KON KAO YA KOO – COLLABORATIVE AUGUMENTED REALITY FOR COMMUNTIY FESTIVAL
Assist. Prof. Dr. Chiranthanin Kitika
Introduction :
Chang Moi district is selected as creative district by Thailand creative and design center since 2019. This district has known for various of culture movements and presently has rising numbers of new business such as cafe, bars, restaurant etc. On the other day, creative district does not just focus on present business, but also has to engage and empower local community which is foundation of local knowledge and cultural asset. Since city development plan strikes to Chang Moi district in 1960s. Streets, real estate and private properties are mainly built for business purpose. Chompoo temple was a community center where located to bind villages and locals with social activities. Now the scene is gone. The purpose of design is to engage and drive this district with idea of Neighborhood economy networking. This project brainstorms with local and entrepreneurs in the district and then we selected “Kon Kao Ya Koo Chang Moi” festival which restores the idea of Temple centered community and intentionally collaborates with community networks. To represent community festival with historical townscape, the event has to create special experience for telling relative local story with community sites. Project method is to hold design thinking process with local and new entrepreneurs and create Visual integrated with existing elements where is the story telling for festival and cold local tales. The design outcome is AR technology through social media. The project merges 3 storytelling with 3 elements in Chompoo temple. There are 3 local tales which is not recorded as cultural assets for Chang Moi community. First, the twin pagoda, Chompoo temple creates Pagoda which refers to Doi Suthep temple’s pagoda because the relative roots of monk from Chompoo temple and Doi Suthep temple is connected with Kru Ba Srivichai. Besides local
community was originally craftsman, worker and labors then they had no time to make merit with Doi Suthep temple, So they want to conceptual The pagoda of Chompoo temple as Twin pagoda with Doi Suthep temple. Secondly, Chang Moi is a name to be called community because this area was a place for King elephants’ recess in the ancient. Then local and new community wants to present the meaning of this district along the street where are binding temple with old village. Third, as Kon Kao Ya Koo festival is local gathering to create social activities in Main court in front of temple. This event is rare to be seen and local keeps continuing for over 50 years. Local donates ingredient for “Kao Ya Koo” (Holy rice) such as rice, honey, sugar, brown sugar, bean, sesame etc. Then they mix and stir as holy rice in the midnight of full moon night in Twelve Lanna mouth. (Presently, it is a night before Loy Kratong day). So, we need to explain this event on main court of the temple which restores old axis and community plaza. Finally, these 3 AR designs will be used as Instagram filter to conveniently use for new people and tourists who visit this community and neighbors.
Objectives:
1. To present local tales as storytelling which related to tangible areas in community.
2. To integrate new technology as content services for cultural tourism
3. To create community network by collaborative design process with local and new entrepreneur.
Methodology:
Collaborative design process
This project is a part of Chiang Mai Learning City research and provides supporting for making Neighborhood economy. As the dynamic from urban regeneration, community network is a key to create the strengthen of community. (Kitika C., 2020) The method sets design thinking session to engage people and make action together as co-creation. Sustainable city needs to openly collaborate action with stalker holders. (Sander, E. & Stappers, P., 2008) Finally, integrative
design is to set cultural landscape by old and new people together. With the diversity of people, cultural assets and landscapes combine local knowledge with tangible and intangible values. (Shen, J. & Chou, R., 2021).
To create collaborative process, Participants are including with local residents, new entrepreneurs, civil society and local government organizations such as Chiang mai Art and cultural museum, Chiang Mai municipality. There provide 3 sessions to make collaborative design process;
Session 1: Storyteller with the actual site
This session is to reinforce community engagement and to collect local tales which related to actual site in the community. Locals, Entrepreneurs and Civic society had joined and participated the design thinking. The results are 3 physical sites where must promote and reconsider for community storytellers. There are;
Site 1: Chompoo temple pagoda
Site 2: Street surrounded Chompoo temple
Site 3: Main court in front of the temple
Session 2: Integration with Local festival
This session is a sandbox design to create what are local tales needed to be presented with actual sites. Within period of of Kon Kao Ya Koo festival, the preparation sets to merge with this festival. This session provides brainstorming and design thinking about AR technology. Selected stories must convince tourist and new people with photogenic views. This session found out that there 3 stories and views which local and entrepreneur want to collaboratively present their own cultural assets. There are;
Story 1: Story about The Twin pagoda with Doi Suthep Temple, which represents through west view from Chompoo temple pagoda.
Story 2: Definition of Chang Moi which is a name of community that we proudly want to present this elephant scene along the street.
Story 3: Kon Kao Ya Koo method and story which presents in the main northern court in front of the temple.
Session 3: Data transform & AR integrative design
From 2 session of design thinking, this session is to create AR where connects to the actual site. Following 3 selected views, Researcher measures and sets the characteristic of surface where are set for AR tracking. The outcomes are different surfaces. First AR scene is
designed for widen view to present the twin pagoda floating on the sky. Second AR scene is to scan and track on the linear line of street. Then the ghost of elephant is a visual design which is tracked following the line of street. Third AR scene is to present the process of Kon Kao Ya Koo ceremony which presents with the main court. Then AR tracking is to scan with opened space as circulars plaza to play with animation. From these 3 AR mock-up scene, researcher tested and developed to launch as Instagram filter for cultural tourism. 3 AR scenes is created and coded as qr code which people can scan qr code with their smart phone and directly use these 3 AR filters as Instagram stories or posts. That would be creative community promoting with cultural assets in the creative way.
Techniques and Materials:
Area of study: Chang moi community
Techniques: Augmented reality Technology, Architectural drawing
Conclusion:
Chang moi district has known for various of culture movements and presently has rising numbers of creative business. The results form this design experiment provide as 3 topics. There are;
Topic (A) Integrating with AR technology: Every traditional event has to adapt with present lifestyle, now social network is more impactful to represent old traditional event as photography and short clips. Not only beautifully picture but also unique experience in real event has to be beyond than taking photo and videos. 3 physical assets now are beyond than just story to be to told. Now people can use AR technology through Instagram filter and learn more about the story behind those physical assets. In terms of integration technology, Augmented reality needs to track with real physical elements then people can create their own photos and videos. So city is transformed as digital data and merged with GPS tracking. As creative city and cultural tourism, this integrative design is an experimental which created with the concept of collaborative creation and community network. As the result from making 3 AR scenes in the context of Kon Kao Ya Koo festival, this combines with 2 outcomes;
First outcome is to identify community data, local tales, and cultural landscape as new cultural asset.
Second outcome is to provide new integrative design as AR scenes which creates new experiences through community festival.
Topic (B) Collaborative design: Collaboration is the key to create the design sustainability. This project includes 3 key factors with Engage, Enhance and Empower with community.
Engaging people requires more participants from old to new people. Community needs to expand more networks and provide to new generations.
Enhancing new technology is to update their local knowledge and wisdoms towards the age of digital transformation. As smart society, local Community needs to learn more about Technology to improve their daily life.
Empowering community is set to our goal and mission. All participants would be appreciated and also belonged with new design. Local people and assets are the foundation of community and younger generations are branching them for better.
This project is a study of collaborative design with collaboration process. Output examines as application that new technology can empower local community and elevate public area usage through the age of digital disruption. Furthermore, outcome from this project is to create and strengthen community network.
Topic (C) Refining cultural landscape: The actual cultural landscape needs to create and expend new experiences which emerge with up-to-date integrative design technically. Furthermore, people in the community is definitely the key factor to sustain community. Local data and knowledge which collect by locals they need to transform digitally and creatively. So the community can create and present its own value and pride with present technologies. As lesson leant, each community can conserve, create and perceive its own cultural landscape where is contemporary emerging with people online and offline. Connecting of 3 tangible assets and AR technology are bound as small community route which connects with old village, temple and business area. As the goal of Learning City, Chang Moi is presently on the way to become a sample of “Learning area” where people can learn through historical & cultural data with city walk where engages more participants such as tourists, school, university and researcher.
References:
Kitika, C. (2020). Integrated cultural landscape conceptual plan with community network participation on a case study of Chang Moi area, Chiang Mai province. NAJUA: History of Architecture and Thai Architecture journal, 17(1), 152-184.
Shen, J. & Chou, R. (2021). Cultural landscape development integrated with rural revitalization: a case study of Songkou ancient town. Land journal, 10(4), 406.
Sander, E. & Stappers, P. (2008). Co-creation and the new landscapes of design. CoDesign journal, 4(1), 5-18.
