Volunteering

FOOD BANKING, PARIS, 2020

RC churches were first to open after lockdown, so the part-time anglican I am began attending St. Pierre de Montrouge, who called for volunteers for Aide Alimentaire Alésia, in dispensing victuals weekly.

Amazing how many people one can bless — and who appreciate it — in just a few hours.

ARTIST’S VERNISSAGE, 2018

A small job on site was due to finish, and to thank the contractors I asked the client if we might not throw a small party for them and invite someone to exhibit.

A voluntary effort on everybody’s part, which nevertheless sowed a few seeds for artist KIM Jung Yeon.

TRANSLATIONS, 2015

Architect Fabio REINHART asked me a couple of times to translate or check the dubious English of a number of texts in which he was involved, including a bid for the safeguard of a threatened villa in Switzerland and a publication on L’architettuara analoga. He regretted having no budget for any of that, but the privilege was ample compensation. It also earned me a rebuff from the advisor in US-speak to EPFL for using archaic forms. Precisely, I responded, since FR wields no ordinary verb.

SAN PARIDE, TEANO, 2014

Sole practitioner Mimmo LERRO needed to rapidly develop a competition project for a RC church that he had himself suggested to parish authorities.

To keep him going and stimulate his creative bent, I engaged in a running dialogue of images, drip-feeding photographs of architecture in Brazil, Freiburg-im-Breisgau (where I was living) and sundry drawn deliria.

A TRIP TO THE SEA, HONFLEUR, 2013

The leaders of St. Michael’s Francophone Lay Ministry (as it was officially known) to give our Roumanian friends, who lived in tents at Noisiel, a day out by the sea.

Amongst other more practical commitments.

LIBREVILLE, 2012

A second pro deo trip to Gabon was to set up, on behalf of a missionary couple, an import-export company aiming to supply the market there with much-needed building products such as drains, roofing and solar hot-water units. Corruption put an end to that.

At least I met a few people in the process.

ANGONDJE, 2011

A first pro deo trip to Gabon was to survey a given site, having volunteered to design a building for it and build a model of that, at the request of P-SNg.

Site survey, design development and model completed by one pair of hands in just six weeks.

A PARTY FOR OUALI, PARIS, 2008

A Kabyle friend had never celebrated his birthday.

Our PE congregation decided to throw one for him, between Christmas and New Year.

HOSPITALITY, 2005

A Romanian professor, formerly posted in Paris, but returning for new commitments, needed lodging. A neighbour took her in and they became friends. The family occasionally followed and her husband introduced me to svika.

Volunteering the use of one’s house & home, and appreciating the encounters that allows, I am grateful to have learned from Italians.

Sometimes even miracles occur. Like the friend who cured herself of anorexia, having a kitchen to cook in.

KAMPUCHEA, 1995

A two-week visit on behalf of French NGOs to Phnom Penh and Kandal province to survey a plot at Satebo and grasp local construction technique.

KILMICHAEL OF INVERLUSSA 1983

Having surveyed (with my mother holding the tape measure) the church building I wrote to press and presbytery council to have the rumoured demolition stalled — thankfully with success.

Of course I had to then put my money** where my mouth is, which apparently sorted a few pressing issues.

Perhaps the most genuine contribution to Architecture I will have ever made, even though I was technically still a a not-yet “qualified” student.

** or rather God’s, inasmuch as the sum donated was the difference in offers (in less than half an hour) for the sale of my London house, in a successful “gasump” bid by the purchaser.