Community and Meanwhile Projects
We enjoy collaborating with people because great ideas come from all kinds of places. Through conversation and working together we can better understand a place and the people that live there. We believe that creativity is driven by diversity and we welcome the opportunity to work on projects where there is a chance to help benefit a community.
In 2022 we set up a new initiative called ‘Belong’ to help us focus more directly on working with communities and make a real effort to use great design to generate social value. We are very excited about what we might be able to achieve and you can find out more by clicking here www.belong.studio
The Old Ambulance Station, Bexhill
We helped deliver this low-budget social enterprise by converting a redundant ambulance station into eight artists’ studios and a blacksmith’s forge. The studios are let at low rents to local artists to create an exciting and vibrant community and bring life to the surrounding area.
Take a look at www.oldambulancestation.art
Photography by saltwickmedia.co.uk
We are particularly keen to help third-sector, charities and community organisations, and recently produced design guidance to inform and inspire village hall committees to make their buildings more energy efficient and sustainable. The research was produced together with ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) and launched in March 2024.
Click on the image to the left to read more about the project.
“Ben researched and wrote a Net Zero Design Guide for Village Halls on our behalf. His dedication to the project and the expertise he brought to the table was second to none. It would not have been possible to produce such a comprehensive and well-informed resource without his support. We would highly recommend Ben to colleagues in the community and voluntary sector.”
Richard Quallington, Executive Director, ACRE
The Old Laundry Yard, Shepherd’s Bush
Working for U&I plc we helped deliver the re-use and conversion of 72 shipping containers at the Old Laundry Yard at Shepherd's Bush Market. The works included installation of spray foam insulation internally, new sliding doors, and joining some units together to create larger spaces. Much of the development was occupied by Open Cell, an affordable bio-tech hub, run by Imperial College London.
