MOLLY BLACKWELL
ABOUT
I am a Part II student undertaking the research-led design course in Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Cambridge. My current MPhil project has emerged from a broader interest in the psychology and experience of space, specifically temporary spaces such as refugee camps. Several of my undergraduate projects touched on this topic, including a study of how children move through and understand space, and a paper on the need for responsive architectural education and praxis.
THE PROJECT
Globally, the number of forcibly displaced people stands at 65.6 million – almost exactly the same as the population of the UK. With central and eastern Mediterranean routes being increasingly policed, many migrants are turning to Spain as a ‘safe’ route into Europe. As political tensions in Europe grow, so does the violence towards migrants attempting the crossing. The border between Morocco and Ceuta, a small Spanish exclave, is a key pinch point for these international forces and illustrates the gendered nature of migration. Around 10% of migrants arriving in Spain are women, representing a small but overlooked demographic whose specific needs are not catered for in the current system.
Through an exploration of territorialisation, nationhood, and domesticity, this project challenges both spatial and social boundaries, instead proposing spaces of inclusion and integration. It questions dichotomous conceptualisations permeating all spatial scales, from the personal to the international; if the boundary between these defined territories can be dismantled, this liminal space can be used to challenge the nature of the boundary itself. These theories manifest in a women's centre for Ceuta, a testbed with which to undermine the jurisdiction of the border.
© Laia Abril