This year questioned my perspective on architecture as an embodiment of performance, unravelling the intricate social and cultural narratives embedded within our surroundings. This research was epitomised through the 'What If Antagonist', a developed research methodology explored through conceptual art.
Millbrook Respite Centre, site: Homerton Hospital, questions the meaning of care and rethinks respite during an era of overworking and pressure on the NHS. This project seeks to use ‘coffee’ – a prevalent culture of conversation in Hackney, as a catalyst for enabling delicate transfer of memory between patient and family. This program is inspired by the beautiful moments I held with my great uncle as a child, a keen young mind captivated by stories which built pride and ambition. Through study of a Bialetti Coffee Pot, certain conditional moments were defined to transition through pressures and stimulate conversation. The architectural language of this project is defined by the forgotten heritage of mills that used to occupy the berried Hackney Brook, a ghost of palimpsest which lends gently to the manifestations of dementia.
Care at the Gates, site: Marian Place Gasholders, interrogates the lived conditions and exploitation of colliers during the climax of coal-gas industrialism. The project utlises a rich exploration of coal pits to develop a protagonist language in an environment where dementia patients become entwined with an unlikely community. The narrowboat community of Regents Canal share stake in program, asking questions of social infrastructure to exhibit anti-social and pro-social behaviourism as lived performance for dementia care. A proposition inspired by Sergision Bates’ observation of users at Wingene Care Home, Belgium.
‘Place as Palimpsest, Architect as Detective.’
Lab Conferta: Led by Benjamin Machin
