Archinect - News

Two arrested in Oakland Ghost Ship case

2017-06-05T20:50:00-04:00

Leaseholder Derick Almena and tenant Max Harris each were charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the December fire at Oakland's Ghost Ship warehouse, said Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley.

Back in December, tragedy struck as a blaze broke out during a show at Oakland's Ghost Ship—a DIY-venue located in a two-story warehouse. One of the two exits had been blocked, leading to chaos as party-goers attempted to exit to safety. The incident lead to the devastating loss of 36 young men and woman.

The leaseholder, Derick Almena, and the tenant, Max Harris, received much criticism for the incident, having endangered both the concert-goers and those living in the warehouse by not ensuring the site was up to code. Assistant District Attorney Teresa Drenick said the two men "knowingly created a fire trap with inadequate means of escape. They then filled that area with human beings and are now facing the consequences of their action." The two were arrested earlier today and each faces up to 39 years in prison if convicted of all charges.

Back when the incident happened, it prompted discussions of the safety and vitality of DIY venues such as Ghost Ship, and focused attention on t...

Following Ghost Ship tragedy, city authorities and artists clash over DIY venues

2016-12-15T13:35:00-05:00

“If you don’t understand anything about this world, or what that space was, or who these people were, your first reaction is going to be: ‘Why don’t you just bring this place up to code?’ And it’s a very quaint notion, and it would be good if that’s how the world worked [...]” “There are so many interlocking problems that are fundamental, it’s hard to know where to begin. In almost every case, there are existing code violations to the building before they even move in.”

DIY Space, After Ghost Ship: Safety, community and informal venues after Oakland's tragic fire, ft. S. Surface and David Keenan on Archinect Sessions #91

2016-12-08T19:22:00-05:00

Last Friday night, a fire broke out during a concert at the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland, California, killing (at present count) 36 people. While the precise cause of the fire is still unknown, the building was rife with code violations that accelerated the fire's damage, many related to its adapted use for living and work-spaces. While criminal investigations are just beginning, local artists worry that the city will use the tragedy to crack down on other adaptive and DIY venues in the Bay Area, restricting access even further to affordable spaces in an already tight housing market.

Within the architecture community, the tragedy has prompted discussions surrounding the safety and vitality of DIY venues, and the long-term effects of such building code violations for gentrification and zoning. To discuss on the podcast, we're joined by two guests who have personal and professional experience with forming community spaces: designer, curator and organizer S. Surface, and David Keenan...