SOCIAL MEDIA ZEITGEIST

 

Last month we attended the opening of ‘Architecture for a Changing World’ – a new free exhibition at Feilden Clegg Bradley’s London studio. We were impressed by the ambition, both in the variety of topics that were been opened up for discussion – environmental in both the sustainable and social sense – but also the effort and detail that had been put into the exhibition itself. So we contacted the organisers to find out more.

 

Beedier: Where did the idea for Architecture for a Changing World come from?

FCBStudios: The idea followed on from the launch of our new website last year in which we really dug into how we communicate to as wide a group as possible the principles on which the practice was built. FCBStudios was founded to move architecture forward. We have been working for over 40 years to push boundaries in sustainable, democratic and socially responsible design. And you can see that in the work that we do, the clients that we work with and the approach that we take. We are at a moment now of challenges on so many fronts – climate change, biodiversity loss, social and economic inequity and the world is constantly changing. We wanted to respond to that situation but do so in a way that is positive, collaborative and engaging.

We wanted to say to the wider community ‘these are some of the issues that we feel as architects and designers we can and should be focussing on, not by any means all of the issues, but some that we have something to say about, and we would love to engage with you.’

 

Beedier: Feilden Clegg Bradley were one of the first UK studios that we were aware of that pressed sustainability issues with their work and discourse. Do you feel an element of satisfaction that the rest of industry has caught up to meet you, or do you think there is still much work to be done?

FCBStudios: It is true that we have been pushing sustainable design for over 40 years and the focus has changed constantly over that time to now and the very real and imminent climate crisis. Of course, we want to be recognised as leaders in the field, and we have a lot of expertise in house from Passivhaus designers to dedicated researchers and tools such as our Carbon Calculator, but at the same time we need to work collectively to raise awareness and share knowledge across the industry to meet the shift in how we design and build. That is why we have chosen to do things like offer our Carbon Calculator for free to anyone who wants to use it, and that includes our ‘competitors’. The transition to net zero architecture and carbon reduction cannot be done in isolation. So yes, there is much more to be done and we are keen to work with our clients, our industry peers and communities to help reach our shared sustainability goals.

 

Beedier: Do you see this exhibition and series of events as a way of moving the debate forward again, and presenting Feilden Clegg Bradley as progressive thought leaders for environmental and social sustainability?

FCBStudios: Absolutely. We need to keep pushing the debate on. For example, one of the themes we focus on in the exhibition is regenerative design, looking at how we can move beyond sustainability to create a better future for the planet. Sustainability meets the needs of the present whereas regenerative design reverses historical damage to have a positive impact on the planet. But on a project basis this requires a huge shift in thinking and approach which goes much further than the materials you choose, but includes the wider social and economic ecosystem. And we are fortunate to be able to engage in this discussion with knowledge and experience as we work with our client on the Eden Dundee project. Equally we are keen to push social value and connecting with communities to the fore so that we can continue to create architecture which is informed by the people who call it home. There is so much more we could have included in the exhibition, but hopefully it can be used as a springboard for much wider discussion and engagement and we can all continue to learn and move forward.

 

Beedier: Event planning and creating opportunities for networking is not something that architects have been traditionally good at. How long was the planning period of a project like this, and what were the organisational hurdles that needed overcoming?

FCBStudios: The exhibition itself took the best part of half a year to come together. From initial design workshops, to drawing, prototyping and testing, looking for materials and engaging with collaborators. And that is really just the physical frame. We then needed to create all the content – and that is quite a process.

How do you distil in a short amount of time some of these issues which are so big? What is too much or too little? And how do you ensure that the content is engaging and varied, interactive?

We made everything in house – from the design and build of the frame, the 3d printing of the connecting nodes, to the production of films and audio pieces. But in doing so we were able to create something that is light touch, both in the circularity of the materials used, but also in the content that was included.

We are very lucky to have a workshop in our Bath Studio where we can build physical pieces, and our modelmaker is incredible at coming up with creative, innovative approaches to projects like this. And we also have an in-house filmmaker and creative producer whose job it is to create this kind of content. But it is also about getting the wider practice on board and excited. Making sure they can see the benefits of creating content such as this. Hopefully the outcomes speak for themself.

 

Beedier: The exhibition looked great, and we appreciated the use of recycled materials in its construction. How important is it for architects to specify creatively to ensure that our work contributes to a circular economy?

FCBStudios: With the climate emergency at the front and centre of architectural discourse, and the rising awareness of the importance of embodied carbon, our typical material palette needs to be revisited. Interestingly, this was the focus of our last major exhibition which went on to tour the country, Carbon Counts.

Helping people understand the impacts of material choice, how they are made, where they come from, what that journey is from cradle to gate, and then beyond is imperative to contributing to the circular economy.

We thought about this a great deal in the design of the exhibition – the frame has been made for disassemble and rebuild in other configurations and to suit other locations, the nodes are made from recycled filament, the timber from repurposed felled trees from Fallen & Felled and the shelves from Smile Plastics who work with recycled post-consumer plastic waste. But it is also about thinking about how far a material has travelled and what will happen to it at end of its life. These are big issues – even on a small scale such as an exhibition – but ones that need exploring and navigating so we can lessen our impact on the planet.

 

Beedier: What further events are there in the Architecture for a Changing world schedule, and how can other designers get involved?

FCBStudios: We are working up a whole programme of events, workshops and tours that will run throughout the year. And we are working closely with our peers, collaborators and clients on creating these events – with the belief that architecture is only truly effective when everyone’s voice is heard. We have a mix of private and public events in the pipeline and details can be found on our website: https://fcbstudios.com/practice/explore/architecture-for-a-changing-world-

We are always open to hearing from others about ideas to collaborate and would encourage people to get in touch.

 

Fliss Childs is Feilden Clegg Bradley’s Communications Partner overseeing all aspects of marketing, public relations and business development. Anna Rank is an experienced Creative Producer who is responsible for the in-house production of FCBStudios’ films, and exhibitions.