The field of architecture has the potential to influence human relations in countless ways through the built space. In small-scale projects, in particular, the challenges of tackling the dialogue between the space and the individual are combined with the task of conveying ideas to inspire people to explore the use of these minimal spaces.
Interventions, temporary pavilions, and small-scale buildings are some examples of projects that have proven that it is not necessary to have huge equipment in order for the architecture to have a great social impact. The small scale projects presented below demonstrate how their virtues and capabilities make them grand, not in size, but rather in their meaningful social impact.
Story Pod Library / Atelier Kastelic Buffey
"During the day, the invitation becomes more pronounced when two of the walls pivot open like the covers of a book, welcoming people inside or to gather around the front. At night, when the doors are locked, recessed, energy-efficient LED lights, powered by concealed, self-sustaining solar panels on the roof, glow through the latticework like a lantern, providing ambiance for night markets or community events."
100 Classrooms for Refugee Children / Emergency Architecture & Human Rights
"The Syrian civil war has displaced millions of people, most of them are children, most of them do not receive an education because of a lack of schools. EAHR, in collaboration with the local community and a local NGO, Acting for Change Jordan, implemented an extension to the existing school in order to increase the number of students access to education: the school will be used by children in the morning and by adults during the afternoon, who will use the space to learn reading and writing skills."
The Green Embassy / Steffen Impgaard
“The Green Embassy is intended to be an architectural structure and venue in the urban space to increase visibility and accessibility of the Taste Aarhus project, creating more opportunities for citizens to get started on growing, even if they do not have a garden. At the same time, it makes the city's public spaces more pleasant, both for the people of Aarhus.”
Center for Women in Masai Village / C-re-aid
“Designed in collaboration with Femme International, a humanitarian organization that teaches workshops about sexual education and personal hygiene to girls and women, the Women’s Centre is intended to be the reference point for all necessities of women from the village. At the same time, it serves as a meeting place where different groups of women can store goods and organize their meetings.”
Tea, Chocolate, Coffee Pavilion / knitknot architecture
“With ‘Tea, Chocolate and Coffee’, knitknot proposes to re-imagine the patio of the Public Library of La Rioja as a Corral de Comedias, that is, a traditional Spanish open-air theatre, to activate and share the multiple stories and narratives from the books that the library contains in its shelves.”
The Garden Library for Refugees and Migrant Workers / Yoav Meiri Architects
“The library is located in the Levinski Park, by the Tel Aviv central bus station. The park is the place migrant workers congregate on weekends. It was important for us that the library reach out to the people so those who maintain illegal immigrant status would come without fear, and also that the library would not have closed doors or a guard at the entrance who would check and ask questions.”
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topic: Tiny. Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and projects. Learn more about our monthly topics here. As always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.
