Heaven's Hill

Authors. [Byliana Asenova], arh. [Sasa Ciabbatti], arh. [Marius Miclăuș] Co-authors: arh. [Jan Vanko], eng. [Marius Șoflete] together with the students of the camp Location. Caraș-Severin, Dalboșeț

What is the secret of this place?

One of the things that works beautifully is the atmosphere, nature simply invades you, it nestles into your being and then you are ready to put aside the masks of your personality and be creative in everything you do. There is a scent of the place that calls to you, even if you don't have the most "urban" conditions, you get over it and realize that other things are what interests you - things about You...

Dealu Cerului is a place, a space that you don't easily forget once you have visited and assimilated it. The project started in 2005 by the Archaeus Foundation here has been developing year by year, widening its perspectives and the fields covered, from architecture to various crafts or object design, arts and landscape, music or philosophy, landart experiments, all of them coherently integrated in a mutually creative relationship.

The story in brief

The roots of this platform of education and experimentation can be found in the student practices that future architects carry out every summer, year after year. Beyond the realization of an object from sketch to actual construction using "endangered" techniques under the guidance of various craftsmen, a unique aspect of this camp is the multi-disciplinarity applied, present in the speeches of the guests. A house, built in 1907, one of the last of more than 500 that functioned at the end of the 19th century, has been rehabilitated and transformed into a support for the activities.

Projects

Up to this point, work themes were proposed that mixed the development of the infrastructure and spaces needed to hold events, but also the development of this space as a possible center for alternative education and meeting. Thus were born the "projects-as-usual", the library and instrument room providing the opportunity and creating the ideal context for reading, outdoor documentation and complete tranquility, which in rainy evenings plays an important role. The model-making pavilions built following a competition in 2014, the erection of a new workshop (following a competition in 2017), the "eye in the sky" or fire place, the refurbishment of the teachers' rooms in the "cottage" (a second house in the neighborhood saved from demolition, in which this year we finalized 2 guest rooms), the clay kiln, the Toy Light pavilion (following a competition in 2019), all are part of the charm of the place and were made with and by the students.

What are the objectives of this endeavor?

Manuality and the message of the material, its density and relation to light, the relationship between thought and action, organization and distributive attention in direct relation to time, are just a few dimensions of the exercise that an architect must assimilate. Beyond these, there is the nature and chance to "lose oneself" in the green, to reconnect with the deep inside with socialization and the realization that architecture is a constitutive and not a defining element in relation to other fields, sciences, arts or professions.

"...the hand is not only faithfull, passive executor of the intention of the brain, rather the hand has its own intentionality, knowledge and skills"

Juhani Pallasmaa, The thinking hand

Nature

Another dimension of experiencing life at Dealu Cerului is stepping out of the comfort zone. Experiencing sleeping in a tent in the sounds of nature, taking a daily bath in the river, getting refreshed in the morning, cooking for a whole community or reading in a hammock are just some of the actions that bring us closer to nature and to the true nature of man.

Awards, people, future

But the Sky Hill experience goes beyond its purpose as stated above, namely the experiment, by challenging the participant to a life experience, closer to a simple living, often forgotten in the current pace of life. In this sense, the outdoor kitchen and oven made entirely of clay in 2012 brought even more flavor to the experience.

In 2014, the Foundation organized the first international Sky Hill PRO/light/TYPE Competition 2014, with the first prize being executed in the summer of the same year. The project was honored at the 2014 a+a Architecture Annual for Best Educational Project.

In 2017, the Foundation organized the second international Sky Hill PRO/light/WORK Project Competition 2017, with the first prize being executed in the summer of the same year and in 2018. The project was nominated for Bringing Light to Life - Velux, Sofia in 2019.

In 2019, the third edition of the architectural competition was won and coordinated in its execution by three young architects from Cluj, the project was finalized with an installation workshop in 2021.

More than 85 guests/makers and more than 425 students have enjoyed the facilities offered by the Foundation in all these years.

For the activities in the immediate future, the Foundation is planning two new creative processes, one, Sky Hill Design, already started in collaboration with young designers in 2021, and from 2022 we are looking for resources for 5 editions of landart and installations by mixed groups of artists, architects and musicians. For 2022 we are partnering with the distinguished Biennial of the Arts - Art Encounters, with the pilot edition taking place in September.

Each experience at Dealu Cerului has two major components: strengthening and improving the infrastructure (workshops dedicated to exterior building) and workshops dedicated to interior growth (workshops through which we aim to understand the rules of how things related to the profession work, and the rules of how to develop them). Thus, during more than 16 years of activity, in an interval equivalent to a whole year, workshops have been held on stonemasonry, carpentry, plastering, plastering, woodwork, wood treatment techniques, with presentations and workshops on music, philosophy, landscape, wood engraving, clay pottery, graphics, clothing design, film, urban planning, engineering... for over 400 students and architects from more than 11 countries with 87 guests and 12 craftspeople. Every participant has made a major contribution to the development and growth of the support and infrastructure at Dealu Cerului, so everything you make here will be given to those who come... so to you, if you come back.