This project focuses on the power imbalances between the residential consumer and the larger corperate business through the lens of glitch feminism, a term coined by author Legacy Russel. Glitch Feminism refers to the glitch (a digital error) as a tool for challenging the normative identities and systems of control in digital spaces.
The project begins by undertaking a research process into Tower Hamlets socio-economic climate and specifically The Landsbury Estate in Poplar while understanding the dynamics in corperate buying power. Then moving into a creative & personal response to this research producing a series of manifestos, audio walks and abstract videos. The project then shifts to the development of alternative home powering solutions, using PV Panels to produce power and home furniture for low cost homes.
The Project intends to raise awareness about the continuing ongoing challenges for affordable energy and the alternative approaches avaliable to produce a ‘glitch’ in the energy system.
What is Glitch & Cyber Feminism
Glitch Feminism a term introduced by author Legacy Russell refering to the glitch, a metaphore for challenging the identities and systems of control in digital places. Glitch feminism promotes technological use and the internet as an inclusive space for identities that don’t fit binary classification and an opportunity to experiment and resist traditional structures.
Cyber Feminism allows for a framework to disrupt and redefine you’re own representation and control within digital enviroments. By embracing the ‘error’, glitch feminism opposes forms of survelance and digital categorisation that enforces conformity, while promoting saftey in marginalised digital communities. The Books ‘Glitch Feminism’, ‘Feminism interupted’, and ’Experimenting in Imagining Otherwise’ became a lens to view this project through and a point of influence when undertaking research and creative decision.
PROJECT RELATIONSHIP
Almost all digital technology requires electricity or power in some form. Due to the war in Ukraine and Covid-19 since 2020 world energy prices have skyrocketed. This project intends to use the lens of Cyber feminism to have a greater understanding of the systemic challenges energy sourcing has on low-income housing in london, specifically The Landsbury Estate in Tower Hamlets.
Through the project identify a significant systemic disparetry in buying power of energy from larger corperate clients to smaller residential users, and how this takes away control in both economic and digital enviroments. Cyberfeminism opens up the discussion about equality within digital spaces, and this project directly disucsses equality at the origin of digitality, electricity.
Glitch Feminism emerges as a groundbreaking manifesto, while Russell’s curatorial work pioneers fresh insights into gender, performance, digital identity, online worship, and evolving new media rituals.
By examining state oppression of women, reproductive autonomy, transmisogyny, sex work, and gender-based Islamophobia, this pioneering book reclaims feminism from the forces of consumerism. In doing so, it makes clear that the fight for gender liberation is fundamentally a fight for justice.
Experiments In Imagining Otherwise - Lola Olufemi
In these spirited written explorations, Lola Olufemi skillfully probes the space where inherited narratives, lived truths, and the yet to be imagined converge. Interweaving fragmentary insights with prose poetry, she investigates the possibility of living otherwise, firmly anchored in Black feminist thought and community engagement.
FINDING SITE
01//
The first chapter finding site, serves as an introduction to the site and a conglomeration of the research undetaken in this project. The research focuses on the socio-economic effectors in Tower Hamlets, power sourcing routes for both the residential consumer and corperate client. Finally, the chapter introduces the Landsbury Estate, a post-war housing development that is intended as the primary user of the PV furniture.
Locating The London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Tower Hamlets is located in East London, situated on the north bank of the River Thames. It includes notable areas like Canary Wharf, Whitechapel, Bethnal Green, and parts of the historic Docklands. The borough borders the City of London to the west, Hackney to the north, Newham to the east, and the River Thames to the south, which separates it from Greenwich. Tower Hamlets is known for its diverse communities, vibrant markets, and financial centers like Canary Wharf.
Whitechapel
Canary Wharf
The Landsbury Estate
Harvey’s Houseboat
Illustration of Whitechapel Art Gallary, E1 7QZ. Part of audio walk by Janet Cardiff - The missing voice and one of the first publically funded art galleries with temporary exhibition spaces.
Illustration of Maynards Quay, Shadwell, E1. Developed between 1986 and 1988 according to plans by MacCormac Jamieson Prichard and Wright, the scheme blends historical references with the architecture of Victorian docks. Its arches, in particular, were inspired by those of Liverpool’s Albert Dock.
Is Tower Hamlets Rich or Poor?
Tower Hamlets faces significant poverty challenges, with 24,000 children living below the poverty line, reflecting a 48% poverty rate. It ranks as the 10th most deprived area in the UK and is the most deprived borough in London, where 41% of residents live in poverty. Despite being a major employment hub, only 1 in 5 local jobs are held by Tower Hamlets residents, highlighting economic disparities and limited access to opportunities within the community. Addressing these issues requires focused efforts to improve living standards, increase local employment, and provide resources that support economic resilience for residents.
Canary Wharf stands as a high-income area with an average salary of £178,000 annually (pre-bonus), reflecting significant economic growth. Property values have risen by 14%, and in 2022 alone, £900 million was invested into further development. These figures highlight the wealth and expansion in Canary Wharf, contrasting sharply with the surrounding areas facing economic challenges. This investment and growth underscore the need for inclusive strategies that bridge local economic disparities and ensure that surrounding communities also benefit from the area’s prosperity.
Household Median Income
£18,960 - 26,505
£26,506 - 34,048
£34,049 - 41,589
£41,590 - 49,131
£49,132 - 66,673
Office Vacancies
Despite being the creator of vast wealth, since the global hit of Covid-19 a vast number of offices are left vacant with the significant uptake of work from home schemes. Vacanies have surged by 92% between 2019-2023 resulting in a number of offices buildings completely empty as facilites are no longer meeting the tennants design, ammenity and technological needs. This has lead to a rise in residential accomodation within the district as developers look for alternative income sources. The hatched red indicates the percentage of office vacanies.
Dorset
Balfron
The Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP)
‘Electricity usage dominated by large heat-emitting data centers’ ‘highly constrained electricity network increasing pressure’
‘area has signification variations in deprevation levels’
‘2020, 13% of households live in fuel poverty, expecting to significantly rise’
‘net zero borough by 2045, greater London authority has a 2030 target’ ‘requires action from stakeholders across the energy system’
‘targeting a reduction of 78% of emissions’ ‘all of UK electricity will be supplied by low carbon emissions’
‘all energy supplied via central network except small amounts produced from rooftop solar PV and CHP engines’
‘two supply routes - West Ham and New Cross’ ‘new primary substation required’
‘upstream reinforcement at West Ham GSP required’
‘energy consumption prompts concern’ ‘low, local electrical generation’
What does this mean...
The Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) is a document provided by every Council in the UK describing the local areas effective movement towards economical and environmentally friendly power sourcing. Tower Hamlets has a uniquely complicated powering structure, due to the high residential density this borough produces almost none of its own power and relies souly on external energy powering solutions. The majority of the residential properties are low income and therefore are flats or simply do not have the funding for pv panels and personal micro energy generation.
Tower Hamlets is the home to the world leading financial district Canary Wharf alongside its supplied eight data centers, including the seven storey, 27,000sqm edge center. Planning permission is expected to be approved for a purpose built ‘data campus’ in 2025 one of the largest in Europe. London currently hosts the third largest number of collective data plants in the world and in order to stay a global data powerhouse significant amounts of electrical energy is required to keep these sites and the financial district running.
Throughout the LAEP Tower Hamlets identifies that the borough is currently operating at a vast energy deficit and urgently needs to increase its energy supply. In doing so it is stated that the borough is approximately 15 years behind the rest of London in producing a carbon neutral borough.
As
Purchasing Power Imbalance
Large businesses have significant buying power over energy suppliers due to their high volume of energy consumption, enabling them to negotiate lower rates. Suppliers offer discounts to secure long-term, high-value contracts with these businesses, ensuring steady demand and revenue. This power imbalance allows them to access cheaper rates, unlike smaller consumers who lack such leverage.
Increasing Energy Prices
Due to the war in Ukraine, and the UK on the brink of recession from COVID-19, energy prices skyrocketed at almost six times the value it had been two years prior. This lead to a number of protests from both climate activist groups and locals with Greta Thunberg attending on numerous occasions.
Electricity Spot Prices provided by ‘trading economics’
Climate Activists Protest: ‘P Morgan employees were met by chants of “their profit, our loss” as protesters criticised a “crisis of inequality” resulting from the cost of fossil fuels and increasing household bills. ’ - City AM 2023
Extinction Rebelion Protest: ‘HSBC is Europe’s second-largest financier of fossil fuels and has funded £81 billion to #fossilfuel since 2015 #ParisAgreement’Twitter 2021
The Lansbury Estate Tower Hamlets,
E14 6BL
The Lansbury Estate in Poplar, East London, holds a pivotal place in post-war British urban planning and social housing history. This area was heavily bombed during World War II, prompting large-scale reconstruction efforts that formed part of the County of London Plan (1943) and Patrick Abercrombie’s Greater London Plan (1944). These plans aimed to address London’s critical housing shortages, improve urban environments, and tackle the legacy of industrial overcrowding.
A unique feature of the Lansbury Estate was its role in the Festival of Britain in 1951. It served as a “live exhibit” showcasing contemporary approaches to urban planning. The estate exemplified the “neighborhood unit” concept, which sought to create self-contained communities with schools, markets, green spaces, and essential services within easy reach. The architectural design blended modernist principles with practical and affordable housing solutions, aiming to foster a sense of belonging and improve living conditions for workingclass families.
Mapping Key:
1// Barchester Street Scheme -1955
2// Alton Street Scheme - 1958
3// Cordelia Street Scheme -1962
4// Lansbury Market Scheme - 1968
5// Gough Grove Scheme - 1970
6// Bartlett Park -1959
7// Lanfield Estate -1959
The Market Square Prayer Temple Church
Alton Street Scheme, Blocks A & D
At the Centre of Freddrick Gibbard’s vision were landmarks such as Chrisp Street Market, which became the first pedestrianised shopping precinct in Britain, and Lansbury Lawrence School, known for its innovative design. These elements reflected the planners’ focus on functionality and aesthetics. The Festival exhibition also highlighted social and economic dimensions, addressing housing inequality, improving public health, and promoting modern living standards.
The estate was a collaborative effort involving prominent architects and planners, including Frederick Gibberd, who sought to create spaces that combined practicality with architectural elegance. It incorporated a mix of building types, from low-rise houses to flats, aiming to provide diverse housing options while maintaining a cohesive community atmosphere.
Despite its forward-looking approach, the Lansbury Estate faced criticism. Some observers questioned its cost-effectiveness and criticised the aesthetic starkness of modernist architecture, which diverged from traditional British housing preferences. Critics also noted the practical challenges of maintaining such developments over time, particularly as social housing budgets shrank in subsequent decades.
“Skin is as much about what is kept in as what it keeps out. It functions to edit, its existence determining that which will be included or excluded. Skin suggests the protection of a subject and the creation of an ‘other’ that is forever standing on the outside. As skin wraps, covers, protects, it paradoxically wounds, occupies, and builds worlds.”
Glitch Feminism : A Manifesto - Legacy Russell
CLIMATE JOURNAL
02//
This 500 word submissions is a response to my understanding of the climate crisis in relation to the broader site of my project. Situating myself within Tower Hamlets both as a resident and a designer
TOWER
Spatial practitioners, navigate a web of entanglements in their work, ranging from the physical and material interventions of a design to the emotional and experiential elements that affect users. Entanglement can be visualised as a tangle of strings, each representing a myriad of different design considerations ranging from: materiality to function, emotions to context, human to non-human and more, all interwoven in a complex web. At the point of design enactment, architects must “untangle” these threads, organising and interpreting their relationships and impacts. The process involves not only untangling but also recombining these factors to create cohesive and meaningful spaces. Architects mold this ball of strings into new forms, hoping to evoke motion, memory, and utility for their users. This process of untangling is not linear; rather, it requires a continuous rethinking and reconfiguration of the relationships between different elements, as each decision can have wide-reaching effects on the overall outcome of the design.
Tower Hamlets (where much of this semesters work is situated) has highlighted in the Local Authority Energy Plan it’s ongoing struggle to achieve carbon net zero by 2030, the concept of entanglement gains sharp relevance. Despite the ambitious goals outlined in its Local Authority Energy Plan by the wider London body, Tower Hamlets is approximately a 15 years behind the rest of London in its climate action
progress with a realist completion date of 2045. This delay highlights the intricate entanglements that spatial practitioners must navigate, balancing immediate needs for urban development with the long-term environmental imperative to reduce emissions.
The challenge of achieving net zero in Tower Hamlets epitomises the idea that architecture is not solely about creating physical structures, it is about shaping environments that have profound social, economic, and ecological impacts. Practitioners operating in Tower Hamlets must be particularly sensitive to how their designs influence and are influenced by the borough’s unique challenges, including its dense urban population, significant socio-economic inequalities, and the pressing need for sustainable infrastructure.
Although Konstantin Kisin, a BritishRussian author and famed keynote speaker at the 2023 Oxford University Debating Society, does not explicitly address spatial practitioners, I believe his thoughts offers critical points of discussion within the entanglement of the UK’s global climate responsibility. Kisin challenges the UK climate policy, arguing that even the complete eradication of the UK’s emissions would have a negligible global impact. Emphasising that the most substantial contributors to pollution are extremely impoverished nations, where economic survival takes precedence over climate action, highlighting the fact that the
countries most affected by climate change are often those that are least able to mitigate its effects. For spatial designers, particularly those working in poverty stricken areas in the UK like Tower Hamlets (44% of residents surviving within income poverty), this argument accentuates the importance of innovation and leadership on our own soil in a replicable manor, addressing systemic environmental challenges that a new approach can be mimicked elsewhere.
The construction industry is a significant contributor to global emissions, with concrete alone responsible for approximately 8% of CO2 emissions. This makes the sector the single largest polluter, placing spatial practitioners at the center of the material decisions shaping the built environment’s response to the climate crisis. Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics framework offers a valuable lens through which to view these challenges, integrating the concept of planetary boundaries with social boundaries. Raworth advocates for a “safe zone” of development that allows humanity to thrive without crossing the thresholds of unacceptable environmental degradation. In Tower Hamlets, this concept could guide the balance between the borough’s pressing needs for affordable housing and infrastructure and the imperative to adopt sustainable construction practices.
Practitioners in Tower Hamlets, operating within a developed
country, have a unique obligation to lead by example. By leveraging the borough’s limited local economic capacity and extensive national technological resources, can be utilised to demonstrate alternative, affordable, and environmentally sympathetic approaches to design. This responsibility aligns with Kisin’s call for innovation, proving that more sustainable methods can be implemented and scaled, both locally and globally.
Entanglement provides a framework for understanding the complexity and interdependence inherent in spatial practice. It is not just a metaphor for the challenges of navigating multiple design considerations but also a way of thinking about the broader social, environmental, and ethical responsibilities that come with shaping the built environment. As a resident of Tower Hamlets myself, I recognise that this is especially critical as spatial practitioners work to reconcile the borough’s development needs with its ambitious climate goals. Whether viewed through the lens of metaphor or design, entanglement emphasises the interconnectedness of decisions in architecture, requiring practitioners to respond to both the immediate and systemic consequences of our work. As Tower Hamlets strives to overcome its lag in climate action, spatial practitioners must embrace this complexity, rethinking traditional methods to create a more sustainable and equitable urban future.
HAMLETS
ORGANISING THREADS
Untangling the jumpled webs of society
RESEARCH RESPONSE 03//
This chapter serves as a creative response to my initial research. Using a range of different medium from video to audio to text, I situate myself as a resident within the site and produce a personal response to the issue of power differences.
MANIFESTO
1
To expose the limitations of the current energy supply infrastructure and underscore the urgent need for innovation and sustainable development to meet future energy demands.
2
3
To reveal the extent of energy wastage in areas like Canary Wharf and promote the potential for community-operated energy solutions that prioritise local needs, resilience, and sustainability.
To advocate for policies that enable community ownership and investment in renewable energy projects, fostering a transition to a decentralized, locally controlled energy system that benefits all.
4
To amplify awareness of the power imbalances between large corporations and individual residential consumers within the energy market, advocating for fairer negotiation power and equitable access to sustainable energy options.
OVERLIGHTING
Around 14 million kilowatthours of electricity are consumed annually to keep the lights on overnight in just 15 prominent buildings in Canary Wharf, enough energy to power 4,514 households for a full year. This practice emits roughly 3,260 tons of carbon dioxide every year, equivalent to the pollution produced by 710 cars.
Switching off the lights could improve public relations prove an ecological benefit
“In a dystopic global landscape that makes space for none of us, offers no sanctuary, the sheer at of living - surviving - in the face of a gendered and racialized hegemony becomes uniquely political. We choose to stay alive, against all odds, because our lives matter.”
Glitch Feminism : A Manifesto - Legacy Russell
Substations of Interest
POWERING TOWER HAMLETS IN AUDIO
This project focuses on three main substations: Ontario Way, Castor Lane and Bidders Street. Each varies significantly in size and therefore it can be assumed provides a different level of service
chose to produce an audio walk that focuses directly on the individual sounds identifiable from materiality, nature and machinery within each substation. Each QR Code links to singular part of the walk, that is identified via a What 3 Words location.
At each substation a number of architectural and audio similarities can be identified including a redbrick Victorian exterior and low emitting hums with mechanical banging sounds. This study aims to bring awareness to some of the hidden (to the consumer) effects of where our energy is sourced.
51.508122, -0.017641
Please begin the walk at the What 3 Word location given.
OnitaroWaySubstation
W3W Lend.Fumes.Pint
Ontario Way Substation is location within a retro fitted redbrick building, Across the top a number of cooling vents are seen and on the western side of the building large vent cover the full span of the building. Despite this being an unmanned station a security team was posted outside and the building was surrounded with CCTV. This substation is aimed at providing for low power residential use. While walking outside a low resonating hum and clanging could be heard.
W3W School.Invite.Budget
Castor Lane Substation is located within an old victorian brick cube supported by a concrete structure. While impossible to know due its proximity to the DLR and residential areas, it can be assumed this provides lowvoltage power to this area.
At this site a low resonating hum could be heard along with the clatter of fan blades from the cooling system.
Castors Lane Subs ation
BiddersStreetSubstation
Bidders Street substation is located just north east of Tower Hamlets and is outside of the borough, however, its the primary energy provided to the area. Due security concerns from UK Power Networks, was unable to take 3D scans of the cooling stations themselves and was unable to access the site directly. Contact was made with they’re local office about recording a walked video but unfortunately was not able to access the site.
IN VIDEO
The video on the left depicts Tower Hamlets local housing and residential streets, power resourcing from localised smaller substations. Finally bursting into colour/ explosion and lights flicking off as Tower Hamlets future energy deficit comes to a head and left unresolved.
The video linked in the QR Code has been currated in response to the research completed on Canary Wharf & Tower Hamlets residential electrial usage and to display the energy divide disparty. It is intended to be viewed as one consecuative video but in a split perspective.
Each video uses a series of clips and audio filmed and isolated around the sites that are heavily edited and distorted.
Points of Inspiration Split
Perspective
The video on the right depicts Canary Wharf and its domineering architecture, power resourcing from localised expansive substations. Finally bursting into colour/ explosion and lights flicking off as Tower Hamlets future energy deficit comes to a head and left unresolved.
Subassemblies
RYOICHI KUROKAWA
Ryoichi Kurokawa’s “subassemblies” project explores the relationship between natural and human-made structures through an architectural lens. By utilizing 3D data from laser scans of architecture, ruins, and nature, Kurokawa reconstructs and distorts these elements to create immersive audiovisual experiences. This approach challenges traditional perceptions of time and space, highlighting the intertwined forces of nature and human creation.
Bio-Feedback
Claudia Martinho
Biofeedback was an immersive sound installation for an experience of communication with the plant world and connection with environmental rhythms variations. This encounter appealed to the importance of valuing our interaction and symbiotic relationship with the primary sensory environment. Through sensors of electrical impulses of plants and field recordings, soundscapes were created in real time, spatialized and modulated in resonance with the architectural space of gnration’s inner courtyard.
Audio Production Process
RECORDING
Using the Zoom H6 audio recorder I recorded audio of the different sounds produced by machinary and materiality on site. I selected this recorder as it’s a high-quality recorder with phantom power and 24-bit /96kHz audio in BWF-compliant WAV with a unidirectional 41 dB, 1 kHz at 1 Pa built in mic.
EFFECTS & SOUND DESIGN
As each sample of audio was taken I used the EQ function to isolate the specific audio frequencies. These samples of audio were run through the E1 synthesizer to allow complete modulation of the audio forms envolope. Once the desired audio has been found further effects are applied such as reverb, delay and arpegiators.
DAW - Digital Audio Workstation
I choose to use Apples Logic Pro X for my DAW due to its powerful sound library, extensive range of effects and very user-friendly interface. This is also the software I have the most previous experience in and I believe allows for the greatest creative development.
AUTOMATION
Once effects have been applied and EQing highlights the desired frequencies, these effects are automated. This allows for the modulation of pitch, tempo and envolope throughout the track as the track progresses. Each effect on each audio channel has automation applied then bounced in the final mix.
Situating Myself As A Designer
My love for music started at a young age when I discovered jazz learning piano and the trumpet, and I was immediately drawn to the soulful sounds of disco and funk. From there, I started to explore the world of electronic music, and I was hooked. I began DJing at the age of 13 with my first gig a year or two later. By the time I was 17 & 18, I had a residency a three seperate clubs, unfortunately lockdown closed venues shortly after. During this time I was taught music production and recording skills by leading classical artists Alexis Ffrench (Rnb artist ‘Daves’ producer & direct pianist for King Charlse).
Lockdown was released and I have been been fortunate to have now performed alongside major dance artists like: Sammy Virji, MPH, LF Systems, Pola & Bryson, Arielle Free, and Mella Dee.
Acoustics and audio are a invisible sense that directly impacts a persons experience within a space. As a designer I hope to utilise my experience within the music industry in future designs to influence my route of research. This project uses my experience in sound design and audio production to highlight the hidden sounds produced by substations.
SITUATED RESPONSE 04//
Through chapter four, the project shifts focus to improving residential power usage and a direct focus on The Lansbury Estate as a site. This chapter introduces the Solar Dining Ecosystem, a dining solution utilising disused PV Panels and other materials to produce an alternative multi-use powering solution.
The dining table designed uses waisted solar to create a circular system of UV lights and PV cells to home grow fruit and vegetables, The product intended to be provided as an open source instruction guide for free access and manufactured from everyday household items, therefore accessible to all and implementing a ‘glitch’ in the route to energy access.
Introducing The Solar Dining Ecosystem
The Solar Dining Ecosystem, this dining system utilises reused home material to grow your vegetables at home through the power of hyroponics and a circular energy system. The light produced by the UV lighting provides energy for photosythesis and creates power via the photovoltic cells in tern powering the UV light, resulting in free circular energy.
Collating Thoughts
In order to situate the project within the site and raising community awareness, I produced an advertising billboard. This depicts the table using a photogrametry model of the table in a modern family home with a logo describing the ecosystem.
A QR code links to a survey site called Mentimeter, this provides passers by a singular word feedback opportunity. Mentimeter collates each word creating a word thought cloud, every time a word is used multiple times it becomes bigger in the cloud. This produces a fast initial thought response feedback diagram.
IN THE REAL WORLD
Meet Leila...
I was fortunate to meet Laila, an elderly resident of The Lansbury Estate while pinning up my manifesto and advertisement bill board on an estate wall. Laila came and asked questions about what I was showing, initially complaining thinking it was graffiti.
During the interaction Leila invited me back to her apartment and let me take a photogrametry study of her living space. Leila lives in a two bedroom contemporary apartments with access to a balcony. This photogrametry model in conjunction with a mixture of 3D scans and high accuracy photogrametry of the tables components allows for a 3D visualisation of the table functioning in its place.
Energy Routing
The table uses a circular energy approach to powering the UV light, by ensuring light normally wasted is resutilised back into self-powering. The PV Panel then outputs a Direct Current through to the inverter, a inverters converts the power to Alternating Current which can be processed to power the UV light, and the process repeats. At the same time the UV light is providing energy through photosynthesis allowing the plants to grow.
The Pamphlet
Construction Guide
Assumed uptake in The Solar Dining Ecosystem
Approximately saved per month at peak food production
Saves per year in energy costings.
Exclusively at The Landsbury Estate
£443,232 In food bills saved per annum
43,776 kwh In energy saved per annum
£108,827 at 24.8 January 2025 price cap, saved per annum
REFLECTION GLITCH
Using the lens of cyberfeminism, this project examines the challenges facing low-income housing nationwide focusing specifically on energy purchasing within the Lansbury Estate in Tower Hamlets. In today’s world, technology and digital media are inseparable from electricity, which is increasingly recognised as a implicit within human rights. Yet a stark disparity exists between the buying power of residential consumers and that of corporate entities.
As architects, we hold the responsibility to understand and address the needs of all building users, striving to improve residents’ quality of life. In response to these energy-related challenges, this project presents a creative exploration through video, audio, and imagery, culminating in the design of a DIYstyle home product. By “glitching” the systemic process of purchasing energy, this product aims to give users a step closer to independence from traditional energy providers. Through these interventions, the project seeks to empower low-income communities and highlight the role of architecture in advocating for social and technological equity.
CRITICAL & CONTEXTUAL 05//
In critical and contextual study forms as the final bodies work in my wider studio project, I delve into alternative hidden architectures of control that shape daily life in Canary Wharf. While my studio work examines the literal flow of electrical and corporate power that hold many of Tower Hamlets residents currently living in poverty economically stuck. In this work I shift focus to social and technological forms of power. As a local resident and architecture student I see clear parallels between the lit skyscrapers consuming resources far beyond what local households require, and the private companies that shape Canary Wharf also command an unnecessary control over ‘public’ spaces and surveillance frameworks.
Writing this in a magazine style format allows me to appeal to a wider audience, inviting readers to join me on a short walk through the highly surveilled squares, streets and staircases that make up Canary Wharf. I frame this journey as a way to highlight how corporate agendas and advanced surveillance technologies intersect, creating what can feel like a sterile, omnipresent eye. By doing so, I hope to encourage a critical view towards the ways in which these privately owned public spaces impact inclusivity and community engagement. I begin my walk at the water’s edge of the Thames, and roundabout that makes up West India Avenue, continuing along past One Canada Place and turning right onto Eden Dock. Throughout I discuss thoughts, feelings and identify each moment of being watched while connecting these moments to wider academic reading. Cyberfeminism, site and positionality remain guiding themes throughout this text, as I question how residents negotiate these privatised environments in which they often have little say.
The WATCHED
Wharf
An Architecture Students Walked Experience Through Canary Wharf
I begin my walk at the edge of The Thames, inhaling the faint trace of briny air that once swirled around laden cargo ships, long replaced by the sleek financial fortress of metal, glass and concrete. The jagged skyline of Canary Wharf silhouettes in the early morning light, reflecting a pale glow onto the rippling surface of the Thames. As a current architecture student, I can’t help but feel a surge of awe at the precision that shapes these grand domineering structural forms. It is as if a colossal stage has been set, orchestrated by engineers and architects who’ve pushed the boundaries of design to craft this futuristic and imposing landscape. My initial awe gives way to subtle disquiet, a soft knot in my
stomach that tightens with every step. I notice the silent eyes perched on corners and rooftops, rows of surveillance cameras capturing real time footage of the unsuspecting passersby. As the pale morning light plays across the water’s surface, that quiet awareness of being watched creeps in: an almost tangible presence reminding me that this place for all its openness exists under careful controlled observation. And with every step down the embankment toward the heart of Canary Wharf, I carry both a lingering sense of reverence for the built environment and the growing unease about the powers (seen and unseen) that define it.
I pause and turn to look back across water, and I can’t help thinking about how so many of these immaculate plazas aren’t actually public at all. My Architecture studies have made me acutely aware of how London has shifted towards Privately Owned Public Spaces, what guardian editor Chris Michael has called “pseudo-public spaces” (Micheal, 2017) and I realise every step I make from now on is permitted by corporate regulations rather than local authority bylaws. Even here at the waters edge there’s a subtle tension in the air that’s hard to miss. The neatly manicured flowerbeds, spotless walkways and rows of designer benches exude a welcoming, luxurious ambiance, yet I am conscious private security can ask me to leave at any moment, no reason needed, just a breach of some obscure rule I don’t even know exists. I recall other parts of the city where similar undercurrents exist, Granary Square springs to mind: a place with fountains and open spaces, seemingly made for everyone but owned by Argent. I remember the headlines of gatherings or protests deemed
‘inappropriate’ were swiftly broken up or ‘required special permission’ rarely to be approved. The veneer of openness crumbles the second it confronts any activity perceived as outside the developers script.
Heading down West India Avenue, I find myself remembering how this entire zone was once filled with the bustle of west india docks, ships loading and unloading an endless supply of cargo, workers calling out orders and a sense of raw commerce fueling London’s economy. Today, everything seems transformed, smoothed over by uniform paving and crisp lines. The history of industrial grit sanded, refined and replaced with pristine walkways lined by manicured trees. Though undeniably beautiful, it strikes me as somewhat antiseptic, a curated environment where spontaneity is reduced to a mere hush under the hum of daily business. Even here local vehicles are reduced tracked monitored through a one in one out gating system controlling access, it’s impossible not to notice the
quiet choreography of security guards pacing their designated sectors.
I think back to my readings on how “local councils, strapped for cash, often rely on developers’’ (Mortimer, 2024) investments to create these spaces. But that arrangement means the rules are set behind closed doors, with profit-driven aims dictating what is and isn’t permissible. If I were to start distributing flyer’s about a local cause, would that be tolerated? Or would I be gently ushered off the premises to ensure the ’ambiance’ remains undisturbed? Walking under the looming towers, I feel a pang of frustration at how easily these spaces masquerade as public land while quietly restricting the freedoms we associate with civic life. Back in what is considered genuine public spaces, like Trafalgar square or outside city libraries, one can expect rules guided by democratic oversight. But in
these pseudo-public spaces, the authority isn’t the local governments or community at large, it’s a sole private entity. Here, activism and a voice is discouraged, even a gathering of friends playing music might be quickly shut down to retain the owners projected views. I’ve read about protest being stifled in these kinds of spaces. In some cases, protesters were told they could not use placards or sound, or told to stand in designated ‘free speech zones’, ironic given the very nature of free speech. This sort of sanitation is precisely what troubles me. Yes these developments bring gleaming facility’s but at what cost? The essence of public life, the spontaneity, the diversity, the small eccentricities that make a city feel alive, seems diluted, replaced by a homogenised environment that’s hostile to anything that doesn’t fit the glossy brochures.
As I continue along, I feel the weight of privately owned
public spaces pressing down on me. Despite the official-sounding ‘public’ the reality of these spaces hits me every time I catch sight of the ubiquitous “no photography allowed without permission” signage. The text suggests that commercial filming is prohibited without prior permission, yet another reminder that ownership dictates usage. I can’t help but connect this to wider concerns about how marginalised communities must feel in such curated environments. If you don’t look the “right” way or act the “right” way, it seems you’ll be moved along, made invisible ore dissuaded from returning.,
These wide open plazas and pedestrian routes may appear welcoming by they operate under the hidden scrutiny of corporate policy’s and watchful eyes I see the cameras in subtle corners, tucked beneath the neatly angled eaves or perched on the slender lampposts. Their faceless gaze seems to track me raising questions about
who truly owns these public realms and what they expect from those who traverse them.
It has become impossible to ignore how prolific security has become in Canary Wharf, not just the polite guard at the entrance, but an entire army of over six hundred security personnel and more than two hundred CCTV cameras at the DLR station alone. The effect is palpable: a tightly regulated zone constructed under the guise of public safety but ultimately governed by corporate rules. My reflections drift back to research on Jon Coaffee and Pete Fussey, who discuss the concept of “security driven resilience” the logic that more cameras, more fences, and more uniformed patrols equals a safer city (Coaffee & Fussey, 2015). Indeed, as I pass by a small security outpost (its tinted windows hiding who might be inside) I wonder if i’ve already been flagged on some private feed. It reminds me of stories I’ve heard from acquaintances who
were quietly approached by guards for simply snapping photos of shiny facades. I notice yet another sign reminding visitors that all ‘suspicious activity’ will be reported. It strikes me how this environment can feel not just over monitored but also vaguely hostile, particularly if you don’t conform to the expected image of affluence. This is precisely what urban commentator and local MP Emma Dent Coad points out when they warn that regenerations projects often marginalise those who don’t fit neatly into corporate landscape (Booth, 2017). The cameras and patrols seem designed to filter out ‘undesirable’ behaviors or appearances, creating a fortress like mentality. Standing there, the discrepancy is glaring: behind the glass and polished brass, people in expensive suits hurry by with minimal concern while a cluster of security watch intently for anyone lingering.
And so, the tension forms a backdrop to everything, weaving an unspoken question through my mind at what point does protection become oppression? The UK Governments’ “Surveillance Camera Code of Practice” (UK Gov, 2015) discusses the potential benefits of CCTV: deterring crime, aiding in investigations, promoting a sense of safety but now here in Canary Wharf, I can’t help but sense that we’ve crossed an invisible threshold. These cameras aren’t just for combating theft or vandalism; they’re also a tool of social control. In a space that is privately owned yet ostensible open to the public accountability mechanisms become murky at best. If I felt my privacy was violated or wanted to challenge how my data and image was used, who would I even turn to?
My studies push me to think about how this tightly controlled environment impacts inclusivity. Under the lens of Cyberfeminism, as advocated by thinkers like Donna Haraway, it is clear that surveillance practices rarely take into account the nuanced experiences of women, non-binary individuals or marginalised groups. The “male-gaze” can lurk behind more than just a camera lens; it resides in the code of conduct that determines who is deemed “suspicious”. As I recall from oxford universities ‘Reconfigure: Feminist Action Research in Cyber Security’ these systems often fail to protect against subtler, more insidious threats (such as harassment or gender based violence) prioritising a broad impersonal notion of security over individual wellbeing (Slupska et al., 2021).
Walking through a construction corridor prior to the South Colonnade, my mind goes to the question of data. The ‘Global Network on Extremism and Technology’ has highlighted the rise of biometric systems that can capture
facial or behavioural information. In a place as heavily monitored as Canary Wharf, are such tools quietly in operation, scanning faces and aggregating profiles behind closed doors? If so, who has oversight? This lack of transparency is precisely what GenderIT emphasises when they warn about power imbalance created by opaque daa processing. If I wanted to know how long my footage was stored, or who had access to my face on file, would I even be able to find out?
Crossing onto South Colonnade almost at the heart of Canary Wharf now, the atmosphere becomes even more refined. Towering columns, polished stone surfaces and glass walls create a sense of imposing grandeur. As an architecture student, I realise the
Who’swatching?
DoIneedtoleave?
Amiallowedhere?Wheredoesmyfacego?
Who’slistening?
appeal of this carefully orchestrated uniformity, an almost modernist dedication to form and function that has shaped Canary Wharfs identity. Yet there’s a distinctly controlled quality as through every step is permitted only so long as it aligns with some unwritten code of corporate propriety, it feels like a real world enactment of these cyberfeminism critiques, underneath that glossy finish lies a deeply gendered and class based dynamic.
Here at the top of the steps to Eden Dock, I take a moment to consider how this model of “secured space” is no longer isolated; it’s a trend spreading across London with many privately owned public spaces adopting similar tactics. The thick chain of unregulated CCTV cameras and the imposing presence of security staff risk undermining the very essence of what it means to share a civic environment. Thinking about Donna Haraways’ Civilian centric approach, I’m reminded
that true security should be about elevating people, protecting them without curtailing their freedoms of right to exist unobserved. In the end, I stand here quietly aware of the eyes upon me, caught between the shimmering façade of finance and the drone of surveillance that underpins it all. Each passing security guard eyes me with a polite but knowing glance and I can’t help recalling the considerable parallels between walking through this space and what I’d image of a police interview suite; four thick concrete walls, a pristine mirrored panel on one through a series of suited officers’ study my every move, every decision. A small surveillance camera with a red dotted light flicker in the top corner just out of sight from the natural gaze, yet another indicator of the unknown infinite number of eyes witnessing my every breath.
Descending the steps that lead toward Eden Dock and Canary Wharf Tube
station, the sensation of being watch intensifies further. There’s something about the geometry of these tiered stairs, how they funnel pedestrians into predictable lines of movement, that makes it easier to monitor us. I notice CCTV domes discreetly placed at regular intervals, each one reflecting the sunlight as if winking back at me. Its’ not just the cameras; there are also subtle forms of personal surveillance.
From the corners of my eye, I see employees in tailored suits casting quick glances, perhaps noticing anyone who might appear out of place. Occasionally, a security guard with pause near an entrance, arms folded, scanning for singes of suspicious untoward behaviour.
This environment cultivates a strange duality in me: one hand I’m inspired by the engineering marvels that surround me, each skyscraper an emblem of meticulous planning and innovation.
On the other hand, my skin prickles that I’m only tolerated here, so long as I abide by the unstated rules of the space. The notion that this is all private property masquerading as public realm is inescapable. I think of the tall towers overhead, One Canada Squares iconic pyramid roof, the HSBC building’s unwavering slab looming like silent sentinels over the labyrinth below. Standing now at last outside the Canary Wharf Tube entrance, the bright signage guiding commuters underground, I pause to reflect on how different this place must have felt decades ago. From a booming maritime hub to a global financial center, Canary Wharf has reinvented itself with architectural flair and ruthless efficiency. Yet a landscape that feels as if it belongs to corporations more than to those that operate within it. Even as a local resident, I sense my status here as conditional.
I close my eyes for a brief moment, letting the
breeze carry the quite hum of escalators and distant conversations. In the reflection of spotless glass, I see myself dwarfed by towers that proclaim a certain brand of opulence. The parallel to a police interview suite lingers in my mind: the mirrored glass, the intangible observer behind the sheen, the unwavering, ever watching camera lens. As I take a final glance at the crowd, realise we are all subjects in this meticulously organised realm, each step choreographed against a backdrop of corporate design. And through I admire the architecture for its technical brilliance, I can’t help but leave with that familiar tension between fascination and unease, acutely aware than every move I’ve made has been recorded, scrutinised, and approved by those unseen eyes that hold the real power.
“It’s no mistake that established media demean what is in many cases the one platform to which marginalised women have access. You’ve been told to watch us but not engage: the very definition of surveillance”
Legacy Russel, Glitch Feminism: A Manifesto
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Berger, J. and Dibb, M. (1990) Ways of seeing: Based on the BBC television series directed by Michael Dibb. London: Penguin.
Binder, I. and Haché, A. (2023) A feminist conversation on Cybersecurity, GenderIT. Available at: https://www.genderit.org/editorial/feminist-conversation-cybersecurity (Accessed: 13 January 2025).
Booth, R. (2017) Kensington’s first labour MP vows to tackle area’s inequality, The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian. com/uk-news/2017/jun/11/emma-dent-coad-vows-to-confront-kensingtons-extreme-inequality (Accessed: 13 January 2025).
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Coaffee, J. and Fussey, P. (2015) Constructing resilience through security and surveillance: The politics, practices and tensions of security-driven resilience, JStor. Available at: https:// www.mpi.lu/fileadmin/_migrated/content_uploads/GUIDE_jstor_01.pdf (Accessed: 13 January 2025).
Huitson, O. (2015) ‘Canary Wharf might as well be in a different world’, openDemocracy. Available at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/ en/opendemocracyuk/canary-wharf-mightas-well-be-in-different-world/ (Accessed: 13 January 2025).
Micheal, C. (2017) Revealed: The insidious creep of pseudo-public space in London, The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/jul/24/revealed-pseudo-public-space-pops-london-investigation-map (Accessed: 13 January 2025).
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UNIT 4PLACEMENT 06//
I am currently researching temporary event, set, and stage designers specialising in large-scale festival and concert design, with the aim of securing an internship. I plan for my Unit 5 project to emphasise on acoustics and community-focused performance spaces, and I believe that gaining experience in this design field will enhance my existing architectural background. By applying my prior industry knowledge, I hope to incorporate multiple stakeholder perspectives throughout the process.
Although my primary interest is in the conceptual and design stages of projects, I recognise that, given the timing, much of my involvement may fall during the build and logistics phase. As these projects near completion before major summer events, I look forward to learning from real-world constraints and seeing how logistical considerations shape design decisions. Alternatively, I preivously comleted an internship with the BBC Propoerty Development department in conjuction with architects Flanigan Lawrence who have direct experience with large scale arts & culture projects.
To facilitate this search for an internship, I have created a template for my introductory emails and updated my CV and portfolio to share with potential employers. By showcasing both my architectural and music industry experiences, I aim to demonstrate my dedication, adaptability, and enthusiasm for designing impactful, community-driven performance spaces. I look forward to developing valuable skills in this unique intersection of architecture, events, and music. I am ready to embrace this opportunity to grow professionally.
Publics Identity Climate
STAKEHOLDERS
The first sprint focuses on the differing stakeholders involved in each project. We researched an upcoming planning application situated in coal drops, proposing a new temporary structure for shops. Each member of the group immitate a differing stakeholder, we got together as a group to run a mock planning appeal debate. I played the part of a local resident living on a houseboat adjacent to the shopping area.
RE-DESIGN
The final stage of the project was short 1hr redesign of the approved proposal. We collectively produced a small model of a temporary structure that could be replicated for market stall use. The unit had multiple enterances and a weaved roof that mimicks the rippling effect of the waters edge. We produced a single unit, but it is expected that this design to be replicated in a line down the site.
REBEL DYKES
This sprint is focused on identity with our group specifically researching into the Rebel Dyke movement in the late 1980s. Often associated with punk music, DIY art, dance, squatting, BDSM, and queer activism, the Rebel Dykes carved out a countercultural space of resistance and celebration at a time of intense political hostility toward queer people, particularly under Margaret Thatcher’s government, resulting in a transformative force shaping the LGBTQ+ culture today. The section 28 clause, banned the teaching of homosexual activity in schools and educational facilities, possibly the most significant outcome of the Rebel Dykes was confrontational and theatrical response to the clause. n addition to public demonstrations, Rebel Dykes produced zines, flyers, and underground newsletters that critiqued government policy and provided practical resources (like legal or housing advice) for those affected by homophobic legislation.
Our project was to produce a sort of tappestry with each pannel depicting a differing characteristic and moment within the movement. This was displayed in a parade conduted with all of the group projects.
This sprint focused on the brief making process. We were tasked as a group to produce a potential architectural brief, aimed at the climate crisis or a social issue. As a group we chose to focus our porject on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The project focused on a floating scientific research center that harvested coral and starfish. This improved our understanding of the research process and wider stakeholders.
