Strands of history, each telling a story, are woven together in Dublin’s built fabric. As such it is a place of memory. These layers of meaning and memory are recreated in our everyday lives: the city is a place of life. The city, and our experience of it, is formed from the interaction of places of memory and places of life.

This workshop seeks to give participants an opportunity to explore and develop an awareness of the impact of built space on their sense of self (who I am) and sense of identity (where I fit). This is important because the built environment is not neutral. It is imbued with values. It tells us stories about ourselves.

As urban dwellers we can engage our built environment on two levels:
• How do we choose to receive our built space and the stories it tells us about ourselves?
• How do we want to change our built space and the stories it tells us about ourselves?

During the workshop, we will discuss and explore strategies for these urban explorations through different methods and prompts. We will engage in site-based writing at a location a few minutes’ walk from the workshop venue at the Open House Info Hub at Charlemont Square and will share the ideas and writings-in-progress that emerge. Participants do not need to have a background in either architecture or writing to attend.

About the workshop facilitators:

Sally Faulder is a postdoctoral architectural researcher, who examines the role of meaning in the built environment and whose creative practice takes the form of writing architecture.

Anna Ryan Moloney is an Associate Professor at the School of Architecture and Product Design at the University of Limerick where she follows interests in writing, landscape, the coast, drawing and photography through her teaching and research.

Meeting Point is the OHD Info Hub at Charlemont Walk, Dublin 2