The Politics of Architecture: Negroni Talks
June 20, 2022
Recently, Sam was invited to speak as part of an event held at Design West on the subject of ‘Architecture and Politics’. Organised by London practitioners Fourth Space, their ‘Negroni Talks’ aim to bring people together to talk about important issues relating to design and architecture in a more informal setting than a traditional ‘panel of experts’ format, and all liberated by a Negroni or two! Speakers at the event included former Bristol City Council Cabinet Member for Housing Paul Smith, Planning Consultant Jules Lamming from Planning Ventures, Christiana Makariou development manager at Goram Homes and chaired by Eleanor Young, editor of the RIBA Journal. The evening was a really stimulating discussion, covering issues that as a practice we’re deeply engaged with - housing, the planning system, community, participative design processes, education, fairness.
Sam spoke about our positive experiences of political engagement in local politics, and gaining support for projects; particularly unusual community led schemes, as well as the importance of undertaking better processes of design and engagement within practice as a profession more widely.
The text below summarises Sam’s notes ahead of the event, and serve as something of a manifesto for what he believes should be the future of working within the political structures we find ourselves to make change and have a positive impact!
POLITICAL PROCESSES DETERMINE WHO BUILDS, WHERE THEY BUILD, FUNDAMENTALLY WHY THEY BUILD, AND WHAT GETS BUILT. POLITICS IS INEXTRICABLY LINKED TO ARCHITECTURE AND OUR ROLE AS DESIGNERS AND SHAPERS OF THE WORLD WE INHABIT.
WE SEE OUR ROLE AS ARCHITECTS BOTH WORKING TO HAVE AGENCY WITHIN THOSE DECISIONS AND PROCESSES, AND ALSO TO CARVE OUT AGENCY FOR THE COMMUNITIES AND CLIENTS WE WORK WITH.
WE WANT TO ASSIST AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO DESIGN, BUILD, AND LIVE IN THEIR OWN SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY.
AS A PRACTICE WE'VE FACILITATED PEOPLE DOING THIS THROUGH COMMUNITY LED HOUSING, AND WORKING IN COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT ACTIVITIES AT A POLITICAL LEVEL TO ENABLE CHANGE TO HAPPEN.
THIS APPROACH IS BOTTOM UP POLITICS. LOCAL POLITICS. LED BY PEOPLE SEEKING TO REGAIN AGENCY WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
PEOPLE SEE THAT THE CURRENT POLITICAL SYSTEMS AREN'T PROVIDING SOLUTIONS TO THEIR PROBLEMS – OF HOUSING, THE ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORTATION, FOR EXAMPLE.
PEOPLE ARE BOTH HUNGY FOR, AND SCARED OF CHANGE IN EQUAL MEASURE.
ARCHITECTS SHOULD GET POLITICALLY ACTIVE.
WE ARE POLITICALLY ACTIVE, AT A SMALL SCALE, AND BIGGER PICTURE LEVEL. LOCAL ACTION, NATIONAL LOBBYING.
COMMUNITY LED PROJECTS CAN HARNESS LOCAL POLITICS TO PROVIDE POWER, SUPPORT AND ENABLING ACTIVITIES.
OUR EXPERIENCE IS COUNCILLORS WELCOME POSITIVE, PROACTIVE PLANNING AND ENGAGEMENT, AND WANT TO SEE CHANGES FOR A BETTER FUTURE.
SMALL POLITICS, LOCAL POLITICS AT A COMMUNITY LEVEL ISN’T GLAMOROUS BUT GETS THINGS DONE, AND (RELATIVELY) FAST!
BIG POLITICS, POLICY LEVEL STUFF IS SLOW, BUT REWARDING AND CULTURE DEFINING.
OUR CURRENT PLANNING SYSTEM FEELS HOSTILE AND POLITICALLY BROKEN – CLUMSY, OUTDATED, AND NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE.
ARGUABLY THE NARRATIVE OF OUR TIME, POLITICS CANT KEEP UP WITH THE PACE OF CHANGE OF THE WORLD, AND THE DISRUPTIVE PROCESSES, NEEDS AND TECHNOLOGIES INHABITING IT.
IN A WORLD OF DISRUPTORS, DISASTER CAPITALISM, AND DECENTRALISED FINANCE, OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM CAN’T KEEP UP.
THESE IDEAS, APPROACHES AND SYSTEMS MIGHT ALSO HOLD THE KEY TO CHANGE IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE CRISES OF OUR TIME.
THE UK IS AN ANODINE ENVIRONMENT, PICKLING OUR PAST FOR FEAR OF A FASTER, EVEN BETTER FUTURE.
WE NEED A NEW POLITICAL NARRATIVE WHICH HARNESSES THE POTENTIAL OF MANY PEOPLE, DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, AND DE-CENTRALISED APPROACHES, TO PROVIDE AGENCY TO MANY MORE PEOPLE.
THE NEEDS OF AN ERA DEFINE THE CULTURE. THE CULTURE OF AN ERA DEFINES THE IDEAS AND POLITICS WHICH SHAPE IT IN TURN.
OUR NEEDS HAVE NEVER BEEN GREATER. THUS OUR IDEAS HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT.
COMMUNITY LED PROJECTS OFFER A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS.
OUR ROLE IS AS FACILITATORS AND DESIGNERS. AS STRATEGISTS, AND INSTIGATORS.
WE WORK IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY, AND ASSIST OTHERS TO:
SYNTHESISE PROBLEMS IN TO POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
HELP CREATE BOTTOM UP NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANS TO SHAPE LOCAL POLICY AND PROJECTS;
GIVE AGENCY TO LOCAL PEOPLE TO CO-DESIGN PROJECTS, SHIFTING POWER, AND SHARING KNOWLEDGE, EMPOWERING CITIZENS TO SHAPE THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES;
POLITICS IS THE POTENTIAL FOR POSITIVE CHANGE, AND WE EMBRACE IT.