culture + architecture in dili, timor leste
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About: Hi, my name is Jessica Clare Graham and I am a Masters of Architecture student at QUT in Brisbane, Australia. This is my research journal which will serve as a record of my final year research project. I became HUGELY passionate about this area of research after a visit to Timor Leste in November 2010. During my visit I was lucky enough to meet many Timorese people in the cities of Dili and Baucau and the villages of Railako Kraik and Deleco, all of whom inspired me greatly. My interest is in how we can create a culturally empowering and expressive environment in the city of Dili now and into the future.

The people of Timor Leste have truly snatched my heart - I am proudly smitten with this beautiful country and its people! I am sharing this information publicly in the hopes that it may promote collaboration, discussion and further research, so I would love to hear from you if any of my work is of interest to you!
dakotascalling:

I have posted this before, but this photo is so beautiful - the true Timor Leste x

dakotascalling:

I have posted this before, but this photo is so beautiful - the true Timor Leste x

veracache asked: Are you still updating this page, or have you moved on? My name is Jonathan, and I'm a writer from the States living in Melbourne. I've recently had the pleasure to be embraced by such a wonderful Timorese community here, and tomorrow I will begin volunteering my time in an effort to help the community here as well as abroad. So, I'm spending my evening researching East Timor; so, that I have a better insight into the history and current events. introduced to

Hi Jonathan! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you!

Yes, I’ve been busily finalising my thesis actually, so I will be back online in the next couple of weeks. 

What sort of writing do you do? If you have any questions, you can contact me at jessicaclaregraham@gmail.com.

Cheers, Jess.

Dili from end to end in 2 minutes. This video was designed to introduce you to the city of Dili, its composition, natural setting and scale. I hope you like it!

“Rai no be
The land and water
Fatuk no ai
Rick and trees
Bus no malas,
Betel nut and pepper
Lulik ema seluk atu mai ukun ita
Are sacred, not for others to control
Iha fatin ida ne’e
In this place
Ami terus,
We suffer
Ami dadur
We are in prison
Hodi hakilar
Scream loudly
Mate ka moris ukun rasik’an.
Independence or death
Maubere no buibere oan sira
The sons of Maubere and Buibere
Hakilar ba
Let’s cry out
Hananu ba
Let’s sing
Tebe no bidu ba
Let’s dance
Loron foun sae ona
The sun has risen
Ukun rasik ita rain
Independence in our own land.”
—Naldo Rei in “Resistance - A Childhood Fighting for East Timor”
architectural activism

Most people I meet have a new fear—the fear of not being relevant, the fear of not making a difference, the fear of working on things that don’t really matter in the important times of transition we live in. We’re hungry to be part of making things better. We want to create, we want to do what we love again and find our voice. We sense intuitively that we have a critical role to play in shaping the future of our world. And yet, so many of us give in to excuses of not being good enough, young enough, smart enough, wealthy enough, creative enough. We still play small, still give in to the “victim” archetype. We still buy into what society’s beliefs are and put them right above our own.

But we don’t really have time for these fears. If I could create a vaccine, instead of the flu one, I’d create one against fear. It’s what holds us back, every one of us, in every area of our life. And, while we’re holding back, time just moves on faster than ever. We are at a critical time in the evolution of our planet, a time where each one of us is waking up. We feel it. Our intuition is growing more acute. Our inner microphone, as I like to call it, is getting harder and harder to turn off, so that we can’t just go along with our normal day. There’s a rise in consciousness where we feel more connected to others, a part of something bigger going on, where we each have a role to play. The most important thing isn’t to get the promotion, or stay in the marriage, or lose those 10 pounds. The most important thing is for us to remember who we are—why we are here—to do the inner work and find what are our “spiritual” reasons for being on the planet. Yes we do have something great to accomplish. Now. At any age. Wherever we are.

This is the “why” of my research… Broadly speaking anyway.

Ariane de Bonvoisin

(Source: The Huffington Post)

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” —thanks weaponsoftruth for sharing these beautiful words from Arundathi Roy.

Thanks to john pilger for putting together a brilliant, informative doco on the struggles of Timor Leste. It’s a great film to introduce people to the history of Timor Leste.

Culturally Informed Urban Development and the Role of the Vernacular in Present and Future Dili, Timor-Leste.

ABSTRACT: This paper relates research from various disciplines including history, urban planning, architecture and sociology in order to develop a framework for design of the built environment in Dili and greater Timor-Leste, that responds to the unique physical development requirements of the city through also acknowledging, expressing and empowering local identities and traditions. From the arrival of the Portuguese in 1515 to their independence in 2002, urban development in Timor-Leste has reflected the cultural ideals of the occupying country in power. As a new republic, Timor-Leste is now in a position to create and implement new culturally reflective frameworks for urban development and design. This project identifies an opportunity to initiate and promote discussion of the cultural values and physical needs of the people of Dili, such that design practices and frameworks for understanding and delivering urban development are aligned with the unique cultural identity of the place and its people.

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