Atlas for a City Region
JOINT WINNER 2024 WMNP AWARDS
LOCATION: Northwest Ireland
APPLICANT: Dr Gareth Doherty, Critical Landscapes Design Lab, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
This project investigated how a cross-border region can be shaped in light of the economic, political and social realities of Brexit. The project was sponsored by Derry City and Strabane District Council in Northern Ireland, with Donegal County Council in the Republic of Ireland as co-sponsor, under the auspices of the Northwest Partnership. Research and fieldwork for the project was undertaken by a cohort of staff and students from Harvard and compiled into an innovative Atlas used to generate discussions and conversations across the region.
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
·This is a unique project, with huge emphasis on getting to know the place through in-depth research – students living with families in the region whilst conducting fieldwork. ·We were impressed at how the project looks at the landscape in new and interesting ways, finding alternative ways to think about an area that is usually conceptualised in terms of its borders. ·It has a truly brilliant summary in the form of the ‘booxhibition’ rather than a traditional report which is engaging and visually compelling. ·The project’s vision for the next 200 years also impressed by investigating possibilities with expertise grounded in local knowledge.
The judges were impressed with the human-centred and cross-border approach that built bridges between communities and disciplines, with conversations being sparked across the Irish Northwest region. We felt that much can be learned from the ethnographically inspired landscape fieldwork of this project, and particularly welcomed the engaging form of reporting through the brilliant ‘booxhibition’.