PERNILLA HAGBERT SWEA NC scholarship 2011northcarolina.swea.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2012/06/rapport_Hagbert.pdfPERNILLA HAGBERT SWEA NC scholarship 2011 SWEDEN - NORTH CAROLINA

PERNILLA HAGBERT SWEA NC scholarship 2011

SWEDEN - NORTH CAROLINA

As I packed to fly to North Carolina in the middle of June, I thought to myself that this will be my second, but hopefully far from last, visit to the American South. The first time I got to experience the charm of a “Southern drawl” was in the heart of Dixie; Alabama. Although it could have just as well been on the other side of the country compared to North Carolina, seeing how disconnected I felt from and how little I got to see of the rest of the South during my year in Western Alabama.

However, the oh so familiar conundrums of the sparsely populated rural South turned out to be very similar already before I even left Landvetter airport. I was flying into Pitt-Greenville, as I had concluded that the distance to my end destination Windsor, Bertie County, was about an hour-long drive. I booked this slightly less trafficked airport since I was counting on (or perhaps wishfully hoping for) a bus or train to be able to help me reach Windsor, yet not convinced of how I would actually get where I was going. Since my connections in Windsor were in the middle of construction – that was the reason I was going there after all – the only car available was a truck belonging to the two teachers/founders, which was full of building supplies and hardly suited to dare the late night highways to pick me up. Having experienced very similar situations before, I tried to calm them with the reassurance I would find a way.

Me not having a driver’s license was as always a cause for great surprise and plenty of worry. As I grew up in a city environment in Sweden, I never “had” to get my driver’s license. Between the cost, speed and simplicity of public transport and my bike, it far outweighed the hassle of driving or owning a car in the city as a young student. To try to explain this to an American, especially in the South, I have found to be fairly difficult, yet sometimes the discussion that have followed have proved entertaining. I would say this first “culture shock” is also one that is of importance to me, as I believe we can build better cities and communities where owning your own car is secondary to other communications in society. How fitting then that my rescue, in this particular instance from possibly being stranded at Pitt-Greenville, came in the form of a complete stranger through an online community. As I have previously used couchsurfing.org for travels through Europe and the US, I took my chances and posted an emergency message on the local Greenville members group. Within no time, I heard back from a young local designer who knew about Studio H and admired their work and who offered to give me a ride from the airport up to Windsor. So upon my arrival to the small airport with a newly built conveyor belt, I met Christopher Schwing, a recent graduate of East Carolina


University, who was kind enough to show me some of the sights on our way up to Windsor. For a first impression of North Carolina, I don’t think I could have gotten a better one than the great Southern hospitality and generosity of complete strangers! If anything, that is what continues to amaze me about the US, the spirit I have met in people from all different backgrounds, with different aspirations and purposes to do what they do, but with a willingness to share these perspectives while gathering new ones. Plus, to hear the point of view of someone who lives and works in an area you are visiting is always helpful, that car ride was a regular Q&A with me asking anything there was to know about North Carolina; the universities, the art and design scene, the history, the industries, you name it.

WINDSOR

Windsor, Bertie County is a small town in an area faced with great challenges. Apart from the high percentage of people living in poverty and the need for efforts such as Studio H to breath life, creativity and inspiration into the young of the county, Windsor was also hit badly by natural disasters in the last year. As I got to know the town, the tales of flooded houses, shops and perhaps most saddening, the library, were horrifying. Emily Pilloton and Matt Miller moved to Bertie County with a mission to not only talk about change, but to actually be part of it. Even though the town took a while to come around to the idea, and the school board several attempts to scare them away, they now call Bertie County their home. Working closely with the community is of great importance to their work, and as a visitor I got to see plenty of that. Especially relevant to the project I took part in, a farmers market, the idea of a local ownership of the work is key.

While walking around Windsor (yes, I did indeed walk all around, causing quite a few worried looks as I made my way around the sometimes sidewalk-less streets) I got to appreciate the beautiful historic downtown. Being an architect, I am of course very interested in the vernacular architecture of the rural South, and in particular the prominent examples of antebellum and Greek-revival houses found in North Carolina. Windsor has a great deal of beautiful houses, although as I had previously seen in Alabama, some are loosing their finished flair and falling into a state of (still beautiful, but problematic) vacancy. One house that however has seen a surge of new life is the one I had the chance to stay in during my time in Windsor. The Inn at Gray’s landing is a beautiful old Colonial style home that is now run as a Bed & Breakfast. It was also where Emily and Matt stayed during their first


walking around WIndsor - the inn


sitting on a porch in a rocking char in the North Carolina heat


beautiful historical homes, some more maintained than others


walking around Windsor - King street amazed by drive through banking


downtown brick buildings


time in Windsor – located just across the street from their current home, it made for very appropriate access for me to get around town, to the construction site and so on.

Sitting on the great wrap around porch to cool down after a day working on site, I did indeed conjure up ideas of what the main street – King street, would have been like during the turn of the 18th/19th century. Being especially fond of history, and due to my profession - where any stories related to how architecture and urban/rural planning developed are of interest, I do think North Carolina is very rich in gorgeous examples of homes from a range of simple rural cottages to plantation mansions. If I get my way, I will soon be back to thoroughly explore this specific theme some more. As my current work as a researcher and PhD student deals with the concept of home, how this concept has developed in such a geographic context is very fascinating.

STUDIO H

”Studio H is a public high school “design/build” curriculum that sparks rural community development through real-world, built projects. /.../ Studio H is a different kind of classroom. We design, build, and transform.” www.studio-h.org

The program I was in North Carolina to visit and volunteer my muscle to, Studio H, works with junior year students from all over Bertie County that attend the public high school located in Windsor. As a one-year design/build program, it not only gives the students college credits and inspiring weekly classes, but also allows them to work during their summer break on the actual construction of a project they have designed collaboratively. Both Emily and Matt are certified as adjunct faculty at Pitt Community College Architectural Technology and Design departments. Having met them both only briefly before, I mostly knew of their work through following it online and through mutual friends. Meeting them again, in their “true element” was truly inspiring not only because of their drive and passion for what they do, but also to see the connection they have with their students.

Unfortunately not all students taking the class during the school year were able to take part in the construction phase during the summer, so I didn’t get to meet them all. The ones who did, however, showed through their hard work just how proud to take part in the program they were. The students of course wondered what I was doing, visiting all the way from Sweden to see the work they were doing. For them, quite understandably, Windsor is perhaps the last place they would


the humble workshop space


expect anyone to actually come visit. For me, discussing the everyday life of Bertie County and the impact Studio H has had on their own perspectives and future plans was as inspiring to me as any glossy architectural magazine image. Perhaps this is what makes Studio H an interesting model in combining design with practical experience and community engagement; the kids are the studio’s mission.

THE WINDSOR SUPER FARMERS’ MARKET

The project that the students had been working on was a farmers’ market for Windsor. The studio identified the need for locally grown fresh produce in a town, or county, where access to good vegetables can prove quite the challenge. The aim was to design and build a place where local farmers and home gardeners could sell their crops, along with other products created by craft rather than mass-production. The students worked with the design collaboratively, reworking multiple designs into one final idea and got to present their proposal to the local community and visiting faculty guests. Settling on a structure that resembles a stable, the students took inspiration from vernacular peanut trailer sheds with a line of bays with loading access from the back in a nice shaded pavilion for the customers to stroll through.

I had planned on visiting Studio H as they were finishing up this design review process and moving into construction planning. As my trip got slightly delayed, I instead arrived just in time for the groundbreaking. Perhaps even more fitting than showing up at the end of the design phase, I was put straight to use digging. On my first day in Windsor, I was up at 7 to get an early (an slightly cooler morning) start to working on the holes for the foundation. Even though we all sweated through the merciless North Carolina June sun, as with much manual labor, it goes a whole lot faster when you have people helping you. Together with the students (who worked in morning/afternoon shifts on a rotation), Emily, Matt and an engineer/builder friend of theirs, I dug and prepped the footer holes with rebar for concrete to be poured into them. As we were expecting the delivery of concrete by the end of the week, there was much to be done, every day was just as exhausting as the next. When the concrete truck finally arrived an early morning, we got right to chucking it into the holes, trying to get all the air bubbles out and smoothing the surface. Working with concrete is a heavy job, and by the end of the day we were all worn out, but satisfied. Being part of the beginning of construction is perhaps the most satisfying segment to witness, as the disbelief and awe of the students that their design was actually coming to life, by the work of their own hands, was pretty astounding.

hard at work!


digging away you never know what you find in the ground


digging and placing rebar


getting ready for the concrete


arrival of the concrete truck


smoothing out the surface


Doing such grunt work together gave me a great opportunity to get to know the students and them me. Explaining how I had come to learn about their studio, their part of the country, and even the US gave me lots to think about, not to mention sharing my personal story of why I became an architect and why I want to teach. As one of the students came from a family of cattle farmers, he told me all about the recent cattle show he had entered and the whole science that goes into raising a good animal. Asking about the prospects of cattle farming in Sweden, I must say I had no clear answer, although we discussed the general decrease in agriculture and the economic consequences of a weakened agricultural heritage. I can safely say I would have never had such a conversation unless out there, spade in the dirt, under the hot sun with these amazing kids.

From that groundbreaking at the middle of June to the completion and grand opening three and a half months later, the students and their instructors did an amazing job. Even though didn’t get to follow the whole process, the time I spent in Windsor working on the foundation for this project was as rewarding to them as it was to me, not only for the extra man power or the sore muscles I got. The farmers’ market now belongs to the town of Windsor and is run by the farmers’ market association, something that was important for the studio as maintenance or facilitating the actual activities lies beyond the scope of the curriculum. Nonetheless, with the prime location, just at the river south of King street and at one of the entry points into town, I am sure these kids will never forget the work and heart that went into that farmers’ market. Such projects are a true way to build inter-generational sustainability, as their own children and hopefully grandchildren will see that structure and feel pride in the accomplishment. I know that at least on my next visit to North Carolina and Windsor –hopefully soon – seeing the market in use will be first on my list.

the completed farmers’ market at night


part of the crew


some merchandise at the pop-up farmers’ market in anticipation of the new structure


a find at the flea market well deserved outing to Swan bay after a day of concrete pouring

Documents

PERNILLA HAGBERT SWEA NC scholarship 2011northcarolina.swea.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2012/06/rapport_Hagbert.pdfPERNILLA HAGBERT SWEA NC scholarship 2011 SWEDEN - NORTH CAROLINA