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“Sorbole” – Urban garden’s equipment
ATTENTION: THIS INITIATIVE WAS DEVELOPED IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE PROGRAM “LUCES DE BARRIO 2016” OF THE “ÁREA DE HÁBITAT URBANO, CULTURA Y TURISMO DEL AYUNTAMIENTO DE SEVILLA”, COMMISSIONED BY NOMAD GARDEN, RELATED BY SURNAMES AND PRODUCED BY EL MANDAITO. ITS REALIZATION HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN CTRL+Z AND SCENOTEKNIAB, THE PMAR FROM IES JOAQUÍN ROMERO MURUBE AND THE ASOCIACIÓN VERDES DEL SUR.
TO UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY I INVITE YOU TO FOLLOW THE LINKS TO KNOW THE OTHER DIRECTLY INVOLVED SUBJECTS.
Background
Entering for the first time in the I.E.S. Joaquín Romero Murube‘s courtyard located in the Barriada Murillo of Sevilla’s Polígono Sur, we find two orchards. The first is configured as a teaching tool through with which different PMAR programs (programs to improve learning and performance) of the school are developed. The second is a productive, food sovereignty and self-sufficiency initiative of Verdes de Sur Association that also manage a greenhouse for the development of a research project on the use of the aquaponics with social approach.
Today a four meters diameter geodesic pvc blinds structure and the “Sorbole” equipment with another wooden canvas covered one of almost eight meters, which houses an inertia improved floor and a bench of twentyone meters of superadobe, have been added.
Those where realized in the framework of the Luces de Barrio 2016 program to which we were invited to participate. The initiative, which this year celebrates its second edition, proposes “to illuminate singular urban places, managed and cultivated by civic collectives”. The commissioners matched Ctrl+Z with the Barriada Murillo’s orchard and this way we started to know the neighborhood and the social agents that surround it.
We contacted immediately with scenotekniaB to establish a collaboration that would allow us to expand the resources of the team, especially in view of the opening and lighting ceremony and of the of the knowledges required for it. Their input did not limit to the specifics of their training, but they became a significant driving force for the completion of the project at 360º, in addition of providing energy and enthusiasm. Diversofoto covered the montage and actively joined in some building phases.
Location: Polígono Sur’s Barriada Murillo
Less than 5 km separate Polígono Sur of Plaza Nueva, the main square and headquarters of the municipality of Sevilla. Is popularly known with nicknames like “las tresmil viviendas” o “las vegas”, nicknames loaded with social exclusion in the collective imagination.
Those nicknames associates immediately the neighborhood to drug’s commerce and use, to marginalization, to the illegality and creates profound social barriers that separate this neighborhood of the city a much more than the physical distance between them. It’s almost another city, a city isolated and forgotten that the majority of the sevillians never visited and has no intention of doing so.
Polígono Sur consists of 6 districts, each built in different times and under different schemes from cooperative to social housing.
Our initiative was located in one of them, the ” Barriada Murillo” named in honor of the sevillan painter 
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo whose favorite colors are reflected in the facades of the different parts that compose it, naming them: “The browns”, “The yellows “, ect…
Since the first visits we are faced a reality that was very different form the one portrayed by the media. We come into contact with food sovereignty, research linked to the university level and to self-employment, and with special and specific education local projects.
With their promoters we structured and developed the proposal.
Design and concept
Despite the dynamism that surrounds the assigned orchard, being newly implanted, suffers from a certain lack of infrastructures. Very different ideas were considered, finally the talks took us to focus the initiative on the construction of a shaded meeting and resting area at both the Association and the Institute, within which it is located, service.
The orchard and the community have their own special features and characteristics. The orchard of the IES Murube isn’t a space of leisure, but of self-consumption, and the community is not looking for grants and welfarism but instead seeks self-reliance and empowerment.
Their attitudes were synchronized to perfection with the work, training, empowerment and construction schemes we love to use. So our intervention was structured around these axes, with a training program for the construction of some of the equipments needed for their activities as a pretext to empower local actors on lowtech construction techniques based on locally provided materials; techniques that would be useful to them to continue with this and other projects in future. All the training activities would be completely free for the participants.
The initiative focused mainly on two techniques, geodesic structures and superadobe, developing on two training channels: one for the PMAR young students and other for adults mainly of Verdes del Sur. These channels have not been carried out independently but have been organized as communicating vessels, back-feeding and establishing synergies.
In the case of the geodesic structures adults have joined us during the development of the student’s workshops, coming in this way in touch with the skills necessary for the realization of a more complex structure that is itself an example for the students of what can be achieved with the acquired knowledges.
In the case of superadobe the circle has been reverse, adults have formed on the technique and will be joining us as trainers in the activity for PMAR students whose objective will be the construction of the base of the greenhouse, a small bench or flower bed.
Learning and building together: geodesic
First phase of the program was the organization of geodesic geometries workshop addressed to the PMAR students. That was possible thanks to the collaboration and availability of the teachers in charge of the program with whom we worked on the contents for calibrating them correctly to the level of the students.
This workshop has been instrumental in getting to know each other and to start to work together with the teachers of the institute and with Verdes del Sur, in perspective of the construction of a larger structure in the next workshop for the construction of “Sorbole”‘s the wooden structure.
For a long time we have been investigating on systems that could allow the simplification in the construction of habitable geodesic structures. The previous constructive experiences suggested us that the complications and the pathologies that are experienced with this type of constructions are introduced by misconceptions in their conception and design as well as the lack of care in the planning of their construction.
Once again we decide to build with light, easy to transport elements, whose preparation requires simple and repetitive operations and not requiring the use of auxiliary means or tools, special abilities or physical strength.
Based on these guidelines we come to the design of the “Sorbole” urban gardens equipment composed by the homonymous geodesic and structure of a superadobe bench. The structure, which uses a “rotegrity” geometry, far from being based on aesthetic considerations, sprouts from the search of an easy preparation and setup constructive system.
That’s not going in the deterioration of the aesthetic or the quality of the spaces that are created, which loaded with the energies of the neighborhood, configured quite striking environments and geometries. From pallet size wooden boards a light of nearly eight meters is covered.
For the construction of a similar space with beams and pillars it would take a crane and skilled labour which would transform the neighbors in spectators of a no longer interesting and educational show. At the same time that would invalidate the reproducibility of the proposal that will no longer be appropriable by the community. We don’t aspire only to create a space ” for ” citizens of the neighborhood, but also to transmit knowledge and technology that allows them to generate it “by” themselves.
The assembly was conducted in two days without any remarkable problem, showing that a good planning is capable of allowing individuals with no prior training to participate as prime actors in the construction of apparently very complicated structures. The success of this montage validates the technology transfer protocols that Ctrl+Z has been developing on these building systems in recent years.
The structure has been covered with fireproof canvas, the design of the enclosure has been mapped out with the intention of repairing the interior of the summery sun noons and afternoons leaving it open to the morning sun coming from east and allowing this way in this way the constant visibility from the school of the interior of the equipment and avoid this way security issues. Polygons are left 
uncovered thus creating a pattern that promotes air movement and interior comfort.
Learning and building together: Superadobe
The commitment and enthusiasm of the participants, their desire to learn, were instrumental in some project elections, allowing assume tasks that, in principle, weren’t going to be accomplished. There was a list of options to choose from.
Finally thanks to them we were “forced” to perform almost all of them. You can say that with their energies they made us work more than expected.
One of these “in doubt” activities was the superadobe course for the construction of the bench. After the positioning of the dome on the foundation, it we valued the possibility of no realize this course and opt for alternative solutions.
In Ctrl+Z were strongly convinced of the importance of the training on this earth building technique for the future development of this community. Superadobe knowledge will allow them to colonize in the future the Guadaira park, whose plots will continue to be assigned throughout 2017, with the construction of functional and landscaping elements, as planters and small equipment, as principal
technique and/or at support to others.
Exactly when the tiredness comes out, the local and widespread community tucked the initiative. Verdes del Sur and scenotekniaB made decided step forward pledging forces, the teachers of the PMAR found the cement mixer, key piece that took worryingly long to appear, and brought to by their own means to the institute, in addition Pelícano Mecánico prepared the tampers and different people linked to the self-build and the urban gardens demonstrated their interested in the technique signing quickly to our call…
All these contributions have enabled us to the realization of the introductory course to the technique with the construction of the “south bench ” the “S” shaped bench that runs through the equipment’s inside and outside spaces, permitting to sit in the sun or in the shadow according to the seasons.
Bench’s design includes a space between it and the dome.
By one hand that allows not to receive direct sunlight during the summer, which would imply to accumulate a large amount of heat, by the other sow into the created leftover space plants that will help regulate temperature through evaporation. At the moment peas have been planted to open the ground and preparing it for other crops in the spring.
The flooring has been risen above the surrounding level in order to avoid flooding areas, which has been used to bury near 600 glass bottles filled with water.
These have been placed in a manner which cannot be found in areas of the paving that receives solar radiation in summer.
The water has a far superior specific heat compared to the ground, experiencing more slow and soft temperature changes. Its thermal mass help limit floor’s temperature changes contributing to the thermal comfort of the equipment.
Conclusions
We were asked for an artistic intervention for the neighborhood ‘s Christmas lights and in our vision that became an empowerment program for both for adults and children in different low-tech building techniques, realizing together with them some of the necessary equipments for their own activities and, at the same time, providing them with tools and materials to use these techniques in the future independently.
We always like to work in support of initiatives that are already active in a territory, to support people who are already working and striving for a goal, this will create resilient initiatives with prospect of continuity. In this case the community, that rejecting the welfarism, reclaiming opportunities, has shown with the facts, and not just in words, to be able to successfully take a leading role in the construction of their environment.
Once again we decided to focus less on the volumes and the materials and much more on the people. Their involvement shows that people are interested in the architecture when architecture shows interest in people, and that encourages us to follow in future to produce architectures for and with people.
From the beginning were conceived the equipment as a tool for training and empowerment to be built by and for the social partners involved. That’s why in a natural way and following its philosophy of work, its understanding of the city and participatory processes, Ctrl+Z will assign them in shared use to the Murube Institute and to the Verdes del Sur. We conceive the assignment as the delivery of the fruits of the involved local actors own work of and of some resources which, in our view, have more sense in their hands than in ours. We are confident that they will keep filling those equipments with life and enjoy them in community benefit.
Our produced architectures have a meaning when they are full of life and life is brought by people who gives sense to these spaces. Nothing is sustainable if not used, and underutilized equipments degrade quickly.
In the wooden dome order and organization of every piece of wood allows its construction and endow the set of a much greater force than that of its constituent elements.
The assembly of each of the pieces is simple, almost irrelevant.
Similar processes occur with the neighbors in the construction of the neighborhoods, it’s all about balance, energy and organization. The neighborhoods are built day by day by the neighbors with small daily jobs. With almost anonymous works. But their sum, their order and their organization contribute in the creation of a strong community and a better neighborhood.
Little by little, table by table, bucket by bucket, thanks to the work’s and neighbor’s organization, the sum of these actions daily, simple and quotidian actions, have built realities and sets that far exceed the sum of individual actions and of the potentials of the elements that make them up.
The neighbors will follow writing a new narrative for their reality, a narrative that they were already writing, since many years, tilapia to tilapia, seedling at seedling. We hope that our contribution will assist them to spread their work spread and that it will receive a well-deserved recognition at all levels.
The used techniques and materials, as well as the realized actions, might at first glance seem very 
mixed. 250 blinds, 290 pallet type boards, 600 glass bottles, 8.000 kilograms of earth… in principle they seem to have nothing in common.
But despite their differences they follow actually the same pattern and allow the same philosophy of work. Each one allows the use of inclusive building systems and the participation of the community as a whole. To make that possible all the building process was designed to be very simple and not to require excessive physical strength.
The entire process of construction is designed to be carried out with very simple constructions, so anyone who would like to participate, could have done it perfectly, since learning it cost less than five minutes. This was the philosophy of the project, our goal, that everyone could participate.
We consider the neighbors as fundamental and essential collaborators, they are the only ones capable of providing the proposal for more dimensions and the resilience necessary to give it continuity once Alumbra Sevilla program will shout down.
Future and development
From the beginning we knew that not all the objectives and vocations would have been able to be reached within the Luces de Barrio 2016 program’s framework and the calendar.
Our way of working is not focused on the built architectural object, but on its ability to meet the objectives and programs which made it necessary.
That’s why, for us, the openings don’t mean the completion of the projects, but really their beginning. This case is not an exception.
We will continue to work on a second phase, that will be developed independently and completely out of the original draft. Its objective will be to complete some of the built structures and reconverting opening’s lighting elements for its functionality at the service of the involved social actors and initiatives.
This process will be used to continue the training of the local community on low-tech construction and promotes a more efficient use of the implicated public resources.
In the Barriada Murillo new narratives are being created day by day, those do not only speak of cultivation, but also of self-employment and enterprise creation. Work like Verdes del Sur’s and IES Murube’s make them possible and show that the creation of these different narratives is possible. We invite you to get by and know directly these realities of Barriada Murillo of the Poligono Sur.
We would like to thank the commissioners and the neighbors the opportunity and the confidence that we have been granted.
A Ctrl+Z’s (Gianluca Stasi) and ScenoteckniaB’s (Begoña Almenar Benavent) in Sevilla’s Barriada Murillo del Polígono Sur for the “Alumbra Sevilla 2016” program of the “Área De Hábitat Urbano, Cultura Y Turismo Del Ayuntamiento De Sevilla”. Curators: Nomad Garden. Tellers: Surnames. Production: El Mandaito.
In collaboration with:
Asociación Verdes del Sur
(Pepe Lobillo Eguíbar, Juan Manuel Blanco Cabrera, Daniel Francisco Gutiérrez Cabrera, Alejandro Ponce Nieto, Ángela de la Cruz Blanco Cabrera, Antonio Grande Rojo, Francisca de Asís Blanco Cabrera, Josefina Blanco Cabrera, Concha Pacheco Sánchez, Julian Trenado Gómez, Manolo Vallejo Molina, Mercedes Silva Montes, Pedro García Polo, Rosa García Alvarez, Eusebio Bereginal Casas, Purificación Cabrera, Sergio Rosado Camacho, Jenifer Montalbán Coca, Francisco Isidro Ledesma)
IES Joaquín Romero Murube
Con la participación de los alumnos del 2° y 3° años del PMAR y sus profesores
(Gloria Rodríguez Cano, Juan Antonio González Caballero, Jorge Herrero Merino, Jerónimo Bracho Alemán, Belén Caracena Márquez, Fco. Javier González Sánchez)
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Help and support for the implementation of the project:
Javier Navarro Hidalgo, Ignacio Sánchez Martín, Javier Moreno, Horacio Pérez Real, Antonio Serrano Jiménez, Luca Borsari, Francisco del Campo Cortés, Marco Dalla Bona, Alex Lahuella, Manuel Cantillana Castro, Tiziana de Angelis, Delvis Leonor Pérez Saltarén, Germán López Mena, Luciano Auguri, Patrik, Alex, Miguel…
Thanks to:
Contenedor Slow Food Restaurant
Taberna – Restaurante El Rinconcillo
Dos Lunas Teatro
Opening guest artists:
Raúl Cantizano, El Pelícano Mecánico (Ignacio Rodríguez Llinares), La Compañía de las Máquinas de Flamenco, Ernesto Ojeda.
We’d like to present you some pictures from Fernando Alda.
For more information please visit his web.
