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I firmly believe that design has the power to effect positive change, so entering the field of design activism is a very personal journey for me. I am acutely aware of the urgent social and environmental issues that require careful solutions as I consider my surroundings. I see design activism as a dynamic intersection of conscience and creativity, where advocacy and aesthetics coexist harmoniously. It’s a calling to use design as a potent tool to question and reshape social norms, elevate the voices of the marginalised, and address the pressing issues facing our world, rather than just as an aesthetic tool. This endeavour is more than just a career decision; it’s a dedication to making a significant impact on a world that sorely needs.

That’s why I’m looking into this book called Design Activism; 31 Designers Fighting for a Better World. This book provides excellent examples of how designers are actively using their ways to make social change.

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’Are Women valued less than Cows?’’ by Sujatro Ghosh

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One example I’m looking into is ‘’Are Women valued less than Cows?’’ by Sujatro Ghosh. “Are Women Valued Less Than Cows?” is a thought-provoking and impactful photo series by Indian photographer Sujatro Ghosh. In this collection, Ghosh addresses the stark gender inequalities prevalent in India and beyond, using the juxtaposition of women dressed in cow masks against various backdrops. The title itself challenges societal norms and highlights the irony that, in many instances, women are indeed treated as inferior to cattle. The use of the cow, considered sacred in Hinduism, adds a cultural layer to the narrative. Ghosh’s work is a powerful commentary on the devaluation of women, drawing attention to issues such as gender-based violence, discrimination, and the urgent need for a shift in societal perspectives. The stark visual imagery and poignant symbolism make “Are Women Valued Less Than Cows?” a compelling and evocative statement on gender inequality.

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Metahaven is a collective creative studio founded by Vinca Kruk and Daniel van der Velden. Vinca Kruk and Daniel van der Velden are designers and theorists associated with the studio.

https://mubi.com/en/gb/films/possessed-2018 - Reference

‘‘In the era of social media, this insightful essay/film looks for fresh approaches to community building. We have gotten used to being noticed and have set up our lives to catch other people’s attention. But for a lot of young people, the fun is over. The planet is dying while murderous competition has become the norm due to neoliberalism. As Facebook’s true intentions have come to light, an increasing number of people are deactivating their accounts, but this frequently leads to social death.’’

In my opinion; Comprehending the negative effects of social media is essential, as it illuminates the darker aspects of our progressively linked digital society. Acquiring knowledge about the negative effects provides significant perspectives on the possible damage to mental health, the dissemination of false information, the deterioration of confidentiality, and the worsening of community divisions. This short film does well, in terms of conveying the big impact social media has on people. I really like how it’s shown through storytelling (and design activism).

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The graphic by Edel Rodriguez that shows the blunt covers burning with Trump is a potent and thought-provoking visual commentary on the tense relationship that exists between the media and the former US President. In the picture, flames are rising from a pile of flaming magazine covers, hiding Trump’s face. This powerful metaphor alludes to Trump’s antagonistic attitude towards the media and press during his administration. The burning covers stand for attempts to compromise journalistic integrity and an assault on the freedom of the press. The message is made more powerful by Rodriguez’s use of vibrant colours and striking imagery, which creates a moving and eye-catching depiction of the contentious relationship between politics and the media during Trump’s presidency.

Rodriguez has been vocal about his criticism of Donald Trump and used his artistic talents to visually express his perspective on the former president’s approach to the media and the broader political landscape.

Rodriguez’s illustration can be seen as a response to Trump’s often confrontational relationship with the media during his presidency. Trump was known for his frequent use of social media to criticize and undermine traditional news outlets, referring to them as “fake news” and “the enemy of the people.”

Artists like Edel Rodriguez often use their work as a form of political activism, providing a visual language to convey their perspectives on current events and societal issues. In this case, the illustration serves as a bold and impactful commentary on the challenges faced by the media in the face of political attacks and the importance of a free press in a democratic society.

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‘‘Social change is necessary in solving the unsustainable level of consumption in our society. The Design Industry has played a part in the creation of consumerism therefore it has a responsibility to play a part in solving the problems consumerism has caused. This paper demonstrates that designers can create positive social change by implementing Design Activism Principles.’’

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Social change is necessary in solving the unsustainable level of consumption in our society. The Design Industry has played a part in the creation of consumerism therefore it has a responsibility to play a part in solving the problems consumerism has caused. This paper demonstrates that designers can create positive social change by implementing Design Activism Principles.

Introduction

The level of consumption is a current worldwide problem ( Fuad-Luke, 2009, p61). Humanity is depleting the world of its resources at an unsustainable rate. A change in lifestyles and habits is required in order for our resources to be replenished and to sustain us. Various design organisations have tried to persuade designers to act responsibly towards society and the environment, but they have not yet created a solution that is in itself sustainable. Designers have played a part in the creation of consumerism due to their role in designing products and persuasive advertising (Berman, 2009, p25). As such, the world and its environment would benefit from designers becoming catalysts of social change, pushing society and the design industry away from consumers and more into a sustainable position.

Design Activism offers the design industry alternative methods, which can be used to create better design that is focused on the user and environment. However there is also scope for these practices to be developed and linked more closely to the idea of sustainability, creating a set of principles that can flow through all design disciplines, and in doing so create a more complete and long lasting solution to the problem of unsustainability and over-consumption. Therefore by proving that by applying design activism principles to how we create social change using designers and the design industry we can help reform the consumerist society that has led to an unsustainable world. Designers can help create a solution for our unsustainable world by using design skill and implementing alternative methods and practices within design. In order to examine what has, and what could occur in the design industry with regards to its impact on society, this paper shall examine various case studies and organisations and the level of their success shall be analysed. It will indicate the possibilities of positive social change and help realise potential developments to move forwards towards a sustainable future.

While it is the aim of this paper to propose potential developments for the design industry and its designers to pursue positive social change, it is clear that the subject matter is of huge depth and scope. As such it is clear that a complete solution cannot be reached but rather a starting point for moving forwards will be arrived at.

Chapter 1. Why social change is necessary

This first chapter defines design, society and the current sustainability problem that is upon us. It explains the problem in detail, describing sustainability and over consumption and the role that designers and the design industry have played in the creation of the problem. It establishes the problem with consumerism and its negative effect on society and proposes that social change is a route to survival. Thus this chapter defines the term social change as well as analysing whether designers can implement its ethics into practice. Finally it concludes by proposing that Design Activism can be part of the solution to over-consumption and un-sustainability. Stating that the industry needs to implement new methods into design practice in order to reform society's over-consumption.

At its most basic level, graphic design can be defined as visual communication that communicates a message from one person to another. (Newark, 2002, p6) When constructing this visual message, everything must be considered. As such, design can be understood as a

"Visual language uniting harmony and balance, colour and light, scale and tension, form and content. But it is also an idiomatic language, a language of cues and puns and symbols and allusions, of cultural references and perceptual influences that challenge both the intellect and the eye." (Helfand, cited in Shaughnessy, 2005, p18)

But a definition of design cannot stop there; a well-constructed design has influence and impact on society. Therefore in defining graphic design Fuad-Luke (2009, p5) focuses on the way that design changes a situation asserting

"design is the act of deliberately moving an existing situation to a preferred one by professional designers or others applying design knowingly or unknowingly".

Analysing design's impact according to Berman (2009, pp.21-25) entails analysing the physical state of the world, landfills, climate change and industrialised cities are examples of the impact design has caused. This means that either with or without realising it, designers communicate meanings and values to the world. It's for this reason that

The broadest definition of society is that it is not just a group of people that live within a set of institutions but it is companionship and community (Dean, 2005, p326). A person therefore, is an individual but at the same time is part of society, you can either be included or excluded depending on conformity or rebellion under current conditions within a society (Dean, 2005, p326). Society is calling out for change; although there has been an attempt to shift away from sustainability through persuading people to recycle more, buy ethical products, car share and take holidays in their home countries, these strategies are not making enough progress to ensure a sustainable future (e.g. Berman, 2009, p130).

In order for society to continue, people must live in harmony with the environment in which their society is located, in other words, they must acquire sustainability. In this sense, the definition of sustainability is to prolong and to support society's ecological environment. Domenski et al (1992, p.23) state that:

In defining sustainability in this manner, Domenski et al (1992) recognise the importance of the provisions that the earth provides all people with and the need to replenish these resources with respect and awareness of the consequences of our actions. Clearly, it is essential for the society's survival to replenish the resources it relies on. As Orr (1992, p83) explains; without resources there would be no people, so creating a sustainable future is important in order to sustain human life. This is why environmental sustainability is of such central importance, because it in fact dealing with human survival. The goal of sustainability, therefore, must be at the centre of human society, because without it there would be no society. As Orr (1992, p83) expresses, sustainability is not only a permanent feature on the political agenda; for all practical purposes, "it is the agenda... Sustainability is about the terms and conditions of human survival" (1992, p83).

Although the BIC Biro offers consumers convenience, it's design is clearly unsustainable. Due to the volume of people purchasing a BIC Biro, using it, throwing it away and purchasing another, our environment is suffering, with increased landfill and pollution. In effect, the BIC biro is over-consumed; pens are being produced and consumed at a rate higher than which the environment can manage. Berman (2009, p25) asserts that this kind of over-consumption is a central reason for our environmental decline. He states that the Western World, as the biggest consumers on the planet, are consuming faster and at a larger volume than the rest of the world. Hillary Mayell (2004) describes how this type of consumerist lifestyle has led to a culture of people with

It is clear that our environment is suffering from society's over-consumption; we can only expect this to increase until we change something about our lifestyles. If we persist in this over-consumption we run the risk of the earth running out of resources that support us. Up until now, however, designers have encouraged over-consumption through persuasive design and advertising. As Berman (2009, p25) argues,

In doing so designers are partly responsible for consumerism as they use visual communication to create a sense of value to the things they sell. Whilst designers take pride in using their communication skills to successfully sell people things by creating a desire and a value for non-essential goods, in reality they are advocating mindless consumerism without encouraging consumers to think about the impact of their consumption on the environment, thus making consumption it culturally acceptable. As Fuad-Luke (2009, p36) argues

It is clear from what we have seen that the world needs to become more sustainable and to do this we need to consume less. Clearly it is not just the job of one industry or one person to become sustainable; it is in fact the job of the whole society. However, since designers are a part of society, they have a duty as a member of that society to become more sustainable.

Moreover, as a current advocate of consumerism, designers have a particular responsibility to reduce consumerism and increase sustainability. It is for this reason Fuad-Luke (2009, p189) argues,

Sinclair (2008) argues that if designers become more informed on societal issues, and they used this knowledge to influence their design decisions they could in turn use design as a tool to create social change. Social change is necessary for creating a solution for our unsustainability problem. The world cannot prolong our current level of consumption, thus change needs to be the world and the design industry's top priority.

Berman (2009, p111) believes that making designers realise their responsibility could help reform the design industry in order to create more sustainable design practices. Similarly Fuad-Luke (2009, p23) argues that if a designer

then the designer has reached his/her sustainable role in society with a wider knowledge of their social responsibility. A social designer therefore would result in people consuming less and at a level that the world can sustain. Thus society needs designers to change as the start of a long process of becoming more socially responsible and embracing social change as part of design activism through design.

Keedy (2001, p206) asserts that designers are by nature problem solvers, and therefore could apply these abilities to solve the problem of over-consumption. However, he also questions whether they can play a part in the creation of a solution when they are currently a part of problem (Keedy, 2001, p206). Whilst Keedy raises a valid concern, this paper asserts that designers can play a part in a solution. The First things first manifesto, for example, demonstrates that designers can be motivated and willing to attempt to move the design industry into sustainability rather than maintaining consumerism.

In 2000 there was a steady change towards social responsibility and sustainable solutions whereby designers became enthusiastic by the concept of eco-design and 'greening' designs (Thorpe, 2010, p4). This demonstrates designer's ability to create change, but to gain real sustainability, the transformation of society and design needs to be more than superficial (Thorpe, 2010, p4).

Design can Change (www.designcanchange.org) is an example of how sustainability can be built into the way design is practiced. Design Can Change is an organisation focused on laying out the problem, the facts and the proposed solutions to climate-related disasters. They state that designers

"must examine how our practices impact the environment." (www.designcanchange.org/#/issue/problem/intro)

They outline the main factors that have caused our environmental issues, these are; power stations, Industrial processes, Transport, Agricultural bi-products, Fossil Fuels, Residential, commercial, Land use and biomass burning and waste management. They ask designers to 'take the pledge' in becoming sustainable in their daily work (www.designcanchange.org/#/act/pledge). They state that designers should become experts on social issues, set-aside time to explore sustainability and persuade clients and suppliers to become green through asking them to only supply sustainable products (www.designcanchange.org/#/act/becoming_sustainable/slide1).

Sustainable thinking is another principle of becoming a sustainable designer, considering the entire life cycle of a design and asking the right questions to achieve the right end result in a sustainable manner (http://www.designcanchange.org/#/act/becoming_sustainable/slide2). Questioning the designs sustainability and questioning why designers decided to 'green' products equals acknowledging that designers have tried to create positive social change, but so far it has been no more than superficial. The 'green washing' of products was successful in selling products, moreover is clearly unsuccessful in solving environmental issues caused by over-consumption (www.commarts.com/Columns.aspx?pub=3702&pageid=1291). Design can change whilst trying to make social change through focusing on societal issues has failed to find a true solution to over-consumption and sustainability. The ideas presented through the pledge are ideal in creating social change and moving designers towards to act sustainably.

However, since the pledge can be signed by designers to say that they act sustainably does not necessarily mean that it is being performed, resulting in the cause not being transformative enough to make deep long lasting societal change. And the 'greening' (Thorpe, 2010, p4) of products can be described as them taking the easy route to sustainability; nevertheless Keedy (2001, p207) asserts that there is a need to find alternative methods in design to create a socially responsible and sustainable industry in which will support the growth of a sustainable world. As Fuad-Luke (2009, p142) argues

Thus Fuad-Luke (2009) claims that rather than creating a superficial solution to sustainability a deeper more long lasting social change is needed. This paper proposes that design activism can offer the design industry a progressive solution to our worldwide over-consumption and mass consumerism problem. Design Activism has a central role in positive social change because of its cultural societal power (Fuad-Luke, 2009, pp.5-27). Papanek (1997, p234) describes it as needing a change of direction or change in focus, and the creation of a set of values for the industry and its designers to commit to.

Design Activism is a core principle of creating social change, and it is described as the act of creating change, all design has a social impact but designers should be taught more about what they can do to have a positive impact rather than a negative one. Fuad-Luke describes the three main factors of activism that designers should integrate into design practice; as user participation, design reassessment and positive social transformation. These three factors could be implemented through the design process and practice. According to Ann Thorpe ( www.designactivism.net/ )

This chapter has discussed consumerism as a problem that designers maintain through their work. On the other hand, there have been industry people who have acknowledged that designers have a responsibility to be aware of the social impact that they cause through design and to implement better design practices that do not harm society or its environment. This has been a positive step towards social responsibility within the industry, however the changes have sometimes been superficial or short lived. It has been argued, therefore, that the principles proposed by Design Activism can offer the industry alternative methods and practices to reverse consumerism and create a more sustainable world. The next chapter will go on to discuss specific principles and alternate methods within Design Activism and their validity in solving consumerism and improving sustainability of society and the design industry.

Chapter 2. Social Change: How is it going to be achieved?

In the previous chapter it was proposed that Design Activism could offer a route to create positive social change necessary to reverse the effects of over-consumption, which has led to environmental unsustainability. This chapter will go on to propose various design practices and processes that are currently practised through Design Activism that could be applied to the mainstream design industry to encourage positive social change. It will discuss the Design Activism principles and the validity of applying them to the design industry and other design disciplines.

Activism in its broadest definition is a way to bring about positive change, it is about

"taking actions to catalyse, encourage or bring about change, In order to elicit social, cultural and/or political transformations." (Fuad-Luke, 2009, p6).

Co-design

However there is potential for it to be applied more widely in the design industry. RED (www.designcouncil.info/mt/RED/health/#B7), for instance, provides an example of how Co-design could be embedded into the design industry. RED is a group of designers and specialists that are focused on improving social and economic issues. RED is a part of the UK Design Council (www.designcouncil.org.uk), and both organisations have a similar mission statement; all design should be of a standard that improves humanity's current state, focusing on improving human life rather than improving economic growth. They work closely with those who the design is for, those that will use it everyday and those who commissioned the project alongside the company and experts in the field of that which the individual projects are focused.

This example demonstrates how Co-design is well aligned with the 'social model' of design, giving a 'social' designer the ability to have a deeper understanding of humans and the environment and enabling to listen with an attentive ear to ensure that they understand what they are being asked to improve. The 'social model' proposed by Victor and Sylvia Margolin (2002, P24) refer to the industrial revolution and the influence it has had on the design industry, claiming that it has led the design industry and practice to function within the 'market model' rather than the 'social model'. Victor and Sylvia Margolin (2002, p24) define the 'market model' as a product that has been produced purely for sale or market purposes. Victor and Sylvia Margolin (2002, p24) state that little has been done to develop a broader understanding of how design for social need might be commissioned, supported and implemented" . Victor and Sylvia Margolin state that social design involves being aware of design's function and the life cycle of the design or product, ensuring that it has be designed appropriately with environmental and ecological issues considerations.

Slow Design

Slow design is a set of principles aimed at slowing the design process down to enable us to gain better design results through a change in behaviour (Fuad-Luke, 2009, pp.157-158). Slow design, according to Fuad-Luke (2009, p157), "requires stepping outside the existing mental construct of capitalism," which in turn would "generate fresh awareness, possibilities and subsequently help create new social values." By analysing the stages of Slow Design we can gain a better understanding of why Fuad-Luke claims we need to move out of our normal situation in order to evaluate it.

Metadesign

Collaborating design activism principles

A collaboration of design activism principles would lead to an improved set of design practices. Creating inclusive, user orientated, participatory design which the user is the key in finding solutions to problems that concern them. But it is clear that there needs to be an understanding of the 'social model' to enable designers to fully integrate the concept of sustainability into the design activism principles. For example dott07 (Fuad-Luke, 2009, pp.121-122) was focused on creating social change through visual communication, with its main principle to bring design to the forefront of society, analysing the "five aspects of daily life: movement, energy, school, health and food" (Fuad-Luke, 2009, p121). The project consisted of "community projects, events and exhibitions" (Fuad-Luke, 2009, p121) and worked to improve the societies sustainability through participatory activities involving large local partner organisations. Dott07 used a collaboration of the design activism principles; Co-design was used to create and develop the running of the project and was used to encourage the students to work together, but ultimately Metadesign was used to produce the solutions via the fifteen schools from around the world. This demonstrates how the development of these principles and practices could make a difference for future generations and the future of the design industry.

The next chapter will look more closely at real case studies of people from within the industry developing their own paths of social change. In doing so, we can gain a greater understanding of how combining design activism principles with a 'social model' can lead to positive social change.

Chapter 3. Creating paths of social change: Case Studies

Having demonstrated the potential for design activism to be combined with the 'social model' to create positive social change, this chapter will go on to examine existing organisations that are working to improve the design industry and its sustainability through positive social change. In order to do this, the case studies have been categorised into different types of organisations: regulators, aggressors, and tools of change and educative tools. The societal effect that they have had will be analysed as well as the types of concepts that they have developed and the overall success of the project or organisation. Finally, this chapter will conclude by proposing potential ideas for development and potential progressive solutions.

The Regulators

The following organisations have been categorised as 'regulators' because they define the rules and regulations that designers, in their opinion, should commit to in their professional life. All regulations are voluntary and do not force themselves onto the industry, but they do offer designers an alternative set of ethics or values.

The Chartered society of designers (www.csd.org.uk) are focused on regulating how the design is practiced. The chartered society of designers is a members only organisation, and strives itself on being the "authority on professional design practice" (http://www.csd.org.uk/index.aspx?id=127). It is registered as a charity and therefore it is a non-profit organisation. The members are worldwide and the society of designers exists to promote the core principles of the design industry, claiming that it benefits designers and society, with its focus on providers, users and education, therefore illustrating the need for designers to be aware of their social responsibility to the public. The society of designers has a published code of conduct for their members, one particular section asks members to judge their work in terms of its social impact, it asks them to consider humans, animals, the world and the atmosphere (www.csd.org.uk/pdf/CSD%20CODE%20OF%20CONDUCT.pdf). The chartered society of designers are set on changing the industry into a more responsible practice that is aware of its social impact and sustainability. The society of designers is current and active, showing that there are designers who are working towards a sustainable future for both the industry and society.

In much the same way The Living Principles framework (www.livingprinciples.org/about/mission/) is also about positive social change, however their strategy is based on culture and using the power of design to affect the culture of consumerism and sustainability. The living principles (www.livingprinciples.org/framework/introduction/) are a set of regulations that are set out for designers but are focused towards making positive cultural change. They work to create principles that cross all design disciplines and which empower designers to do good through design, stating that,

"The Living Principles for Design aim to guide purposeful action, celebrating and popularizing the efforts of those who use design thinking to create positive cultural change." ( www.livingprinciples.org/about/mission/ )

The Living Principles state that there is four strands to sustainability, (1) Environment (2) People, (3) The Economy and (4) Culture, these are needed to gain a sustainable society and should be a priority for the industry (www.livingprinciples.org/framework/introduction/). The Living Principles argue that a designer should treat these four points of sustainability as part of the design process and should consider each point as important factors. It is a framework to create cultural change; it is a response to the everyday decisions we make as designers that affect the world (www.livingprinciples.org/framework/introduction/).

Regulators are groups of people that have fought or who are fighting for the design industry to take responsibility and create a more sustainable world. They have tried to put in place a set of rules that designers should implement in their work, encouraging designers to take a step forward and pledge to implement frameworks that could enable them to obtain the 'sustainable designer' role. This set of regulators has created a presence for ethics in design and at the same time have promoted social responsibility, pushing the idea of social responsibility forwards within the industry.

However they have failed to make a big enough impact to significantly change the industry and society. The creation of rules for designers has led to regulators pleading with designers to sign and commit to these rules, but who is to say that these designers are actually acting sustainably through their design once they have committed on paper? Instead of simply creating rules and memberships and expecting designers/organisations to sign up to them, perhaps free workshops and talks could be more appropriate, or would create a greater presence for the ideas of social responsibility. Designers need to be shown alternatives to what they already know in order promote open mindedness and encourage education of culture and societal issues.

In this way one could argue that regulators are simply trying to enforce rules and ways of doing things, without showing designers how changes could be made. The next section will now go on to look at organisations that are trying to create change more actively than the regulators.

Aggressors
The term 'aggressors' has been used to categorise those groups or people that make change happen. By actively pushing themselves and their vision of society on society through action. It will be argued that if 'regulators' collaborate with 'aggressors', the social change created will be more effective. Wikileaks (www.mirror.wikileaks.info/ and www.wikileaks.ch/), is a group of people using a web space to leak or publish secret documents or information to the public; it empowers the public in different ways to take action on societal issues. Wikileaks has revolutionised activism through the use of the Internet and technology and as such is a leading example of activism changing to be part of digital combat. Wikileaks' approach to technology can be used to expand design practice; it demonstrates that designers can evaluate current society and culture to create an appropriate solution to sustainability.

Wikileaks can teach designers and regulators to be proactive and to be more radical when encourage a more effective positive social change. The reason wikileaks is effective, is because they make radical decisions if how to act on their ethics, rather than sitting on the sideline. By publishing important unknown information straight onto the web, it reinforces the web as a completely democratic platform. Wikileaks is successful because it set out to make change, and with each new leak of information stirs up attention and opinions, allowing people to form their own ideas and values, empowering them with the information and encouraging them to question how this information affects them, consequently resulting in people knowing more about society leading to a society which is more likely to change.

Adbusters (McCarron, 2000, pp.116-117), claim that it is working to reduce advertising for the sake of solving over-consumption, but use advertising to communicate their own message. It is a global collection of artists, activists, writers, students, educators and entrepreneurs using Culture Jamming to

"topple existing power structures and forge a major shift in the way we will live in the 21st century" (www.adbusters.org/about/adbusters).

Culture Jamming is changing an existing advertisement or design to express a different message (Jordan, 2002, p102). 'Buy nothing day' and 'TV turn-off week' are a two of the most famous campaigns run by Adbuster aimed at reducing consumerism (www.adbusters.org/campaigns). The campaigns explore society, and ways to improve it. The Media Carta (www.adbusters.org/campaigns/mediacarta/sign) is an Ad Buster manifesto fighting for people to the reclaim their mental environment, stating problems with society and the mental over consumption of advertising and design.

Adbusters have recognised the negative impact that design has on society and have and will continue to work against it. By launching a campaign to help people reclaim their minds from advertising and over-designed products, by doing so we not only reject design but we reject consumerism, which is a route to sustainability.

Adbusters are clearly working in a 'social model' as they are focused on the user being not harmed through designers being advocates of consumerism. By using culture jamming, Adbusters are acting out their ethical views of what society should be like. They are actively getting into society and making change to reverse the effects of consumerism, getting people to question the effects that consumerism has had on them or in other words, what impact designers have had on them.

The next examples are described as tools of change because they are practical methods designers can implement in their day-to-day work to improve sustainability. Sustainable Minds ( www.sustainableminds.com/ ), promotes sustainability within the design process, integrating it in the process from start to finish. Sustainable minds is based on eco-design process, using 'life cycle thinking' to decrease the environmental impact of a design early on in its creation. The 'life cycle thinking' is a measure of a products aesthetic value and its environmental value, considering its production methods and its disposal methods. Sustainable Minds in Australia have created Life Cycle Assement software that will assess a projects environmental impact, they have recently targeted designers, manufactures, schools and sustainability consultancies to use the software. This has the potential to be implemented throughout the design industry and other industries to increase sustainability throughout the world. The industry, therefore, has been given the opportunity to be able to predict their societal and environmental impact of their work, using the life cycle assessment Software.

The design with intent toolkit
The design with intent toolkit (www.architectures.danlocktoncouk/2009/04/06/the-design-with-intent-toolkit/) is a method for designers to influence consumer behaviour and is therefore is similar to Adbusters using culture jamming to influence consumers. The toolkit focuses on designers becoming culturally aware and embracing it to help solve societal issues. Offering advice to wide range of design disciplines as a guide to behavioural design. Proposing questions to help designer's make better decisions on designs and producers to help achieve the desired intention of their design. It is a method of educating designers, asking them to position themselves on the scale of sustainability (www.danlockton.com/dwi/Main_Page).

The life cycle assessment software is good for making a social change, because it is a practical way to integrate sustainability into existing companies and agencies. Therefore it much improves the level of world's sustainability, and once more people have integrated it into their company, others will follow. However, It could not only improve the sustainability of design agencies but could be used across all disciplines for example, In product design the product could be accurately assessed as to the products environmental and ecological impact. The software could deem the design or product to be unsustainable, but because the designer has used the software before production, the designer then has the opportunity to change the design to build more sustainable product. Whereas the design with intent toolkit requires the designer to pick up and question the product or design through a set out list of questions, initiating the analysis of the design in terms of its sustainability or social responsibility, in this way it is similar to Slow design, asking deep design questions that directly affect the user and the intention of the design. Thus improving the designs consideration towards society and the impact it would have.

Although both give designers practical tools to integrate sustainability into design and are active in their approach to affect change, learning how to be more forward when inviting designers to use these practical tools could be learnt through applying 'regulator' and 'aggressor' techniques. For instance, the 'aggressors' are subversive in the way that they express their ethical views on society, but if 'tools' were to take the same stance and use culture jamming aimed solely at designers, it could show designers alternative ways at looking at projects and designs. As well as how designers should integrate 'tools' into the industry, affecting both designers and society and initiating deep transformative social change.

Therefore when analysing the tools proposed by different organisations, it is clear that educating designers through making them question their actions is a key point of making change. By educating designers about the impact that they have on society and the environment they can become more socially responsible.

So far we have 'regulators' who have a developed set of rules on how to make the industry and the world focus more on sustainability, 'aggressors' offering ways to make that change happen and have 'tools' giving designers practical advice on how to push those rules forwards intro positive transformative social change.

'Education' tools are organisations or groups that have focused on educating designers to improve the sustainability of the design industry. They believe that through education a designer can make more socially responsible decisions resulting in improved sustainability within society. Therefore education tools for designers and society are necessary in social change. Impact: Design for social Change (www.impact.sva.edu/program/), is a six-week intensive workshop that focuses on social entrepreneurship, teaching design students "how to conceive, execute and fund their own projects for social change" (www.impact.sva.edu/program/); It is of the same level of education as graduate studies and encourages the students to pursue design activism in the future. The organisation is a non profit run program indicating non-client based briefs and a wider choice of design disciplines to pursue (www.impact.sva.edu/program/). They have provided lists of books, websites, and projects that students complete during this six-week course. The aim is to empower students and designers to not only create positive social change but to create concepts and ideas for change and learn how to gain funding. The overall concept of this course is to encourage design students not become advocates of consumerism, but to be aware of societal issues and learn how they can improve them using their design skill ( www.impact.sva.edu/program/ ).

AED (www.aed-design.org/), are focused on the designer growing and changing with the user to benefit the user, and therefore their aim is to support designers in becoming "advocates for change" (www.aed-design.org/approach.html), arguing that it should be the industry's goal to "expand the definition of design from style to solution" (www.aed-design.org/approach.html). And "champion the strategic value of design in creating positive social change" (www.aed-design.org/approach.html). They focus on helping groups all over the world improve their own communities through design and education. Thus educating designers and consumers about issues of sustainability, can improve the way in which social change is created to combat our current over-consumption problem.

Focusing on education for design students before they reach the industry could vastly improve the design students' outlook on design's responsibility to society. For instance, Lasn (cited in McCarron, 2000, p116) presents that educators are and should be using the First Things First manifesto as a discussion point in schools and universities to spark interest in searching for improved design practices. This would teach them that there is design beyond advertising and marketing, and that design can help solve some of the world's societal issues. This would give students an insight into the application of the 'social model' in design and how to apply it to the design process, which in turn could result in establishing sustainable thinking as part of the design process, ensuring consideration for both the user and the environment.

In much the same way, educative tools could empower designers who are already in the industry to think about social responsibility and the impact that they have on society. Educating designers in the issues surrounding sustainability and social responsibility will assist them to make design decisions that are better for the environment and society. Such education would give designers the space and opportunity to form their own opinions and values. Overall, this could lead to a big change towards sustainability within the design industry, which in turn could lead to a change towards sustainability in society.

This chapter has shown that designers can become catalysts of social change when applying the various methods and techniques observed. They have demonstrated the truth in the claim of The Living Principles that,

" Design is a powerful conduit for change. As the messages, artefacts and experiences we create pass through the hands, minds, and hearts of people, we have an opportunity to weave sustainability into the broader fabric of culture and to shift consumption and lifestyle aspirations to a more sustainable basis for living." ( www.icograda.org/smallbox4/file.php?sb4af09cf098f13ref )

However, analysis of the case studies has also revealed that there is potential to increase the effectiveness of designer's ability to create change, through design education and an increased awareness of societal issues.

Similarly, this chapter has also suggested that in order to improve the effectiveness of designers' social entrepreneurship, a collaboration of the of 'tools for change', namely 'regulators', 'aggressors', 'tools' and 'education' would result in a more long lasting change. The case studies have revealed how these different elements of change have the potential to work together. 'Education' is what informs opinions and ideas, 'regulators' are those that steer the industry, but without 'aggressors' and 'tools' to implement the 'education' and rules, both are ineffective. In conclusion, therefore, in order to create long lasting social change, a collaboration between these four tools would be the most effective route, and therefore for a designer to become a catalyst of social change they must also learn to merge the four tools of change alongside harnessing the 'social model' to ensure a sustainable future.

Conclusion
This post has argued that there is a need for designers to become catalysts of social change. The attempts of those designers who have already set out to create positive social change have been analysed, and suggestions of how the effectiveness of such projects could be improved have been made. This paper discusses the definition of design, sustainability, consumerism and the role that design has played in creating consumerism. The potential of collaboration between design activism principles and the 'social model' to create a more effective positive social change has been indicated. Whilst this paper explored the possibilities of solving the increasing level of over-consumption through promoting an increased level of sustainability, a complete solution has not been produced, due to the magnitude of the subject matter. Therefore, the conclusion of this paper will offer advice on what now needs to be investigated to further the concepts that have been developed through this paper. The world cannot sustain our current level of consumption; our world resources are going to run out if we do not change. We need to change our behaviour so that the world can replenish and sustain us. Consequently, designers and the design industry have a responsibility to reduce consumerism and improve the integration of sustainability into the industry and society as a whole. The nature of design work is such that it encourages consumer behaviour, with designers producing designs in order to sell products to consumers for the client. For this to change, so that this environmentally harmful level of consumption can be reduced, designers need to re-align whom the design is for and what the designs is intended to do.

One of the proposed solutions to re-align the purpose of design is to couple design activism with the 'social model'. It has been demonstrated that design activism and the 'social model' have the desired tools to be able to change designers from simply selling products through design for clients, to improving people's lives within society, since both the 'social model' and the design activism principles are focused on improving human life and the world's environment. Furthermore, it has been observed that implementing design activism principles could lead to a re-alignment of the design industry as it would place the user as the key in all designs, firmly placing them at the heart of the design process. This re-alignment of focus within the industry would empower the user to create their own design solutions and allow them to create their own set of values, which ultimately will enable them to create end results that completely fulfil their needs and consequently make changes for the better within society.

The case studies in this paper offered a real vision of what people are already trying to do to create social change. By investigating and comparing how four different types of cases have attempted to create social change, this paper has demonstrated how widely differing projects and organisations have accomplished some success, as well as highlighted how existing attempts can be improved to realise a much needed, long lasting and improved way of creating social change.

It has been highlighted that different groups or projects have proposed toolkits, strategies and production methods to effect change within society, but that sometimes they have not been fully promoted or enforced. For example, organisations have tried to push regulations on the way that designs are produced and to improve the ethics within the design. However, pushing rules without advice on implementation has left designers unable to fully embrace the regulations that could improve the design industry. Thus, this paper proposes that regulators make better use of toolkits and practical design methods, which could aid and educate designers in how to embrace the ethos of the regulations. While the regulators in design have not completely failed, as they have some industry presence, they have underdeveloped methods to promote and apply these regulations to the industry. There are too many regulators, for example, with slightly differing ideals for the industry to focus on, which is not particularly effective. It would be better for there to be a combination of ethics that all regulators use and agree to, leading to increased harmony across the industry, and consequently a higher awareness amongst designers of the regulators and the ideals they promote. Similarly, a combination of all four tools of change; 'regulators', 'aggressors', 'tools' and 'education' could offer the industry and society a much more effective way to create positive social change. Such a combination of these tools we could obtain the advantages of each, enabling a much more effective method of social change.

Whilst a combination of the tools for change undoubtedly offer the industry a route to make positive change, perhaps the main focus of this paper's findings are the two themes that run through both. The first of these is the importance of the users' ability to form their own values, rather than being sold them by designers for clients. This requires a step towards user empowerment through information and education, and would result in the user being more likely to participate in creating change that benefits them and their environment. The second is the need for people to question the things around them in a more critical manner, such as questioning the impact of design, designers and the products sold by design on individuals, society and the environment. This would require extending education; both educating people on sustainability issues as well as giving them practical methods to implement changes once they have understood that changes are required. Therefore teaching people how to ask the right questions is one practical way of integrating sustainability into design.

The design industry should concentrate on combating sustainability and over-consumption through considered design. Using education, the industry could potentially imbed sustainability into its practice, ensuring its designers think and act sustainably. For those who are already within the industry, a re-education of sustainability through workshops could be offered, along with toolkits and practical design methods, helping to move sustainability into the forefront of design.

In order to expand the conclusions of this paper, an increased amount of research needs to be carried out in order to arrive at a complete solution. An investigation into the possibilities of institutional integration of sustainability and 'regulators' needs to be implemented, as well as in-depth analysis of designers' current action towards increased sustainability within their work and agencies. Research into the development of workshops which could be used within the industry, studios, agencies and educational institutions to increase awareness about the discussed issues needs to be extended, in order to focus the industry as a whole towards sustainability, and ultimately to combat over-consumption and resource depletion.

The design industry can either persist with current design practice, advocating consumerism and creating a bigger depletion of resources, or it can join the designers that are already fighting for change. The design industry can craft changes though implementing a combined solution of design activism principles and the 'social model' and/or through concentrating on the rules that 'regulators' have put forward as their vision of the industry, with the combined help of 'aggressors', 'tools' and 'education' into a complete toolkit allowing designers to become catalysts of social change.

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Social Change - Can Graphic Designers become the catalyst?

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Itchypalm | Can graphic designers become the catalyst for the social change that is needed to help decreas the worlds consumption levels?

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In order to solve the unsustainable consumption in our society, social change is necessary, and this statement really speaks to me personally. I have a strong connection to the acknowledgement that the design industry has contributed to consumerism. This realisation is a call to action for the design community, as well as an acknowledgement of the issue. It emphasises a sense of accountability that is consistent with my conviction that design has the ability to change the world. It resonates with my goals that designers can actively contribute to positive social change by putting Design Activism Principles into practice. This means that it’s more than just a work project. This is why I believe the statement on social change resonates with me well and hope to do my dissertation topic on it.

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Questions I have made based on this topic.

Do our professions do enough to address the pressing issues of the day?

What particular steps, aside from carrying on as usual, are required?

Are we doing enough as a profession to address the critical challenges of our time?

What specific actions are needed beyond business as usual?

What tools and preparation are needed for designers to become leaders of movements and progress?

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How graphic design help people with mental health issues and accessibility to help?

Graphic designers hold a significant influence in shaping communication and visual experiences. Recognizing the ethical responsibility inherent in this influence, designers are called to create content that does not exclude or marginalize any segment of the population, including those with mental or physical disabilities.

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The 2012 Paralympics “Meet the Superhumans” campaign turned out to be a ground-breaking and incredibly powerful endeavour. The campaign dispelled social stereotypes and portrayed Paralympic athletes as extraordinary people with remarkable abilities by redefining the narrative surrounding disability. Audiences were deeply moved by the poignant and visually stunning content, which was enhanced by a potent soundtrack. This led to a general admiration for the athletes’ accomplishments. In addition to raising awareness of the Paralympic Games and making them more popular, the campaign ignited a groundbreaking dialogue about inclusivity and the celebration of a range of abilities. The popularity of “Meet the Superhumans” extended beyond the London 2012 Olympics; it had a long-lasting impact on later Paralympic campaigns and helped bring about a more general cultural change in how people view and respect the athletes with disabilities.

As a designer, it serves as a testament to the potential impact of design in fostering empathy, understanding, and social change. It emphasises how important it is for designers to think beyond aesthetics and the ethical implications of their work, applying their artistic talents to make the world a more compassionate and inclusive place. A powerful reminder of the powerful role designers play in influencing cultural narratives and dispelling stereotypes, “Meet the Superhumans” motivates me to approach my work with a dedication to advancing diversity, respect, and the celebration of human potential.

It is also important to highlight this as an approach to my dissertation topic.

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In Singapore, the Disabled People’s Association (DPA) has long promoted the inclusion and rights of people with disabilities by using powerful and thought-provoking posters. These posters are effective tools for promoting inclusivity, challenging societal norms, and increasing awareness. In order to promote the idea that a disability does not imply incapacity, the designs frequently include eye-catching imagery and messaging that highlight the variety of abilities possessed by people with disabilities.

The community’s sense of empathy, comprehension, and respect is greatly enhanced by the posters created by DPA. These posters help break stereotypes and contribute to a larger social conversation on inclusivity by clearly articulating the difficulties experienced by people with disabilities and promoting accessibility and equal opportunities. The visually striking and educational designs of DPA’s posters contribute significantly to the development of a more accepting and helpful society in Singapore for individuals with disabilities.

Essentially, the DPA posters are evidence of the greater capacity and obligation of designers to produce significant and constructive contributions to society. They stress that design has the power to advance social justice by dispelling myths, encouraging diversity, and fighting for more justice in the world.

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The Room | IKEA | Campaign against Domestic Violence

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It's a social ambient campaign for the International Day of the Elimination of Violence against Women, commissioned by IKEA and Telefono Donna, produced in collaboration with DDB Italy and KAREN film.

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The Mental Health Foundation’s mindfulness posters serve as an excellent example of the organization’s dedication to using visual communication to promote mental health. To promote mindfulness practises, these posters deftly combine contemplative design cues and soothing aesthetics. The posters encourage mindfulness every day by using eye-catching images and meaningful text that have a positive effect on mental health. This innovative strategy demonstrates the foundation’s commitment to using design as a tool to raise awareness and promote mental health literacy in addition to highlighting the significance of self-care. The posters do a great job of summarising mindfulness and giving people easily accessible, eye-catching resources to help them develop a more balanced, mindful approach to their mental health.

As a designer, I find the creation of mindfulness posters by the Mental Health Foundation to be personally significant. It underscores the powerful role design plays in shaping not only aesthetics but also mental well-being. Crafting visuals that encourage mindfulness reflects a responsibility to contribute positively to people's daily lives. Designers have the ability to create environments that nurture mental health, and these posters serve as a reminder of that potential. Personally, it aligns with my belief in the transformative impact of thoughtful design, where each element contributes to a broader narrative of self-care and mental wellness. It's a reminder that, as designers, our work goes beyond aesthetics; it can be a source of inspiration and support for individuals navigating the complexities of mental health.

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The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is very important to me personally. By their powerful campaigns and communication techniques, CALM has boldly spoken out against mental health issues and brought attention to the often-ignored struggles that many people experience. This speaks to my conviction as a designer—that visual communication has the ability to elicit empathy and start meaningful conversations—deeply. Campaigns from CALM not only dispel social stigmas but also foster a feeling of support and unity. Their clever and strategic approach to messaging demonstrates how design has the power to dismantle barriers and promote candid conversations about mental health. For me, it serves as further evidence of my dedication to using design to promote understanding, mental health, and positive change in our communities.

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A dramatic call to action for the design community came with the release of the "First Things First" manifesto in 2000. The manifesto, which was created by a group of graphic designers, questioned the commercialism and materialism that had taken hold in the field. In a world where advertising and shallow aesthetics are taking centre stage, the manifesto called for designers to reassess their goals and concentrate on socially beneficial projects. It stressed the significance of socially conscious design and argued for a change away from the unrelenting pursuit of corporate profits. The document created a reinvigorated sense of purpose for the design industry by encouraging designers to apply their abilities for significant and impactful reasons and by igniting crucial conversations about the ethical consequences of design decisions.

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About the collaboration

This website documents a collaboration between a graphic design researcher, Dr Gill Brown, and the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences at King's College London, instigated by Dr Mattia Veronese. The collaboration involves both visual communication Projects and graphic design Workshops.

The initial phase of the collaboration started in May 2017, lasting approximately 15 months and contributing to Gill's PhD research at University of the Arts London (London College of Communication). The aim was to understand the issues involved when producing scientific conceptual figures and to suggest means of addressing them, while bearing in mind the conventions and restrictions associated with visual communication within scientific peer groups. During this initial phase, the collaboration worked on:

An online gallery of visual elements, linked to a library of high resolution image files and editable Adobe Illustrator files. These elements are specifically designed to be easily adapted and refined by the scientists themselves, who can include or remove details, and add text and annotation, to create bespoke conceptual figures.

Pilot workshops, to give hands-on instruction in the use of Adobe Illustrator, with emphasis on the creation and editing of visual elements for use in conceptual figures.

Progress was documented in detail on the website blog, with a catalogue of associated meetings and events on the News archive page.

In May 2019, the collaboration was awarded funding by the Health Science Doctoral Training Centre at KCL to create workshops on Graphic Design for Scientific Figures. These were designed specifically for research scientists in the Health Faculties, and used extensively updated material from the pilot workshops of 2017. These workshops took place in-person during January / February 2020 and are documented on the Workshops (2020/21) webpage. The training materials used in the workshops are available online to postgraduate research students in the King's Health Faculties, via the King's E-learning Training Service (KEATS) website. An introductory video to the workshops, featuring a conversation between Drs Gill Brown and Mattia Veronese, can be viewed by anyone via this external King's webpage.

Two online sessions, covering the material from Workshop 2 (Practice), were held in early December 2020. Due to demand, four more online sessions were held in May / June 2021, with details posted on the Workshops (2020/21) webpage. Further online sessions of both the theory and practical workshops were held in November / December 2021 . These sessions were repeated online in March 2022, to accommodate those who were still on the waiting lists for previous workshops. Further workshops took place (both online and in-person) during the 2022/23 academic year - more details on the Workshops (2022/23) webpage.

The whole visual communication training pathway for KCL Health Faculties has been revised and updated for the 2023/24 academic year. This includes an additional practical workshop, focused on the application of good graphic design practice when creating posters, slides and figures in MS PowerPoint. More details about the updated training can be found on the Workshops (2023/24) webpage, with workshops running during autumn / winter 2023 and early spring 2024 .

In June 2020, the collaboration was awarded funding by the Wellcome EPSRC Centre for Medical Engineering (CME) Public Engagement Grant Scheme, to create a visual, modular Patient Information Sheet (PIS) for PET / MRI imaging studies. More details about this project can be found on the PIS project webpage and work on the project is fully documented on the website blog. The results of the project were publicised over the summer of 2021 and an example of a modular PIS can be seen, and downloaded as a pdf file, from this webpage. A Spotlight article about the PIS project was published online in Clinical and Translational Imaging in October 2021.

Some of the work undertaken in the PIS project was developed further during winter 2021/22, in the production of informational leaflets for FDOPA-PET imaging. More details about this project can be found on its dedicated webpage, with links to associated blog posts.

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This website documents a collaboration between a graphic design researcher, Dr Gill Brown, and the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences at King's College London, instigated by Dr Mattia Veronese. The collaboration involves both visual communication Projects and graphic design Workshops. PhD Research The initial phase of the collaboration started in May 2017, lasting approximately 15 months...

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© Freepiks

Coca-Cola is one of the world's best-known brands and has a strong global presence. It is available in over 200 countries and is consumed by people of different cultures and backgrounds. Coca-Cola is known for having one of the most successful marketing campaigns of all time. They have used creative advertising campaigns and slogans to promote their products and raise awareness of the brand. But one of the major reason is their knowledge on neuromarketing.

Neuromarketing was born when the results of a groundbreaking neuroscientific test in Houston became known. At issue is a mystery that has puzzled the American marketing world for decades: Why is Coca-Cola the market leader in soft drinks, even though Pepsi always scores better in taste tests? The brain researcher Read Montague conducts the investigation with the help of functional magnetic resonance imaging ({MRI), which has been available for a few years. It makes it possible to map neuronal processes in the subjects' heads and thus make the brain's reactions visible.

Montague first organises a blind tasting of Coca-Cola and Pepsi. In the process, the majority of the test subjects express a preference for Pepsi, which, according to HirnScan, also activates the reward centre more strongly. In a second test, Montague announces the brands before the taste test. The astonishing result: the majority of the test subjects now prefer Coca-Cola. At the same time, the activity in the reward centre increases with the market leader brand. But above all: Coca-Cola also appeals to an area of the brain in which assessment processes concerning a person's self-image take place. So the study not only proves that the Coca-Cola brand radiates positively on perceived product characteristics ("halo effect"). It also proves that past experiences with the brand apparently have a positive effect on consumers' self-image.

Consumers do not always tell the truth The autopilot controls our decisions
A veritable research boom followed, especially in the USA. In the process, fMRI becomes the standard method. Neuroeconomics is the name of the new discipline that links neuroscience and economics. The term neuromarketing is becoming established as a term for the practical application of the findings in marketing and market research. This is associated with a great promise: Previously hidden patterns of perception, reactions and motivations in the minds of consumers are to become visible. And in a second step, products and advertising can be precisely tailored to these patterns.

When it comes to buying, the mind stops working
Neuromarketing primarily leads to the questioning of linear persuasion concepts such as AIDA (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action) - purchase decisions can instead be based on brand preferences that have perhaps been built up unconsciously over decades. With the neuro-boom, the distrust of classic surveys is also increasing: What people explicitly express does not necessarily correspond to their true attitudes. Purchasing decisions are based on patterns and are largely automatic. Brain scan studies in marketing research show that before purchase decisions are made, favourite brands cause activity in the frontal cortex of the brain to be reduced. The cortex is responsible for rational decision-making; it is relieved, so to speak, by strong brands.

DaimlerChrysler is the first company to commission neuromarketing studies. Henkel, GloxoSmith-Kline and Tchibo are also working intensively on the subject. They are supported by specialised consultancies. They work with a kind of map that positions human motives, values and desires along the poles of stimulus, dominance and balance. Analogously, brands can also be located on the map.

95 percent of our daily decision-making processes, especially purchasing decisions, take place unconsciously. An autopilot accesses stored programmes that are activated by certain codes. Marketing can make use of these codes within the framework of "implicit coding" in order to
to advertise more effectively.

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Why is Coca-Cola the market leader in soft drinks, even though Pepsi always scores better in taste tests?

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''
"No Logo" is a groundbreaking book by Naomi Klein that critically examines the power dynamics between corporations and consumers. Published in 1999, the book delves into the world of brand culture and the impact of globalization on workers, communities, and the environment. Klein argues that multinational companies, by relying on outsourcing and exploiting cheap labor, contribute to a culture of exploitation and inequality. The title itself, "No Logo," reflects the author's exploration of the diminishing significance of traditional logos in comparison to the broader impact and practices of these corporations. Klein's insightful analysis and compelling arguments make "No Logo" a thought-provoking read that remains relevant in discussions about corporate responsibility and consumer activism.''

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Equal parts cultural analysis, political manifesto, memoir, and journalistic exposé, No Logo was the first book to put the new grassroots resistance to corporate manipulation into clear perspective. It vividly documents the invasive economic practices and damaging social effects of the ruthless corporatism that characterizes many of our powerful institutions.

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Do Graphic Designers Hold A Social Responsibility or Can They Be A Catalyst For Social Change?

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"The Impossibility of Silence: Writing for Designers, Artists, and Photographers" by Ian Lynam is a thought-provoking exploration of the symbiotic relationship between visual arts and written expression. Lynam challenges the conventional idea of creative silence, emphasizing the significance of articulating ideas, perspectives, and intentions through words.

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https://rosenord.in/4

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https://stuartarchives.bigcartel.com/product/floating-margins

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In order to piece together the intricate web of social movements and civic involvement that has moulded London's story, I am diving into the world of protests here. Numerous protests, each with its own distinct socio-political background, have taken place in London, a city known for its rich history and diverse people. The suffragette movement, anti-war protests, and modern environmental justice campaigning may all be studied through the prism of London's protests (and countries), which offers an analysis of the development of group activism and its influence on social change. Through a close examination of the goals, tactics, and results of these demonstrations, I hope to get a better understanding of the forces influencing social transformation.

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NHS Protest London - Health Over Wealth!

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Protest to tax the rich stop cuts in social programs

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Is making art a form of work? Make your argument for why or why not. Franklin Delano Roosevelt stated that art in America has never been the sole province of a select group or class of people. Do you agree or disagree? Define what you think Roosevelt meant by "the democratic spirit." How do you think art can represent democratic values?
The Great Depression spanned the years 1929 to about 1939, a period of economic crisis in the United States and around the world. High stock prices out of sync with production and consumer demand for goods caused a market bubble that burst on October 24, 1929, the famous "Black Thursday" stock market crash. The severity of the market contraction affected Americans across the country. The most visible effects included widespread unemployment, homelessness, and a marked decrease in Americans' standard of living. In addition, a severe drought produced the Dust Bowl-a series of damaging dust storms. This environmental disaster ruined many farmers during a period when the economy was largely agricultural.

In office at the time of the crash, President Herbert Hoover (term 1929-1933) was unable to stop the free fall of the American economy. His successor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was elected president in a landslide in 1933 with campaign promises to fix the economy. Roosevelt acted quickly to create jobs and stimulate the economy through the creation of what he called "a New Deal for the forgotten man"-a program for people without resources to support themselves or their families. The New Deal was formalized as the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA), an umbrella agency for the many programs created to help Americans during the Depression, including infrastructure projects, jobs programs, and social services.

Through the WPA, artists also participated in government employment programs in every state and county in the nation. In 1935, Roosevelt created the Federal Art Project (FAP) as the agency that would administer artist employment projects, federal art commissions, and community art centers. Roosevelt saw the arts and access to them as fundamental to American life and democracy. He believed the arts fostered resilience and pride in American culture and history. The art created under the WPA offers a unique snapshot of the country, its people, and art practices of the period. There were no government-mandated requirements about the subject of the art or its style. The expectation was that the art would relate to the times, reflect the place in which it was created, and be accessible to a broad public.

Artists working in the FAP and for other WPA agencies created prints, easel paintings, drawings, and photographs. Public murals were painted for display in post offices, schools, airports, housing developments, and other government buildings. Community art centers hosted exhibitions of work made by artists employed in government programs and offered hands-on workshops, led by artists, for everyone. Illustrators made detailed drawings that cataloged the physical culture and artifacts of American daily life-clothing, tools, household items. The WPA intentionally seeded arts programs and supported artists outside of urban centers. In so doing, it introduced the arts to a much more diverse swath of Americans, many of whom had previously never seen an original painting or work of art, had not met a professional artist, nor experimented with art making.

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Thousands of people have gathered in London to protest against the government's lack of action in tackling the cost of living crisis.

Protesters marched from Portland Place to Parliament Square for a rally with speakers including Frances O'Grady, the general secretary of the TUC, which organised the event.

O'Grady was met with applause and cheers as she gave a speech to the crowd.

The Labour party deputy leader, Angela Rayner, (left) and the general secretary of the TUC, Frances O'Grady, take part in the protest. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

Demonstrators carried banners reading "cut war not welfare" and "end fuel poverty, insulate homes now".

Andy Lewis, a teacher at a sixth-form college in Sunderland, was among those at the rally. "Since Cameron and austerity, teachers have had a real-terms pay cut of £10,000," he said.

"We now have teaching assistants ringing in saying that they can't afford to come in. We've got admin staff saying we can't afford the cost of transport to get in.

"My wife has a friend who is a headteacher, last week she had seven staff off because of the cost of living. It's not just about getting a pay rise, it's about the knock-on effect that this has on children."

Local government worker Niamh, 24, from Highbury, said she had decided to attend after seeing the impact of benefit cuts firsthand through her work.

Andy Lewis, demonstrating in London on Saturday. Photograph: Anna MacSwan/The Guardian

"I work in local government, where we have a lot of dealings with residents. We can see that demand for support has increased. But with reduced government funds, we're left with very limited options to help people.

"Our benefits system is broken. Really what we need is for benefits to increase, like housing allowance and the benefits cap. We've seen people with children who have just had a baby and say they don't know how they're going to be able to buy food and pay their rent. It's very stark."

The TUC said there was "harrowing" evidence of the impact the crisis on families, with workers suffering the "longest and harshest" squeeze on earnings in modern history. O'Grady said she had heard one story of children keeping back part of their school lunch to take home for their evening dinner.

"Prices are skyrocketing, yet boardroom bonuses are back to bumper levels," she said. "Everyone who works for a living deserves to earn a decent living, but UK workers are suffering the longest and harshest squeeze on their earnings in modern history.

"If we don't get pay rising across the economy, we will just keep lurching from crisis to crisis. This cost of living emergency has not come out of the blue. It is the result of more than a decade of standstill wages."

Workers have lost an average of almost £20,000 in cumulative earnings since 2008 because pay has not kept pace with inflation, the TUC said, adding that it was the biggest loss of "real wages" since the 1830s.

The Britain Deserves Better protest was organised by the TUC. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/Reuters

O'Grady said it was "gut wrenching" to hear how workers were struggling, with no safety net to fall back on and the pay slump showing little sign of slowing.

She told PA Media that the Conservatives were now the "party of pay cuts", accusing the government of turning its back on those who made such "extraordinary sacrifices" by continuing to work during the Covid crisis.

Boris Johnson was "cynically abandoning" his commitment to a high-wage economy, she claimed.

"He and other ministers are treating workers like Oliver Twist by telling them not to dare ask for a decent pay rise," she said. "The last thing we need right now is for wages to be held down.

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"We cannot be a country where nurses have to use food banks to get by."

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Thousands march in London over cost of living crisis

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Demonstration organised by TUC calls on government to make 'better deal' for people struggling to cope with soaring inflation

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Rents are now at their most unaffordable point for a decade, according to Zoopla. The property portal found rents across the UK have been growing faster than earnings and now account for more than 28% of average pre-tax earnings. That's higher than the 10-year average of 27%.

Rental affordability is at its worst for a decade in seven out of 12 regions in the UK while in London rents equate to around 40 per cent of gross earnings. In the year up to July 2023, the ONS reported London's annual private rental price growing by 5.5%, compared to 5.2% in the rest of the country.

While the Westminster government has announced reforms to protect renters' rights through the Renters Reform Bill, which is making slow progress through Parliament. The Big Issue's End Housing Insecurity Now campaign is urging the government to bring the bill into law at pace.

But there has been little action on the issues driving rising rents, namely high demand for properties and a lack of supply.

The devolved countries in the UK have engaged with the issue more directly than Westminster. The Scottish government has limited rent increases and banned evictions since September 2022 and is planning to introduce rent controls. The Welsh government is currently consulting on the idea of bringing in rent controls too.

How much is rent in UK?

Around 4.6 million households use the private rented sector in England alongside 340,000 in Scotland and 229,000 in Wales.

The private rented sector is now the second biggest tenure of housing in England behind owner occupiers, making around a fifth of all households in the country.

Renters are facing record prices with rents growing at the fastest annual rate for more than a decade.

That has seen renters paying out a higher proportion of their income on housing costs. The English Housing Survey found private renters spend around a third of their household income on rent (rising to 41% in London). That's more than 10% higher than the proportion paid by owner occupiers.

Renters are almost five times more likely to experience financial hardship than people who own their own home outright, according to ONS.

As of May 2023, around four in 10 renters told statisticians it was difficult to afford their rent payments while almost half of renters and mortgage payers said they had seen their payments increase in the last six months.
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Rightmove's rental tracker found rents hit a record high for a 15th consecutive quarter in the summer of 2023.

Average advertised rents outside London are now 10% higher than a year ago at 1,278 a month, according to the property site. In the English capital, rents are 12% higher at 2,627 a month.

Zoopla found there was a 10.5% rise in rents for newly let properties in the year up to September 2023.

That means renters have, on average, faced £2,800 a year increase in rental costs over the last three years.

It's not just the private rental sector that has seen rent rises, tenants in social housing saw their rents rise by 7% as of April 2023. The rate at which housing associations can increase or decrease rent is set annually at 1% higher than the current CPI inflation rate.

With inflation higher than 10% in late 2022, the Social Housing Action Campaign called for rents and service charges to be frozen for 2023/24.

The government stepped in to cap rent increases at 7% rather than the forecasted 11.1%. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who rejected alternative options to cap rent rises at 3 or 5%, announced the cap at his Autumn Statement insisting the measure will save tenants up to £200 a year.

Why is UK rent so high?

The short answer to why rent is so high is because there is a shortage of affordable housing.

There is a housing crisis in the UK because not enough homes have been built by successive governments in the last few decades at a time where social housing stock has been sold off to the private sector through Right to Buy or demolished and not replaced.

An estimate from the National Housing Federation and Crisis found around 340,000 new homes should be supplied in England each year with 145,000 them to be affordable.

The Conservative government has previously targeted 300,000 new homes in England - a 2019 manifesto commitment - but is yet to hit that mark. In 2021/22, 232,000 new homes were supplied.

Meanwhile areas like Cornwall where tourism has seen a surge in short-term lets through the rise of Airbnb in recent years faces even more pressures on demand.
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The private rental sector has picked up the slack in the meantime and has doubled in size over the last two decades.

Rightmove said the number of tenants enquiring about a move on the site is 4% higher in April 2023 than it was in the previous year and 48% higher than pre-pandemic in 2019.

The stiff competition has seen rents on the market increase but many landlords have kept pace by putting up rents for existing tenants.

While generally speaking there is a shortage of private rental properties across the UK, the difference between supply and demand changes from region to region.

Research from London School of Economics found a 41% reduction in the number of homes available for private rent in London since the pandemic.

"We're seeing fast-rising private rents and reduced availability of rental properties against a backdrop of continuing cost of living pressures and London's long-standing shortage of affordable housing," said Darren Rodwell, London Councils' executive member for regeneration, housing and planning.

The Office for National Statistics collects data of rental prices from properties in England then revisits every 12 months to assess changes in price.

When statisticians returned to homes in February 2023 they found half had experienced a rent increase. The year before 36% of tenants had seen their rent rise.

Renters in London were most likely to see their rent rise with 66% of tenants in the English capital reporting an increase in their monthly payments while a third had seen hikes of more than 10%.

Will rent prices go down in 2023?

Rising rents are having an impact - the latest Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show the number of tenants evicted by private landlords continuing to surge. There has been a more than 40% increase in no-fault evictions since 2022, with 2,228 households served a Section 21 notice between April and June this year alone.

And low-income tenants are being left with increasingly fewer places to rent as local housing allowance has not kept pace with increasing payments to landlords.

Experts predict rents will continue to rise with no sign of the supply issue being tackled while renters also face knock-on effects from rising mortgage rates.

The RICS UK Residential Survey from July 2023 found that, of its respondents, more than half reported an increase in tenant demand. Paired with a 6% decrease in the number of landlords offering up properties, the survey reported an enduring mismatch between demand and supply, which could see further price increases.

"Demand shows no signs of letting up, supply remains constrained and that means rents are likely to continue rising sharply despite the cost-of-living crisis," said RICS chief economist Simon Rubinsohn.

Landlords could pass on increased mortgage payments through higher rents while there is likely to be increased competition for rent homes as would-be first-time buyers cannot afford to get on the housing ladder.

A landlord exodus could see rents rise despite cost-of-living pressures, particularly as some first-time buyers may no longer be able to afford to stop renting as rising interest rates mean a mortgage is unaffordable.

However, there are signs that things could change in the long-term.

Rightmove found demand eased by 17% compared with 2022, while available supply is up by 14% over the same period.

The number of new rental properties coming to market is now 7% higher than at this time last year, the biggest yearly jump since November 2022, the property site revealed.

Rightmove's director of property science Tim Bannister said: "Record rents and far more tenants looking to move than there are homes available means it will still feel very difficult for many tenants navigating the market.

"However, there are signs that some of the pressure between supply and demand is beginning to ease, with the number of new rental properties coming to the market now at its highest level since the end of last year.

"While it is likely that there is some way to go before this filters through to rental prices, if the improving trend between supply and demand continues, we could start to see the pace of yearly rent rises slow more significantly than it has been."

Soaring rents and the wider cost of living crisis saw the Scottish government freeze rents over the winter with rent increases now capped at a maximum of 3% across Scotland.

Those protections, which have also seen evictions banned, will now run until the end of March next year.

First minister Humza Yousaf confirmed at September's Programme for Government that rent controls were in the works.

"We recognise housing costs are a key factor in determining people's standard of living," said Yousaf in his Holyrood address.

"We will also introduce a housing bill to introduce long-term rent controls and new tenants' rights and to establish new duties for the prevention of homelessness."

The Welsh government could soon follow suit. Welsh ministers have opened a consultation calling for evidence on fair rents and affordability.
We're calling on the prime minister to make sure everyone can afford to stay in their homes and pay for the essentials by:

Unfreezing Local Housing Allowance rates

Increasing Universal Credit to £120 a week for a single adult and £200 for a couple.

Will you add your voice to our call and sign the petition?
The consultation delivers on a commitment made as part of Labour's co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru to explore measures to tackle rising rents, including rent controls.

Julie James, minister for climate change, said: "The green paper is a call for evidence so that we can better understand the rental market in Wales, in particular what factors influence landlord behaviour in setting rents and taking on tenants and what do tenants consider is an affordable and adequate property."

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Rents in UK are rising at highest rate in decades. Will they keep going up?

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In the face of record rents in the UK, will renters face more surges as the cost of living crisis continues to hit households?

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Housing Posters - Autonomous Design Group

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Poster for CATU Cork's anti-dereliction campaign. Empty buildings in Cork could be put to use as housing or community centres but instead they're allowed to decay whilst developers buy up the land. Flyposted across derelict buildings in Cork.

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BALFRON SOCIAL CLUB \ 50% SOCIAL HOUSING \ POSTERS

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BALFRON SOCIAL CLUB \ 50% SOCIAL HOUSING \ POSTERS

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Autonomous Design Group is an anonymous anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian art collective founded in the United Kingdom in 2019. The group produces political artwork for posters and stickers as well as use online.

Wikipedia

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In a world of uber competitive streamers scrambling to promote their own versions of a near identical product and service, Mubi has quietly treaded its own path.

It has become known for its conscientious curation of films from around the world, made by a cross-section of internationally renowned filmmakers and under-the-radar talent. As a production company and distributor, it has aligned itself with an increasingly successful roster of films, too. Among its recent Mubi Releases are Joachim Trier's The Worst Person in the World, Céline Sciamma's Petite Maman, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi's 2022 Oscar winner, Drive My Car.

Mubi is now two issues into publishing its own print magazine, Notebook, following on from nearly 15 years of running a digital publication of the same name. The inaugural issue, Issue 0, made it clear that it's not a magazine for absent-mindedly flicking through, nor is it preoccupied with churning out predictable interview features showering praise over your usual cast of A-listers, instead opting for investigative scene reports and obscure feature formats. For instance, 12 pages at the front of the issue were given to close-up photographs of a Cinématographe in a celebration of the pioneering Lumière Brothers. Handily for Mubi, the issue also ladders back to its own roster of films and programming, though never in a way that feels heavy-handed or overtly promotional.

"With the magazine we're embracing the unique properties of the print medium to explore and celebrate cinema culture in delightful and unexpected ways," says Daniel Kasman, VP of editorial content. "We don't have regular columns or reviews - we're building each issue bespoke from scratch. The experience is intended to be immersive, contemplative, and surprising. It's a magazine which we intend you to delve into, take your time with, and find a fresh and exciting way of seeing the art."

Under the creative and art director Pablo Martin, the attention to design detail - its thick, matte cover is a lovely choice - and the abundant space given to unconventional visuals play a big part in this. The newest issue, Issue 1, seems even more playful with typography, packaging and other touches, like the electric blue accents seen across the spine and binding thread. It all feels generous and worthy of a Sunday afternoon spent poring over its pages, a pace warranted by its slower than average biannual publishing schedule. And although a print publication might not be able to accommodate moving image yet, Kasman makes a poetic observation about a magazine being "hand-animated" by flipping pages.

The latest instalment, available soon to existing subscribers and in selected stores, features a blush-toned cover by Christopher Doyle, the experimental cinematographer and director lauded for his work with the acclaimed filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai. The image is drawn from one of two visual essays in Issue 1, the other by director Jessica Beshir.

"We are also spotlighting several cinematic venues opening around the world; we're featuring a conversation between Academy Award-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) and artist Yoshitomo Nara; and we have a polyphonic series of personal reflections and stories shared by exiled Afghan filmmakers," Kasman says of what to expect in the issue.

The world of serious cinema can feel distant to some, yet he stresses that the magazine is as much for well-versed obsessives as it is for people who are simply trying to broaden their horizons: "It is for cinephiles as well as a gateway for those new to arthouse, independent, and classic film, encouraging the kind of passion that drives us as audience members and as a team at Mubi."
Notebook Issue 1 will be available in select stores around the world. Check online soon for stockists; mubi.com/notebook/magazine

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Mubi's Notebook magazine is a celebration of cinema in print

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Streaming platform and production company Mubi is bringing film alive on the printed page through generous design touches and unconventional features

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MUBI's Notebook magazine was created as a new venue for cinematic encounters: a publication to explore, celebrate, and advocate for film across its many diverse origins and makers, and become a place of discovery and delight. The magazine involves collaborations with creators and commentators alike, and its design reflects share the material beauty of its subject. Notebook represents a new element of the MUBI ecosystem dedicated to cinema, expanding the opportunities for the audience to engage with the seventh art.

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D&AD Awards 2023 Independent Magazines Shortlist Winner.

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The posting took place under the cover of night. Parisiens would wake up the following morning and see the issues at hand. - Philippe Vermès, co-founder of the Atelier Populaire

In May 1968 nearly a million students and workers almost shut down France and toppled its government. They had no centralized organization, no single charismatic leader, no trade union nor political party. Their common ideology was a reaction against a Charles de Gaulle regime they saw as increasingly totalitarian, and they took to the streets. They acted through mass demonstrations and labor strikes, and without a core organizing committee their main method of communication was the poster.

Oui à la Révolution (Yes to the Revolution)
Je Participe, Tu Participes, Il Participe, Nous Participons, Vous Participez, Ils Profitent (I Participate, You Participate, He/She Participates, We Participate, You [All] Participate, They Profit)

The production of posters was initiated on May 14 by a group of students from the Ecole National Supérieure des Beaux Arts. Seeking a way to get involved with the protests already underway, they occupied the lithography studio at the venerable art school. Philippe Vermès, co-founder of the group, talks about those early days in his essay for the book Beauty Is in the Street:

The idea was to keep the effort collective to avoid bourgeois values. We no longer called ourselves Ecole des Beaux-Arts; we signed our posters Atelier Populaire des Beaux Arts or simply Atelier Populaire and stuck one up on the atelier door that read "Atelier Populaire: oui, Atelier Bourgeois: non".

The Atelier later switched to silkscreening, which was more affordable and more efficient, allowing them to produce up to 2,000 posters at a time. Not only was screen printing faster, Vermès recalls that it was more portable:

We feared a police bust at the Atelier Populaire, and they did finally come on June 27 and shut down the Atelier. There was no resistance; we took our paper, our paint, and our press with us and walked out. The police had expected to seize a big printing press; they didn't realize that we carried out our tools for poster making with us!

Soon the printmakers occupied factories that were shut down by striking workers, transforming centers of corporate manufacturing into publishers of dissent. Typically printed on cheap paper with a single color, raw lettering and imagery voiced support for labor strikes, they delivered simple, strong messages against colonialism, consumerism, police brutality, and attacks on the free press.

CGT (Confédération Française des Travailleurs Chrétiens) - French Confederation of Christian Workers. Christian trade union affiliated with CGT.

Charonne - Metro station in the 11th Arrondissement in Paris. In 1962, it was the site of a police massacre of 9 people, mostly young Communists, who were protesting in support of Algerian independence.

FGDS (Fédération de la Gauche Démocrate et Socialiste) - Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left. A coalition of Mitterrand's Convention of Republication Institutions (CIR), the French Section of the Workers' International, and the center-left Radical Party.

Flins - 40 km outside Paris, the location of a major Renault factory.

Frey, Roger - French Minister of the Interior from 1961 to 1967. His tenure saw the brutal repression of Algerian separatists and their supporters, including the 1962 Charonne massacre, and made extensive use of informers and secret police organizations like the Civic Action Committees.

ORTF (Office de Radiodiffusion et Télévision Française) - French Radio and Television Broadcasting Office. France's public broadcasting agency.

PCF (Parti Communiste Française) - French Communist Party.

PDM ((Centre) Progrès et Démocratie Moderne) - Center for Progress and Modern Democracy. Right-wing Catholic party.

PSU (Parti Socialiste Unifié) - Unified Socialist Party.

UDR (Union pour la Défense de la République) - Union for the Defense of the Republic. The name adopted by de Gaulle's party during the May events.

The Atelier Populaire posters were rarely saved, and large collections are not often shown. Letterform Archive feels fortunate to have recently acquired several dozen posters, some of which are shown here. We recognize the complicated responsibility of holding this work as part of a historical collection. Members of the Atelier have raised questions about their prints being recognized as artifacts or works of art, preferring that they be seen only in their intended settings, "in the streets or on the walls of factories". From the frontispiece of their 1968 book Posters and the circumstances of their making:

The posters ... are weapons in the service of the struggle and are inseparable from it. To use them for decorative purposes, to display them in bourgeois places of culture or to consider them as objects of aesthetic interest is to impair both their function and their effect.

Acknowledging this conundrum, we present these images in the spirit of dialog, to raise awareness of the Atelier Populaire - of both its art and its intentions - and reconsider how such work should be recognized and preserved. The May '68 movement in Paris is too often overlooked in the United States, where our retrospective gaze is often trained on our own counterculture moments of the late '60s, but Letterform Archive intends our collection and community to be international.

That spirit of appreciation and dialog continues next week in our Advocacy & Activism Salon in which Kate Long will show and discuss posters, periodicals, and handbills by designers with a cause. Join us!

- Stephen Coles, Associate Curator & Editorial Director

We highly recommend Beauty Is in the Street: A Visual Record of the May 68 Uprising, edited by Johan Kugelberg and Philippe Vermés, which provides an excellent history of the Atelier's work and its historical context. The glossary shown here is excerpted from the book.

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This Just In: Posters of May '68 - Letterform Archive

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We commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Paris uprising with a collection of posters by the Atelier Populaire (Popular Workshop). Lutte Contre Le Cancer Gaulliste (Struggle Against the Gaullist Cancer)

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The Art Newspaper - International art news and events

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‘Another yawning gap’: radical London Print Studio closes its doors

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Art world pays tribute to vital public space that served community organisations as well as artists including Lucian Freud, Billy Childish and Shezad Dawood

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Concrete Portraits of the Former Eastern Bloc

Mass housing in post-war socialist countries was a quick and effective way to provide homes for the expanding city populations after WWII, but after the collapse of the Soviet Bloc the fate of these constructions became uncertain. While modernist estates are being renovated or prematurely demolished, their tenants remain undaunted. They have lived through the buildings' golden years and darker times.

For the last decade, Zupagrafika has documented the housing estates erected in Central and Eastern Europe, still perceived by many as 'eyesores,' through photographs and illustrated paper models. The Tenants features over 40 housing projects in 37 different cities of the former Eastern Bloc and ex-Yugoslavia. From Berlin to Norilsk, and all the way through Almaty to Tallinn, the album portrays the inhabitants of those complexes holding models of their homes, while sharing the stories of lives lived in the prefab panel blocks.

Includes a foreword by the sociologist and urban researcher Maciej Frąckowiak and an index of the featured housing estates, providing an insight into their history. The portraits were taken by David Navarro and Martyna Sobecka, with contributions by local photographers.

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Featured cities: Almaty, Belgrade, Berlin, Budapest, Chișinău, Dresden, Gdańsk, Halle-Neustadt, Kaliningrad, Katowice, Kraków, Kyiv, Ljubljana, Lviv, Łódź, Międzyrzecz, Minsk, Moscow, Norilsk, Omsk, Podgorica, Poznań, Prague, Riga, Rostock, St. Petersburg, Skopje, Sofia, Szczecin, Tallinn, Tbilisi, Vilnius, Vorkuta, Warsaw, Wrocław, Yakutsk, Żyrardów.

Author: Zupagrafika (David Navarro & Martyna Sobecka)
Publisher: Zupagrafika

Hardcover; Cloth spine | 112 pp | ISBN: 9788396326812
Photographs copyright © Zupagrafika, 2022​​​​​​​. All rights reserved

'I have lived here for 30 years. I used to work in a factory that produced those panels. Turns out that I built a house for myself.'

- Tatjana (Pļavnieki, Riga)

Published:

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The Tenants by Zupagrafika is a unique photographic essay on mass housing estates erected in the former Eastern Bloc and the people who live in them. From Berlin to Norilsk, and all the way through Almaty to Tallinn, the album portrays the inhabitants of ...

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''As we run fast and hard away from a year that taught us a lot about the economics of misery and fear, we seek residence on the doorstep of hope and possibility — a place or space where we are less alone. This Tractor-zine series is a multi-personal examination of self-help and inconvenient collaboration.

18 designers and non-designers were shoe-horned into unlikely pairs and tasked with finding (or creating) common ground in uncomfortable territory.''

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The book design lives up to the ambitions of the original film. Histories and topographies I thought I knew revealed from another angle. It's good to have the script and the images, and the book-smell the film can't deliver.

Iain Sinclair

This book presents Patrick Keiller's 1994 seminal psychogeographic film essay as a series of stills alongside its entire dialogue, and is a total joy. Where more traditional script-led films might feel flat and compromised when reduced to the printed page, London is perfectly suited to it: the stills act as illustrations for a coherent monologue that is both banal and beautifully compelling.

Elephant Magazine, The Essential Art Books of 2020

Handsomely presented in a size and shape aptly reminiscent of 1990s computer reel containers, the book provides the full script of the scene along with a fascinating afterword on its inception and a full inventory of shot locations - including whether these places still exist. Designed as an accompaniment to the film, it stands just as well alone as a collage of our city 30 years ago.

The London Society

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London is Patrick Keiller's highly imaginative psychogeographic journey through (and history of) London, as undertaken by an unnamed narrator and his companion, Robinson. The unseen pair complete a series of excursions around the city in an attempt to investigate what Robinson calls 'the problem of London', during which a palimpsest of the city is revealed.

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London experienced a housing crisis in the 1970s that was typified by a lack of reasonably priced dwellings and declining living standards. Financial hardships, such as elevated inflation and increasing joblessness, challenged people's ability to afford homes. There was a huge gap between the supply and demand for social housing, which resulted in lengthy waiting lines and generally poor living conditions. Deindustrialization and other economic shifts led to a fall in inner-city regions, which in turn exacerbated the nation's housing problems. The implementation of regeneration programmes in targeted regions raised worries about gentrification and were criticised for uprooting established communities.

In reaction to the housing crisis, tenant activism—such as rent strikes and squatting movements—rose. A complex interaction of political, social, and economic forces formed London's housing scene in the 1970s and set the stage for continuing conversations about urban development and housing policy.

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1970s London | The Westway | Residents demand re-housing | Today | 1970

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London Council Estates (1971) | Where the Houses Used to Be | Doddington and Rollo Estate

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The Barbican: A Middle Class Council Estate

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During the summer and autumn of last year, a particular form of contemporary rage was expressed about Brick Lane, that celebrated avenue of London history, change and creativity running through the Spitalfields district of the East End.

In June, a march and rally took place on Brick Lane itself, with placards urging the world to "save" and "reclaim" it. A Guardian journalist on the scene described the event as "a protest against gentrification" in the form of plans for "a new shopping mall and offices" which those responsible wanted to build "without consultations with locals". At nearby Altab Ali Park a co-chair of the East End Preservation Society said someone wanted to " drop a development bomb " which would "destroy what is left of Brick Lane".

What were those plans? Who were the "bomb"-droppers? Had "locals" really not been consulted? What was it the protesters wanted to "save" and "reclaim" Brick Lane from?

Answering the last question requires a journey through the area's distinctive past and a grasp of the meanings attached to it. Spitalfields has several claims to fame. For centuries it has provided a start in London life for influxes of incomers from overseas, including seekers of asylum from France and eastern Europe, and seekers of employment from Ireland and that part of South Asia which, since 1971, has been Bangladesh.

It has long been a place of commerce and industry. Brick Lane itself, originally Whitechapel Lane, owes its name to brick and tile manufacture in the area during the 15th Century. It has been recorded as Brick Lane since the 16th Century. The original Spitalfields Market began operating in the 17th. Silk weaving is another celebrated strand of Spitalfields thanks to Protestants (Huguenots) escaping religious persecution under the Catholic Louis XIV and establishing themselves there: by the start of the 18th Century there were nine Calvinist churches in the East End. Irish weavers came too.

Jews fleeing Russia and Poland settled in the area from the 1880s, transforming its character and economy once more. In the 1970s, arrivals from Bangladesh grew rapidly in number and Brick Lane became synonymous with two things: one, vicious harassment of the (mostly) new arrivals by National Front thugs and resistance to it; two, a plethora of curry houses drawing visitors from far and wide. The electoral ward containing most of Brick Lane is called Spitalfields & Banglatown. Around 40% of the people living there are Bangladeshi Londoners.

But it hasn't been all change and churn this past half millennium. From the mid-17th century until the back of the 20th, one industry stayed embedded in Brick Lane - brewing. And one firm in particular built a beer empire there. The Truman Brewery evolved from a small brew house started in the 1660s to the biggest beer producer in the world. Its Brick Lane premises were its production powerhouse, and the huge chimney sprouting from its heart became, and remains, a local landmark. But after being swallowed up and merged by Grand Metropolitan, changing customer tastes hastened decline.

The brewery closed in 1989, though some of its complex of buildings, occupying both sides of Brick Lane were rented out. A lease was let to Iraq-born Ely Zeloof, who had come to the UK from Israel in 1972. Zeloof worked in the clothing business as an importer and exporter, initially with two of his brothers on Fashion Street, a turning off Brick Lane. He later set up his own business in nearby Commercial Street. It was after outgrowing his warehouse there that he took space within the Truman estate. In 1995, Grand Metropolitan put the whole site on the market. Zeloof, taking a calculated risk, bought it.

What use could made of the jigsaw of blocks and yards that had grown up over hundreds of years for the specialised purpose of brewing? One of Zeloof's sons, Ofer Zeloof, took the lead. The Zeloof family is artistic as well as entrepreneurial. Ofer began giving free space in the buildings to artists and musicians and hiring it out for film productions, photo shoots, trade fairs and exhibitions, or letting it longer term.

Bars, cafés, a restaurant, an art gallery and shops were established. The ground floors of larger buildings were adapted into small retail units. Ofer founded Fashion East, a not-for-profit organisation to help young designers, and Free Range, a season of graduate exhibitions in art, architecture and photography. He opened a nightclub, 93 Feet East and Café 1001.

The brewery's rebirth under Ofer Zeloof - who retired from the property side of the business a few years ago - was of a piece with a wider metamorphosis. Fruit and vegetable wholesale had moved from Spitalfields Market to New Spitalfields Market in Leyton in 1991 and Old Spitalfields Market went over to fashion, arts and crafts. The 21st Century has seen Brick Lane become a hive of hipsterism as well as a centre for Bangladeshi "Indian" restaurants - perhaps more so, as the number of curry houses has been falling. Vintage clothing outlets have flourished at the north end of Brick Lane where it meets Bethnal Green Road and the brewery is home to the cavernous Vintage Market.

Today, the Truman Brewery is home to around 300 businesses, of which all but a handful are classified as small or medium-sized and over 200 of those as "micro". All of its 100 retail firms, including all 16 food and drink outlets, meet a definition of "independent" that excludes companies operating more than ten similar ones in London.

The place teems with activity. And the brewery company, guided by Ofer Zeloof's brother Jason, would like more of it. To that end it drew up plans some time back for making different use of a corner of its land at the junction of Brick Lane and Woodseer Street, primarily occupied by a car park. The plans involved putting some shops and offices there instead. It was these plans from which the protesters who had taken to the street in June believe Brick Lane should be saved and reclaimed. But on 14 September last year, the planning committee of Tower Hamlets Council approved them.

The decision unleashed a whole new wave of rage. That very evening, a playwright, Justin Sherin, wrote on Twitter that the council had actively chosen to " put a shopping mall full of High Street chains" on Brick Lane. He characterised this as the "targeted destruction of arguably the most important Asian community outside Asia", and although the decision was made by Tower Hamlets, not the City Corporation next door, Sherin described it as " the biggest eastward grab by the City of London yet". His " targeted destruction " tweet has been re-tweeted over 1,500 times and liked nearly 5,000 times.

Journalists, already excited by the protests, did not deploy such emotive language or make such dramatic claims. However, their coverage was framed by the same conflict template: developers versus "locals"; money versus an ethnic minority; the unwelcome march of "gentrification". This included the BBC, whose website coverage highlighted opposition to what it called the "controversial" development plans. But although some people objected strongly to them, they weren't "controversial" with everyone.
***
For Tower Hamlets Council, at that time under Labour control, they weren't controversial at all. Far from it. For a start, the alleged "bomb" was not terribly big. The council had two committees for determining planning applications: a strategic development committee, which handled large and complex schemes, and a plain old development committee which dealt with the rest. The Brick Lane scheme was allocated to the latter. It was also too small to be referred up to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

By the time of the June protests, the development committee had already considered the application. The report about it prepared by the council's planning department for the development ommittee meeting of 27 April 2021 examined the proposals in detail. The roughly rectangular development site as a whole covered 0.45 of a hectare - about 1.1 acres or two thirds of a typical football pitch - representing around 9% of the brewery land.

The largest component of it was the car park, shown in an aerial photo of the site of the planning officers' report (on page 25) and marked as Plot S1. On this space, the brewery owners proposed construction of a building ranging in height from two to five storeys to provide flexible office space on its upper floors, commercial space at ground level and a gym in the basement. The commercial space envisaged included shops with entrances on Woodseer Street, replacing the brick wall that seals off the car park and forms part of the brewery estate's border, and widening the pavement there. The new building was designed to "step back" from Woodseer Street to moderate the reduction of daylight for those living in the terraced houses on the other side of it.

The next biggest part of the plan was for the building that already stands on the northern side of the development site, next to the car park. On the aerial photograph, this is marked as Block H (also known as 146 Brick Lane). The Truman company intends to convert the ground floor so that it can be used for shops. The plans showed this adapted old building and the new one on the car park bisected by a pedestrian walkway, provisionally called New Dray Walk, which would connect to the existing Dray Walk on the other side of Brick Lane and terminate at a small new public square at the east of the site to be called Black Eagle Yard.

The third and smallest component of the scheme, marked Plot S2, is also at the eastern edge of the development site. It foresees a separate three-storey building already there, now being used for offices, having two storeys added and being linked to an adjacent building to form premises for a restaurant at 25-35 Woodseer Street. Another restaurant is included in the plans, to be installed in another distinctive feature of the brewery complex, an enclosed bridge spanning Brick Lane which links the two halves of the brewery estate.

The council's planning department recommended that the committee gave permission for the scheme to go ahead. Crucially, its report described the plans as "consistent with development plan policy for this site", which is the basic test a planning application must pass. Of the design and building form, the report said these would "respond appropriately to the positive aspects of the local context" and "improve the attractiveness of the public realm", in part by knocking down the wall along Woodseer Street, which was built in the 1980s when other brewery buildings, much the same size as their intended replacements, were levelled to make way for the car park.

The scheme was also praised for designing "a visually interesting, well detailed and proportional addition to the site and the local area more generally", one which would also "enhance the character and appearance" of the conservation area it falls into. Other plus points included parking for bicycles, a "strategy for minimising carbon dioxide emissions" and "biodiversity enhancements". Furthermore, said the report, "The scheme would contribute to local employment and training", there would be apprenticeships and affordable workspace, and an agreement to ensure the presence of independent retailers.

The officers' report also documented that, contrary to the tweet of the Guardian journalist, "locals" had, of course, been consulted, as they have to be about planning applications. Two rounds of statutory consultations had been carried out during 2020, the second and larger of which sought responses to amendments made to the plans by the applicants, which included the replacement of glazed facades with a brick finish. Statutory consultation was augmented by the brewery company's own community engagement exercise.

The plans had long been in gestation, and an initial pre-application meeting with the council had been held in October 2016. For some years, therefore, steps had been taken to ensure that the scheme complied with the council's planning policy requirements for the area. Even so, the development committee wanted a bit more from the Old Truman Brewery Company before providing a green light. Its decision was deferred so that the conditions attached to giving permission for the scheme could be negotiated further.

Those conditions were designed to regulate any dilution of the flavour of that part of Brick Lane which, of course, the Zeloof family had been central to creating. By the time of the September 2021 meeting the conditions had become more stringent, placing requirements on the company to more generously discount the 10% of floorspace to be affordable over a longer period for small businesses, to ensure that independent retailers and local businesses were beneficiaries, and to generally, in the words of the report, bring about a "selection of occupiers that reinforce the unique character of the area".
***
The assessments of the planning officers and the revisions to the conditions attached to approving the plans counted for nothing in the eyes of the most vehement opponents of the scheme. Fury was directed at the councillors who voted to approve it, in particular Kevin Brady, who was present at both the April and September meetings as a substitute for committee members who were unable to attend.

Brady was a well-qualified stand-in: since his election to the council in 2018 he had chaired its strategic planning committee and prior to that he had worked in the planning department of a local authority in another part of England.

He was portrayed rather differently by Brice Stratford, founder of a theatre company called The Owle Schreame, in an article for The Critic. For Stratford, the committee's decision was "the latest betrayal of London's working-class communities" and Labour councillors had "gleefully twisted the knife that they long ago plunged into the heart of Brick Lane". In this venomous rendition of the story, Brady, who works for a theatrical agency, was portrayed as "a failed actor" a "classic bourgeois citizen of nowhere" and "the worst kind of New Labour busy-body culture tourist".

Could the outcome of the committee's vote have been different? Should it have been? The September decision was taken by just three councillors, when a full committee line-up would have been six. Brady's colleague Kahar Chowdhury was the other who voted to approve. Committee chair Abdal Mukit voted against.

A fourth councillor who took part, Leema Qureshi, was unable to vote because she, unlike the other three, attended the meeting virtually. The council's rules say that when a decision about an application has been deferred it can only be voted on by committee members who were at the original meeting, which Qureshi was, and they have to be at the subsequent meeting in person, which she wasn't. The Evening Standard reported Qureshi saying she would have voted against had she been able and only failed to attend the meeting in the flesh because she had placed herself in Covid quarantine.

In the event of a two-all draw at the September meeting, Mukit, as chair, would have had the power to deploy his casting vote, though this might not have made much difference. Rejecting the plans would not have guaranteed they went away. The applicants would have been able to appeal against such a decision and, given the clear recommendation of the council's planning department, would surely have been favourites to win. And contesting an appeal costs money - perhaps up to half a million pounds. That would have been a lot for a local authority like Tower Hamlets, serving some of the most deprived people in the country, to have spent on a potential exercise in futility.

For those outraged by the decision, though, such practicalities are as nothing compared with what they see as principles at stake in the war against "gentrification" in which Brick Lane and its environs are seen as a symbolic battleground. The alliance to "save" it is composed of elements familiar from other campaigns against property development in London - conservationism, identity politics, the far left.

A number of heritage groups objected to it, variously complaining that it would be too big, out of character, create too much footfall in a substantially residential area and be bad for business for the curry houses, a row of which begins directly south of Woodseer Street.

One of the groups, the Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust - usually known simply as the Spitalfields Trust - whose leading light is architectural historian and television presenter Dan Cruickshank, has been taking legal action, focused not on the merits of the brewery plan itself but the council's handling of it, so far without success. They are understood to now be preparing to take their case to the Court of Appeal.

Another entity fighting the brewery plans is called Nijjor Manush, "an independent campaign group that aims to educate, empower and organise Bengalis and Bangladeshis in the UK", as it puts it on its Twitter biog.

The Nijjor Manush website doesn't disclose the organisation's origins or say where it is based, although it seems to have been given space by the Spitalfields Trust from which to organise its Brick Lane campaigning. That extended to May's council election period during which they distributed leaflets disparaging Kevin Brady.

The group's broader orientation is apparent from tweets endorsing the Wards Corner "community plan" for Seven Sisters and a declaration in response to Rishi Sunak becoming Prime Minister that "Increased 'representation' of marginalised groups can ONLY be progressive when it is part of, & connected to, a broader political and economic liberation project". It continued: "Our response, therefore, must be a renewed commitment to recovering our proudest traditions of radical working class and socialist antiracism".

Nijjor Manush seem quite taken with the new Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman, who, in a remarkable comeback, regained power in May, consigning Labour to a heavy defeat. During the campaign, Rahman, responding to coverage of the Truman Brewery scheme, pledged his opposition to what he called "predatory" developers in his borough. Rahman's win - and Labour's heavy defeat - has been depicted by him and far left media as proof that the route to electoral triumph in "left behind" areas is to be very socialist.

This argument has also been successfully sold to the Guardian comment section, consolidating the media consensus that what the Old Truman Brewery Company wants to do in Brick Lane is unpopular and bad, and recruiting this to a wider political case that the way for Labour to win elections in lately fragile heartlands, whether in east London or the north of England, is to be more oppositional and left wing.
***
Is such a fiery constellation of furious denunciations, conservationist ardour and political agendas a reasonable or proportionate response to someone wanting to build some shops and offices on a car park, even in a place as unique and treasured as Brick Lane?

There are reasons for doubting it. It seems very likely that rejecting the Old Truman Brewery's planning application in September would have only delayed the inevitable and might have been financially perilous for Tower Hamlets Council. There are also grounds for wondering if the true scale of opposition to the brewery plans matches its fervour and media reach.

Much has been made of the responses to the council's consultation, which at the time of the April 2021 development committee meeting numbered over 7,000 objecting to the scheme compared with just 79 supporting it. However, the balance of sentiment was more complex than the bare totals suggest. Only 12% of the objectors identified themselves as Tower Hamlets residents and half of them provided no address. There are busy networks of people prepared to respond in the negative to any consultation about development plans accused of facilitating gentrification and "pushing out" minorities or the poor. To some in the trade they are known as "Trot mailing lists".

There are also some assumptions that might be questioned. Computer images of the scheme have prompted critics to deride it as "a mall", a "soulless" place, where "corporate" interests will take up residence, contaminating the entire neighbourhood. But the derogatory use of such terms are expressions of tastes and values not everyone shares.

If the brewery company decides to introduce some mainstream retail there - and doing so to excess would surely counter-productively dilute the complex's special appeal - it could be more attractive to many local people than the boutique and somewhat culturally niche brands that dominate at present, including to Bangladeshi East Enders. (As it happens, when I met Lutfur Rahman for the first time, in 2014, he took me to the Starbucks on Whitechapel Road to do our interview).

And "corporate" presences of other kinds have been comfortably embedded in the brewery for some time: one of its buildings houses a datastore, another was, from 2008 until 2019, the European headquarters of multinational advertising company Digitas and has since been the European headquarters of Urban Outfitters, where 500 people are employed.

The urge to "save" or "reclaim" Brick Lane in the name of local residents and businesses contains traces of presupposition too, not least about the recent history of an area whose past has been so marked by sudden and far-reaching change.

The curry house presence there, although resilient, has been in decline for most of this century. And its peak period owed much to trade from adjacent territory often depicted in these debates as the base of hostile forces bent on invasion - the City of London.

The "save" mentality also seems to take as read that all East End Bangladeshis wish nothing more than to remain so, as if, as a group, they are uniquely immune among Londoners to the attractions of migration to the suburbs. Does a community as entrepreneurial as theirs monolithically eschew asserting its right-to-buy before selling up and moving to somewhere bigger and greener in, say, Redbridge?

This article, long as it is, could delve deeper still into the methods and motivations of those involved in this latest chapter in the saga of Brick Lane. Is the conservationist vision for the area, with its handsome and expensive Georgian terraces, to foster a type of inner London Stratford-upon-Avon - genteel, timelessly preserved and drawing to it even more tourists than it does now? Do ideological concepts of radical resistance even begin to acknowledge the particular dynamics of East End Bangladeshi community politics - the real explanation for Mayor Rahman's return - and the electoral need for Labour politicians under pressure to align with its loudest voices, if only for appearances' sake?

A final thought: Brick Lane has never stayed the same for very long, and in the greater sweep of history the Truman Brewery's car park plans could turn out to be very small beer.
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Brick Lane: Anatomy of an East End 'anti-gentrification' rage

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Plans to replace a car park on the famous street with offices and shops have revealed much about London conservationism and protest politics

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House prices in desirable areas of British cities have rocketed, changing some inner-city communities beyond recognition through the process of "super-gentrification".

Across some areas of the UK, streets that once housed poor people are now beyond the means of all but the well-off.

The path to gentrification is clear when modern streets are compared with maps created by the Victorian social researcher Charles Booth a century ago.

It's particularly obvious in Portland Road in London's Notting Hill.

There are the multi-million pound houses, three-stories high, without so much as a curtain out of place. There's a beauty spa, a wine bar and a gallery selling artworks that cost tens of thousands of pounds.

It's hard to believe it used to be one of the worst slums in London.

Back in 1968, when Tim and Penny Hicks bought the dilapidated 157 Portland Road for £11,750, the latter's mother was shocked that they had chosen to move their family from up-market Chelsea into an area more known for rag and bone men than bankers.

Forty-four years later, their house is now worth more than £2m.

"I should think we were the second or third of the settlers," Penny Hicks says. "At the local primary school, one of the teachers when we were being shown around, said to me, 'You do appreciate Mrs Hicks, this is not working class. This is criminal class.'"

The houses on Portland Road were built in the 1850s on waste land between the downmarket Norland estate, home to the squalid piggeries and potteries, and the fancy new Ladbroke Estate, which became Notting Hill.

Maps created by Booth in 1899 show how two-thirds of the residents of Portland Road were classified as poor.

By the time Booth's map was updated in 1929, the residents towards the northern end of Portland Road had moved into a different category: "Degraded and semi-criminal".

Houses slipped into multiple occupation and became run down, with shared toilets and no bathrooms.

The Hicks' future home at 157 Portland Road was one of those. It was where George Andrews lived with his family. There were eight of them in two rooms, paying a rent equivalent to 65p per week.

"Portland Road was a slum as far as other people were concerned. As far as we were concerned, it's where we lived," Andrews says. "When you look back, we lived in a shack. We lived terrible.

"They [the landlords] weren't getting two pounds a week rent from the house, so they did no repairs, they did nothing. My dad was offered that house for £300 - my dad had never seen £300 in his life."

The abolition of rent control in 1957 was meant to encourage investment in property. But it led to ruthless landlords - like the infamous Peter Rachman - trying to cash in on the now lucrative housing market by bullying tenants into leaving.

It triggered the gentrification of Portland Road and was the beginning of the end of the street's working class community.

"As well as all these various rent acts and housing acts that impacted gentrification, it was also the fact that a new group of people, a new middle class emerged in society in the 1950s, who didn't want to live in the suburbs," says Loretta Lees, a professor at Kings College London, and gentrification expert.

"The suburbs were boring, they were bland, they were full of suburban families with two children. People wanted to live close to work, they wanted to live close to cultural facilities, like theatre, museums and art galleries."

The Hicks family still live on Portland Road, but many of the other original gentrifiers sold their houses to a new generation of exceptionally rich buyers.

It's a "super-gentrification", that has been fuelled by city bonuses and wealthy foreigner investors, says Lees.

Instead of the traditional view that the wealthy take flight from cities, Lees says the reverse seems to be happening in London, with the rich living in the centre of the city and the poor being displaced.

Portland Road offers a prime example of how gentrification changes the make-up of an area.

These super-gentrifiers, she adds, are different to the pioneer gentrifiers, like the Hicks family who sent their children to the local primary school and engaged with the existing community.

"Many of the early gentrifiers believed very strongly in comprehensive schools. They believed that their children should be mixing with poorer children and that their aspirations etc would rub off on those children, but also that their children would learn from these other children," she says.

"And now the whole discourse has changed as gentrification has become more hegemonic."

The one part of Portland Road that was never truly gentrified is the northern end, where social housing replaced run-down tenement buildings that had housed brewery workers.

Built in the 1930s, Winterbourne House and Nottingwood House are just a few hundred yards from properties worth millions of pounds.

Flats cost an average of £340,000, compared with the average price for a house at the southern end of Portland Road of £3.5m.

A deprivation map produced by Kensington & Chelsea Borough Council in 2007 showed that while some of the top earners in the country live in the southern and central parts of Portland Road, some of the lowest 5% live at the north end.

Like other super-gentrified areas, middle income buyers - who can't afford houses worth millions of pounds and aren't eligible for social housing - might struggle to move into the area.

When Andrews went back to visit the street where he was raised, there wasn't much left to remind him of how Portland Road used to be.

The sweet shop had gone, the dairies had gone. Even the Portland Arms pub had been turned into a beauty spa.

The Hicks' gutted his old home at 157 Portland Road and turned it into a house worth millions. Although he's nostalgic, he has no doubt that leaving Notting Hill changed his and many of his neighbours' lives for the better.

"You moved out of one of those dumps and got a council flat - you've got a bathroom, you've got hot water, you've got central heating. Can you imagine that? After living in a dump like that? They couldn't wait to move, some of them.

"Not because they didn't like the area and the people. It's just that they were bettering themselves. They were coming up a step."

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House prices in desirable areas of British cities have rocketed, changing some inner-city communities beyond recognition through the process of "super-gentrification". Across some areas of the UK, streets that once housed poor people are now beyond the means of all but the well-off.

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https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/09/26/ad-the-day-shelter-mocks-the-government-its-cost-living-hacks

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Housing minister Luke Hall had granted the US equity firm Raycliff Capital permission to redevelop the Whitechapel Bell Foundry into a luxury club-hotel.

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In May 2021, I reported in Apollo how the then housing minister Luke Hall had granted the US equity firm Raycliff Capital planning permission to redevelop the Whitechapel Bell Foundry into a luxury club-cum-hotel. The plans involved knocking down the 1980s industrial space to create a grand entrance foyer and turning much of the ground floor into a cafe and area where small handbells would be made as part of a bogus visitor attraction (this was added in to help secure planning permission and may have also helped to make the scheme economically impractical). It seemed like the bitter end of what had been a five-year campaign to preserve the building as a proper working foundry, part of the fabric of local East End life and a remarkable, if not unique, survival of 18th-century London artisan manufacturing.

Fortunately, it came to nothing. Raycliff Capital must have had a change of heart during the pandemic, perhaps wearied by the long campaign and recognising, as had been pointed out during the public inquiry, that there are now several other hotels in the neighbourhood. And so the building is back on the open market, listed with Pilcher, a prominent Savile Row commercial property agency with a track record of letting buildings to art galleries.

During the planning inquiry, an alternative scheme was presented to the planning inspector to demonstrate how it would be possible to retain the entire site as a working foundry under the auspices of Re-Form, a charity which has successfully demonstrated, with Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent, how a historic site can work in a semi-commercial way, retaining traditional methods of manufacture as a form of living history. Re-Form proposed working in partnership with the Factum Foundation, the charitable arm of Factum Arte, an artists' fabrication business based in a suburb of Madrid, which has experience of making traditional craft skills financially sustainable by working with contemporary artists.

Since the proposed concept successfully demonstrated how the building can still feasibly work as a foundry, the planning inspector should not, in retrospect, have granted permission to Raycliff to allow change of use. A happy outcome would be if Tower Hamlets, as the local planning authority, and Historic England could now acknowledge these plans which would see the Bell Foundry retain its historic character both in terms of its use and architecture, rather than being transformed into a hotel or made antiseptic by becoming an art gallery - though the latter might be preferable as it would involve less disruption of the historic fabric.

The Factum Foundation has a long-standing interest in the preservation of traditional craft skills and their development through digital technologies. As part of the original proposed scheme, they established the London Bell Foundry, a not-for-profit organisation designed to advance the cause of bell-making by contemporary artists. The organisation has already produced a bell designed by Grayson Perry which was shown in the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition this year and at the Worshipful Company of Founders' livery hall during the annual Open House festival. During the planning inquiry, the lawyer representing Raycliff pooh-poohed this scheme as financially unworkable, but the London Bell Foundry has ambitious plans for its future artist commissions backed by the expertise of Nigel Taylor, the foundry's former bell production manager.

The best solution would be if Raycliff were to sell the property to the London Bell Foundry. If a price can be agreed, it would be possible for the foundry to quickly resume its operations. The fabric of the building is still in reasonable working order and would soon recover its previous light-industrial character, perhaps with the reinstalment of some of the original equipment. The organisation also hopes to use the rooms at the front of the building as an archive documenting the history of bell-making, which would be accessible to the public.

This would surely be preferable to this historic building becoming just another commercial art gallery.
Charles Saumarez Smith is an art historian based in London. He was formerly Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal Academy (2007-18) and director of the National Gallery (2002-07).

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It's time for the Whitechapel Bell Foundry to get back to business

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In May 2021, I reported in Apollo how the then housing minister Luke Hall had granted the US equity firm Raycliff Capital planning permission to redevelop the Whitechapel Bell Foundry into a luxury club-cum-hotel.

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The London-based social housing complex was design by architects Alison and Peter Smithson as a manifestation of their socialist theories.

Completed in 1972, Robin Hood Gardens is a late example of Brutalism. It was built when the architecture stye was quickly falling from grace, criticised for its overly utilitarian and inhuman designs. Robin Hood Gardens has since become the catalyst for much debate around the success or failure of the movement. It is currently partially demolished and a chunk of its ruins has been acquired by the V&A museum.

Alison and Peter Smithson were prominent architects and urbanists in the second half of the twentieth century who pioneered Brutalism in Britain. Commissioned by the Greater London Council, the Robin Hood Gardens project was the couple's first and only opportunity to create a council estate and was the culmination of their research on social housing.

The design was heavily influenced by the philosophies of the Brutalist movement, and the Smithsons' own socialist vision for architecture. They created a series of public spaces that were intended to create interconnectedness between the residents. The estate features elevated walkways, known as 'streets in the sky', that were aimed at fostering interactions between neighbours and providing space for children to play on large concrete balconies.

Robin Hood Gardens was built with panels of pre-cast concrete and the estate is comprised of two horizontal structures that housed a total of 213 apartments of varying size, some with a single storey, others with two. One of these towers is ten-storeys high, while the other is only seven-storeys high to ensure it didn't block natural light.

Every third floor has a wide, concrete balcony that juts out towards the centre of the site and overlooks the communal garden. Noise was also carefully considered in the plans, with bedrooms facing inwards to protect inhabitants from the noise of traffic. The exterior facades feature concrete fins.

In post-war Britain, Brutalism was seen as an affordable way to create shelter for the urban population. Residential towers such as Robin Hood Gardens were thought to signify progress.

The movement was founded on the same principles as Modernism, advocating function over form, but was at the same time a departure from the elegant glass structures of Modernism. Where Modernism favoured lightweight structures, Brutalism moved towards solid, concrete forms that often featured repeating geometric shapes.

After a couple of decades of popularity and commissions in the 1960s and 70s across many institutional sectors including education and transport as well as housing, Brutalism lost its lustre. Its buildings were seen as too austere, too abstract. Poorly maintained buildings aged badly. Many have met the same fate as Robin Hood Gardens.

Far from creating an urban utopia, Robin Hood Gardens came to be synonymous with vandalism and crime. Terrible upkeep made the apartment units undesirable places to live. The poverty that the estate had been aimed at alleviating was only exaggerated. Some critics blamed the architects' design for the high level of crime.

Unlike a string of other Brutalist buildings by other well-known architects including the Barbican Estate and Arts Centre, applications to have the Robin Hood Gardens given a listed status were denied and plans for its demolition were approved in 2015.

Robin Hood Gardens is currently being cleared as part of a redevelopment plan for the area. By way of tribute, the V&A Museum has acquired a three-storey section of demolished wing, including the interiors and exterior facade of a maisonette flat, arguing that the building is a significant example of the Brutalist movement. The museum has also adopted a section of a 'street in the sky' elevated walkway.

For all the estate's flaws, it featured green surroundings and spacious flats. The deveopment that will replace it will be denser still. Maybe in the future it to will be torn down and replaced.

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Robin Hood Gardens. Photo by Steve Cadman The London-based social housing complex was design by architects Alison and Peter Smithson as a manifestation of their socialist theories. Completed in 1972, Robin Hood Gardens is a late example of Brutalism. It was built when the architecture stye was quickly falling from grace, criticised for its overly utilitarian [...]

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Robin Hood Gardens is a lesson for future cities

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At the Venice Biennale, the V&A is exhibiting a fragment of the social housing complex completed in 1972 and designed by Alison and Peter Smithson, which is now being demolished.

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designboom | architecture & design magazine

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in collaboration with the venice biennale, london's victoria and albert museum (V&A) presents 'robin hood gardens: a ruin in reverse'. the exhibition revolves around the 1972 brutalist housing estate by alison and peter smithson, which is currently under demolition following a controversial denial of protection by listing. through archival film and images, curators christopher turner and olivia horsfall turner explore the utopian vision of the smithsons while a newly commissioned work by presents a panoramic documentation of the estate's modular interiors as they have been adapted, decorated and furnished by residents.

visitors have a chance to stand on an original version of the brutalist estate after the V&A saved and preserved a three-story section of its façade just before demolition began in 2017. reassembled on a scaffold designed by ARUP, who engineered the original building, the 9-meter-high structure recreates a section of a 'street in the sky' - the elevated access deck designed by the smithsons to foster interaction between neighbours and promote community. 'we want to look forward from 'the street in the sky' and into the future, we want to learn from the robin hood gardens,' the curators note, 'this is the beginning of a long term research into social housing and the estate.'

korean artist do ho suh documents the robin hood gardens interiors as they have been adapted by its residents
image © designboom

korean artist do ho suh used time-lapse photography, drone footage, 3D-scanning and photogrammetry to document and reveal individual residents' lives within the modular plan. the camera pans vertically and horizontally through the building moving from one space to the next to create a visual journey exploring ideas of home, memory and displacement within a physical structure on the verge of demolition.

still from do ho suh's film

image © designboom

the 9-m-high facade saved and preserved by the V&A before the demolition of the estate started

image © designboom

image © designboom

designboom's coverage of the 2018 venice architecture biennale is in partnership with leading energy company edison. edison is taking part in the 16th international architecture exhibition of la biennale di venezia by initiating a path towards sustainability and the efficient use of resources. the collaboration between edison and la biennale is based on awareness that energy is one of the fundamental elements of architecture and of the places, spaces and cities of contemporary life.

antoniolupi's living collection introduces furniture for beyond the bathroom

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the V&A reassembles robin hood gardens façade at the venice biennale

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during the venice biennale, the V&A explores the robin hood gardens, the 1972 brutalist housing estate by alison and peter smithson.

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Darren Rodwell, executive member for housing and planning at London Councils, which helps co-ordinate the initiative, accepts raising the standard of temporary accommodation in London is "undoubtedly challenging", but says StS is helping councils "redress the balance in favour of decent provision".

However, remedying these hazards will only go so far in improving the conditions households in temporary accommodation are forced to live in.

StS inspected Gilroy and Croydon hotels in November last year and gave them a 'satisfactory' inspection grade of C, which the owners said they expect will now be increased to a 'good' grade of B, as they have resolved the issues that were identified. They said StS raised no concerns in relation to the cooking facilities.

Yet, this will be of little comfort to those stuck living in the hotels. "I just need to get out of here," says John, whose mental health has deteriorated since being placed in temporary accommodation. "My room is the same size as a prison cell."

Since speaking to Inside Housing, John has been moved to a larger room in the hotel. Lambeth Council says it has agreed to transfer him to alternative temporary accommodation as soon as possible if he wishes.

It should also be noted that StS only covers nightly paid B&Bs and studios, which only account for a fraction of the temporary accommodation used in London.

With almost 100,000 households living in temporary accommodation, including 60,000 in London alone, councils only have so much leverage when deciding what standards they are willing to accept. Lambeth alone says that every night it provides temporary accommodation for over 3,150 homeless people, at a cost of over £10m a year.

Councils can and have worked with providers to improve conditions. The owners of Croydon and Gilroy hotels say they are routinely inspected by local authorities and work with them to determine the size and configuration of rooms. They have a contract with a specialist company that provides a rapid response to pest infestation issues and say they have had two reports of rodents in the past month across both hotels.

However, until the demand for temporary accommodation decreases, families will be forced to spend long periods of time in cramped conditions with poor amenities. Inspections and regulations can make a difference, but only major shifts in government policy will have a real impact.

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'We've got no dignity': life in poor-quality temporary accommodation

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New figures obtained by Inside Housing reveal the proportion of homeless families in London placed at risk because of hazards in their temporary housing. Lucie Heath meets the people struggling and explores what councils plan to do about it. Photography by Jack Simpson

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https://mubi.com/en/notebook/posts/tag/Video%20Essays

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The Open City podcast is produced in association with the London Society and the Twentieth Century Society, and in partnership with the Architects' Journal

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Brutalism is a powerful architectural style that gained popularity from the 1950s until the mid-1970s. It is distinguished by its use of geometric shapes, bare concrete, and a focus on efficiency. Brutalist constructions, which forgo decoration in favour of an honest and direct representation of the materials, frequently have massive, monolithic forms that convey a sense of solidity and strength.

Brutalist architecture in London has had a lasting impact on the cityscape. Famous instances include the National Theatre and the Barbican Estate, which are large residential and cultural complexes that epitomise the style's use of exposed concrete and angular, intimidating architecture. The Trellick Tower, a prominent residential high-rise in West London, is a prime example of the functionalist ideas of brutalism. These buildings, which are frequently the creation of architects such as Ernő Goldfinger and Chamberlin, Powell, and Bon, add diversity to London's architectural landscape and provoke discussions concerning the aesthetic merits and cultural relevance of Brutalism in the city.

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The term was coined by the British architectural critic Reyner Banham to describe the approach to building particularly associated with the architects Peter and Alison Smithson in the 1950s and 1960s.The term originates from the use, by the pioneer modern architect and painter Le Corbusier, of 'beton brut' - raw concrete in French. Banham gave the French word a punning twist to express the general horror with which this concrete architecture was greeted in Britain.

Typical examples of brutalism are the Hayward Gallery and National Theatre on London's South Bank.

The term brutalism has also sometimes been used to describe the work of artists influenced by art brut.

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Tate glossary definition for brutalism: Architectural style of the 1950s and 1960s characterised by simple, block-like forms and raw concrete construction

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Designed by architects Alison and Peter Smithson and finished in 1972, the Brutalist housing development Robin Hood Gardens in East London was a notable but contentious social housing project. Its unique, interlocking concrete blocks and raised pathways were designed to promote a feeling of shared space and community. Nonetheless, the estate encountered difficulties with social issues and upkeep throughout time. Robin Hood Gardens was eventually demolished in 2017 despite efforts to conserve it as an important example of Brutalist design. This led to discussions regarding the preservation of modernist legacy and the suitability of Brutalist principles in solving the need for social housing.

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The V&A is acquiring a section of Robin Hood Gardens - a defining example of Brutalist architecture and social housing.

Robin Hood Gardens, located in Poplar, East London, is a nationally important and internationally recognised work of Brutalist architecture. Completed in 1972, the building was designed by Alison (1928 -1993) and Peter Smithson (1923 - 2003), British architects of lasting international reputation. It is now being demolished as part of the redevelopment of the area.

The V&A is acquiring a three-storey section, both the exterior facades and interiors of a maisonette flat, as a significant example of the Brutalist movement in architecture. Brutalism arose in the 1950s in reaction to the sleek and elegant glass structures of modernism. It was characterised by the dramatic use of exposed concrete to create facades of often repeating geometrical forms. Not only a style but also a philosophy, Brutalism sought to reframe the relationship between society, architecture and urbanism. The term Brutalism has frequently been applied to the work of the Smithsons, particularly Robin Hood Gardens.

The estate was built by the Greater London Council (GLC) and later transferred to the local authority of Tower Hamlets. The choice of Alison and Peter Smithson as architects gave this wife and husband team their first and only opportunity to create a council estate. Robin Hood Gardens was the culmination of their research on and vision for social housing. It is distinctive for its noise-reducing features, like exterior concrete fins, and for its elevated walkways, known as 'streets in the sky', intended to foster interaction between neighbours.

The Smithsons regarded Robin Hood Gardens as, "a demonstration of a more enjoyable way of living ... a model, an exemplar, of a new mode of urban organisation". Both during their lifetime and since, there has been heated debate as to whether or not the building successfully realised these aspirations. No other work of British social housing has divided opinion to such a great extent.

The announcement in 2008 of the intent to demolish Robin Hood Gardens prompted one of the largest ever campaigns in architectural preservation, initiated by the Twentieth Century Society and Building Design and supported by an international array of architects, including Richard Rogers and Zaha Hadid, as well as leading architectural historians. In 2015, the application to give Robin Hood Gardens listed status was turned down and demolition was approved. The site is now under development to replace the 252 flats with over 1,500 new homes.

Since its foundation, the V&A has preserved and exhibited large fragments of architecture - from the 17th-century timber facade of Sir Paul Pindar's House in Bishopsgate, London, to the gilded Music Room salvaged from Norfolk House in St. James's Square, London. The three-storey section of Robin Hood Gardens joins the Museum's world-renowned architecture collections, ensuring that a part of the building will remain in a public collection for future generations. The acquisition has been made possible by the development partners, Swan Housing Association, London Borough of Tower Hamlets and the Mayor of London who together have collaborated with the V&A Team and muf architecture/art in the removal of the section.

Dr Christopher Turner, Keeper of the V&A's Design, Architecture and Digital Department, said:

This three-storey section of Robin Hood Gardens, complete with 'street in the sky', is an important piece of Brutalism, worth preserving for future generations. It is also an object that will stimulate debate around architecture and urbanism today - it raises important questions about the history and future of housing in Britain, and what we want from our cities.

Dr Neil Bingham, Curator of Contemporary Architectural Collections, added:

When demolition of their social housing project was imminent, Liza Fior (Partner of muf architecture/art), who was at the end of her year-long residency at the V&A, proposed that the Museum should collect a fragment of the building and worked with us to help secure it. The V&A's acquisition of a section of Robin Hood Gardens, complete with front and back facades, will motivate new thinking and research into this highly experimental period of British architectural and urban history.

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Discover the history of Robin Hood Gardens - a defining example of Brutalist architecture and social housing, as a three-storey section is acquired by the V&A.

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Ernő Goldfinger, a distinguished architect, created the Trellick Tower, a notable example of Brutalist architecture situated in West London. This residential high-rise, which was finished in 1972, is a powerful representation of the brutalist trend. The tower's unique isolated service tower, which houses stairwells and lifts, geometric shapes and bare concrete façade define it. Innovative features including maisonettes with private balconies and common areas were incorporated into the design of Trellick Tower in order to provide high-quality social housing. Despite early criticism, Trellick Tower has been praised for its architectural design and is currently a Grade II* listed structure. It adds to London's architectural diversity and cultural legacy, serving as a monument to Goldfinger's vision and the Brutalist aesthetic.

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Fifty years of a London icon

We present here a previously written piece by Jerome Borkwood from his 2002 local history book.

And an Exclusive piece by Tom Vague on the social and cultural history of our beloved icon, complete with images sourced by Tom Vague and Toby Laurent Belson.

Trellick Tower was completed in 1972. It has spent fifty years splitting opinion. To some it is a brutalist monstrosity. To others it is a powerful symbol of home and community.

Plenty of us in West London love Trellick and that is why we are celebrating its fiftieth year, in 2022/23.

Happy Fiftieth Birthday Trellick.

'Tales of the Inner City'

Trellick Tower, when built, was the highest residential building in Europe [it remains the tallest building in Kensington & Chelsea]. The Edenham Estate, designed by the Hungarian born architect Erno Goldfinger, was to be 'an integrated living unit' containing, in addition to the tower with 175 flats, terraces of houses, a residential home and sheltered flats for elderly people, shops, a nursery, a playground, a doctor's surgery, a pub and an underground car park. A striking feature of the 31 storey block was the linked service tower containing lifts, stairs, rubbish chutes and, at the top, a cantilevered boiler house. The building aroused conflicting feelings from the moment it was built. Some hated it.

The Financial Times, in 1984, rated it one of the ugliest buildings in the world.*

Brian Westbury remembered: "When Trellick Tower went up it was very unpopular. It didn't matter whether it was by a famous architect or not. People generally hated it. It was seen as soulless and an eyesore in relationship to the largely human scale three storey buildings. Also there were problems with lifts breaking down, electricity, water, whatever it was, it always seemed to be something. There were problems with the nursery school below where people threw bottles out of windows, but I think a lot of people's objection was aesthetic - they just didn't like the look of it."

Others loved the tower, which was opened to the first tenants in 1972, referring to its austere beauty and fortress-like quality.

Campaigns by the residents' association, which was formed in 1984, led to major improvements to the electricity and heating, and to the security of the building. A number of tenants bought their own flats and, over the last decade, Trellick Tower has come into its own. Flats now change hands for substantial sums of money and, to crown the transformation, English Heritage has made the tower a Grade 2 listed building.

- From 'Kensal Village to Golborne Road: Tales of the Inner City' by Jerome Borkwood (Kensington & Chelsea Community History Group 2002)​​​​​​​

"The middle-class invasion of brutalist former council flats belies the myth that postwar estates were a failure. The razing of other estates comes from a longstanding bias against both modernism and public housing that fails to distinguish between good and bad. It also releases valuable inner-city land on which developers can build at greater density, with more cramped internal space standards, erasing green spaces and established communities."

- FT, January 2016. The writer is the author of 'Concretopia:
A Journey Around the Rebuilding of
Postwar Britain'

When Jimi Hendrix was staying in a purple painted house on Westbourne Grove which inspired 'Purple Haze', Erno Goldfinger said 'scuse me while I kiss the sky and began work on Trellick Tower. Goldfinger's 322 feet high Brutalist masterpiece was his last and favourite job. He designed the 31-storey slab block; with a walkway-linked service lift auxiliary tower, 175 flats in the tower block, and 42 in Block B down below: 217 flats in total; to house 650 people and a kestrel population on top of the service tower.

'Tenants action. Since then the tenants have decided to take the matter into their own hands. On December 28 they had their first tenants' association meeting. Representatives from each floor were elected on to a committee and the following demands were decided:

1. For an independent generator to be installed for use in any emergency, so that essential amenities, like lifts, lights, heating and water can still be used during a crisis.

2. That security measures be put into effect to reduce damage by vandals.

3. More resident caretakers and engineers.

4. The opening and maintenance of all existing facilities, such as the drying room and proper central heating.

5. Additional safety structures for children where the present structures and fittings could prove dangerous.

6. Internal recreation facilities for all age groups be immediately made available (like play rooms and the club room).

Free rent. In addition the tenants are asking for one week's unrebated rent for all the inconvenience caused to them over Christmas.

The Council however is only interested in 'horror-tested' benefits. It wants to find out how many hours tenants spent in the block over Christmas before it offers its graded compensation. So far, the tenants' association is holding out for a fair settlement on terms they and the tenants have decided. If you live in Trellick Tower or want to support the tenants in any way, contact: Steve Mitchell in 21-11 or Mrs Margaret Irribarren in 27-11.'

Trellick Tower inspired JG Ballard's 1975 novel 'High-Rise', which begins: 'Later, as he sat on his balcony eating the dog, Dr Robert Laing reflected on the unusual events that had taken place within this huge apartment building during the previous three months...' As described in 'The Descent of Man' introduction: 'Within the concealing concrete walls of an elegant 40-storey tower block, the affluent tenants are hell-bent on an orgy of self-destruction. Cocktail parties degenerate into marauding attacks on 'enemy' floors and the once luxurious amenities become an arena for technological mayhem. Human society slips into violent reverse and the inhabitants, driven by primal urges, recreate a world ruled by the laws of the jungle.' The first chapter titles are: 'Critical Mass', 'Party Time', 'Death of a Resident', 'Up!', 'The Vertical City', 'Danger in the Streets in the Sky', 'Preparations for Departure', 'The Predatory Birds' and 'Into the Drop Zone'. According to the Sunday Telegraph review: 'What he shows, to devastating effect, is the way in which human beings cannot bear too much order for too long.'

JG Ballard contributed to Michael Moorcock's New Worlds science fiction magazine, which was based at 307 Portobello Road, and Hawkwind had a 'High-Rise' song featuring the line 'It's a human zoo, a suicide mission.' Ballard's urban myths of the near future also influenced punk and post-punk groups such as the Clash and Joy Division. After the first Clash '18 Flight Rock and the Sound of the Westway' NME feature by Barry Miles, Tim Lott's tower block syndrome 'Head On Clash' report in Record Mirror featured Paul Simonon reminiscing about high-rise hooliganism, and being evacuated from the Wornington Road school "because the top of Trellick Tower was crumbling." Lott added: 'That was in North Kensington, Westway-land. Simonon went to school in the miserable shadow of Trellick Tower, the ugliest building in London. When will it fall?'

In a classic North Kensington post-punk photo, prag VEC posed as if they were lying down under Trellick. In 1980 the Passions posed for a photo by Mike Laye by the canal next to the tower. Madness were under Trellick in the videos of 'The Return of the Los Palmas Seven' - in the Venus cafe on Golborne Road - and 'Grey Day' - in Emslie Horniman's Pleasance Park in Kensal. The Department S 'I Want' video featured Vaughan Toulouse under the tower alongside the Great Western Railway line. Aswad were recorded 'Live and Direct' from the 1983 Notting Hill Carnival, in Meanwhile Gardens by the canal under Trellick.

When Mick Jones resurfaced after the Clash split for Big Audio Dynamite's 'The Bottom Line' debut in 1985, he posed in high-rise noon style in Wild West 10, on Golborne Road in front of the tower. The third BAD album 'Tighten Up Volume 88' featured a Paul Simonon painted sleeve depicting a blues party under the Westway and Trellick. The 1994 Big Audio 'Higher Power' album cover featured Trellick again. Transvision Vamp also posed in front of the tower.

Over the last 50 years Trellick has appeared in numerous films, TV series and adverts. Films featuring the tower include 'Freelance', 'The Scorpion's Tail', 'The 14', 'Steptoe and Son Ride Again', 'Withnail and I', 'For Queen and Country', 'London Kills Me', 'Shopping', 'Revelation', 'Never Let Me Go', 'Kidulthood', 'Adulthood', 'Paddington' and 'London Fields'.

In Martin Amis's 'London Fields' novel and the film the anti-hero Keith Talent is a Trellick resident. In the film the Earl of Warwick pub under the tower appears as the Black Cross, which was based on the Golden Cross (now Ukai) on Portobello Road. The 'High-Rise' film was shot in Canada. The Portobello Film Festival features a Trellick logo, images of the tower on programme covers and golden Trellick awards.

In 1996 the Guardian's Kester Rattenbury reported: 'For years tower blocks have been written off and pulled down. Not any more', as 'the management of the 31-floor Trellick Tower, which overlooks London's Westway, will be handed over to its residents.' In 1998 the tower was awarded a Grade 2 listing. As the last Notting Hill Carnival of the 20th century featured Damon Albarn and Destiny's Child in Kensal's Emslie Horniman park, the Carnival stage and sound-systems brought Kensal New Town into Notting Hill; Trellick became a Cool Britannia pop style icon and lost its negative punk 'Tower of Terror' image. Around this time the tower appeared in a Blackthorn cider ad.

Since the Grenfell Tower fire, Trellick has been illuminated during Green for Grenfell commemorations. A fire in Trellick in 2017 was contained due to the concrete structure being listed so it couldn't be covered with cladding.

Trellick Tower is currently under threat from a nearby development plan involving the demolition of neighbouring buildings and the construction of a 16-storey block by the tower. The renowned graffiti gallery at the southern base would also be destroyed if the plans go ahead.

The Open City charity called the plans 'the latest in an ongoing programme of incremental demolition of Goldfinger's world renowned social housing estate which has already seen the neighbourhood's Edenham Residential Care Home knocked down', and added Trellick to its 'Buildings at Risk' list.

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''Between 1965 and 1972, two striking new residential towers rose to the east and west of the London skyline. Both were designed by the Hungarian architect Erno Goldfinger, and both were part of a wider movement to replenish unsanitary and depleted housing stock in the decades following the Second World War.''

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Between 1965 and 1972, two striking new residential towers rose to the east and west of the London skyline. Both were designed by the Hungarian architect Erno Goldfinger, and both were part of a wider movement to replenish unsanitary and depleted housing stock in the decades following the Second World War.

Trellick Tower, Kensal Rise, west London in 1975 (Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Collections)

The first of the two buildings, Balfron Tower, was in the east London neighbourhood of Poplar. Once it was finished, Goldfinger and his wife Ursula moved in for two months to learn from the building's successes and limitations, as well as publicly making the case for high-rise construction. It was a canny PR move that attracted media curiosity, especially the drinks parties the couple threw in their flat for their neighbors.

Ursula Goldfinger's notebooks from this period, held in the RIBA Collections, reveal some of the findings they noted during the stay. The lighting was, she wrote, "to say the least unsatisfactory and potentially dangerous." A common complaint was the dearth of lifts, of which there were only two. But the Goldfingers were encouraged in the tenants' attitudes towards high-rise living. Ursula wrote that she had heard "many tenants who live low down say they would like a flat further up - I have heard no tenant who lives high up say they would like a flat lower down".

Pages from Ursula Goldfinger's notebook, 1965 (RIBA Collections)

So, when Goldfinger turned his attention to west London he was confident his efforts in Poplar could offer a blueprint, with a little fine tuning. The resulting Trellick Tower, Balfron's sister to the west in Kensal Rise, officially opened 50 years ago, on 28 June 1972.

At 31 storeys, Trellick stood even taller; Goldfinger saw high-rise construction as key to retaining ground space for amenities and children's play areas. The tower formed part of the Cheltenham Estate, a mix of low and high-rise buildings combining new homes with shops, a nursery, and other facilities to create a mixed community. The tower's distinctive silhouette, with a separate service tower linked to the main block through a raised walkway at every third level, was now a tried and tested format. This time, Goldfinger rotated the service block by 90 degrees, and added an adjoining seven-storey block. The addition of four extra storeys to the main tower gave Trellick a slenderer appearance than the more bulky looking Balfron.

South, east and west elevation drawings for Trellick Tower, 1967 (RIBA Collections)

Inside were 271 homes, mostly one and two-bedroom flats alongside five two-storey maisonettes. The flats were thoughtfully arranged to ensure each home had a balcony off its living room. From the exterior, these balconies contributed to the tower's distinctive façade. A presentation section drawing from 1962 illustrates how the homes were accessed and some of their features, including the balcony access, sliding doors, and timber-framed windows. Light switches were integrated into the apartments' doorframes.

Presentation section drawing for Trellick Tower, 1962 (RIBA Collections)

Today, Trellick Tower's legacy is complex. The Brutalist design has been revered as a meticulously detailed exercise in high-rise living and social optimism, and reviled as a failed socialist experiment blighted by poor maintenance and crime. Brutalism's return to fashion has come at a cost - some of the flats in Trellick Tower are now on the private market, priced far beyond the means of many of the people the block was originally designed as home to. But the building's significance as a model of high-rise social housing, and the culmination of Goldfinger's design philosophy, is now recognised. Its Grade II* listed status has prevented its signature hammered concrete façade from being clad, which some have argued might have resulted in a tragic fire like the one at Grenfell Tower five years ago.

In 2021, the Kensington and Chelsea Council shelved plans to redevelop the estate, following resistance from residents and heritage groups who objected to the proposed loss of children's play spaces and graffiti wall, alongside other amenities. Half a century after Trellick Tower opened, its next 50 years are hotly contested.

Further reading (available in the RIBA Library unless marked*):

Robert Elwall, 'Erno Goldfinger' (London: Academy Editions in collaboration with the Royal Institute of British Architects, 1996)

Elain Harwood, 'Space, Hope and Brutalism' (Yale University Press, 2014)

Historic England, 'Trellick Tower, Cheltenham Estate, Golborne Road' (National Heritage List for England)*

Paul Hyett, 'Trellick Tower: a giant among high rises' (Architects' Journal, vol. 209, no. 18, May 1999)

Stefi Orazi, 'Modernist estates: the buildings and the people who live in them today' (London: Frances Lincoln, 2015)

Alan Powers, 'Modern: the Modern Movement in Britain' (London: Merrell, 2005)

RIBA, 'The Architecture of Modern Play' (Google Arts & Culture)*

Rob Sharp, 'Battle commences over McAslan plans for Trellick redevelopment' (Architects' Journal, vol. 221, no. 12, March 2005)

Nigel Warburton, 'Erno Goldfinger: the life of an architect' (London: Routledge, 2003)

Trellick and Balfron Towers were also the subject of a recent exhibition in Milan, co-curated by RIBA's Valeria Carullo and drawing on material in the RIBA Collections.

A resident hangs laundry out on the balcony of a flat in Trellick Tower in a 1972 photograph by Sam Lambert (Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Collections)

Erno Goldfinger photographed by Sam Lambert outside Trellick Tower, 1972 (RIBA Collections)

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A Tale of Two Towers: Trellick Tower turns 50

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Half a century since it officially opened, Trellick Tower - Erno Goldfinger's manifesto in high-rise social housing - continues to be both revered and reviled.

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Council Housing, Trellick Tower, Kensington, Greater London | Educational Images | Historic England

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Trellick Tower is a 30 floor tower block consisting of 217 flats, six shops, an office, youth and women's centres. It was built as part of the Cheltenham Estate; a mixture of high and low rise blocks, between Goldbourne Road, the Westway and the canal.

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London's Barbican is arguably the greatest piece of urban architecture of post-war Britain.

It's a visionary Brutalist/Modernist scheme: monumental in scale, geometric, high density, multi-level with elevated walkways and multiple entrances and exits, a car-free city within the City.

Controversial when it was built, the Barbican's design still divides opinion today.

There are over 2,000 flats with more than 4,000 residents, a lake with a lakeside terrace, gardens and fountains, shops, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the City of London School for Girls, the Barbican Library, and a world-renowned multi-disciplinary cultural hub, the Barbican Centre, with its tropical conservatory.

The Queen's inauguration of the Barbican Centre, on 3 March 1982, marked the concluding act of the architectural vision, the completion of the Barbican Estate.

This is the Barbican's story.

The site: Cripplegate and the Blitz

Aerial bombing by the German Luftwaffe during the Blitz destroyed most of the location the Barbican now occupies, about 16 hectares (around the size of 27 football pitches), once occupied mainly by the City's rag trade: tailors, dress-makers, furriers, leather and fabric merchants.

The name Barbican (from a Roman word for watchtower) once was a street in this area. In 1951, six years after the end of the war, it was home to only 48 residents.

The City of London Corporation acquired the bomb-damaged Cripplegate site after the Blitz with a view to developing a commercial area there before deciding, despite fierce internal opposition, to build and manage a mainly residential scheme.

The architects

In the mid-1950s, CPB were employed as consultant architects to what was to become the Barbican.

CPB's appointment followed their innovative design of the nearby Golden Lane Estate.

CPR's Barbican design was aimed at, in the architects' own words, '...young professionals, likely to have a taste for Mediterranean holidays, French food and Scandinavian design'. Their ethos was that architecture was for the greater good. It was an optimistic vision for a better society at a time of booming economic growth.

Between 1955 and 1959 the practice produced three different plans for the Barbican itself, including rejected ideas for the terrace blocks to be faced with white marble, the towers finished with polished concrete, and balconies surfaced with mosaic tiles.

In May 1960, CPB were formally appointed as Barbican architects - occupying the practice for around 30 years. Ove Arup and Partners were appointed as structural engineers. Construction in six phases began September 1963, with leading contractors such as John Laing and Son and Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons awarded major contracts.

Architecture and landscaping

The Barbican Estate's residential buildings comprises 13 seven-storey high terrace blocks topped with white barrel-vaulted roofs, and three triangular tower blocks of 43 and 44 storeys, with serrated balcony silhouettes. There are also two blocks of town houses and two mews.

Pictured above is one of the estate's three high rise blocks, showing the distinctive 'boat edge' balcony design which reduces wind resistance.

The Barbican is characterised by the monumental use of reinforced concrete - cheap and widely available in the 1960s and 1970s.

CPB was significantly influenced by the work of the internationally-renowned architect, Le Corbusier (1887 to 1965), a Swiss-French Modernist pioneer who embraced raw concrete, functionalism and sculptural forms. Their architecture can be viewed too as a reaction against the once-popular, lightweight quirky colourful design aesthetic of the 1951 Festival of Britain.

The concrete columns were poured in sections, one on top of another, leaving ringed joints. The surface of every column was then hammered by hand with pick axes, knocking out small pieces and disguising the joints to create a uniform textured effect.

Landscaping was always an integral part of CPB's Barbican design, with the architects even specifying which trees would work best, including woodland trees and those that would provide autumn colour, retain their foliage in the winter, or display decorative twigs or leaves.

Water features and gardens were planned as a soft visual foil to the severity of the concrete. Large concrete planters filled with greenery lined the walkways and earth-toned brick pavers created outdoor floorscapes. Flats had their own built-in flower boxes on the balconies.

The flats

The Barbican Estate has over 100 flat types, of differing sizes and configurations. The interiors were well made, had underfloor heating, and were extremely modern in concept and design. The first tenants moved in early 1969. The Royal Shakespeare Company's Peter Hall was one of the first.

CPB designed radically modern kitchens - streamlined, fully fitted, with a built-in Creda refrigerator, dishwasher, eye-level cooker and grill, a hob set into the work surface, mechanical ventilation and a stainless steel double sink with a waste disposal system.

Every detail was high-spec, created for the affluent consumer.

CPB also designed many of the fittings for the flats, such as stylish modern door handles and light switches.

The number of flats in the Barbican has expanded in the 20 th century. What was originally built in the mid-1960s as the Barbican YMCA - a tower of single rooms aimed at young people working in the City - was reconfigured into 74 private flats in 2015/2016 and is now known as Blake Tower.

In 2010/2011, the top three floors of Frobisher Crescent were also converted into 69 apartments. This crescent-shaped building was originally constructed mainly as offices by CPB. They had proposed a shopping arcade on the ground floor, but this did not materialise. Their planned Sculpture Court within the curved courtyard and adjacent to the Barbican Centre Gallery was never realised either. The space is used today for occasional art installations and performances.

The Barbican Centre

There had been numerous problems and delays to overcome during the construction of the Barbican Estate, including straightening and covering the railway tracks that ran through the site in open cuttings, formidable technical challenges, escalating costs and a year-long site workers' strike.

The opening of the Barbican Centre 40 years ago by the Queen, 3 March 1982, marked the Barbican's final completion - in the sovereign's words, it was: 'one of the wonders of the modern world.'

CPB had always planned to create an arts centre as a cultural amenity for Barbican residents and the public.

From the mid-1960s, when the Royal Shakespeare Company and the London Symphony Orchestra were invited by the City of London Corporation to take up permanent residency, the idea started to come to fruition as the Barbican Centre.

The Centre was built by John Laing and Son. Extensive excavations below ground allowed the insertion into the pre-existing scheme of a 1,200 seat theatre, and a concert hall accommodating an audience of 2,000, along with attendant facilities.

Today, the Barbican Centre is celebrated for its world-class programme of music, theatre, cinema and visual arts, staging over 2,000 events annually.

The Centre is undergoing a transformation to commemorate its 40th anniversary. The Barbican Renewal Project will respect and preserve the original architecture, while upgrading spaces and giving those areas that are underused a new life, continuing to evolve as a cultural hub that, along with arts events, will also support arts education and creative enterprise.

The Barbican Conservatory is the second largest in London after Kew Gardens. It opened in 1984 and is home to two fish ponds with koi, carp, roach and rudd, a terrapin pool, bee hives and over 1,500 species of plants and trees.

Barbican signage

The unique distinctive typeface used for all signage, guides and literature in the Barbican (almost always the letters are used vertically) was designed by the influential Modernist typographist, Herbert Spencer (1924 to 2002).

CPB wanted the same visual grammar for both the Estate and the Barbican Centre to create clarity and optical harmony across the vast site.

The watch tower motif, used around the Estate, is a graphic interpretation of a Roman barbican that inspired the Barbican's name.

Written by Nicky Hughes.

The role of Historic England
The Barbican is protected as a listed building. You can find out more about the Barbican, and other listed buildings, from the  National Heritage List for England.
Further reading

We champion and protect England's historic environment: archaeology, buildings, parks, maritime wrecks and monuments.

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Brutal and Beautiful: The Story of London's Barbican

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London's Barbican is arguably the greatest piece of urban architecture of post-war Britain.

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Park Hill is a council housing estate in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. It was built between 1957 and 1962 and designed by the architects Ivor Smith and Jack Lynn. The estate was inspired by the Unité d'habitation, a housing building in Marseille, France designed by the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and completed in 1952. Unité d'habitation focused on bringing the people that lived there together in a 'vertical garden city' with shops, restaurants and other facilities as well as private flats. The concept of Park Hill was described as 'streets in the sky' with four street levels wide enough for milk floats to drive through, each with direct access to shops and pubs on the ground floor.

3,000 people were housed in Park Hill. A survey one year after the flats were officially opened was very positive. Most people living there said they felt better off and the architects won awards for the design.
What went wrong?
By the 1970s problems started to build up. Crime on the estate was making headlines in newspapers and with the increase in unemployment by the 1980s there were more and more social problems. Drug use made Park Hill a dangerous place to be at night and people began calling the building ugly and likening it to a prison block. It turned into a symbol of broken dreams and families were moved out. The estate became unused and unloved but in 1998 was listed as a Grade II building which protected it from being torn down.
'I love you will u marry me?'
Sheffield council handed Park Hill over to developers Urban Splash in 2004 to renovate the neglected estate. Glass and colourful panels were added to balance the heavy concrete in the original design and the interiors of the flats were updated. A new 'high street' of shops, bars and pubs was created at ground level. When the renovation team first visited Park Hill they saw the line of graffiti 'I love you will u marry me?' sprayed onto a concrete bridge. The declaration of love was overwritten in neon lights and used as a symbol of Park Hill's regeneration. In January 2013 the first new residents and businesses moved into the building.

The people of Sheffield are divided on their opinion of Park Hill. Some consider it an important part of the city's heritage while others still think of it as an ugly blot on the landscape.
Photo: Tom Parnell

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Park Hill Estate: an infamous Sheffield icon

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Modern: the Modern Movement in Britain

The book looks at important architects' creations, the effects of technology, and the social and cultural environments that shaped modernist architecture. Powers's work is renowned for its perceptive observation and captivating storytelling, giving people a sophisticated comprehension of the historical and architectural developments that characterised this pivotal era in the history of British architecture.

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Renowned British architectural company Chamberlin, Powell & Bon is well-known for its substantial contributions to the Brutalist movement. Architects Peter Chamberlin, Geoffry Powell, and Christoph Bon formed the partnership, which rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s after the Barbican Estate in London was completed. Their dedication to Brutalist ideas is demonstrated by this renowned residential and cultural complex, which has strong geometric forms, exposed concrete, and creative urban planning. The firm's portfolio includes a range of residential, municipal, and educational projects in addition to the Barbican. The impact of Chamberlin, Powell & Bon extends beyond their skill as architects; they also shaped post-war British architecture and added to the conversation about modernism and brutalism in building.

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In 1951, the City of London launched a competition for designs for their proposed Golden Lane Estate. This was intended to be a residential complex for 900 residents on land next to (what was later…

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A History of Council Housing in 100 Estates by John Boughton

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Founded in the mid-1960s, Shelter exist to fight for everyone’s right to a safe and suitable home. Motivated by the continued worsening of the nationwide housing crisis, the charity recently went through an activism-inspired rebrand, taking them back to their early days of grassroots campaigning.

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What Were You Wearing Exhibit?

This exhibit aims to debunk the victim-blaming misconception that wearing certain items of clothing somehow encourages a sexual assault. Crimes done against victims are not their responsibility. People frequently question rape and sexual assault survivors, "What were you wearing?" People must cease posing this question. This is to peruse the accounts and attire of nearby survivors to understand that clothes have no bearing on sexual assault. People may reflect on any long-held assumptions regarding sexual assault after reading what these survivors had to say.

In reality, myths and stereotypes that can aid perpetrators of crime in avoiding accountability for their choices.

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What Were You Wearing Exhibit

The purpose of this exhibit is to dispel a victim-blaming myth that clothing somehow invites a sexual assault. Victims of crime are not responsible for crimes committed against them. Survivors of rape/sexual assault are often asked, "What were you wearing?" We need to stop asking this. We encourage you to look at these stories and outfits of local survivors to see that clothing is irrelevant when it comes to sexual assault. As you read what these survivors shared, please take a moment to reconsider what may be your own long-held beliefs about sexual assault that are, in reality, myths and stereotypes that can aid perpetrators of crime in avoiding accountability for their choices.

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This sexual assault clothing exhibit at DOVE Center dispels the victim-blaming myth that clothing invites sexual assault.

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''The rule of law definitely is something that talks more, especially in the eastern Europe,

where the democracy is under attack from the high corruption level, national populism and poor trust in the judiciary.'' By Atanas Giew

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The Fund for Peace is an international not-for-profit organisation. To cut through public apathy, it created The Bottom 100 - a collection of faces and stories from those experiencing the worst persecution and suffering.

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D&AD Awards 2018 Photography for Design Wood Pencil Winner from Host/Havas Australia.

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Eisuke Tachikawa formed Nosigner, a design and creative agency that has worked on projects that demonstrate a dedication to environmental and social concerns. The firm is renowned for its interdisciplinary approach, and design thinking is frequently integrated into its work with an emphasis on social effect and sustainability.

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NOSIGNER is a social design activist that drives social change towards a more hopeful future. To create new forms and discover clues that are possible to change the invisible relationships, we seek the highest quality in various design fields ranging from architecture, product, and graphic design.

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The IS developed a critique of capitalism based on a mixture of Marxism and surrealism. Leading figure of the movement Guy Debord identified consumer society as the Society of the Spectacle in his influential 1967 book of that title. In the field of culture situationists wanted to break down the division between artists and consumers and make cultural production a part of everyday life.

It combined two existing groupings, the Lettrist International and the International Union for a Pictorial Bauhaus. As well as writer and filmmaker Guy Debord, the group also prominently included the former CoBrA painter Asger Jorn, and the former CoBrA artist Constant. British artist Ralph Rumney was a co-founder of the movement.

Situationist ideas played an important role in the revolutionary Paris events of 1968. The IS was dissolved in 1972.

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Tate glossary definition for Situationist International: Revolutionary alliance of European avant-garde artists, writers and poets formed at a conference in Italy in 1957 (as Internationale Situationiste or IS)

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Atlas of the conflict: Israel-Palestine

''Malkit Shoshan, an architect, uses maps, diagrams, and visual narratives to examine the complex geopolitical, social, and historical dimensions of the conflict. The atlas provides insights into issues such as borders, settlements, and the impact of architecture on the region's identity and ongoing struggles. "Atlas of the Conflict: Israel-Palestine" is praised for its innovative approach in presenting the multifaceted nature of the conflict through a visual and spatial lens.''

She demonstrates here the transition of the land from 1920s to now of Palestine, and Israel.

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ZOO, or the letter Z, just after Zionism; As part of a research on the relationship between architecture and war, consists of an installation, an archive.

“Two white donkeys dyed with black stripes delighted Palestinian kids at a small Gaza zoo who had never seen a zebra in the flesh...” Reuters, 8 October 2009)

Page number 437 of ‘The Atlas of the Conflict’ and continues into a fascinating exploration of ideas, snapshots and associations, that could be raised once seeing a white donkey tied with a rope, covered with beige tape and being transformed into a zebra by a beautiful Palestinian boy. This in order to fulfill the desire of the Gaza's for normality, which in this case means possessing a zoo as a space for urban leisure.

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Project BLUE: The Architecture of UN Peacekeeping Missions

It combines research and projects involving policymakers, military engineers and officers, anthropologists, local inhabitants, activists, rebels, diplomats, etc.

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D&AD released a brief to ''Rebrand the city.'' of London, after the economic crisis.

''Students were one of the first victims of the economic crisis as tuition fees tripled bringing UK tuitions fees to become one of highest in the world (Walker, 2015)''

''The D&AD Brief challenged students to collaborate with those who are responsible for indebting them. It used design to camouflage the reckless behavior of the financial industry and in the City of London.''

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The underlying premise of DRS2016 was that 50 years of design research has provided us with a sound understanding of design and a solid foundation upon which to build. The interesting questions, then, appeared to us as not so much how we do more of the same - though that of course has its place - but in how we use what we now know.

Browse the contents of DRS2016: Future-Focused Thinking:

DRS2016 Research Papers

498 research papers were submitted. Each paper received at least two peer reviews. 240 papers were accepted for publication and presentation, an acceptance rate of 48%.

DRS2016 Editorials

Editorial pieces are commissioned to accompany the conference proceedings. They are not peer reviewed.

DRS2016 Conversations

Conversation reports are based on events held at the conference. They are not peer reviewed.

DRS2016: Conference Volumes

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DRS2016: Future-Focused Thinking | DRS Biennial Conference Series

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The underlying premise of DRS2016 was that 50 years of design research has provided us with a sound understanding of design and a solid foundation upon which to build. The interesting questions, then, appeared to us as not so much how we do more of the same - though that of course has its place - but in how we use what we now know.

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''When the Bauhaus art school opened in 1919, more women applied than men - so why have we never heard of them?''

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Bobbed, geometric haircuts. Chunky jewellery. Vegetarian diets. Saxophone playing. Breathing exercises. Painting. Carving. Snapping with brand new 35mm Leica cameras. Dressing in the artiest handmade clothes. Attending arty parties. Ninety years on from the founding of Walter Gropius's legendary art, craft and design school, the female students of the Bauhaus appear to have been as liberated as young women today.

At least they do in the photographs in Bauhaus Women, a book by Ulrike Muller, a "museum educator" in Weimar, the German town where the Bauhaus opened in 1919, declaring equality between the sexes. Where German women had once received art education at home with tutors, at the Bauhaus they were free to join courses.

And yet the photographs of those seemingly liberated women tell, at best, a half truth. Yes, the world's most famous modern art school accepted women. But few became well known. While the men of the Bauhaus - Gropius, Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, László Moholy-Nagy and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe - are celebrated, names like Gunta Stölzl (a weaver), Benita Otte (another weaver), Marguerite Friedlaender-Wildenhain (ceramicist), Ilse Fehling (sculptor and set designer) or Alma Siedhoff-Buscher (toy maker) mean precious little.

If these bright young things came to the Bauhaus as equals, why are the women so obscure? The school's fleeting existence (just 14 years), the rise of the anti-modern National Socialist movement and six years of world war may have been factors, but the uncomfortable truth is that the Bauhaus was never a haven of female emancipation.

More women than men applied to the school in 1919, and Gropius insisted that there would be "no difference between the beautiful and the strong sex" - those very words betraying his real views. Those of the "strong sex" were, in fact, marked out for painting, carving and, from 1927, the school's new architecture department. The "beautiful sex" had to be content, mostly, with weaving.

The school's students produced radical work, but Gropius's vision was, at heart, medieval, if apparently modern, and he was keen to keep women in their place - at looms, primarily, weaving modern fabrics for fashion houses and industrial production. He believed women thought in "two dimensions", while men could grapple with three.

By the time Mies van der Rohe was appointed director in 1930, the Bauhaus had essentially become an architecture school and, increasingly, there was little place for women to shine. Those who did, like Anni Albers, did so only after they abandoned the Bauhaus. Albers left Germany for the US in 1933, with her husband, the painter Josef Albers, to teach at the new Black Mountain College, North Carolina, and make fabrics for design-led companies like Knoll and Rosenthal.

Marguerite Friedlaender-Wildenhain, the ceramicist, also became a big success in the US with her Pond Hall pottery. Benita Otte was ousted from her position as head of the weaving department but established her own mill elsewhere in Germany; her fabrics remain in production. Mean while, Gunta Stölzl, hounded by Nazi sympathisers within the Bauhaus after her marriage to a Jew, left in 1931 and founded her own successful handweaving business in Switzerland.

Many other Bauhaus women simply vanished without trace. Sadly, this was all too true of the toy maker Alma Siedhoff-Buscher, who was killed in a bombing raid in 1944, and of Otti Berger who, on a trip to see her mother in Yugoslavia in 1939, was unable to get a visa to the US despite an offer of work at Moholy-Nagy's New Bauhaus in Chicago. In 2005, newly available Soviet archives revealed that Berger, a Jew, had died at Auschwitz in 1944.

Marianne Brandt, a metalworker, was one of the few who made a name for herself while at the Bauhaus. The globe lamps she designed in 1926, and the Kandem bedside light, with adjustable reflector, have long been standard-bearers of Bauhaus design.

But if the school's women are largely unsung, their legacy lives on. As Bauhaus architecture becomes a distant vision of the future, so Bauhaus fabrics remain as useful, tactile and special as they were when these women set out to equal their male peers. As Gunta Stölzl (1897-1983) put it, "We wanted to create living things with contemporary relevance, suitable for a new style of life. Huge potential for experimentation lay before us. It was essential to define our imaginary world, to shape our experiences through material, rhythm, proportion, colour and form." Against the odds, they did.

Bauhaus Women, by Ulrike Muller, is published by Flammarion at £24.95.To order a copy for £22.95, with free UK p&p, go to theguardian.com/bookshop or call 0330 333 6846.

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When the Bauhaus art school opened in 1919, more women applied than men - so why have we never heard of them, asks Jonathan Glancey

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What Is Good Design if not Designing for the Good? Ideas for a Better World

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The world today can be an infinitely better place. With the increasing amount of issues affecting us as a whole in recent years, such as the global health crises, environmental destruction, and socioeconomic disparities, the onus is on each and every one of us to do everything we can for the generations to come.

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Now, she's decided to write a book about both her personal experiences in choosing a design career and musings on creativity more generally and why it's important to everyone, no matter what their career.

Billed as a reflection on her life and processes and how they've "been shaped by the beauty, challenges and serendipity of design and the visual arts," her publication Citizen First, Designer Second was designed by Jon Dowling and Céline Leterme.

"It goes without saying that I care deeply about design," says Dal Bello. "It speaks to me like a language, which can't easily be understood by those who have not practised and become fluent in it after making it their life's work. But design is really something that touches and affects us all...as designers; we are not just in the business of creating pretty pictures."

As the book delineates, good design can "make or break a brand," but it can also do a lot of good in raising awareness of good causes and organisations that might otherwise go unnoticed. It's "the difference between securing vital funding or being able to bring a message to a community," as Dal Bello puts it.

She began work on the book in October 2019 and in an impressive but slightly bonkers move, finished it one week later. How? She woke up at 5am, worked on the book until 10am, spent the day doing studio work then continuing with the book again in the evenings until 2am. It's not a regime we'd recommend... "I know that sounds absurd... which it is," Dal Bello concedes. "But the real truthful answer to this question is that I started to write this book 15 years ago, but I did not know I was writing it."

This makes sense. The designer has been giving lectures about design and teaching design since she was 28 years old (she's now 41). "Once chatting passionately about design topics a friend of mine said 'why don't you write these things down'," the designer explains. "I mentioned to her that I give lectures with some of these topics, but as I finished the call I went to all my lectures archives where I keep all the script of the lectures and to my surprise, I had around 25 topics, and that prompted me to develop my thoughts in more depth."

One of the biggest challenges in getting her thoughts down on paper was her dyslexia: "I always think people have difficulty understanding me or my writing because I organise or understand thoughts differently," says Dal Bello. "The energy to write does not come naturally to me."

However, it sounds as though the writing process had a certain therapeutic value. Sharing her process whether through the book or in lectures "helps to keep me sane," says Dal Bello. "You tell the process of the job, the challenges of a design career, how you got to be where you are and your own choices so that people can reflect on theirs."

The title hints at Dal Bello's conviction that designers should, in some way, use their design to bring about positive change in the world. When she was 17, she split her time between two very different worlds: volunteering with kids in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, and the very contrasting environment of art school. These opposing worlds made her focus on what design can do to help others. She went on to study for her masters in Holland, where she could take a course specifically about design's role in shaping cities. "I would apply design to societal issues: I ended up studying what design can do to prevent long-term homelessness."

If the book is a summation of sorts on Dal Bello's values as a designer and a way of gathering everything she's learned into one place, it's also a means of looking back on how the industry has changed as a whole. When she started, as she saw it, there was pretty much just two "categories" of design-graphic and product-joined a little later by a surge in web designers. "Now we have so many specialities and nuances within our profession that I think it might even be hard to [think about] where to focus," Dal Bello says. "The profession expanded so much and will continue to expand." While she says this expansion is "amazing", it also means for far more complexity: projects that would have once been fairly simple are now naturally so much more diverse in terms of their considerations and processes.

In terms of the design, Counter-print's Jon Dowling and Céline Leterme went for a bold, strong and simple approach. The main concern was legibility: "It's not a book about my portfolio," says Dal Bello. "It needed to work in favour of a 'reading book,' and not a 'looking book'." As such, the designers were briefed to create big type, bold titles, and ensure the book was easy to open, read and carry.

Having chalked up a lot of experience teaching design students, we were interested to know what the designer thinks are the vital things that students need to know, or be able to do, once art school is over. "First and foremost, love what you do," she says. "The creative process is tiring, unpredictable, and unknown and every job feels like you are starting all over again... keeping the core of the creative strong after a lot of client feedback is difficult after a while."

She points out that certain aspects of the business side of running a studio and the digital tools designers use change all the time-you can learn them along the way. "Being hungry always to learn is key. What should be constant is passion and energy to keep wanting to do your best work.

"I am happy I can still be a graphic designer after 20 years...choosing a creative path was no easy feat, but no doubt I would have done it all over again."

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Rejane Dal Bello on why creatives should be a Citizen First, Designer Second

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Rejane Dal Bello has decided to write a book about both her personal experiences in choosing a design career and musings on creativity more generally and why it's important to everyone, no matter w...

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Building community

This non-profit voluntary organisation offers vulnerable people a range of help and services - everything from freshly cooked meals to haircuts.

Our visual identity work graphically represents the idea of people working together. It's moving, simple and welcoming.

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The Smile Brigade * Studio Rejane Dal Bello

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Building community This non-profit voluntary organisation offers vulnerable people a range of help and services - everything from freshly cooked meals to haircuts. Our visual identity work graphically represents the idea of people working together. It's moving, simple and welcoming.

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PIN-UP | ON MOMA'S "EMERGING ECOLOGIES" EXHIBITION

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The "Emerging Ecologies" Exhibition at MoMA
by Ricky Ruihong Li

This past August, a group of climate activists blocked the two-lane road to Burning Man, the annual get-together rooted in an expired countercultural cause. The blockade induced a mile-long, bumper-to-bumper bottleneck of mostly gas-powered cars and recreational vehicles. The Pyramid Lake Paiute tribal police shut down the climate protest, and if this doesn't muddle the environmental case enough, an enraged Burner grumbled to a journalist: "I have solar panels installed on my RV!" Contemporary environmental politics manifests itself in ideological confusion.

Emerging Ecologies: Architecture and the Rise of Environmentalism, a sprawling exhibition organized by the Emilio Ambasz Institute's Carson Chan, Matthew Wagstaffe, Dewi Tan, and Eva Lavranou at the Museum of Modern Art, is a timely retrospective spotlighting the historical contexts in which North American environmental consciousness developed in relation to how its various tenets registered in "the built and natural environment." Recognizing "architecture itself as an environmental discipline," as Chan suggests in his catalog essay, the exhibition lays out a heterogeneous array of practices and projects in an attempt to define "environmental architecture" in the postwar United States.

Invoking Rachel Carson's Silent Spring in its wall text, Emerging Ecologies calibrates its curatorial frame to a tradition of eco-critical literature that accounts for the detrimental effect industries and technologies have had on nature. Unsettling a simplified opposition between the two, however, the exhibition attempts to delve into a more complex historical conjunction in which technology and the environment, as we might know them, have mutually articulated each other.

On the right wall near the entrance hangs the reproduction of a suite of drawings. "Computer Drawn," as they read, dots, arrows, numbers, and colored patches crisply plotted on gridded surfaces by CARLA (Computerized Approach to Residential Land Analysis). Developed by architect Beverly Willis in the early 1970s, it was a computational design program tasked with algorithmically suggesting optimal planning solutions for land development projects. This statistical matrix was among many concurrent architectural works that exploited then-newly available informational technologies to represent the "environment" as an aggregate of spatial data points, from trees to elevations and water flows to soils.

Also on view are the almost flamboyant cartographic scrolls from Ian McHarg's Estuary Design studio at the University of Pennsylvania and a curious Rubik's Cube-shaped model of sectional mapping by Howard T. Fisher's Laboratory for Computer Graphics at Harvard University. The amorphous, indistinct contours of the environment began to be delineated by an emerging assemblage of techniques, making certain ecological agencies calculable in the looming technological administration of the environment.

But it's not until the glaring projection of Buckminster Fuller's at the center of the gallery that the quantitative impulse of "environmental architecture" culminates. The flickering Dymaxion maps exemplify the postnatural dream of total informatization of the environment - where a control room with a real-time, infospheric view of spaceship Earth orchestrates flows of planetary resources: geological materials and processes become logistical. The sweeping techno-optimism characteristic of the time is further heightened by a host of speculative, extraterrestrial landscapes pulled from popular culture, from the orbital, planetary suburbia of the NASA-commissioned space art by Rick Guidice and Don Davis to the outer-space eco-colony from the sci-fi feature Silent Running by Douglas Trumbull with illustrator George Akimoto.

Next to the cheerful pictures of science's green-tinted, technocratic fantasies, however, are a spread of archival documents, photographs, and films that sought a different relationship with the environment. In Anna and Lawrence Halprin's Experiments in Environment workshops and the New Alchemy Institute's self-sufficient ark, two experimental practices that the exhibition draws from what has been known as the counterculture, a rawer, more immediate environmental politics was expressed; technologies were reconfigured in driftwood bonfires, south-facing greenhouses, circular farming systems, and psychedelic trips in each of their experimental, communal spaces. If scientism technologized the environment into commensurable objects for control, technology was rendered environmentally ambient, at least momentarily again, in a culture of "turn on, tune in, drop out." On the other end of the gallery is Ant Farm's entry: its member Curtis Schreier's 1975 color-pencil drawings Dolon EMB (Dolphin Embassy) muses on an architecture of human-cetacean communication and interspecies diplomacy. Never defined by naïveté or solutionism, the transdisciplinary collective's operations were as rhetorical as they were architectural, supplying wry smiles in the face of a ludicrous drama between modernity and an idea of the Nature it produces.

"A necessarily selective survey," as Chan acknowledges, MoMA's representation of "environmental architecture" is compromised by "the irretrievable loss of ecological knowledge developed for millennia before European settlers colonized this land." Transfixed by the Anglo-American milieu of the 1960s and 70s (a spacetime saturated by recent architectural research), the exhibition diligently hints at, when possible, leakages in its inevitable insulation within a settler colonial framework. Yet, when other subjects do appear in the exhibition, they are hung as pictures of resistance insofar as they perform the work of discursive correction and legitimacy. Framed as a salient defense of indigenous sovereignty through documentary photographs and news clippings, for instance, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation's decade-long legal battle against a land-effacing dam, which established precedent for resistance through the legislative system, might indicate openings in a remedial framework of environmental institutionalism; however, it also suggests a dismal outlook where any refuge of a world worth living from capitalist development's ruination machine is left up to the arbitration by its own green governances, bureaucracies, and deals.

What is left unclear in recycling the historical emergence of particular environmental politics - which may have already been bankrupt - is how these sporadic, if individualistic, episodes connected to the larger political ecologies at the time. In his recent book Scorched Earth, Jonathan Crary identifies the tragic negligence, if not dismissal, of many prescient ecological accounts in anti-systemic struggles erupting in advanced capitalist countries in the 1960s and 70s, when environmentalism failed to gain political momentum with broader liberation, anti-war, and student movements. One way to engage with Emerging Ecologies is to identify a sprawling yet patchy field of past praxis from which we may salvage architecture and its history's political purchase in the environment, only to take it apart to forge new, enduring webs of solidarity with struggles of the many systemic violences of our time, spectacular or slow.

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PIN-UP | ON MOMA'S "EMERGING ECOLOGIES" EXHIBITION

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Hidden Barriers | Bus | Full Version | Campaigns | Shelter

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In 2022, the nation's attention was absorbed by the cost-of-living crisis. Though it felt like the price of everything had skyrocketed overnight, the cost of housing has in fact been rising for decades. Shelter wanted to put pressure on the government to resolve this emergency, so we set out to get politically engaged renters talking about unaffordable housing by surrounding the contexts that shape their worldview and the environments where conversations happen.

We took a swipe at the futile cost-of-living hacks we'd all seen in recent months, appearing in left-leaning news titles, across Twitter and Reddit and in pubs up and down the country. Flyposting in neighbourhoods with a high proportion of renters and a mural in Shoreditch took our campaign to the communities where substandard housing is a major issue, and a billboard outside the Conservative Party conference made sure the government got the message.

Our campaign inspired a groundswell of support for Shelter, with donations up 41% year-on-year. Crucially, we started a national conversation about affordable housing as a real solution to the cost-of-living crisis, with a 90% increase in buzz and over 100,000 likes and shares of our campaign on social media.

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Shelter: No More Unhelpful Hacks - a clear message to the government to take responsibility for the crisis and make housing more affordable - Yonder Media

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In 2022, the nation's attention was absorbed by the cost-of-living crisis. Though it felt like the price of everything had skyrocketed overnight, the cost of housing has in fact been rising for...

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Campaign was created in partnership with Yonder Media and Imagen Insights.

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Shelter campaign mocks 'unhelpful' cost-of-living hacks

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Campaign was created in partnership with Yonder Media and Imagen Insights.

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Almost 1.1million private renters in England- one in seven-had their rent increased in the last month, a new report from Shelter reveals.

The charity's research shows millions of private tenants are stretched to breaking point: one in three (2.6 million adults)are spending at least half their household income on rent. And even more staggeringly, almost 2.5 million renters are either behind or constantly struggling to pay their rent, a figure which has rapidly increased by 45% since April 2022.

Even before the cost-of-living crisis, private renters were paying the highest housing costs compared to people in social housing or with a mortgage. Shelter is warning that unless the government helps those struggling to pay their rent, a huge surge in homelessness is inevitable. It is urging the government to stop this ticking timebomb by unfreezing housing benefit, which is lagging way behind rents, having been frozen at 2020 levels.

Shelter's latest polling, which was conducted by YouGov and funded by Nationwide, also looked at the scale of rent increases in the last year. Of the 3.5 million private tenants who had their rent increased-more than 800,000saw it put up by more than £100 a month, and nearly 200,000 were hit with an eye-watering rise of more than £300 a month.

The alarming findings mirror what Shelter is seeing through its own frontline services. The charity's web advice on grants, loans and help to pay rent was viewed every minutes between 1 June and 31 August - a total of just over 25,000 views, an increase of 205% compared with the first three months of the year.

Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Shelter, said: "With more than a million private tenants hit with a rent hike in just the last month, time is running out. The already high cost of renting meant tenants were on the ropes trying to keep up with rising food and energy prices. Now runaway rents will deal many renters a knock-out blow.

"Our emergency helpline advisers are doing everything they can to help people cling onto their homes. We're at breaking point, too many families won't be able to keep a roof over their head this winter because they won't be able to afford to heat their home or pay their rent.

"To give cash-strapped renters a fighting chance, the Prime Minister must at a minimum urgently unfreeze housing benefit so people can afford to pay their rent or face an explosion in homelessness."

Andrew, 38, lives in a one-bedroom flat near Brighton with his partner and shares custody of his children from his previous marriage. He works full time as an engineer. Recently his landlord put his rent up by £155 a month making it unaffordable and forcing him to move.

"In June my landlord raised by rent by £155, £100 more than we'd previously agreed. I couldn't afford it and had no choice but to move. With my budget I could only afford a one-bedroom flat in the area, so when my children stay each weekend I sleep on the sofa, my partner sleeps on a camp bed, and the kids sleep in our bed and a bunkbed in the bedroom.

"Having to move and knowing that our rent could so easily spiral again beyond our means has left my partner in a constant state of anxiety, to the point she needs professional mental health support. I just want my family to have some stability and security."

Shelter will continue to do everything it can to help struggling renters to stay in their homes during the cost-of-living crisis. Private tenants with rent arrears should consider talking directly with their landlord or agent to try and negotiate a payment agreement. Anyone who is worried about losing their home can contact the charity for free and expert advice and support by visiting www.shelter.org.uk/get_help.

ENDS

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More than a million private renters hit with a rent hike in the last month - Shelter England

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More than a million private renters hit with a rent hike in the last month

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At first I moved into a three-bed room, sharing with one other girl, then moved up the waiting list to bag a private room. On each floor there were a couple of showers and bathrooms shared by everyone.

Cooking dinner was the most difficult thing to navigate. Across the two kitchens, there were three sinks, two toasters, a single oven and another smaller electric oven that wouldn't work, and that was for 70 girls and women to feed themselves. So there was a lot of queuing, a lot of waiting, and a lot of small talk. Sometimes it was exhausting having to talk to someone about their trip on the London Eye when I just wanted a cup of tea after a difficult day at work.

The hostel was great for me when I was just starting my career in London. I enjoyed my time there meeting friendly women around my age, and I'm grateful to the nuns who were so welcoming. They would even organise parties for us - watching all the nuns singing karaoke and joining in with musical chairs was the funniest thing!

But after around a year, I just couldn't take it anymore. The curfew meant I had to be back before 11pm, which was incompatible with working in theatres that often require late nights. We weren't allowed male guests either!

I started looking for somewhere new in September 2022, but it took months to find anywhere suitable. The lettings agents were showing me rooms in flats for £800 a month, with bills on top, and there wasn't even a living room.

Some of these places were truly horrendous. I went to view rooms that smelled like weed, smelled like piss, seeing what was available for the budget I had was so depressing. I even lost hair in the process, it was so stressful.

By then I was 24, and I just wanted to be free to do whatever I wanted to do: to invite people round, to cook for them, to have the space to think, to keep my food in a fridge in the kitchen rather than in my bedroom.

After four months of searching, I eventually found somewhere I could afford and liked in January 2023. I had very nearly given up and had resigned myself to a few more months in the hostel at least, thinking I'd restart my search in April. Luckily, I met someone through work who's aunt had a spare room I could rent for a reasonable price.
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For young people working in the creative industries like myself, we need to be able to live not too far away from the theatres and art studios. But this is becoming impossible. The cost of housing is forcing talented young creatives to work multiple side hustles to pay extortionate rents, instead of focussing on their actual career. What would London be without its actors, artists, directors and costume designers?
As told to Evie Breese. Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? We want to hear from you. Get in touch and tell us more.
I consider myself lucky that the nuns at the RMI gave me somewhere to stay that was affordable, so that I could pursue my dream career. But sharing two toasters with 70 other women shouldn't be a permanent way of living.

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Housing crisis: I lived in a hostel for 15 months because of London's extortionate rents - The Big Issue

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The dire state of London's rental market left costume designer Sara Mackenzie living in a 70-bed hostel, run by nuns, for 15 months

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Now more than ever every penny counts. That's why we're sharing these hacks to help you save energy and cut costs.

1) Switch off from standby

We're all guilty of leaving our switches on when they're not in use! Remember to flip the switch for things like your phone charger, TV, and other electrical appliances and save up to £70 each year.

2) Turn off lights

Turning your lights off when you're not using them or when you leave the room costs nothing and could save you up to £26 a year.

3) Switch to LED bulbs

Swapping out old bulbs for energy saving LED alternatives could save you up to £7.46 per bulb replaced each year. And, when you count just how many bulbs you have at home, it all adds up!

4) Don't overfill the kettle

We've all been there and done it - overfilled the kettle with more water than we need. Only heat the amount you need and you could save up to £48 each year.

5) Take a 4-minute shower

Reducing the time you spend in the shower could save a typical household up to £89 a year, and swapping just one bath a week with a shower could save you a further £15.

6) Wash at 30 degrees and reduce the number of loads

Washing at a lower temperature and reducing amount of cycles you put on is better for the environment and your pocket. This could save you up to £38 a year!

7) Only heat the rooms you use

Turning down the temperature controls on your radiator in rooms you're not using could save you up to £95 each year.

8) Reduce your thermostat by one degree

By layering up and reducing your thermostat by just one degree, you could save up to £100 each year.

9) Draught proof gaps

Reduce the heat being lost through windows and doors by draught proofing gaps. This could save you up to £57 a year.

10) Insulate your home

Cavity wall and loft insulation could save you up to an eye watering £482. Find out if you could be eligible for free insulation works at lbbd.gov.uk/cosy-homes-scheme

*Sources: ~NEA - Aug 2022; *MSE Jan 2022 & ^Which, May 2022. Current Energy Cap £2,500. Typical savings from these sources rendered as % of a typical bill and applied to current price cap to calculate potential savings. All figures are based on a typical household so may be higher of lower depending on individual household usage.

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Save up to £1,050 a year with these energy-saving tips.

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Text description provided by the architects. After World War II, the need for housing was at an unprecedented high. The Unite d'Habitation in Marseille, France was the first large scale project for the famed architect, Le Corbusier. In 1947, Europe was still feeling the effects of the Second World War, when Le Corbusier was commissioned to design a multi-family residential housing project for the people of Marseille that were dislocated after the bombings on France.

Completed in 1952, the Unite d' Habitation was the first of a new housing project series for Le Corbusier that focused on communal living for all the inhabitants to shop, play, live, and come together in a "vertical garden city."

The Unite d'Habitation was a first, both for Le Corbusier and the ways in which to approach such a large complex to accommodate roughly 1,600 residents. Especially since Le Corbusier did not have many buildings of such a substantial scale when compared to the villas. When designing for such a significant number of inhabitants natural instinct is to design horizontally spreading out over the landscape, rather Le Corbusier designed the community that one would encounter in a neighborhood within a mixed use, modernist, residential high rise.

Le Corbusier's idea of the "vertical garden city" was based on bringing the villa within a larger volume that allowed for the inhabitants to have their own private spaces, but outside of that private sector they would shop, eat, exercise, and gather together.

With nearly 1,600 residents divided among eighteen floors, the design requires an innovative approach toward spatial organization to accommodate the living spaces, as well as the public, communal spaces. Interestingly enough, the majority of the communal aspects do not occur within the building; rather they are placed on the roof.

The roof becomes a garden terrace that has a running track, a club, a kindergarten, a gym, and a shallow pool. Beside the roof, there are shops, medical facilities, and even a small hotel distributed throughout the interior of the building. The Unite d'Habitation is essentially a "city within a city" that is spatially, as well as, functionally optimized for the residents.

Unlike Corbusier's usual employment of a stark, white façade, Unite d'Habitation is constructed from reinforced beton-brut concrete (rough cast concrete), which was the least costly in post-war Europe. However, it could also be interpreted as materialistic implementation aimed at characterizing the conditional state of life after the war - rough, worn, unforgiving.

Even though Unite d'Habitation does not take on the same materialistic qualities as most of Corbusier's works, there is still a sense of mechanistic influence, in addition to the Five Points developed by Corbusier in the 1920s. For example, the buildings large volume is supported on massive pilotis that allow for circulation, gardens, and gathering spaces below the building; the roof garden/terrace creates the largest communal space within the entire building, and the incorporated patio into the façade system minimizes the perception of the buildings height, as to create an abstract ribbon window that emphasizes the horizontality of such a large building.

Also, it is apparent that Le Corbusier's mechanized influences from other industries have not been lost in design. As massive as the Unite d'Habitation is, it begins to resemble the steamship that Corbusier is so intrigued with.

The massive volume appears to be floating, the ribbon windows resemble the cabin windows running along the hull, while the roof garden/terrace and sculptural ventilation stacks appear as the top deck and the smoke stacks. Even though that these elements are quite figural and open to interpretation based on perception, there is an inherent connection between the two.

One of the most interesting and important aspects of the Unite d'Habitation is the spatial organization of the residential units. Unlike most housing projects that have a "double-stacked" corridor (a single hallway with units on either side), Le Corbusier designed the units to span from each side of the building, as well as having a double height living space reducing the number of required corridors to one every three floors.

By narrowing the units and allowing for a double height space, Corbusier is capable of efficiently placing more units in the building and creating an interlocking system of residential volumes. At each end of the unit there is a balcony protected by a brise-soleil that allows for cross ventilation throughout the unit flowing through the narrow bedrooms into the double height space; emphasizing an open volume rather than an open plan.

Unite d'Habitation is one of Le Corbusier's most important projects, as well as one of the most innovative architectural responses to a residential building. So much so, that the Unite d' Habitation is said to have influenced the Brutalist Style with the use of beton-brut concrete. Unite d'Habitation has since been the example for public housing across the world; however, no venture has been as successful as the Unite d'Habitation simply because the Modular proportions that Corbusier established during the project. Nonetheless, Le Corbusier's first large scale project has proved to be one of his most significant and inspiring.

Update Feb 10th, 2023: Updated with additional photography from Gili Merin.

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Architecture Classics: Unite d' Habitation / Le Corbusier

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Completed in 1952 in Marseille, France. After World War II, the need for housing was at an unprecedented high. The Unite d'Habitation in Marseille, France was the first large scale project...

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Who is London for?

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London is facing the worst housing crisis in modern times, with knock-on effects for the rest of the UK. Despite the desperate shortage of housing, tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of affordable homes are being pulled down, replaced by luxury apartments aimed at foreign investors. In this ideological war, housing is no longer considered a public good. Instead, only market solutions are considered - and these respond to the needs of global capital, rather than the needs of ordinary people. In politically uncertain times, the housing crisis has become a key driver creating and fuelling the inequalities of a divided nation. Anna Minton cuts through the complexities, jargon and spin to give a clear-sighted account of how we got into this mess and how we can get out of it.

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Reviews

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"Fierce, incisive, important. Anyone who lives or works in a building should read this book."

Will Self

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"A studied, sustained attack on a market that has been mishandled by successive governments for 40 years, not because politicians have been unable to remedy it but because it has been expedient not to. It makes for painful - yet compelling - reading"

Nathan Brooker, Financial Times

See full review

"Diligent and determined ... Eye-opening ... Minton builds a powerful case ... A call to imagine what is politically possible"

Richard Godwin, Evening Standard

See full review

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Big Capital: who is London for? | Anna Minton | Housing Crisis

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Big Capital is Anna Minton's new book, the inside story of London's housing crisis. Published June 2017.