Wednesday, June 3, 2015 10:00 am
-
10:00 am
EDT (GMT -04:00)
Of
the
thesis
entitled:BeniAtlas':An
interface
for
the
informal
city
Abstract:
Amap
is
a
chart
or
diagram
that
uses
spatial
relationships
to
communicateinformation.
Through
the
medium
of
the
map
a
desired
goal
can
be
impressed
onpeople’s
minds
as
a
first
step
to
changing
the
environment.
The
history
ofmapping
shows
that
changes
in
technology
broughtabout
ideologies
of
progressthat
were
communicated
in
maps.
The
digital
revolution
has
brought
about
animage
culture
that
is
changing
the
way
we
connect
with
space.
Instead
ofphysical
rules
limiting
the
way
we
interact
with
space,
we
are
now
able
toredefine
it
entirely.
Asarchitect
Richard
Wurman
writes
in
the
preface
ofThe
Exposed
City,
digital
maps
allow
people
“to
see
thethings
they’ve
always
seen
but
never
seen,”
and
choose
to
respond
to
that
newknowledge
in
space.
Architects
such
as
Richard
Wurman,
Buckminster
Fuller,James
Corner,
OleBouman,
Raoul
Bunschoten
and
MVRDV,
to
name
a
few,
haveacknowledged
the
need
to
be
involved
in
the
design
of
digital
mapping
programsto
maintain
our
position
as
advocates
for
quality
built
space.
Digitalmapping techniques are considered by many to be a tool of agency formarginalized people in the developing context. The last twenty years have seena wave of “public participatory GIS (geographic information system)” programsbeing initiated in communities around theworld. Digital maps offer the abilityto store and represent an infinite amount of information, make it available tothe masses, and apply techniques to make it dynamic and interactive. Beni Atlasexplores mapping theory, analyses current employment of digital maps and thenemployswhat is learned to the design for a mapping framework for the communityof Beni in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in partnership with a localuniversity.
Thedesign uses a framework methodology because the image of a map is never alonebut is surrounded by a set of community programs and digital sequences thatdrive how a map is created, used, shared, stored, connected, etc. Thisframework is the atlas’ (prime) that is taken to anew level of possibilitywith the use of digital technology. The goal of the framework is to unite datafrom bottom-up and top down sources, provide clarity and understanding forusers, and become a tool that allows for communication and partnership betweendifferent actors in thecommunity.
Digitalmapping techniques are considered by many to be a tool of agency formarginalized people in the developing context. The last twenty years have seena wave of “public participatory GIS (geographic information system)” programsbeing initiated in communities around theworld. Digital maps offer the abilityto store and represent an infinite amount of information, make it available tothe masses, and apply techniques to make it dynamic and interactive. Beni Atlasexplores mapping theory, analyses current employment of digital maps and thenemployswhat is learned to the design for a mapping framework for the communityof Beni in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in partnership with a localuniversity.
Thedesign uses a framework methodology because the image of a map is never alonebut is surrounded by a set of community programs and digital sequences thatdrive how a map is created, used, shared, stored, connected, etc. Thisframework is the atlas’ (prime) that is taken to anew level of possibilitywith the use of digital technology. The goal of the framework is to unite datafrom bottom-up and top down sources, provide clarity and understanding forusers, and become a tool that allows for communication and partnership betweendifferent actors in thecommunity.
The examining committee is as follows:
Supervisor:
Committee Members:
Ѳⲹʰ쾱,University of ݮƵ
ղԲԾ,University
of
ݮƵ
Lola
Sheppard,
University
ofWaterloo
External Reader:
Peter Johnson, University ofݮƵ
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Wednesday
June
3,
2015
10:00AM
Architecture
Room1001
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.