In this weeks celebration of students work, we have Julie Oti who is a recent Part II Architecture graduate from The University of Westminster, London. Prior to this Julie completed her Part I degree at Oxford School of Architecture in 2017. Whilst studying her undergraduate during the summer break, Julie ventured to Italy to work in Andrea Bonini's bespoke interior design studio. Upon graduating with the Part I degree Julie worked at HTA Design in their London office, a practice focused on designing better housing.
A side from architecture Julie is interested in all facets of designs (fashion and product design) and explores her learnt skills into small projects or refurbishments. Julie is looking for a place to work to start the next chapter of her architecture career and becoming a fully qualified architect. Please enjoy Julie's Part II final project below and some of her own words which breaks down the project and its aims.
| Project Overview
District 6 - The Ministry of Nostalgia : A Return Home
The project delves behind the scenes of the Capetonian makeup in South Africa located in the community of district 6 . The social commentary of the project is manifested in the strong diverse community of District 6. A neighbourhood of labours, artisans, merchants, musicians, immigrants and multicultural living. Until the removal process established by the Group Areas Act during the apartheid, racially designated prime spaces within the city of cape town and nation wide. The community of District Six (and many others) lost their homes and were forcefully relocated and since then the land - their home - has been left barren, like scarring on the landscape, with only partial restitution and debates on how to deal with its past mistake and community claimants.
The chosen site is a living heritage site which is to be dealt with sensitively through a civic shell while memorialising the remains frozen in time. The project is exploring the idea of the cultural garden of stories and collectivism within a neighbourhood. Where the ministerial interventions allow the community to vocalised and govern their decisions, assists similar communities with land reform through design and monumentalise the memory a resilient people who fought for what they believed in. The revival of memory, archiving, archaeological preservation and restoration of the cultural heritage are the foundation of the project and will be tackled within the Ministry of Nostalgia that collectively aims to order, restore and add to the cultural heritage and awareness of the rich site, while addressing the cultural dispossession and impact of forced removal. This a return home, to lands of yester-years, which builds up on the narrative of memories and traces of artefacts of what was.
Sectional Elevation - Ministry of Nostalgia Hub of Discussions
| Project Aim
Architecturally I am interested in how architecture and politics may work together to create sensitive and impactful designs that enrich a nation but benefit its people (users). The project was heavily involved in researching archives, and interviews of those who lived there while simultaneously mapping (mapping was an important tool used to divide the country).
Ministry of Nostalgia now bridging the urban divide through collective civic interventions, pays tribute to these addressed spaces. Returning Home draws attention to the realities of South Africa from lenses that looks beyond the Rainbow Nations façade and focuses on the socio-political issues where these liminal spaces collide, through new forms of municipal engagement that transcend the historic dividing of the land celebrating its resilient nature.
Archaeological Gardens of voices
Perspective Section - Homecoming Workshop Pavilion
To connect further with Julie and her architectural work please see her Instagram page: @julie_designs_
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