New Publications available now
CoReSing has recently contributed to three new publications:
AFRITECTURE: Building Social Change
Where a term like “Western architecture” is likely to conjure a gamut of specific examples ranging from the Colosseum to the Empire State Building, “African architecture”-whether ancient or modern-still connotes very little for a general audience in the West. Happily, this is changing, as Africa’s recent economic boom is transforming the urban landscape across the continent, and yielding a rich new crop of architects and buildings with a range of approaches and solutions as diverse as Africa itself. This opulently illustrated volume, with informative texts by the architectural historian Andres Lepik and documentation of models and maps, examines a broad range of examples of contemporary architecture in Africa. The selection is confined to countries south of the Sahara, such as Burkina Faso, Rwanda and South Africa, where the transformation of the architectural landscape has been particularly pronounced and remarkable in recent years. Throughout, references to the hallmarks and principles of Western historical architecture are notable; but equally striking is the innovative use of local materials and often minimal resources. Very little has been published on contemporary African architecture, making this substantial volume an important and pioneering publication.
Construction Ahead – Constructing Alternatives Part II:
The Assistant Professorship Dirk E. Hebel has been guest-editing two editions of Ethiopia’s leading construction magazine: ‘Construction Ahead’. The 80 page issues “Constructing Alternatives” propose a variety of alternative modern, and sometimes transformed building materials and construction methods. Although tested in and derived from an African context, their application can also answer the rising needs of other developing territories and turn them from import-oriented systems into self-sustaining, knowledge exporting nations.
‘Construction Ahead’ is a specialized bimonthly magazine for engineers, industry academics, architects, construction material manufacturers and suppliers and related service providers. ‘Construction Ahead’ delivers keen insight and analysis of key construction markets, projects, products and trends.
The School the Book the Town
The School, The Book, The Town is a biography of an experiment undertaken in Ethiopia for nearly a decade, starting with the founding of a school, setting off a series of investigations assembled in a book, and leading to the construction of a town. A timeline running all through the book reveals how logical and consistent, but in some cases also chaotic and interrupted the story evolved.
In an age of rapid urbanization, the city is everywhere. In the case of Ethiopia, as with so many other developing nations, architecture and urban design are brought face to face with a country undergoing radical, often painful transformations that put longstanding traditions to the test. The burning question here is how to modernize and yet maintain distinct cultural identities, while also trying to accommodate mass migration from rural regions to urban centers. In sum, the route followed here is one marked by a series of trials that leave nothing standing as it was.
Contributions by Marc Angélil, Philippe Block, Zegeye Chenet, Dirk Hebel, Fasil Giorghis, Sarah Graham, Franz Oswald, Cary Siress, et al.
Please find article excerpts below:
Dirk E. Hebel:
ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION IN ETHIOPIA
in: AFRITECTURE, Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern, 2013, pp. 160-165
Dirk E. Hebel, Toma Berlanda, Susanne Gampfer, Marc Olweny, Alfred Omenya, Hans Skotte:
PRO AND CONTRA: DESIGN-BUILD PROJECTS AS A FROM OF KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
in: AFRITECTURE, Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern, 2013, pp. 210-216
Dirk E. Hebel, Dirk Donath:
PARTNER PROJECTS IN ETHIOPIA
in: AFRITECTURE, Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern, 2013, pp. 166-171
Felix Heisel, Elias Yitbarek:
BUILDING LAWS FOR ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS: A SHIFT TOWARDS FUNCTION AND PERFORMANCE-BASED BUILDING PERMITS
in: Construction Ahead, Constructing Alternatives part II, Vol. 23/12, Addis Ababa, 2013, pp. 10-12
Karsten Schlesier:
BAMBOO PERSPECTIVES: THE FUTURE OF BAMBOO AS A BUILDING MATERIAL
in: Construction Ahead, Constructing Alternatives part II, Vol. 23/12, Addis Ababa, 2013, pp. 45-47
Dirk E. Hebel, Felix Heisel, Alireza Javadian:
BAMBOO: THE NEW SUPER FIBER
in: Construction Ahead, Constructing Alternatives part II, Vol. 23/12, Addis Ababa, 2013, pp. 54-57
Dirk E. Hebel:
ENVISIONEERING ETHIOPIA: FROM THE CITY TO THE UNIT AND BACK
in: The Book the School the Town, Ruby Press, Berlin, 2013, pp. 136-139
Felix Heisel:
FILMIC SPACES
in: The Book the School the Town, Ruby Press, Berlin, 2013, pp. 96
