WALKING THE MAP

In 2022, we worked as a Lead Researcher in a community project in collaboration with Serpentine Gallery, GGzE (Mental Health Institution in The Netherlands) and designers at Design Academy Eindhoven. Walking the Map focused on addressing the challenges faced by elderly individuals dealing with mental health issues, particularly those at risk of marginalisation and homelessness. 

Informed by Mabel Wilson's architectural theories and Sara Ahmed's feminist theories, the project aimed to comprehend the influence of architecture and urban planning on perpetuating or mitigating social disparities. It sought to propose innovative interventions that could enhance social mobility, and improve the architecture and semiotics of one of the GGzE sites where the elderly community lives. The project was community-led, actively involving the community through a series of workshops, interviews, and focus groups. This participatory approach empowered individuals to shape the project's outcomes, granting them agency and governance in determining the way they live at the GGzE site.

Walking the Map has been co-designed with designers and researchers: Rosa Raaphorst, Chiyue Ding and Damir Zhaksilikov.