This is a really interesting discussion from last week's meeting at at Cressingham Gardens What is the Architect’s Role in the Housing Crisis? – report from meeting at Cressingham Gardens
<bittersweet> Greebo on bottom right of picture, facing away from the camera, plus her "poor Ted Hollamby" banner. </bittersweet>
The debate at the Rotunda, Cressingham Gardens, was very interesting indeed. The panel incorporated 2 architects (with partnerships) from big companies with a history of doing regeneration schemes, 3 academics, a representative of Concrete Action, 2 jobbing architects and a resident. The difference between the jobbing architects and the guys from the big companies was (IMO) indicative of the gulf between genuine socialised architecture (full-on engagement with residents allied to a strong desire to give them what they want) and the sort of PR-pervaded stage-managing of resident expectations that the big companies engage in on many of their projects. The strategies proposed by Ashvin de Vos for Cressingham Gardens, and by Architects for Social Housing for Central Hill were designed around continuous resident consultation and engagement, and a brief formulated by residents. Design was resident-led. The schemes which Karakusevic Carson Architects and HTA engage in go into communities with agendas already written, and use "consultation" and "resident engagement" in order to manage expectations in such a way that what their customer - the local authority - wants is reinforced.
An interesting read. Paul Watt I've heard at previous a Cressingham Gardens talk. He's good. Ashvin has been helping with the Adventure Playground in LJ. As well as another architect Tom from Public Works. Small practices of socially commited architects.
