playground structure for a local middle school.

Mentorship and Teamwork

100 Fold Studio has such a big heart for mentorship and they empower and inspire the next generation of humanitarian architects through their example. Just spending a few months with them, I noticed right away that they do architecture differently. It’s not about ego. It’s about listening.

With a group of 24 architecture students from all across the US and abroad all trying to design this one playground, I though this project was going to be a train wreck! Thankfully, it was the exact opposite! With 100 Fold’s model of cooperation over competition as an example and with a common goal of making our project the best we could for the kids who were going to use it, the design process went smoothly.

Our Design

The prompt was to build a structure that would be the catalyst and heart of a new playground for the local middle school, and that would store their outdoor games. When we met with the school principal, she emphasized that she wants the school to focus on the whole child, so we designed four sheds with the themes “intellectual, social, emotional, and physical” to represent different aspects of a child. Each shed has a bench area on the front with something that represents its theme. For example, social shed has a long bench and the intellectual shed has a table with a chess board. In the middle of the four sheds is a fun new game the kids love called Nine Square in the Air. Lastly, the structures frame the beautiful mountain views on rural the Montana campus and remind the students of the beautiful place they live in.

Build Week

After working together to design the project, we got to build it together too! Again, I though that 24 people (plus the staff who helped us!) building a structure was going to be a disaster but it actually worked out really well. We all learned new things but also learned how to shine in our strengths. We came together as a team and made lasting memories. We also learned that it’s REALLY HARD TO BUILD THINGS IN REAL LIFE! Everything takes longer than you’d imagine and it looks like you’re going so fast at first, but the finishing touches take so much patience! But we also learned that it’s SO WORTH THE WAIT. It was priceless to get to play in the finished structure and now to see photos of the kids enjoying it!

Beautiful Montana

It was such an amazing summer of growth, not only in my architectural and leadership skills, but personally. It was a great time of reflection in nature and a time to think about WHO I want to be as an architect.

I can’t recommend 100 Fold Studio enough. It’ll be a landmark in my path as an architect. A distinct wayfinding point in my career. A solid foundation.

Podcast: Swan Levine House

The third episode of the If Walls Could Dream podcast is here! Today, we are touring a hospital that became a bnb and art studio in the small town of Grass Valley, CA. This unique and charming bnb was lovingly restored to tell the history of its past.

Special thanks to Howard Levine for sharing his story.

Podcast: Copenhagen City Hall Part 2

The second episode of the If Walls Could Dream podcast is here! Today, Kristoffer, our favorite city hall tour guide, tells us how he discovered the hidden meaning behind the stairwell. You aren’t gonna want to miss this one!

Special thanks to Kristoffer Sahlholdt for sharing his story.

Podcast: Copenhagen City Hall Part 1

If Walls Could Dream is launching a podcast! It’s all about the stories hidden within the walls of everyday buildings. I believe every building has a story to tell, but it’s up to us to listen. I have loved writing about buildings here for the past nine years, and I think I’ve learned a lot about how to “read” buildings, but I wanted to be able to invite you all into the stories better and I hope this podcast will do just that. Join me as we go around the globe, chasing stories of everyday buildings with extraordinary dreams.

Special thanks to Kristoffer Sahlholdt for sharing his story.

Grocery Shopping in Copenhagen

Shopping for groceries abroad is always such an adventure. I think it’s fun to wander around the store, unsure what anything is called, and search for your food like a treasure hunt, but if you like checking off your list, grocery shopping in Copenhagen might be more of a challenge.

Being a college student, I shopped at the cheapest grocery stores possible. Luckily, there was a Netto just a few blocks from my apartment. Netto is the cheapest of cheap grocery stores and it’s always an adventure trying to find what you want, but you can also happen upon great bargains! When I wanted something specific, I would go to Fotex. My Danish roomate also told me about Kvickly, which is a bigger grocery store like a small Target that has clothes and household items too. That’s where I got my bike helmet and tupperware.

Here are some highlights of my time shopping in Denmark:

The highlight is definitely when you find major sales like this lettuce on sale for 5dkk (less than $1!)

The candy aisle is always a highlight (and a danger zone!) It was so fun to try new candies while I was abroad!

But the low is when you get so excited about finding “American Brunch Pancake Mix” and the bag is tiny inside the box.

The strangest thing I saw in a Danish grocery store was definitely these pine cones… if any Danes are reading this, please explain to me why they’re selling pine cones in the vegetable section?

And thank you to my bike basket for getting my groceries home safe even when I packed it way too full like this day before my going away party.

Foods I didn’t expect to miss…

Friends who had studied in Denmark before had said that I wouldn’t be able to find peanut butter here which I definitely can. When I was packing to come to Denmark, I wanted to get my host family some fun American foods but I didn’t know what they’d have here or not have. I’ve been surprised by a few foods that I would’ve expected them to have that they don’t:

Bisquick (making pancakes from scratch is harder than I thought!)
Root beer (my host sisters and I were eating jelly bellies the other day and they asked me what root beer was and if it was actually beer. I told them no it’s not beer, and I don’t know why it’s called beer, but I don’t know how to describe the flavor.)
Banana bread (I wanted to make banana bread one day and my host family hadn’t heard of it! They were confused if it was a bread or a cake and I said it’s a little like both! They liked it though.)
Tater tots (another thing I was surprised my host family hadn’t heard of! I bravely decided to make them from scratch one day and it was really hard and not as good as real tater tots.)
Tofu (I guess this is kind of a weird vegetarian food but they had some tofu just not the kind I was used too, it was either too silky or too dry.)
Refried beans and cheddar cheese (I don’t think I ever found refried beans so I just used black beans for burritos which is healthier I guess and they did have cheddar cheese but it was nothing compared to Tillamook!)
And last but not least… ranch dressing! (They have creme fraiche but it’s just not the same!)

All in all, I survived and I actually ate really well and enjoyed being more adventurous with what I ate and trying new things. My roommates and I second semester were all vegetarians so we shared recipes and roasted a lot of veggies.

If walls could dream… they’d dream of grocery shopping abroad!

Tivoli

Tivoli is the amusement park in the center of Copenhagen. Yes, you read that right, there’s an amusement park in the center of Copenhagen! Right next to the central train station, Tivoli is a festive little park for all ages. There are rides as well as restaurants, shows, and cute seasonal decorations. In the winter, they have ice skating and in the summer, they have outdoor concerts! It’s a great place to go with friends.

If you’re in Copenhagen for an extended period of time, you should check out the monthly pass. You have to sign up for at least six months but it pays for itself in three trips.

Summer
Rides
The Lake
Churros
Mattea
Grace
Janet
Kara
Alex & Olivia

If walls could dream… they’d dream of visiting Tivoli!

Homestay vs. Rented Room

Are you a DIS Copenhagen student trying to decide which housing option is right for you? I decided to live in a homestay my first semester and a rented room my second semester and it was the perfect mix of getting to know Danish culture and getting to experience the city.

Homestay Pros:

You could get a host cat! My host family had a cat named Walter and he reminded me of my cat back home and made Denmark feel like home right away.
Home-cooked meals! My host family was amazing at cooking and I loved talking with them over dinner about their day. I even cooked some of my favorite recipes from home for them.
A Danish family! This one might be obvious, but living in a homestay, you’ll get to be adopted into a Danish family. I had three host sisters and it was so fun to get to know them. I also loved getting to know my host grandparents and practicing my Danish with them.
Danish traditions! I loved getting to learn about Danish traditions with my host family. We made Christmas stars and sang around the tree. We celebrated a neighbor’s anniversary by going to their house super early in the morning for breakfast. Living in a homestay is really the best way to get immersed in Danish culture.
Learn Danish! In addition to my Danish class, it was so helpful to have a family of native speakers to help with my homework and pronunciation. In return, I got to help my host sisters with their English homework.

Homestay Cons:

Longer commute. A lot of the homestays are a little further from the city. The commute can be a nice time to do homework, but it’s definitely the most suburban of the housing options.
Less independence. It’s kind of like being in high school again. To make the most of the experience, you have to be willing to put the time in to get to know your family. This can be hard when balancing travel and school, but it’s SO worth it.

Rented Room Pros:

Danish roommate! Get to know a Dane your age. I actually lived with a Dane and another girl from Cal Poly and we all got along super well! We were all vegetarians and we had so much fun swapping recipes.
Cook for yourself! I loved being able to cook for myself and I had so much fun shopping for groceries in Copenhagen, it’s always an adventure grocery shopping abroad!
Be more independent! To live in a rented room, you have to be very independent. You don’t have a bunch of other roommates to hang out with like in a Kollegium (dorm) so it can feel lonely before you start making friends in classes and things.
Live in the city! Definitely one of the biggest pro’s of a rented room is that it’s usually in the city. I was in the Frederiksberg neighborhood and I loved it! I could bike to the park, the lakes, coffee shops, museums, school, and even the zoo!

Rented Room Cons:

Can feel isolated. I touched on this before that living in a rented room can be lonely, especially at the beginning before you’ve made friends through your classes. Your Danish roommate has their own life and isn’t going to hang out with you all the time so you have to be independent enough to go out and do things with your new friends.
Cooking for yourself can also be a downside because you don’t get home cooked meals from your host family! But if you still want to get to know a Danish family without living with them, sign up for DIS’s Visiting Host program!

I loved living with a host family and in a rented room. My relationships with my hosts and roommates will last a lifetime and I learned so much about Danish culture and grew so much as a person this year. I wouldn’t have had it any other way!

Transportation in Copenhagen

Zones

Denmark’s transportation system is broken into different zones for pricing. The city center is all in zone 1, so if you’re just visiting you shouldn’t have to worry about it. The airport, however, is in zone 4. Save the zone map in your phone as a handy reference!

S-Train

The s-train is the commuter trains in Copenhagen. They’re great and make living in the suburbs and commuting into the city really easy. And you can bring your bike on for free!

Metro

The metro connects the center of the city and is the easiest way to get to the airport. Some major stops are Norreport, Kongens Nytorv, and Christianshavn. They’re opening a new circle line this summer which I’m bummed I won’t be around to see, but I guess I’ll have to come back and visit!

Bus

Pretty much like any other city in Europe, busses travel all around the city and are fairly reliable (until you’re running late, and then inevitably your bus will be late too).

Bike!

My favorite mode of transportation and arguably the most Danish. See more about biking in Copenhagen here.

Tickets

My university provided transportation passes for us to get from home to class which was so nice, but it’s easy to get tickets. You can get tickets in person from machines or 7-Elevens at the station or from the bus drivers themselves, or on the app DOT Mobilbilletter, or you can get a Rejsekort which is a card you fill with money and check in and out with at the beginning and end of your journey.

The s-train and metro are on the honor system, so you don’t have to scan your ticket or anything to get on. There are ticket checker people every once in a while and they’ll give you a hefty fine if you forget your ticket!

For the busses, just show your ticket or pass to the driver as you get on.

Apps

Rejseplanen is the public transportation journey planner app and its the best way to see the bus/train/metro schedule and it helps you figure out how to get from point A to point B.

DOT Mobilbilletter is helpful for buying tickets or zone extensions.

If walls could dream… they’d dream of zipping all around Copenhagen.

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