Shaping the future of rural areas together with local residents

Participatory workshop in residence

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This course is an intensive, multidisciplinary programme focusing on the ecological transition of rural areas, taking the form of a seven-day residential trip. It is aimed at first-year Master’s students at ENSA Paris-La Villette and ENSA Normandie.

Objectives
The aim of this course is to explore and practise the specific aspects of design within the context of a participatory project, involving local residents – understood here as both the inhabitants of an area and its socio-economic stakeholders. It is jointly run by ENSA Paris-La Villette and ENSA Normandie and delivered in partnership with the association didattica, which supports the teaching team on the participatory aspect. The project approach is framed by the ‘territorial narrative’, an approach based in particular on ‘cultural rights’. It is also carried out in collaboration with the association Petites Cités de caractère France, which helps to select the areas hosting the residencies.

The workshop’s teaching methodology is designed to be highly collaborative : various institutions join ENSA Paris-La Villette and ENSA Normandie, and these vary from year to year ; associations support the teaching team, such as didattica and PPC France (Association Petites Cités de caractère) ; local authorities organise the residency periods (Regional Nature Parks, municipalities, inter-municipal bodies, etc.). The involvement of partners is at the heart of the teaching programme. Consequently, the teaching team is systematically expanded to include local professionals and external contributors. At ENSA Paris-La Villette, the teaching is linked to the seminar ‘Habitat and Sustainable Cities : Towards a Critical Approach to Urban Development’.

Audience
First-year Master’s students from ENSA Paris-La Villette and ENSA Normandie

Itinerary
Saturday : Train journey and settling in with local residents, tour, introduction to the workshop
Sunday : Working seminar with researchers, local stakeholders and elected representatives
Monday : Start of the week, preparation of meetings, field research
Tuesday : Surveys and participatory workshops with residents and socio-economic stakeholders
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday : Synthesis and production workshops
Saturday : Presentation (morning) and return

Students are invited to give an oral presentation and to present the results of the working week : assessment, challenges and projects. This presentation serves as a starting point for discussions and debates involving students, their tutors, elected representatives, local professionals and residents. It should encourage institutional partners to examine the identified areas of focus and to put certain elements into perspective. The display boards are made available to residents and the local community with the aim of creating a tool to facilitate discussion once the workshop has concluded.
The work is published online and available on a blog.

Residences (since 2018)
– Auzances, Creuse / 1,200 inhabitants / February 2017
https://workshopauzances.wordpress.com
– Soumans, Creuse / 650 inhabitants / February 2018
https://workshopsoumans.wordpress.com
– Bocage Bressuirais, Deux-Sèvres / 3 sites / August 2018
https://workshopsbocagebressuirais.wordpress.com
– Château-Larcher, Vienne / 996 inhabitants / February 2019
https://workshopchateaularcher.home.blog
– Benais, Indre-et-Loire / 952 inhabitants / February 2020
https://workshopbenais.wordpress.com
– La Mothe-Saint-Héray, Deux-Sèvres / 1,702 inhabitants / July 2021
https://workshoplamothesaintheray.wordpress.com
– Bonnay and Saint-Ythaire, Burgundy / 970 inhabitants / April 2022
https://workshopbonnayetsaintythaire.wordpress.com
– Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire, Loiret / 2,000 inhabitants / May 2023
https://workshopsaintbenoitsurloire.wordpress.com
– Chaumont-en-Vexin / 3,400 inhabitants / April 2024
https://workshopchaumontenvexin.wordpress.com
– Ressons-Le-Long / 650 inhabitants / April 2025
https://workshopressonslelong.wordpress.com

Teaching team
Isabelle Genyk, Senior Lecturer, Co-Head of Teaching at ENSA Normandy
Élise Macaire, Senior Lecturer, Co-Head of Teaching at ENSA Paris-La Villette
Members of the Didactica Association

Educational Association
The association, which supports the teaching team in running the workshop, is a training centre and resource hub specialising in the fields of architecture, education and democracy. A non-profit organisation under the 1901 Act, its statutory purpose is “to encourage the development of an appreciation for architecture and urban planning, and to contribute to the emergence of creative citizens and the fight against inequality”. Its aim is to support those involved in school life, community organisations and politics, as well as local residents, in their environmental initiatives, knowledge development and cultural projects. Based at ENSA Paris-La Villette, it is accredited for youth and community education and is affiliated with the Ligue de l’enseignement. As part of the workshops, it provides support in implementing the participatory approach : mobilising residents, preparing participatory workshops, and conducting preliminary surveys on residents’ perceptions of the area and its future.
http://www.didattica-asso.com