We Made That

We Made That aims to be better for everyone

We Made That starts a project by developing the brief with the stakeholders. But it’s not altruism that drives their commitment to community and forgotten spaces.

It’s said often enough that architects need to get out of their professional ghetto, collaborate with other professions and trades, be less concerned with look-at-me buildings and more with the public realm, do solid research, hit the streets and talk to real people more. It’s hard to disagree, especially when you are talking to one of the now firmly established practices which does all these things. Here they are, and they are called We Made That.

See full article on The RIBA Journal here: 

https://www.ribaj.com/culture/we-made-that-architects-as-strategists-public-spaces

Social value has been firmly on the public sector agenda since 2012 when it gained a formal place on the pre procurement radar of public sector clients with the passing of the Social Value Act. Under the Act, Social Value is considered in three parts: social, economic and environmental. Since 2018 it has moved further up the agenda after even the notoriously dry Treasury Green Book sought to include social value in its guidance on how to appraise and evaluate projects.

These developments have altered the procurement process, as commissioners have been asked to increasingly asked to consider how to get more social value for money out of procurement. They are considering how best to secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits for their area or stakeholders, often as a ‘by-product’ of the original commission. Any tender should therefore target these three parts of social value directly, demonstrating how the practice will enhance social value through each one specifically.

In a competitive tender market, at We Made That we’re always seeking to maximise the social value that can be realised through the processes and outcomes of our work.  One approach that we’ve found to be successful is to work in collaboration with other practices, local partners or stakeholders to enhance social value in both the tender and delivery process.

Collaboration offers multiple opportunities to boost social and economic benefits to a project. For example, including team members with a close relationship to the local community, or collaborating with local practices to support spend in the local economy of a project.

One example of this approach is our current work on a mixed-use masterplan for the Purley Way in Croydon. We Made That are leading a large project team, including design collective, Resolve, an interdisciplinary team which combines architecture, engineering, technology and art to address social challenges. They have a close relationship to the local community in Croydon having grown up in the area, and frequently work with youth and under-represented groups in society and engaging them in the design process, as well as working with local communities as stakeholders in the short and long term management of local projects. Resolve are leading the engagement strategy for the masterplan and have developed an online platform in response to COVID-19 implications, to crowd source stories, memories and local knowledge about the area. At the other end of the practice scale spectrum, the project team also includes Hawkins\ Brown, who are long-term collaborators with We Made That, bringing their diverse team and experience to the project.

Supporting spend in the local economy can also offer ‘added value’ to a project. In 2017, We Made That were appointed by Harrow Council to lead on the design of the new public space in the centre of Wealdstone, with the intention of using the project to bring the community together. This included building an identity for Wealdstone which celebrated the town centre and it’s successful activity. We collaborated with Spacemakers and design studio, Silo, alongside local graphic designer Karolina Ciakaite who led a series of workshops for a group of local young people to research, design and produce furniture for the new square. This was a direct response to addressing the emerging challenge of a lack of activity for young people due to cuts to youth services, and the resulting negative perception of groups hanging around the town. The Wealdstone Youth Workshop produced ‘The Wealdstone Leg’, a furniture component that forms the basis of a range of stools, benches and chairs to be used in the square. The resulting furniture is also available to buy, with all proceeds going back into the project, and the workshop participants each receiving a royalty on sales as well as a stipend for taking part in the project.

In addition to social value gained for the local community through collaboration, We Made That directly experience the additional value offered through a collaborative approach; working with larger or more established practices helps to open doors that otherwise might not otherwise be open to us, and working with more recently established practices brings new ideas and energy to the team, whilst providing a helpful ‘hand up’. In a global context that’s keeping us all physically apart, we will continue to pursue project that bring teams and communities together.

By Lorna Reed

See article on Building Design Online here: 

https://www.bdonline.co.uk/briefing/in-a-world-thats-keeping-us-apart-lets-work-together/5106593.article

We Made That are excited to announce that our proposals for Woolwich Town Centre are now open for public engagement. We have been working with Royal Borough of Greenwich and Gerald Eve on one of 100 applications for the ‘Future High Streets Fund’ to The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The application will explore innovative responses to bring transformative change to Woolwich Town Centre. The successful bids will be announced in Sept 2020. Have a look here and tell us your thoughts!

We Made That are looking for two new team members to join the practice: a skilled Part I Architectural Assistant and an early-career Urban Research Assistant with a minimum degree level qualification in urban studies/economics/geography or a similar related discipline.

Architectural Assistant (part I)

The role includes working on urban-scale strategies, participative co-design projects and early stages of project development. You must be a talented designer and have good technical knowledge with a great eye for presentation. Excellent communication skills and a desire to contribute to lively creative & productive team working required. Job description pdf.

Urban Research Assistant

The role includes contributing fieldwork and desk- based data auditing to a number of research commissions spanning spaces of culture industry and employment. The ideal candidate will have a good understanding of both quantitative and qualitative research design and methods a conscientious approach to research and the ability to build manage and analyse large datasets. Job description pdf.

Deadline for applications is Friday 29th May 2020 and details of how to apply can be found in the job description pdfs above.

We Made That, “polemic, provocative and, in most cases, imminently practical, inviting the reader to ask what it really means to make “good” architecture today.”

We Made That feature alongside the London Practice Forum in Ark - the Finnish Architectural Review - in an article about the potential for architects to take collective action on ethical grounds. It includes our “Things We Won’t Do” manifesto, first exhibited at the Royal Academy’s What is radical today? show in 2019.

We Made That and Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy were commissioned by the Local Government Association to produce a guide for local authorities on writing a cultural strategy. The published guide offers a core framework approach along with key considerations that can be adapted by local authorities looking to develop a cultural strategy. The guide also presents a set of case studies and best practice points under each key consideration.

This guide is vital in helping local authorities to maximise the impact of cultural assets for community cohesion, as well as the local economies in which they sit.

Read the full guide here. 

We Made That remain committed to our clients and the communities that we work in. We understand our collective and social responsibility to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We have the infrastructure to effectively maintain the functioning of the office and business during this challenging period.

All meetings are being moved to virtual platforms and all engagement events are being postponed or adapted to online methods.

Best wishes to all our clients collaborators and communities during this time.

‘A Home for Culture’ Thamesmead’s Cultural Infrastructure Plan is the first localised cultural infrastructure plan in London. We Made That led a team including Hatch Regeneris and Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy to produce the plan and supporting evidence bases. It has been nearly two years in the making and sets out Peabody’s commitment to creating a network of new cultural spaces as part of the long term regeneration plans for Thamesmead.

The Cultural Infrastructure Plan provides the opportunity to hard-wire culture into Thamesmead, by planning for culture in the same way as we plan for housing and transport. It puts artist housing on the agenda and focuses on both small and large cultural facilities, such as a new home for our community radio station and archive, to large scale production facilities and a new waterfront arts centre.

Read the plan here.

We Made That have been appointed by Croydon Council to analyse existing community facilities in central Croydon, and to develop ideas for improving the current offer; improving accessibility, extending hours of use, diversifying range of available spaces and increasing activation and programming. In exploring the existing community spaces, the team will identify gaps in provision and develop a clear and deliverable strategy for reimagining and transforming the community facilities landscape of Croydon.

We Made That is supported by economic consultancy PRD and engagement specialist Migrant’s Bureau to deliver this project which will include a series of engagement events to understand community needs and aspirations, as well as generate ideas collaboratively with the local population and existing voluntary and community sector organisations. 

We Made That are delighted to announce the launch of the Public Spaces Programme 2020, organised with The London Society.

This year The London Society are exploring the theme of ‘public’ for a series of talks, panel discussions, walks and tours. ‘Public’ is identified as a key ingredient to all cities, as the space where we interact with other citizens, and the quality and efficiency of these spaces that determines liveability. The series will therefore explore a series of issues including public space, public transport, public art and public housing. We Made That are curating the ‘public spaces’ element of this series.

The first events as part of the Public Spaces programme include:

TALK | Public Spaces, Diverse Places: identity and race and the public realm, Thursday, 20 February 2020

Nile Bridgeman (Afterparti) and Akil Scafe-Smith (Resolve) discuss their articles from Afterparti Issue 00, unpacking contemporary urban space through the lenses of identity and race.

TALK | OK Boomer! - Age and the Public Realm, Tuesday 3rd March 2020

A panel discussion on the implications for public space design of an ageing population, chaired by Holly Lewis.

We Made That is working with Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy and Hatch Regeneris for the London Borough of Hounslow on a market study and creative industry strategy for the Great West Corridor.

The Great West Corridor is a key strategic employment location located in the eastern part of the borough. It is designated as an Opportunity Area by the draft new London Plan and is one of the major drivers of London’s creative economy, with unique global connections dominating the Broadcast, Digital and IT sectors. The area is considered to be a potential key area for enhancing the creative sector and was designated as Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ) by the Mayor of London in 2018.

The study will provide an in-depth understanding of the current economic, sectoral and business level make-up of the Great West Corridor, identifying ways to strengthen and increase the creative sector in the area and providing evidence to supplement the existing Great West Corridor CEZ Action Plan as well as supporting future interventions. 

A new member has joined our team!

Freya is a Senior Architectural Assistant who recently completed her masters at Delft University of Technology. She has previously held positions at East architecture, landscape, urban design, Adams & Sutherland and Ash Sakula Architects gaining a broad range of experience of different urban design, public realm and co-design projects in London. 

We Made That are delighted to announce the launch of the ‘High Streets - Adaptive Strategies’ research for the Greater London Authority as part of the Good Growth By Design programme. 

The project team, We Made That, Gort Scott, Hatch Regeneris, Urban Shape, produced the research in collaboration with a number of London boroughs and key agents to emphasise public value of high streets and town centres. The study draws on ten case studies to showcase strategies for innovative responses to high street challenges and provides guidance on supporting London’s high streets in the face of significant change.

We Made That are looking for a Studio & Bidding Assistant to join our practice. This is a deadline-driven and busy support role in a collaborative environment alongside a highly motivated team of architects, urban designers, researchers and support staff.

You will support the wider team and practice manager in company marketing and communications, bidding for new work and supporting document production on projects. Strong communication skills, an interest in graphics and meticulous attention to detail would be desired. Experience in a similar role would be an advantage.

Deadline for applications is 28th February 2020 and details of how to apply can be found in the job description pdf.

Two new members have joined our team! From left to right we welcome Cristina and Ella.

Cristina is joining us as a Senior Architectural Assistant, recently graduating from the London School of Architecture. Her thesis project explored the integration of new industrial typologies within the city through symbiotic exchanges between businesses and the community.

Ella is joining us as an Architectural Assistant, after graduating from the University of Cambridge. For her third year project, Ella designed a university building in Manchester with a focus on introducing greater public involvement to the institution.

Nisha will be speaking at the Looking at Best Practice talk, part of the Meaningful Engagement event by Urban Design London, at 14.00pm on Wednesday 4th December at Palestra House, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ.

The Meaningful Engagement event will look at the current policy drivers to empower communities, the unconscious assumptions we may make when considering and assessing schemes, the different techniques different projects may require and what is needed for an inclusive, meaningful engagement strategy.

Other speakers for the Looking at Best Practice talk include Nazeya Hussain (Director of Growth, LB Kingston), Hanna Benihoud (We are Streetspace), Iona Lawrence (The Cares Family), Ben Addy & Will Wright (Sustrans) and Fin McNab (Streets Reimagined).

Holly will be speaking at the Royal College of Art School of Architecture at 6.30pm on Monday 25th November at Darwin LT1, Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2EU.

Holly will provide a whistle-stop tour through We Made That’s diverse portfolio of projects. With a focus on high streets, industrial places and public space, she will explain how the practice seeks to deliver public good through socially-engaged design processes.

We Made That and NEF Consulting have been appointed by Islington Council to deliver a think piece on how the council can best support the borough’s four town centres of Angel, Archway, Finsbury Park and Nag’s Head with an inclusive economy framework. The research will enable an understanding of the council’s role in protecting and sustaining the town centres as key retail areas that support attractive and affordable retail offers and sustain good quality, local jobs in an inclusive economy. The research has a particular focus on Nag’s Head Town Centre and interventions that would nurture an inclusive economy. 

We Made That are pleased to have been commissioned by The Selby Trust to carry out a future workspace requirements study for the Selby Centre in Tottenham. We will be supported by long-standing collaborators Counterculture, one of the UK’s leading providers of creative consultancy and economic strategy advice.

The Selby Centre presents a truly unique experience, as rarely have we seen such a wonderfully diverse range of uses and users co-existing under one roof. The continued success of the centre and its ability to thrive as an asset of community value will be central to this commission.

The study is supported by the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund and will assess current and future requirements of the Selby Centre, developing a strategy for the redevelopment of the site that delivers both social and economic value in line with the Selby Trust’s objectives and charitable goals.

We are looking for examples and case studies of good practice when writing and implementing cultural strategies.

We Made That and Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy have been commissioned by the Local Government Association to produce a guide for local authorities on writing a cultural strategy. The guide will offer a core framework approach along with key considerations for developing a strategy. This work is vital in maximising the impact of cultural assets for community cohesion, as well as the local economies in which they sit. 

For this guide to have maximum impact, it is crucial that we receive your examples of good practice, as well as challenges you have faced and what was done to rectify the issues. This will allow us to address as many relevant themes as possible and provide the best guidance possible for councils looking to develop cultural strategies in the future. 

To respond to this call with your evidence and experience, please email lorna@wemadethat.co.uk by Friday 15th November.