SENSES EASA-GUIDE 2 0 0 2

 

 

The EASA Guide
agreed by the National Contacts present at the
INC Meeting in Malta
November 2000.

1. Introduction
The European Architecture Students Assembly (EASA) is a platform for exchange of ideas and knowledge for European students of architecture.
This is achieved primarily by the EASA - Summer Assembly and also by the SESAM - Small European Students of Architecture Meeting, and the INCM - Intermediate National Contact Meeting.
Easa is not an established organisation but a non-political and non-profit network aimed at bringing people together.
The essence of the easa, since it´s beginning in Liverpool in 1981, is maintained by the 'easa spirit' - easy to feel but difficult to describe.
2. Aims
Easa is a practical network for communication, meeting and exchange. Here architecture students can discuss their ideas, work together and exchange their experiences concerning architecture, education or life in general.
By holding assemblies in different countries we have the chance to discover their cultural, historical, and environmental background. By exploring new dimensions of communication, reflection and presentation we can achieve a new perspective of dealing with the architectural profession.
The aim of the easa is for those who participate to have an extraordinary experience.
3. Theme
Each easa - summer assembly has a theme. It is the starting point for our common adventure. An adventure that gathers different cultures and ideas of architecture. It has to be strong, powerful and generating the project.
4. History
Easa was established in 1981, when students of architecture from Liverpool invited their fellow students from Europe to come and help them solve problems in their city. About 300 students gathered to work on the theme 'starting up the easa experience'. Since then there have been assemblies in different countries with 400 to 500 participants each year:

1981. LIVERPOOL, England Starting up the easa experience
1982. DELFT, Netherlands Architecture of an uncertain future
1983. LISBOA, Portugal Social Spaces
1984. AARHUS, Denmark Turning point in architecture
1985. ATHENS, Greece Interpretation and action in the city
1986. TORINO, Italy Architecturi latenti
1987. HELSINKI, Finland Architecture and nature
1988. BERLIN, Germany The dimension between
1989. MARSEILLE, France Heritage et creativé
1990. KARLSKRONA, Sweden Exploration
1991. KOLOMNA, USSR Regeneration
1992. ÜRGÜP, Turkiye Vision 2000 Environment
1993. SANDWICK, Scotland The Isle
1994. LIEGE, Belgium Consommer l'inconsumable
1995. ZAMOSC, Poland Beyond the borders
1996. CLERMONT L'HERAULT, France Dream Builders!
1997. THE TRAIN, Scandinavia, Advancing Architecture
1998. VALETTA, Malta, Living on the Edge
1999. KAVALA, Greece, Osmosis
2000. ANTWERP/ROTTERDAM, Belgium/Netherlands Dis-similarities
2001. DEREKOY, Turkiye no theme
2002. VIS, Croatia, Senses

5. Guideline through easa
In this part of the easa Guide we are trying to describe the different working structure and events within easa. Every country has its own way of organising national affairs, but there are certain structures that carry on the national work on an international level and vice versa. The following points are proposals for the organisation of both national and international affairs, as firstly agreed by the INC Meeting held in Berlin, November 1991, and updated since.
5.1 National Contacts (NCs)
NC's are appointed / elected according to the following:
each country has two official NCs.
at least one of the NCs should have access to a fax machine for sending and receiving.
only students of architecture can be elected as NCs.
NCs should have participated in at least one assembly before becoming an NC.
NC's should join the INCM with at least one representative of every country.

5.1.1 Continuity
NCs should stay in the job for at least two years.
it is useful not to change both NCs in the same year, but to practice an overlap-system to allow an introduction to the new NC by one of the old.
Should a NC not fulfill the responsibilities stated below, the INCM can replace the NC with another.

5.1.2 Responsibility
The NC is responsible for:
All events concerning the international level. At the national level, this responsibility can be shared with fellow students. The NC shall be the generator of the easa spirit on the national level.
Communication at the international and national level.
Distribution of all information among the easa network, such as bulletins, invitations, competitions and the easa Guide to all architectural schools in their countries.
continuous contact with the organisers about workshops, participation interest, exhibitions etc.
For finding tutors for the next assembly and to help them to prepare, especially regarding early contact to the organisers, clear relation to the theme, quality and sponsoring of the materials needed.
Introduction of new participants to the ideas and aims of easa before they come to the assemblies. They should be people with a commitment to the 'easa spirit' and an understanding of their responsibilities to the community. They should also be committed to stay the length of the assembly. It is more important to have committed participants than to fulfill your quota.
Applications and payment affairs. The NC is responsible that application lists and waiting list are received by organisers by specified deadline.
Finding sponsors for national and international events.
Being an example for other participants in being committed and responsible during international assemblies.
Introducing new NCs and introducing them to their responsibilities.

5.1.3 Intermediate National Contact Meetings (INCM)
The aim of the INCM is to bring the NC's together in order to exchange information and keep the NC network alive.
The program of the meeting has to be flexible; the purpose, discussion regarding evaluation of the previous assemlies, and the preparation of the assemblies to come.
To fulfill this it is necessary for the organisers of the previous and upcoming year's assemblies to attend the INCM.
Should future organisers have difficulty in attending the INCM, they should contact the host INCM organisers.
The INCM is held every year in November.
The meeting has to determine the next INCM one year in advance.
At least one NC per country should be present at the INCM.
The organizers of the INCM should gather points for the agenda on the summer meeting by contacting next year's easa - summer meeting organizers and send this agenda out in advance to the NCs with schedule and application form.
The organizers have to find a place suitable for round-table discussions and to provide equipment such as computer, telephone, video and slide facilities with easy access.
At the beginning of the discussions the NC's vote up to three chairpersons and discuss the agenda of the meeting.
Subjects, including the agenda, can be prepared in small working groups. This saves time and involves more NCs into the actual talks.
The chairpersons are responsible for the agenda and its updating. They also have to insure that the documentation, in the form of an INCM report, which includes a summary of the minutes taken in the discussions, is distributed to all NC's within two weeks. They are also responsible for the updating of the easa Guide.
NCs should stay in all discussions.
Consensus should be achieved in all decisions.

5.2 EASA - Summer Assembly
The Summer Assembly is the summit of all preceding easa events. It is held for 2 weeks around the beginning of August, each year organised by different groups of students at a different site to a different theme.
The proposals for the Summer Assembly should be made two years in advance to help finding the organising team and sponsorship.
The organising team can give signatures in the name of easa.
The whole of the easa is trusting the organisers of the next Summer Assembly to make the right choices when arranging the assembly. They should always feel the full support of all NCs and in particular of the former organisers who should pass on their experiences.

5.2.1 Quota List
The Quota list shows the number of places for the summer meeting for each country. The quota list is made yearly by the organisers according to a system established at 1997's INCM. It should be distributed to the NC's by the end of January, with bank and post account numbers.
Organisers of the assembly in the year before and after get a higher number. The places that are not filled and paid for by the countries by the dead-line will get distributed by the organisers within countries of the same payment group. Primarily to the lost countries marked with an '*' on the list.
Each country can bring one tutor not included in the quota. All other tutors are included in the quota.
Students studying in a foreign country will apply through its hosting country and count on their quota. Other non-European students can only apply as guests of the hosting country.
Because of the fact that the countries of group 1 cover a large part of the assembly-budget, it must be accepted that there are more participants from this group than from others.
As agreed during the INCM 97 held at Sinaia, Romania, the total amount of places will be distributed according to a system in which factors such as community and activity are taken into account. An Excel Sheet has been designed to work the quota out every year. This system works as follows:
The organizers decide a certain number of participants according to their criteria. The different number of participants will then depend on this initial figure.
All the countries get at least 4 places.
The rest of places will be distributed among all the countries:
Community: Ranging from 1 to 6, it tells about the number of schools and students in every country. Lost countries are community=0.
Activity: Organizers of past and next EASA get activity 11, countries that organized SESAMs, INCMs and other international meetings get activity 9, the updating of the Web site and others get activity 7, the rest of countries get activity 5.
Further details about these factors should be discussed in next INCMs, especially about the factor 'payment group' and the way it should be inserted in the system.
By multiplying Community by Activity, a factorial number will be gotten. This number will be a certain percentage of the total addition of factorial numbers.
Every country gets its percentage of the quota out of the rest of places, the organizers got after distributing four to all the countries.
The final quota of a country is the addition of this percentual quota plus the initial four places.

5.2.2 Application
The application of each country's participants is organized by the NCs. All applications and payment must be made through the NCs. The NC is responsible that it's application- and waitinglist is received by the organisers before the deadline.

5.2.3 Payment
The organising team decides on the total amount of participants and informs all NC's of the resulting quota list before January 1st.The organising team decides on a payment deadline in May and informs all NC's of this deadline. Each NC is responsible for collecting the full payment from their participants. Each NC is responsible for sending or transferring the payments to the organisers.
Participation at the assembly is secured by the arrival of the full payments to the organisers before the deadline.
The organising team is not responsible for paying back any money for applicants who do not show up.
There are five groups of countries paying the following percentage of the fee:

Group 1 Western Europe except Group 2 100 %
Group 2 Italy, Great Britain, Greece,
Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Turkiye 80 %
Group 3 Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, 60 %


Group 4 Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania,
Yugoslavia, Slovakia 40 %
Group 5 Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Hercegovina,
Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia,
Azerbadjian, Moldova 20 %

The assignment of each country to a group is flexible and open for discussion at every INCM. Criteria for assigning are the income situation of students and the national sponsoring situation.

5.2.4 Bulletins
Bulletins are the information media for an assembly besides earlier information on easa and INCM in the year before. The content is more important than the layout. They should be easy to copy for the NCs and distributed to all the participants within the country.
The first Bulletin should be sent out in January. It should contain information for NC's, tutors and participants about the theme, the site, first workshops, practical questions, application process including the fees. It also contains a poster and shows the easa aims and ideas to future participants.
The second Bulletin should come out at the end of April and contains further information about site, program, workshops, and lectures, as well as contributions from participants and tutors.
As a supplement to the second Bulletin a Tutor pack should be sent out including specific information about theme and site, and organisers expectations regarding the workshops.
A third Bulletin should be sent out in June with finalised information regarding workshops, site and program and other practical issues including travel etc.

5.2.5 Assembly

5.2.5.1 Schedule
The Easa - Summer Assembly takes place around the beginning of August, ranging from Sunday to Sunday. At the beginning there is an introductory workshop. After this the workshop fair introduces the individual workshops to the participants. Workshops are presented at the end of the assembly. Following that a closing event is proposed. On Sunday the assembly ends in closing the campsite.

5.2.5.2 Site
The Infodesk should be located at a central point of the site. Accomodation should not separate, but encourage contact between nationalities.
The design of the site should provide all facilities as close as possible and should give enough space for workshops, exhibitions, lectures. Party areas should be carefully allocated so as not to interfere with the sleeping areas.
The organisers should create a framework for the participants to be able to help themselves.
Social life should be enhanced by a cafe-bar. It is the vital point inside and outside for the whole Assembly. If it is used for parties, it should not affect the rest of the site.
A workshop centre, which provides materials, space for tutor meetings and workshop exhibitions is to be chosen that it is connected to the info desk and the umbrella workshop.
Space has to be provided for brought in exhibitions.
In the setting up of the site, attention should be given to sustainability and conservation of the environment.

5.2.5.3 Introduction and Closing Workshop
The Introductory and Closing Workshop create the frame for the Assembly. They introduce the participants to the site, the theme and the aims of easa and are within the responsibility of the organisers. The Introductory Workshop may be used to prepare the site. It gives time to the tutors to get familiar with the area and thereby to integrate the theme and the site into their workshops. The Closing Workshop is the conclusion of the work of the Assembly.

5.2.5.4 Workshop Fair
At the fair the tutors present their ideas for their workshop through different media such as conversation, posters, models, videos, etc.

5.2.5.5 Themes, Workshop and Tutors
The theme becomes reality through the workshops and lectures. It is the physical projection of the aims. This is why strong workshops should be prepared. In the workshops, groups of students work together, with the assistance of tutors.
The workshops should work close to all facilities to support communication.
Tutors are responsible to make the idea of their workshops understandable at the workshop fair. It has been noted that sequential lecture-style workshop presentations are not effective - they are boring!
Tutors are found by NCs. It is the responsibility of the NC to create a dialog between the tutor and the organizers preferably before 1 April. The NCs inform the tutors about schedule and their duties.
Every workshop designates a contact person to the Umbrella Workshop.
Tutors must be aware that they have to communicate their workshops both to participants and other tutors. A full documentation must be left with the organizers to become core of the final report.
The organizers should supply a certain number of workshops; introduced early and as an example of dealing with the theme in relation to the site.
Tutor meetings should be organised regularly.
All tutors are equal concerning material supply by the organizers.
Tutors and NCs are asked to find sponsors for their material in their home countries.
There is no maximum number of workshops per country.

5.2.5.6 Lectures, Exhibitions, Debates
Lectures are related to the theme of the Assembly and held by people of different backgrounds and professions.
A limited number of formal lectures is recommended to allow other events such as informal discussions, debates, or slide-shows to take place.
Lectures should have a style that is provoking a debate. They should not be a one way communication; they should rather be a seminar than a traditional lecture.
The place of the lectures must be easily accessible and provide the needed facilities, both to formal and informal events.
The language should be English.
Exhibitions that are brought in should be coordinated with the organizers concerning place, equipment, time and announcement.

5.2.5.7 Motivation
Participants should have respect and awareness of the operation of the Easa community and it's environment.
It is the NCs task to find participants that are willing to give something positive to the group. They should actively participate both in workshops and discussions.
It has been noted that a national meeting before the assembly is helpful. It is encouraging the national work and provides a platform for finding ideas for exhibitions, articles, national events and feedback to the theme.

5.2.5.8 Information during the Assembly
Good information keeps people happy. Communication consists of an Information Booklet (easa Agenda), an Info Board, Info Desks and the Umbrella workshop. All information is located at the center of the site.
Booklet: given out to the participants on arrival and containing general information as well as a rough schedule.
Board: it has to be divided into public and private announcements.
Desk: is connected to the Board and the primary place in the site to find information.
Umbrella: The umbrella-workshop should be runned by participants of easa. It works with different media such as newspaper, video, photography and radio. The organizers have to supply the Umbrella from the very beginning with the necessary facilities and materials. A participant of the Umbrella should be present at NC and Tutor meetings. One task of the Umbrella is the preparation of the Final Report. This means also that all material done by the Umbrella stays with the organizers.
Participants are also welcome to attend NC meetings held during the Assembly.
Organisers should be introduced at the beginning of the assembly.


5.2.5.9 'Duties'
Here the "Student for student" principle operates. We should have as little paid help as possible. The participants are responsible for a successful Assembly - no one else. Participants are expected to perform certain duties during the assembly. It is the NC's task to see that all duties are fulfilled.
Participants are welcome to help the organizers before and after the meeting.

5.2.5.10 Food
Vegetarians are vegetarians and not cheese and butter eaters. Meat eaters happen to eat vegetables. Good work needs good food. Food is provided by the organisers. Easa is trying to use as little resources as possible by using for example no plastic dishes but recyclable products. Participants can be encouraged to support this and for example bring their own cups.

5.2.5.11 First Aid
Provisions should be made for First Aid and Fire Safety on site.

5.2.6 Budget
The organizers have the full control and responsibility about each year's budget, independent of any non-easa-institutions.
Money should always be spend first for food and accommodation, second to workshops and information and after that for lectures, cultural activities and finally parties.
The organizers present their final budget at the INCM and in the Final Report.
After the event the INCM decides what happens with an eventual profit or loss.

5.2.7 Final Report
The organisers produce a final report. They produce a frame before the assembly, which is filled out by the Umbrella Workshop with material from the meeting. The Final Report functions also as a documentation of all easa activities throughout the time between Assemblies. The deadline for material about such events or articles other than the easa itself is at the Assembly. The deadline for reflections about the Assembly is the following INCM. At the INCM the easa organizers present a rough first copy of the Final Report.

5.3 Small European Students of Architecture Meeting (SESAM)
The SESAM is an event arranged by the easa network. Like the basic idea of the easa Assembly, a SESAM can give an addition and/or alternative to the education of students. The independence and off-university-character creates an informal atmosphere. The international character allows participants to learn about other working and teaching methods. The interdisciplinary approach encourages the exchange of different points of view and different presentation media.
The easa serves the SESAM as a platform for information before the workshop and for presentation of the results afterwards. The SESAM realizes thereby the continuous exchange among the easa network throughout the year and enhances the Assembly by sharing the experience of the SESAM. Both exist only through their exchange and cooperation.
The SESAM is a workshop with a small number of participants. Through this concentrated character the SESAM allows work on a tight theme. This means working on one specific topic out of the field of architecture.
After a number of similar events in the year before in Italy, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, etc., the first easa workshop with the name SESAM was realized 1992 in Villafames/Spain (October, 50 participants).
The themes have been connected with practical problems of those towns. These impulses have been used by the SESAM to work in a coordinated manner of architecture, urban design and landscape design. This work can be extended into other fields like history, philosophy, art, etc.
Theme, site, date and tutors are chosen through the organizers.
Proposals for SESAMs are discussed at the INCM. This guarantees the early information throughout Europe and coordination of different SESAMs and the easa itself. SESAMs are documented in a final report that includes information about theme, participants, tutors, results, organization, sponsors and can have the quality of a book, video, exhibition etc. The results are also documented in the easa Final Report.
5.4 Exhibitions
Besides the exhibitions produced for the Assembly, there are many other interesting ones made by students, institutions or schools. We should encourage a way for them to travel throughout Europe without difficulties.
5.5 Exchange Partnership
We can use the easa network to provide information for student exchanges. Easa can be an information platform for scholarship opportunities and exchange programs on an international level.
6. Sponsorship and Publicity
In the past, the biggest share of the assembly budgets has been always covered by the participation fees, although we welcome possible chances for financial support.
Our position in the public helps also to spread the easa aims among students or possible tutors who had not yet approached easa. Therefore every NC is asked to search for possibilities of bringing public attention to the easa. This can be done with articles and exhibitions. It is useful to collect published articles and reports for future events and publications. There are different kind of supporters with different access paths that differ in each country, therefore some general points are listed below.
6.1 Discounts
The best chance to reduce participation fees is not by getting money, but by avoiding costs. As little work as possible should be paid work from the outside. Participants are motivated and mature enough to help out.
The highest chances to receive high value support are discounts and material sponsoring.
6.2 European Union (EU)
There has been a direct financial support from the EU to easa once in 1993.
Indirect options are EU-programs to the member nations that are handled by national governments. This includes for example the budget of each year's European Cultural Capital.
It must be pointed out that their application deadlines are well in advance.
6.3 National Public Money
As with EU money, the national government money has application deadlines well in advance.
Support can be found from Ministries for Education, Research, Culture and Science mainly for the support of the participants of the nation and their activities.
The information can be received most easily from the Ministries directly. Dealing on this national level, it is very helpful to establish easa as an organization with legal responsibilities for time of the organisation of the Assembly Once one has got into such a program everything following this is fairly easy and therefore it is recommended to keep the contact alive. Public institutions make their budgets well in advance, which they can better if they know their partners. It is also in their interest if you keep the contact alive.
6.4 Institutions
There are many institutions with money who can relate to the aims of easa. Examples are Architectural Chambers, Culture Funds, European Institutions on the larger scale and school funds or private donation funds on the small scale.
As with private sponsors it has been successfully experienced to check out from where events or institutions with similar character like easa have received money from.
6.5 Private Sponsors
Private Sponsors have different reasons to give money and so they need different treatment. In any case the first step has to be the preparation of a serious and understandable presentation of easa. This should include letters of recommendation of persons in respectable positions. Such person can be the Dean of the faculty, the President of the university, the Architectural Chamber or members of the government. Another trustworthy recommendations are articles about easa in the press.
The second step is to get to know the contact addresses. Here it is helpful to check out similar events as explained at 6.4. Another very good sources are PR Handbooks that cover the contact addresses of all companies in a country including the name of the responsible persons. The third step is the first contact to these names, which should be done by writing and include some letters of recommendation. You have to explain what you are expecting from the company and what you can offer. Mention as well if you have already other sponsors (they trust in each others choice).
There are two different options:
Most companies have a certain budget for sponsoring every year. The best way is to contact them in the beginning of the year when they start dividing it. In big companies it is also useful to ask at the end of the year. Their budget is too big to be decided early in the year so they often have money left at the end.
Every company has a budget for public relations. This is bigger than the first one and so slower emptying.
In the first case the company is much easier to persuade, by offering them a receipt that they can hand in at their tax report. In many countries the permission to write such receipts needs your organization being established officially.
In the second case you should use your imagination, depending on your next activities, what kind of media you can offer (advertisement in a bulletin, distribution of their products, presentation at an exhibition etc.). Certainly you can offer this as well to the group of private sponsors. Among them, you find as well sponsors with interest out of solidarity or humanity (architects, art lovers...).
The last and important step, after the fact of finding the sponsor, is to treat the sponsor nicely. Keep the sponsors informed about your activities, invite them to exhibition openings.
6.6 Schools
There are schools financially supporting their students to participate at easa or INCM. Often schools are open for the aims of easa but cannot adjust such costs into their budget. In this case they should be willing to sponsor the Local easa Group by material, permission to use computers, fax and the mail service of the school.