Sisyphus and the Myth of a Liveable City

I’d like to put to the attention of the bureaucrats and neoliberal municipalities representant, that any similarities found with your own city gestion, would only be accurate. This research relies on many sourced documents from different cities across the Western world and gentrified, never-ceded, Oceanic lands. Finding the following proposal, hostile to your politics would be justified. Consider it a spatially orientated neo-editorialism of the Absurd City in its most general sense.

Maïder Hastoy, Map of a certain city on the unceded lands of the Kulin Nation, 2024, digital photograph. Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy.

ABSURDITY: the quality or state of being ridiculous or wildly unreasonable.

SISYPHUS: Hero of the Greek mythology, condemned by the Gods to make roll till the top of a mountain, a heavy rock continuously falling back. In the philosophy of absurdity by Albert Camus, he is the perfect representation of the human condition.

Metropolis, dir. Fritz Lang, 1927, film still

METROPOLIS: A very large and busy city. the capital or chief city of a country or region.

CITY: A city is a human settlement of a notable size. The term “city” has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small.

The individual divorced from society realising the absurdity of their condition in their urban surroundings. They surrendered to a forced lucidity on the cynicism of life. Happy are the fools, and they wish they were, but no. They are forced to a consciousness where the time has stopped. There’s no future anymore, only a constant present written in the margin of politically correct history. As life pushed to the societal suicide of marginalisation, even an atheist existentialism would not change a thing. To fight back absurdity the Camusian would like to think of the revolt. Happy are the fools, and maybe we were all born to be freaks.

INDIVIDUAL: A single human being as distinct from a group existing and considered separately from the other things or people in a group: a person who thinks or behaves in their own original way

CITIZEN: An inhabitant of a particular town or city. A legally recognised subject or national of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalised.

Maïder Hastoy, 2024, 3D model of a certain city on the unceded lands of the Kulin Nation, Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

It is a common notion to follow the principle of Public space VS private space.

Public space: earned by the municipality, state, and governement.

Private space: is earned by companies or external, private investors.

Maïder Hastoy, Analogue picture, 2024, digital photograph. Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

But when inhabiting a Neo liberal Metropol, that sees its development urbanization through the glens of globalization, we hit a translucid wall of ownership: The POPS.

POPS: Privately Owned Public Space

Maïder Hastoy, 3D scans of an empty building, 2024, Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

Far from the 2004 World Charter for the The Right to the City assessing all individuals the right to association and expression and placing the heart of the function of a public space on its accessibility and enjoyment for all, POPS's fundamental key is its restrictive access to those speculative publics.

Maïder Hastoy, Analogue picture, 2024, digital photograph. Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

Public space is at risk, and freedom to dispose of the city is at risk. Escalation of real estate speculative assets, architecture masterpieces, and revolutionary innovation, invested in designing the shell of a fast and hyper-productive capitalistic office. Mainstream architecture was bought by corporate ownership a while ago. Designers are now more concerned about becoming the next "Starchitect" than about creating shelter for communities. Architects, and urban planners, lost ethics and values, on the assumption that they ever had one.

Maïder Hastoy, Fanzine part of the work Anatomy of the hostile, 2024, Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

RESPONSIBILITY: The state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone. a moral obligation to behave correctly towards or in respect of. the opportunity or ability to act independently and take decisions without authorisation.

ETHIC: A set of moral principles, especially ones relating to or affirming a specified group, field, or form of conduct. relating to moral principles or the branch of knowledge dealing with these.

Maïder Hastoy, Graphic part of the work Anatomy of the Hostile, 2024, Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

I once thought of a utopian hypothesis of New Urban Identities. Where architects, designers, urban planners, and spatial practitionners, would go back to the basis and fundamental of our function. The philosophical set of competence required. We were supposed to build for the people. Who are the people? Are the people The bureaucrats' cunty clowns hidden in the skyscrapers you designed? Gargarising yourself of a so-called success? Or are the people, the homeless rough sleeper who will have to sleep on the pedestrian sidewalk, because you’ve designed fences and pikes on absolutely every plane surface he could have used, to get the comfort of misfortune? Do you think you’re successful as an architect? You are a social failure by encouraging and participating through practice in society fragmentation, by privatizing the public space. Public visibility and space awareness are every day a bit more compromised, thanks to the gentrification and institutionalisation of Neo-liberal education.

Maïder Hastoy, Speculative building rendering, 2024, Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

Let’s put back the function of architects in the popular imagination, in the common belief an architect is “the one who makes houses”. Of course, it is way more complex than that and it requires a whole bunch of different working fields, engineering, construction…

But that stays the fundamental thought: you build houses for people to live in those. We don’t train to design speculative assets.

Maïder Hastoy, Detail Speculative building rendering, 2024, Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

Gentrification made us lose our sense of identity. The city that should represent its people only turned the city into a chessboard of the municipalities vs communities.

Maïder Hastoy, Fence, from work Anatomy of the hostile, 2024, Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

WAS SYSIPHUS A PUNK?

ANTI-SQUAT MOTIONS, OR HOW TO CREATE HOMELESSNESS?

On the contrary of some other communities and minorities, you don’t have a common imaginary/popular belief surrounding squatting. The biggest cliché there is, is the “junky squat” or migrants squat. They, of course, exist but they are the rarest.

On squatting: Squatting is an ideology of survival, it’s not necessarily politically oriented. The counter-culture movements surrounding squatting make it a political act.

Maïder Hastoy, Analogue picture, 2024, digital photograph. Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

There’s a difference to make between housing squatting, and building squatting.

You have the punk/anarchist imagination of course, but most of the time the first function of squatting is to survive.

For squatters, there’s a vision of life radical which is (just like freedom) not chosen but you go through. When you have nothing else than the collectivity, the community, the “between us” becomes your identity. But it remains an illusion to make you go through a survival situation.

Maïder Hastoy, Exploded axonometric drawing from work Anatomy of the Hostile, 2024, Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

In a certain City based on stolen land, the municipality found itself some philanthropic value in investing in the refurbishment of a building owned by the Council, to turn it into a 5O self-contained apartment. the project inscribes itself as a transitionary housing solution providing health, housing, or wrap-around support services. On paper, it is a pretty positive project. We now, need to look more closely at the numbers:

- The project can only sustain 50 persons at a time.

- The budget allocated for the refurbishment is 16.1 million $. Money allocated by the State government and fundraising from the philanthropic and corporate sectors.

$16.1 MILLION FOR 50 INDIVIDUAL STUDIOS.

It is quite a salty bill to pay for so little room made.

Maïder Hastoy, Analogue picture, 2024, digital photograph. Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

Quite disturbed by such a large amount of money, but having in reality little knowledge of the construction economy, I decided to use Chat GPT as an Open Source Intelligence, in a matter of getting the most accurate averaging of data possible.

Critical Use: “critical examination of specific technologies (AI) can often best be achieved through employing and reworking them. It is through critical use, and in practice, that contradictions, biases and limitations can be most fully identified, understood and, when possible, exposed.” Investigative Aesthetics by Matthew Fuller and Eyal Weizman.

My conversation with Chat GPT was to determine the average price of refurbishment. The criteria to estimate a speculative budget were as follows:

- Solo studio surface: 20m

- Type of refurbishment: social housing interior construction

- Location: The City initiating the project.

- Regulatory Compliance: Metropol has stringent building codes, especially regarding energy efficiency, accessibility, and safety, which can add to the costs.

Maïder Hastoy, Detail Speculative building rendering, 2024, Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

The average cost for the interior construction of a dwelling is from AUD 1000 to AUD 2,500 per square meter. So the total cost for our hypothetical solo studio would be between AUD 20,000 and AUD 50,000.

Cost Breakdown:

Flooring: Installation of tiles, vinyl, or carpeting can range from AUD 50 to AUD 150 per square meter.

Painting: costs can range from AUD 20 to AUD 40 per square meter.

Electrical Work: Basic work, including lighting and power outlets, may cost around AUD 100 to AUD 300 per square meter.

Plumbing Fixtures: Installation of basic plumbing fixtures (for a bathroom or kitchenette) can range from AUD 2,000 to AUD 5,000 in total.

Joinery and Cabinetry: Custom cabinetry and basic kitchen or bathroom fittings may cost around AUD 1,500 to AUD 4,000 depending on the materials and design.

Maïder Hastoy, Reworked drawing from Anatomy of the Hostile, 2024, Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

You then add up to that some basic furniture;

Bed and Mattress: Simple bed frame and mattress: AUD 500 to AUD 1,500.

Wardrobe/Closet: Basic wardrobe or closet: AUD 300 to AUD 800.

Table and Chairs: A small dining table with two chairs: AUD 200 to AUD 600.

Sofa or Armchair: Basic sofa or armchair: AUD 300 to AUD 1,000.

Kitchen Appliances: Basic appliances (e.g., microwave, small refrigerator): AUD 500 to AUD 1,500.

Raising our total cost average between AUD 30,000 and AUD 60,000.

Maïder Hastoy, Detail Speculative building rendering, 2024, Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy

HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST TO BUILD 200 OF THOSE UNITS IN AN ALREADY EXISTENT BUILDING, AND INCLUDING COMMON AREAS AND AMENITIES?

1. Cost Per Studio:

Estimated range: AUD 30,000 to AUD 60,000 per studio.

2. Total Cost for 200 Studios:

AUD 30,000 x 200 = AUD 6,000,000 (Lower Estimate)

AUD 60,000 x 200 = AUD 12,000,000 (Upper Estimate)

3. Common Areas and Amenities:

Shared spaces, amenities, and infrastructure improvements for 200 units may require more extensive work. This could add AUD 1,000,000 to AUD 3,000,000.

Building Services and Infrastructure Upgrades: HVAC, electrical, plumbing upgrades to support 200 new units could cost AUD 2,000,000 to AUD 4,000,000.

Map from New Babylon, Mark Constant, 1998

Elevators or accessibility improvements may need expansion or upgrades, adding to the cost.

Compliance and Permits: Permits, regulatory compliance, and inspections might add AUD 200,000 to AUD 600,000.

Contingency: A contingency budget of around 10-15% of the total project cost should be included, which could be AUD 800,000 to AUD 1,800,000.

4. Estimated Total Cost:

Basic Interior Construction and Furnishing:

AUD 6,000,000 to AUD 12,000,000.

Plus Additional Costs:

AUD 4,000,000 to AUD 9,400,000 (for common areas, infrastructure, compliance, and contingency).

Total Estimated Cost:

AUD 10,000,000 to AUD 21,400,000.

AVERAGING A TOTAL OF AUD $15,700,000 TO HOUSE 200 PEOPLE.

Maïder Hastoy, Analogue picture, 2024, digital photograph. Courtesy of Maïder Hastoy