Two-thirds of all waste produced in the United Kingdom every year is construction waste. The majority of local authorities in the United Kingdom have now declared a climate emergency but, to date, have done little in the way of changing their day to day practices to address the issues relating to climate change. To compound this issue, a IPPC’s report has set a deadline of twelve years to make the necessary adjustments to prohibit a later 1.5 degree Celsius rise in temperature. Anything above this and we will enter a climate breakdown the consequences of which will be catastrophic to our planet. As a sector, building, and construction should be doing more to tackle this. The solution to this problem is not only political but a solution developed through a dialogue with the public and politics is the only way to drive and make long-lasting societal change. But how can Architects contribute to solving this problem and how do we get people to listen? Campaigns such as ‘Architects Declare’, although noble but have arguably done little to drive a cultural change to date. Many of the signatories pay lip service to the core objectives of the manifesto when the demands of the market come knocking and the impact of the campaign outside of the M25 is arguably nonexistent. 

When we started the practice (aside from admittedly a rather egotistical opinion of how Architecture should be conceived) it originated from a rough and developing position of what exactly it means to be a practicing Architect within the context of; a climate collapse, housing crisis, an apparent societal disregard of the profession and the accompanying guilt. As an office we meet this reality daily in the conversations with our staff, clients and contractors. According to the RIBA, only 6% of new homes in the UK are designed by Architects. The marginalisation of our profession has created a dichotomy wherein we are aware of our contribution to the problem but as a group of professionals lack the political and societal leverage to address it head on. The Architect has become the bogeyman, portrayed by many in the media, Giles Coren included as the meddling professional who will spend all your money. This is the context and starting position within which we practice and create. We are a young office, and after three years are now beginning to develop and express a position and approach to tackling the problems outlined here but we see opportunity and freedom in those solutions.

The following drawings, images, thoughts and photographs at all stages of construction and design, aim to chart our approach to design and allude in some way to the prerequisite ideas, solutions and meanings that drive many of the projects we are currently working on.