I have always had a keen interest in the broader social impact of architecture but often been dissatisfied at the design quality of socially conscious projects. Being part of the Turner Works team means I get to test beautiful, people-led solutions to the issues that face the city on a wide range of project scales. From leading local authority housing developments to meanwhile retrofit projects, I get to test ideas on generosity, materiality, and surprise. Being from a context that is atypical in the architecture industry has allowed me to bring a different perspective to how we design the spaces in which we live, work and play.
On the Florentia Clothing Village project, I’ve been able to both rethink the future of new build light industrial space whilst exploring how we can deploy robust materials elegantly. Seeking to contribute to highly local value meant that locality actually furthered the design quality of the scheme and seeing excited local businesses and people feel valued was as special an outcome as a finely crafted building.