PNG - A Time to Remember

Being involved in a cultural exchange, finding satisfaction at having done something meaningful and genuinely being surprised at feeling needed are just some of the rewards that I have experienced since coming back from the design and build project in PNG.

On so many levels the 5 week trip was immensely enriching.

The village was layered with diverse culture, beautiful people, contrasting landscapes and environments that frequently challenged our sense of familiarity.

However only was it upon my return that I began to see how much the experience had provided a unique training ground for developing architects.

Much of how we currently design, whether within an architectural firm or university environment is computer dependant and whilst I am a big advocate of the computer I also notice that as we become more dependent upon its ability to conceptualise our ideas we become less attached to the actual materials with which we build with.

By returning to the making we were able to engage with the materials at the source and began to understand what inherent properties of them which has lead to their traditional uses.

Stripping bark from a local quilla tree, weaving sago leaves into morota roofing, slicing bamboo with machetes, sourcing sago palms for woven wall cladding and chiselling away sawn walnut wood are just some of the activities  that I found myself inspired by.

The process of designing through making turned into designing through construction and although initially an unfamiliar method it proved to release flexibility into the design process and furthermore expanded the properties of the materials so that they became design tools themselves.

Secondly, the experience challenged us to find innovative solutions to age old problems with specific materials, tools and environmental conditions.  

Not having a chainsaw but needing to cut 600mm diameter trees for new bucket stations lead to the solution of reconfiguring the design to accommodate for wooden tops made from pre sawn logs.  These were sourced on garden land that was 20 min away by boat and needed to be axed on site. Although the design had shifted, the conditions forced us to think more sustainably and to use the materials that we had available.

Ultimately whether it is PNG or Australia, finding immediate solutions to problems within the boundaries of limitation affords an individual the challenge which they need to grow within their profession.

Thirdly, moving from paper to product within three weeks was invigorating. It is rare within either a university or practical environment that we design a structure and experience its completion three weeks later. The situation allowed the post occupancy evaluation to have a closer connection to the design process; so rather than designing, building and constructing in a step by step process the three seem to have an immediate feedback loop into each other.

Fourthly, the embracement of the responsibilities of project management at an early stage of training will have an influence on all future experiences. Being accountable for organising and directing large group of people to facilitate the build requires a significant view of the bigger picture. We were fortunate enough to have this opportunity.  Many hands were eager to help and these had to be coordinated along with the material sourcing and construction scheduling for a variety of projects that were all happening at once.

Lastly we had a superbly forgiving audience, one that was free from heavy policy and bureaucracy and one that encouraged us to just do it.

The process of 'having a go' reduced the gap of hesitancy between thought and action and enabled us to become actively engaged.

The design and build project in PNG rigorously challenged the architectural muscles that as students you desire to be challenged.  It flexed our ability to manage, organise and facilitate, it allowed us the opportunity to partake of practical responsibilities and it gave us the platform to learn in a responsive environment.

Not only were we exposed to new crafts and materials we also learnt how to think sustainably in an environment that is dependent upon the land for survival. The overall process has been a very valuable experience.

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