We Made That

A new member has joined our team!

Szandra is a Studio and Bidding Assistant at We Made That. Prior to this she was responsible for bid and project support at Cousins & Cousins architects and 6a architects, and gained programme managing experience from her time at New London Architecture. She has also coordinated and delivered exhibition projects directly for the Greater London Authority, City of London Corporation and NLA.

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. 

We Made That is working with Hatch Regeneris, PRD, 3Space, Graham Harrington Planning Advice and Stockdale on a spatial framework for the expansion of Kensal’s creative economy through the delivery of the Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area (KCOA). The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea were successful in securing Mayor’s Good Growth Fund (GGF) for £1m for a research and capital delivery project focused on employment delivery and the economy in and around the Opportunity Area. This has been match funded by £1m from the RBKC Capital Fund and the We Made That-led team commissioned.

The team will undertake research and develop interventions required to ensure that the KCOA’s development reflects, supports and boosts the creative economy alongside the local economy. Findings will underpin a framework, delivery plan and new employment space that creates opportunities in the short and medium term for North Kensington. The new workspace and interventions are expected to be delivered by 2021.

We Made That - supported by a team including Hatch Regeneris, Urban Movement, Graham Harrington Planning Advice and Stockdale - has been commissioned by London Borough of Wandsworth to produce an employment-led development framework for the Strategic Industrial Location and Industrial Business Park at the western end of the Nine Elms on the South Bank Opportunity Area.

Battersea Design & Tech Quarter aims to build on a strong existing creative economy which is forecast to develop further with future investment in the Nine Elms area, including the arrival of the UK headquarters of Apple and Penguin Random House. The arrival of the Northern Line, the expansion of the Royal College of Art’s Battersea campus and the ‘Apple effect’ is already generating investor interest in the area. Plans will draw on a strong existing design community in this part of Battersea with creative enterprises such as Philip Treacy, Vivienne Westwood and Foster and Partners and others.

We Made That, leading an exemplary consultant team, are excited to announce our successful bid to deliver the Tottenham High Road Masterplan. We will be working alongside well-established collaborators: Hatch Regeneris, PRD, Gort Scott, Urban Movement, AuthenticFutures and Stockdale.

Supporting the London Borough of Haringey in its ongoing regeneration programme for the Tottenham High Road area, the team will deliver an ambitious masterplan and lead the development of Concept Design and Business Cases to inform a Stage Two application to the Future High Streets Fund. In parallel, a supplementary package of interventions towards High Street Heritage Action Zone scheme funding will be developed, curating both sets of proposals to ensure a holistic approach to change. 

Proposals will include clear economic and social evidence, alongside well-crafted design embedded in people and place, to inform a selection of transformative projects to be brought forward. 

Come join We Made That at Eyesore Imprint publishing fair!

We Made That will be taking part in the Eyesore Imprint publishing fair exploring the city though print, on Saturday 30th November and Sunday 1st December at The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, Fitzrovia, London, WC1E 7BT.

Rip it Up, Again

Holly Lewis will be in conversation with Thomas Aquilina, Marwa El Mubark and Siufan Adey from Afterparti, New Architecture Writers. They will be discussing setting an agenda for places and the profession through publishing, learning from We Made That’s Unlimited Edition newspapers and Afterparti’s fanzine. If we did it again what would we do differently? Our biggest mistakes, regrets and erratum laid bare. 

The Unlimited Edition

We will also have a stall where printed copies of The Unlimited Edition newspapers will be available, exploring, celebrating and speculating the future of places. Each issue is place-based, focussing on different cities across the UK and Europe, including Whitechapel, Bermondsey, Liverpool and Aarhus in Denmark.

More details of the event here