We Made That

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

We Made That are delighted to announce East Street Exchange won the Best Small Project category in the Blueprint Awards 2019.

East Street Library is one of two ‘catalyst projects’ that have been delivered as part of a wider strategy What Walworth Wants commissioned by Southwark Council and the Greater London Authority to make significant improvements to the area.

The new extension allows the library to enhance its offer, providing an affordable space for local businesses and community groups, a flexible meeting space, and space for a homework club.

Read more on the judges comments here.

We Made That are looking for a skilled Part I/ II architectural assistant to join our practice. The ideal candidate would have a desire to work on urban-scale strategies, participative co-design projects and early stages of project development. 

Deadline for applications is 31st October 2019 and details of how to apply can be found in the job description pdf.

Holly will be speaking at the Museum of Architecture Special: Alternative Careers in Architecture event on Thursday 17th October at Benk + Bo, 4-6 Gravel Lane, Spitalfields, London, E1 7AW.

The discussion is part of a series of talks that explore the vision, ideas and approaches that architects bring to other professional environments. The series has brought together a broad spectrum of architects to talk about their respective forays into areas that go beyond traditional practice, featuring explorations into the power of data, communities, exhibitions, graphics and fashion.

Other speakers include Matt Thornley (Gibson Thornley Architects), Laura Sanjuan (SODA) and Chris Hildrey (Hildrey Studio), chaired by Robert Fiehn, a freelance communications consultant working within the built environment industry.

We are pleased to share that East Street Exchange has been shortlisted for the Best Small Project category in the Blueprint Awards 2019.

East Street Library is one of two ‘catalyst projects’ that have been delivered as part of a wider strategy What Walworth Wants commissioned by Southwark Council and the Greater London Authority to make significant improvements to the area.

The new extension allows the library to enhance its offer, providing an affordable space for local businesses and community groups, a flexible meeting space, and space for a homework club. Its proportions and materials are designed to be distinct from the existing building. Bright anodised cladding and a perforate ‘turret’ make it a characterful contribution to the neighbourhood. The interiors prioritise flexibility of use with bespoke furniture that can be ‘flat packed’ and stowed away on pegboard walls, clearing the space for alternative setups.

The full list of awards and nominees can be found online and the winner will be announced on the 17th October.

Share your views and help test ideas for improving Penstock Tunnel.

Join artist Emma Smith to explore how spaces, light and colour make us feel and contribute your ideas to the artwork she is creating.

Wednesday 11th September 2019

3pm - 7pm

Penstock Tunnel in Wood Green

(near Coburg Road)

Haringey Council has commissioned architects and urban designers We Made That for the design and delivery of public realm improvements to Penstock Tunnel in Wood Green, alongside artist Emma Smith and lighting designers Studio Dekka. The tunnel forms a strategic link connecting Wood Green town centre and Cultural Quarter in the east with Alexandra Palace and Park and Hornsey in the west. The proposals seek to create better connections across the borough with improvements including drainage, wayfinding, lighting and landscaping, as well as an integrated artwork commission.

We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted in the ‘Breakthrough Talent’ category of the FX International Interior Design Awards, which take place on 27th November. To vote for us and see the complete shortlist click here.

We’re delighted to announce that Nisha Kurian has been promoted to be Associate at We Made That in recognition of the fantastic work and important role she plays in the practice. Nisha will take an increased role in leading projects, supporting the wider team and representing the practice.

What is radical today? 40 positions on architecture in the Architecture Studio at the Royal Academy of Arts.

We Made That are part of a free exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts that brings together 40 radical visions on how architecture can respond to today’s rapidly changing world, featuring the likes of Denise Scott Brown, Sam Jacob and Peter Cook. 

The display runs from 6th September to 7th November 2019 at the Architecture Studio, the Dorfman Senate Rooms, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts.

We are delighted to announce that Holly Lewis has been shortlisted for the ‘Female Leadership Award’ at the Building Awards, which take place on 5th November. The complete shortlist can be found here.

We Made That are looking for an experienced urban researcher with knowledge of the London regeneration landscape to join our growing team in our London office. We are seeking a new team member at a senior level capable of working alongside the practice partners and senior management team. The ideal candidate will have experience in undertaking quantitative and qualitative research through analytical and engaged processes. The role includes contributing fieldwork, desk-based data auditing and strategy development spanning spaces of culture, industry and employment.

The ideal candidate will be responsible for managing a small project team delivering urban research and strategy commissions.

Deadline for applications is 2nd October 2019 and details of how to apply can be found in the job description pdf.

We Made That recently enjoyed a team summer day out to Milton Keynes!

We took a trip to the MK Gallery where we went on a backstage tour by Deputy Director Kate Chadwick, learning about the cultural and community benefits of the extension and refurbishment. The new exhibition rooms, visitor cafe and retail spaces allow the gallery to host larger and higher profile exhibitions, attracting higher visitor numbers and widening the audience base of the gallery. 

We also took a visit to the current exhibition “Obedience and Defiance” by Paula Rego, enjoyed a picnic in Campbell Park, and a walk around Tree Cathedral (the plan of Norwich Cathedral planted in trees in 1986). 

Two new members have joined our team!

Emily is a Senior Architectural Assistant with experience in leading community design projects such as her work on the South Norwood Community Plan and the New Square for Harrow with CarverHaggard Architects. She studied architecture at the University of Sheffield and the Royal College of Art.

William is an Urban Designer who previously worked at Publica Associates leading on public realm research, strategies and designs for public spaces. He gained his diploma and undergraduate degrees in architecture at London Metropolitan University. He also teaches a 3rd year design unit at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff. 

Nisha and Lili led the New Architecture Writers on a tour of publicly delivered civic and community infrastructure projects in the Old Kent Road area, including East Street Library and Southwark Council’s new space at 231 Old Kent Road.

The evening event concluded with a discussion about the act of architectural writing as a form of policy practice. From What Walworth Wants to the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan we examined how architects and local authorities shape and use policy documents as tools to communicate ideas about the built environment to a wide range of intended users, including local residents, local businesses and organisations, potential developers and other stakeholders.

We Made That led a ‘creative sectors workshop’ with members of Lincoln’s cultural and creative community, to discuss ideas for the Lincoln Creative Production Hub. The workshop served as a brief building exercise, to ensure that the needs and ambitions of existing businesses and institutions are at the heart of the project and that the Hub supports the growth and success of the city’s creative ecology. The key findings and insight gained will inform the next stage of feasibility testing for the Hub - further information on the project here. 

The workshop was held at Mansions of the Future, a meanwhile-use multifunctional arts space which focuses on bringing together artists and communities to share culture in and of Lincoln.

We Made That are delighted to have been shortlisted for the Building Design Young Architect of the Year Awards 2019, with the winner being announced on 1st May! 

Click here to read the article, and keep your fingers crossed.

We’re looking for the very best people to join our growing team. You should be talented, ambitious and tenacious. Right now there are several roles we’re hoping to fill to work on exciting new projects:

• Senior Urban Researcher (Projects leader) [job description pdf]
• Project Architect (+3 years post part III)  [job description pdf]
• Architectural Assistant (Part II)  [job description pdf]
• Urban Research Assistant  [job description pdf]

Deadline for applications is 17th February 2019 and details of how to apply are in the job descriptions.

Thinking about it? Drop in and visit us any time between 4pm and 7.30pm, Wednesday 6th February. Meet the team, hear what we’ve got going on! LEAVE YOUR PORTFOLIO AT HOME.

At this time of year, we like to prove that We Made That can actually make some stuff. For this year’s creative Christmas extravaganza, We Made That returned to Blackhorse Lane to learn about leather making at Blackhorse Workshop.

Mia Sabel and Colin Coutts from SABEL Saddlery provided our team with an introduction to the basics of traditional saddlery, including leather preparation, double-stitching and hand-burnishing. More information about the Mia and Colin’s workshop here.

Festive wishes to all our clients, collaborators, friends and colleagues!

Holly joined Alma-Nac, Finn Williams of Public Practice, Alison Killing and Douglas Murphy to launch the latest issue of AD Magazine.

The issue, titled ‘New Modes: Redefining Practice’ is guest edited by Alma-Nac, and explores how a generation of architects - including We Made That - are leading the way towards new forms of practice by challenging conventional ideas of ‘The Architect’ and reclaiming the notion of architecture as something public that should work ultimately towards the collective good. 

Buy your own copy here.