MDes - Chris Lee

#Haikuver – to be continued

Previous work: 

Building on the effort of Grad Studio III Section III in using haikus as ways to investigate the vernacular urban landscape of Vancouver, the #Haikuver project aims to invite others to write a haiku for and about Vancouver. This project is a continuation of my research in finding meaningful ways to engage others in the topic of urbanism. So far, the project has been tested out in Grad Studio, piloted in ECU Library by setting up the first #Haikuver station and promoted by dropping off #Haikuver Postcard in mailboxes on Kingsway (between Fraser St & Knight St). Until now, 31 haikus were collected and posted on IG: haikuver.

Learning Objectives:

• Continue to explore the framework & principles of my own critical design practice
• Further define the connections between the problem space I am exploring, my critical design practice and the methodology of using poetry as a design research tool
• Design, lead and facilitate workshop

Workshop I: #Haikuver Trivia Special

How can you have fun with haikus?

Using a similar format of Trivia, a workshop was designed where participants were invited to guess where of Vancouver the haiku is describing.

Results:

Haiku #1

Waiting for the bus

Next stop just three blocks away

Speed walk to catch it

Hint: Public amenities

Guess: China Creek/VCC washroom, Bus stop outside of Emily Carr to Main Street Science World, Bus stop/SkyTrain station

Haiku #2

Place rains all the time

That’s what we complain about

‘Till it gets too hot

Hint: Look outside

Guess: Vancouver, Vancouver itself, Vancouver

Haiku #3

Four seven & eight

Once done, I open my eyes

Everything is blue

Hint: Don’t look too far

Guess: Sky, CDM, Window

Haiku #4

Big metal ball snow

Globe-esque little dotted specks

Glow bring faraway

Hint: Don’t look too far

Guess: Science World Center, Science World, Science World

Haiku #5

Beeps and droning

Glass and steel edifices

Sucking my soul out

Hint: Canada Line’s Station

Guess: Waterfront Station, Train/Transit

Haiku #6

I wake up to grey

Put on + off my Blundstones

I’m in bed by 4(pm)

Hint: Think big

Guess: The sun/Vancouver Winter

Feedback & Comments:

While not every team managed to guess the place of Vancouver of every haiku is describing, this workshop highlighted people’s interpretation of people’s experience can sometimes be contradictory. Participants suggested a workshop for writing haikus to better understand the poetic structure.

Workshop II: #Haikuver MDSI 2026 Edition

What is “vernacular” space?

In order to better understand the common and everyday sense of vernacular space, this workshop invited participants from the MDes Interdisciplinary 2026 co-hort to write a haiku about their own studio space in the campus. Each participant were provided with pair of photos of their studio space which they would base their haiku on.

A small presentation on the original of haiku, structure of haiku as a poetic form and tips on writing haikus was given at the beginning.

Results:

Feedback & Comments:

Participants liked the format of haiku. Giving specificity by providing photos was well received as participant can see how their own spaces were being photographed. These haikus talk about not only physicality but also give hints to individual’s unique design practice and their sentiments their learning experiences in Emily Carr.

Workshop III: #Haikuver Renga Edition

Co-create with poetry:

The renga (linked poem) is a Japanese poetic form dated back roughly a thousand years ago. It is a collaborative form with multiple poets contribute stanza to the same renga.

Structurally, the renga consists of alternating haiku (which comprises of 17 syllables in 3 lines , 5+7+5) and couplet (which comprises of 14 syllables in 2 lines , 7+7). Each author only contributes one stanza at a time by connecting each new stanza with the one that came before it.

It is an open poetic form, which means a renga can go on for as long as the poets can imagine.

Traditionally, renga makes reference to the natural world. The opening haiku references the season in which the renga is being written.

Results:

TBC

Feedback & Comments:

TBC

Learning Outcomes:

1. Vernacularity and Informality of Everyday
   • Henri Lefebvre’s description of “Representational Space” in The Production of Space closely resembles the problem space that I am tackling with in my design research project. Following the other 2 components of spatial triad, 1. “Spatial Practice” – the actual actions in which people use & move through space and 2. “Representation of Space” – the order that we try to impose on space…think architecture, the Representational Space are infused with our emotions, our memories and meanings we attached to them, both individually and collectively
2. Poetry as Design Research Method
   • Conventional topographic study and analysis process lack the capacity to explode the Representational Space. Poetry as an art-based research medium provide space for nonlinear storytelling, intuitive knowledge, and diversity in communication styles
3. Why haiku???
   • Originated from Japan, poets have been writing haikus to capture the ephemeral qualities of nature and seasons. The structure of haiku has been fine tuned for many centuries which had given shape to this poetic form allowing for collaboration by linking stanzas of haikus and couplets contributed by multiple poets.

Project: #Haikuver

Building on the effort of Grad Studio III Section II in using haikus as ways to investigate the vernacular urban landscape of Vancouver, the #Haikuver project aims to invite others to write a haiku for and about Vancouver.

Project framing:

Since the onset my research to investigate the vernacular urban landscape of Vancouver, I have been exploring ways to explain my studio practice. This includes a series of on-site design interventions, testing out design research techniques such as walking interviews and participatory experiences. Though, these projects allow me to unpack the site-specific context, what I have been looking for is a consistent, scalable and repeatable ”system” that I can implement and sustain through my study. The #Haikuver project will be continuation of my research in finding meaningful ways to engage others in the topic.

Project outcome(s):

Leveraging on existing networks & resources that I have access to; the aims is to gather as many haikus as possible. The ECU library, as place for learning, becomes a suitable location for setting up the first “Haikuver” station.

I also took advantage of the recent Canada Post strike and dropped off #Haikuver Postcard to many empty mailboxes found in the city.

#Haikuver Postcard

On the front of the postcard, the logotype design of “#HAIKUVER” was inspired by the more than 19,000 neon signs once found in the 1950s Vancouver. ¹ It is accompanied by the map of Vancouver illustrated by the rigid street map overlaid on top of the veil-like contour map — a topographic contradiction of Vancouver’s urbanism.

On the back of the postcard provides call-for-action information inviting participants to write a haiku about/for Vancouver. This was tested with the MDes 2024 cohort and at Open Studio to refine instructions for how to participate in writing the haiku and uploading it to the portal set up in Google Forms. A Instagram account is created to showcase the haikus as shared resource. All of these are driven by a design constrain that I deliberately put into this project in keeping the anonymity of the designer as well as the participants. The result is the project would only gather information but not identities.

The first version of the postcard were produced in duotone using Risograph but later settle in using B&W photocopier on colour paper for the mass production aesthetics.

Latest iteration of #Haikuver postcard. Front + Back

#Haikuver

Reflections:

This studio project demonstrates design sensibility in using peotry to tackle a complex topic. The data gathered through haikus are able tell many stories in meaningful ways.

The ways that I try to make sense with our material culture is by remaking, collecting and sorting them. In the process, I began to reveal the invisible structures and knowledges that are being buried underneath our built environment. This body of knowledges are highly complex and contains many different meanings and different symbols attached to them. They are very often contradictory or conflicting, yet they also managed to co-exist with each another in one space.

In here, the roles of design & desginers are shifted to reveal and mediate the tensions lie in between our everyday politics, social relations and economies.² This project is then more about how I navigate the problem space through design.

It is still unclear at this point what is the exact design outcome of this project if I were asked to put it in any sort of tangible format. On the other hand, if embracing ambiguity is the key design outcome of this project, I can see how this project will become another design input for another design output.

1. Neon Vancouver Ugly Vancouver. 13 Oct. 2011-29 June. 2022, Museum of Vancouver, Vancouver.
2. Wizinsky, M. ‘Design After Capitalism, in Practice’, in Design After Capitalism: Transforming Design Today for an Equitable Tomorrow, MIT Press, 2022

Recapitulation

In Section I, I concluded with asking the question – “What I am not doing?”. It became very clear that I am not doing another Landscape Architecture project and another response to a prescribed design problem. Very often, we, as designer, tend to be very clear of what we don’t…Therefore, for Section II, I set myself up for something I don’t often do, writing poetry

Prompt 1 – Tell my studio practice in a poem

Poems can take shape in unlimited formats. The hardest part in writing poetry as beginner is the structure. Luckily, I didn’t have to look far until I settled on haiku as the appropriate format. Originated in Japan and can be traced back from the influence of traditional Chinese poetry, a haiku consists of 17 syllables, in 3 lines of 5, 7, 5 syllable count. Traditionally, haikus evoke the image of the nature world. These 2 haikus describe my volunteering experience at the Means of Production during this summer.

Prompt 2 – Scale Up 1X!

The effort of writing haikus turned out to be surprisingly less involved. In theory, I can write a haiku to describe every aspect of my studio practice. What I need is a format that I can scale up!

In Summer, I was introduced to Bruce MacDonald’s Vancouer: A Visual History.  Using a repeating grid format, the book illustrates the evolution of Vancouver in each ten-year. Beginning with a map of 1860’s depicting the landuse, economy and settlement patterns of the First Nation peeple and ending with a map of the 1980’s depicting a metropolitan full of real estate, commercial, social and cultural activities, the book is indeed a visual record of Vancouver’s colonial history. It begs the questions of who, what, why and how history are recorded. I attempted to answer the question by inserting my studio prompts that I have done so far into the grid format that the book has been adhering to.

Prompt 3 – Scale Up 2X!!

My next studio prompt is to design a format that would allow me to invite others to write a haiku for and about Vancouver. In a postcard format, titled as ‘#Haikuver’, the intention is to circulate the postcards inviting people to imagine “neighbourhoods, streets and alleys, nooks and crannies of Vancouver through haikus.” I used the opportunity when sharing the findings of this studio section to post the design prompt to my fellow cohort. Many thanks for MDes 2024 cohort for your lovely poetry!

Prompt 4 – Scale Up 3X!!!

It became apparent to me that I will need to test out the map and postcard through a pop-up installation. The most crucial aspect of the pop-up is that it must be self-explanatory. The plan is to first test it out in few locations at Emily Carr campus. This could be the cafeteria, hallways or staircases. The next step will be to pilot other locations outside of Emily Carr campus. This could be Community Centre, Kingsway???, or places that I visited previously for this research.  

Recapitulation

First inspired by the work of Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and Steven Izenour captured in “Learning from Las Vegas”, my studio began investigate an inevitable type of urbanism, also known as urban sprawl by using Kingsway as the point of entry.​

Located on the ridgeline of the hilly landscape of what is known today as Vancouver and Burnaby, Kingsway is a centuries-old walking path once used by the Salish people. Eventually, this walking path transformed into a main corridor connecting Gastown and then used to be BC capital, New Westminster, to support the growing economy and industrialization in the region. Today, Kingsway is a thoroughfare connecting many neighourhoods from Mount Pleasant, Little Saigon, to Metrotown and terminating at the city’s boundary of New Westminster.​

In the last interim thesis presentation at the end of Spring semester, I posted the following designs inquiries for my research which is to find ways to…​

• understand the aesthetic Vancouver’s urban landscape and our shared experiences within.​
• rethink human and more-than-human relationships as the city continues to undergo rapid urban development densification.​
• open more discussions and participations about planning and design of the city (how to make the city filled with joy and opportunities?)​

In first year, I was exposed to many new design research and exploration techniques from my studio and design research methods classes. This includes a series of on-site design interventions and testing out design research techniques by combining walking and interviewing. During summer, I also undertook other activities such as volunteering at Means of Production – “an ‘open source’ landscape where people could experiment growing their own botanical materials for art and craft use and for the garden to be a community ‘hub’ where ongoing investigations into art and ecology would take place.” and joining an urban sketch group on MeetUp, a studio activity that I always wanted to incorporate in my practice.​

Breaking it #1 – Mapping​

In the process, a design documentation process that is specific to my studio practice began to take shape. A case file will be opened for each design (research) exercise moving forward. Each file will contain data in any suitable format ranging from photos, sketches, diagrams, drawings, field notes, recordings, transcript of the recordings, found objects. design artefacts, etc. ​

The intention is to establish a consistent, scalable and repeatable cataloguing system that is suitable for my studio work. ​

In response to this studio prompt, the first and most obvious way is to continue the exercise of mapping out all these studio activities that I have done so far onto the map.​

Even though, it is one way to catalogue the outputs and findings behind all these studio activities, but they only speak to the geographical information of when and where these activities had taken place.​

Breaking it #2 – Mind-mapping my research​

Using this very useful template provided by the studio class, I broke down my research by attempting to answer all these questions on 1. context, 2. communication, 3. assessment & validation and 4. explorations and outcomes.​

This mind-map shows there have been strong considerations in explorations and outcomes in terms of methods and techniques being deployed by my studio practice. I find myself often repeating the same process intervene > contextualize > immerse > analyze again and again. Sometimes I would enter the problem space starting by design interview and go back to analysis.

That said, the gaps with my research are concentrated in areas in terms of context, communication and assessment and validations.​

1. Context:​

I was able to trace back on how I started the research in relationship to my profession as a practicing landscape architect, though it is still unclear to me why I am doing it – “How does this research truly connect with you?”​

2. Communication:​

Looking back from past presentations, I am still presenting my work through the position as a practicing landscape architect. My question is what other discourses and fields of study my research is contributing to beside the study of Landscape Architecture?​

3. Assessment & Validation:​

This area will need a bit of work!!! As mentioned previously, I still feel my research still gravitated too much on the study of Landscape Architecture.​

Sorting it #1 – I decided to work in the context space more by asking “Where else my research can reside?”​

My first attempt in better understand where my research can reside beyond the realm of Landscape Architecture is to locate my reading list so far against the Library of Congress Classification System. While majority of my area of interest lies in the realm of Architecture and Design, I also found interests in books and articles relating to American and Canadian History (or History in general), Geography, Human ecology, Anthropogeography, Sociology and Communities, Classes, Races.​

Sorting it #2 – How are my studio activities and project relating to each another?​

This is my second attempt in mapping out my studio activities and project not geographically but by relativity – I traced back the course of actions I’ve taken during the 1st year in my grad study? I categorized each activity by fieldwork (works that are done outside of my studio), studio work (works that are done at my studio), engagement (works that involve other actors other than myself) and reflecting (works that involve only me). Layering on top, I look at where the inputs and outputs are. For example, a fieldwork that I did became an input for an on-site design intervention (an output) which can potentially become an input for next design move.​

Some emerging themes are making and (re)making, storytelling, reciprocity, affordance, etc.​

Sorting it #3 – Cataloging

My latest attempt in sorting out my work is by cataloguing, working through these case files as design artefacts.

Here are the categories:

1. (Re)making of vernacular

2. Positioning

3. Testing through Kingsway

4. Storytelling

What am I not doing…

• another Landscape Architecture project

• another response to a prescribed design problem

This constant looping back and forth, in and out is or learning how to work in the periphery is what driving this research forward.

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Connection

Fig. 1: Mind mapping my studio practice

The past 4 studio prompts led me to the realization of what my studio is about. The correlation between my studio process and the urban process of my study site began to take shape as I continue to find ways in situating my practice studio within the problem space. This process of designing a design inquiry process around the problem space is becoming crucial in creating generative and sensible responses.

Fig. 2: Concept process diagram my studio practice

Nature in Progress…

Without Permission

This studio prompt looks at the negotiation between human and more-than-human. Very often we compromise the needs of our more-than-human neighbours in order to satisfy our conveniences. Yet this tree root finding its way through the crack of pavement manifests the tension.

Fig. 1: Concept sketch for sidewalk chalk mural in front of 799 Kingsway

Thanks for the help of my fellow cohort studio mate, Pritam Paul, the installation began on a Sunday morning. Couple of pedestrians passed by during the installation, though it is unknown if the installation may raise their awareness about the intention behind, my hope is it at least provided a moment of joy as they continue with their day. The sidewalk chalk mural may not be the mediation to the tension but the temporality of the installation gives a moment of disruption to the norm and pattern.

Fig. 2: Timelapse video of installation

Fig. 3: Photographs of chalk mural on sidewalk in front of 799 Kingsway

Fig. 4: Post-installation photo

The chalk mural was obviously got washed off when I revisited the site the Wednesday after. Going back to the norm urges needs for disruption to emerge.

Further readings:

1. Markussen, T. “The disruptive aesthetics of design activism: enacting design between art and politics.” Design Issues, vol. 29, issue 1, Winter 2013, pp. 38-50.
2. Markussen, T. “The disruptive aesthetics of hijacking urban space.” Journal of Aesthetics & Culture, vol. 4, 2012, pp. 1-9.

Objectives:

1. Further define the meanings and aesthetic of vernacular landscape of Vancouver using Kingsway as case study site and problem space of my studio practice
2. Recap on Studio II design interventions that explore different aspect of urban landscape of Kingsway and Vancouver
   • Intervention #1: Poster cylinder fridge magnets
   • Intervention #2: Sidewalk chalk mural
   • Intervention #3: Making of vernacular architecture – habitat of more-than-human
   • Intervention #4: Site response to walking interview from Design Research Methods II
3. Establish a format for documenting each design (research) exercise done so far and upcoming

Inquiries / Problem Space (From small to big):

1. Making of spaces 

2. Relationship between human & more-than-human 

3. Shared experience of people living in Vancouver 

4. Decolonization through design 

Outputs? 

A case file will be opened for each design (research) exercise moving forward. Each case file would contain data collected which can be in any suitable format and not limited to:

• Photos
• Sketches, diagrams, drawings…
• Field notes
• Video or audio recordings
• Transcript of recordings
• Found objects
• Design response

The intention is to establish a system that is consistent, replicable, scalable, iterative and referenceable. I continue to build up a body of work for my studio practice. The established system will continue allow me to build up a body work that will guide and inform the progression of my studio practice.

Peer Critique:

• Like the scrapbook (case file) idea which helps illuminating everything at a glance 
• Design approach is often based on the personality of the designer
• Switching up subject matter by switching the positions of interviewer and interviewee in the walking interview format but inviting an interviewer to conduct a walking interview of my neighbourhoood 
• Categorize nature 
• Suggest doing next Intervention #2: Sidewalk chalk mural in group 
• Further reading – Ways of Walking: Ethnography and Practice on Foot, edited by Jo Lee Vergunst, Tim Ingold 

Remaking

Inspired by two readings that my studio’s instructor had shared with me, this studio prompt looks at 2 ideas:

1. defining vernacular architecture through making
2. and through that, incorporating indigenous thinking into my studio practice

These two readings suggest considering the notion of “gifted and give” as a way to be “indigenous”. The balancing act of “taking out” and “putting back” could be the answer to “taking for granted”. In the same vein, vernacular architecture is about how we create habitat through shared knowledge that is responding to the land and the available resources.

During one of my site visits, I collected twigs that fall off from the trees. These found objects inspired me to create a dwelling space for our non-human neighbours in this very urbanized environment.

Fig. 1: East bound bus stop on Kingsway and Windsor Street in front of ICBC Claim Centre.

Fig. 2: Tree branches as found object.

In the spirit of vernacular architecture, the making of the bird’s nest is to improvise with materials that could be found. YouTube video was consulted to select a suitable square lashing technique for constructing the bird’s nest.

Fig. 3: Making of vernacular architecture through materials on site.

Next Steps:

This design prompt inspired me to push the idea of vernacular architecture making further. A new design prompt that I am planning for summer where I would take a step back to start growing building materials from scratch. The aim of the next design from is to document the process from growing, harvesting, processing to making. It was also suggested to a critque where I would look into creating 10 versions of similar bird’s nest for knowledge building.

References:

Kimmerer, R. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass : Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants.

Kimmerer, R & Burnett, H (2021). Returning Gift.

Rudofsky Bernard, (1964). Architecture without architects: A Short Introduction to Non-Pedigreed Architecture.

What is Vernacular (Architecture)?

noun

1. the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region
2. architecture concerned with domestic and functional rather than public monumental buildings.

adjective

1. (of language) spoken as one’s mother tongue; not learned or imposed as a second language.
2. (of architecture) concerned with domestic and functional rather an public or monumental buildings.

Origin

Early 17th century: from Latin vernaculus ‘domestic, native’ (from verna ‘home-born slave’)

Source: Oxford Languages

Borrowed from linguistic, vernacular buildings are seen as the opposite of whatever is “academic,” “high style,” “polite.” (Brand, p 132). Beside the notion of “what is not”, vernacular architecture operates under shared experience and generational knowledge.

What is next?

Following the work of Studio I, a series of design intervention will be carried out to reveal, explore and highlight the vernacular landscape of Kingsway. The aim is to take this opportunity to document and analyze the changes/transformations throughout the course of the studio in order to gain a better understanding of the meanings of everyday urban landscape.

Intervention #I: Poster Cylinder

City of Vancouver installed poster cylinder on streets and there are 5 of them dotted along Kingsway within different neighbourhoods.

Fig. 1: Location map of poster cylinder

Fig. 2: Site photos of poster cylinder at Kingsway and Boundary (left) and Kingsway and Fraser (right).

This intervention looks at expression and engagement in public spaces through (re)making of vernacular architecture. The emoji icons created for each set of fridge magnets are symbolism of our dialect – “vernacular” – that we practice with in everyday life. The intention is people would start pick them up and use them to comment on the content posted on each poster cylinder.  In return, I would like to use this opportunity to document and analyze their changes/transformations throughout the course of the studio.

The fabrication and installation processes reveal the effort and logistic network involved in the making of vernacular architecture. From planning, design, procurement and fabrication of materials to installation, it is an indication of a collection effort, even though implementation of the intervention was solely carried out alone by myself.

Fig. 3: Fabrication of fridge magnets

Fig. 4: Installation of fridge magnets on site, February 7th, 2024.

Post-installation field reviews:

It was realized during installation that the particular stainless steel material used for these poster cylinder are austenitic. The only successful installation is the poster cylinder located on the Kingsway and Joyce Street in front of Sir Guy Carleton Elementary School which is rusted throughout. This makes me wonder if the material choice were intentional.

Since the installation, I revisited the site every or every other day to observe any changes for next 2 weeks. The fridge magnets remain intact so as the advertisements posted by others. Perhaps, a longer period of post-installation observation would be able to capture more nuances.

Immersive Reflective Practice:

The fabrication of these fridge magnets could be described as “laborious, repetitive and habitual”. I also felt very anxious while figuring out the logistic for fabricating these fridge magnets. Once I have a working session set up at BLIM at Chinatown, the making of these fridge magnets turned out to be a very meditative experience. The repetitiveness of making 50+ fridge magnet was both calming and self-indulging. It was a relief after they were being installed. Overall, the making of this project provided the opportunities to escape from the everyday life, yet fridge magnet itself is a mundane everyday object.

After they were installed, I had hopes that changes would occurred – meaning someone would start interacting with them. Though the outcome is not what I expected where the installation generates minimal attention, this could interpreted as a reflection of the city (???). The idea of fridge magnet is a response to the poster cylinders found in the city which allow members of public to make public announcements regarding their events, services, businesses and etc. The emojis icons represent a new language that promotes quick decision making just like the similar speed in how the city being developed and densified.