Studio polpo uk/finland exchange

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themes, and eight projects, by studio polpo

prepared for:

The Architecture Foundation

The Finnish Institute in London

Suomen Rakennustaiteen Museo

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artistic intervention

a pair of low-tech community engagement tools that brought creativity to inner city estates and empowered those who interacted with them

Background

wheelchair user. There was also a very limited budget

The Drawing Shed is a project initially conceived by

and the structure needed to be built locally with readily

artists Sally Barker and Sally Labern as part of the

available, and easily workable materials.

London ‘Be Creative, Be Well’ programme. This was managed and funded by the Arts Council, to commis-

What we did

sion creative activities and arts that would bring de-

Studio Polpo created a wheeled box that, when closed,

prived communities in ‘Super Output Areas’ together,

was able to fit through a domestic door, yet opened up

promote healthy activities and improve local environ-

to create a larger enclosure. The box was painted with

ments.

blackboard paint and mounted on heavy duty castors.

Why a shed?

The Power of the shed

The Drawing Shed was conceived as a space that

The Drawing Shed was very successful in stimulat-

would enable people to draw, particularly adults who

ing the curiosity of the communities and groups that

had maybe not drawn since school, or those who

encountered it, often children would bring parents and

would say “ I can’t draw” if asked. The space was to

families would doodle and draw together in a space

be a non-threatening and neutral space but one that

removed from the ‘normal’ world. The young men

was different enough for workshop participants to feel

staying at the YMCA, often seen as aggressive and

they were in a special place where drawing was fine and

troubled, spent long periods of time drawing and these

expected.

drawings prompted conversations with the artists, the

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men of the YMCA often opening up and talking about

_ the Drawing Shed _ Printbike

The ‘shed’ had to be stored in an empty garage and

personal issues and incidents from their past.

moved around to different venues, some indoors, (the

The act of moving the Drawing Shed from location to

Walthamstow YMCA for example) some outdoors

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(Walthamstow flats common) and accessible by a

location added to the theatre and sense of intrigue and the physical challenge involved would often draw in passers-by who would offer to push it.

Evolution Following initial workshops it was felt that the internal height of the box was too low and that an increase in height (although preventing use indoors) would be beneficial. The box was also designed to operate as a

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kiosk, bar, or shop and this is something the artists aim to try in later workshops.

The Drawing Shed has also been used by another artist to host a mini museum, where children from one of

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the estates in North London have displayed prized possessions on purpose made OSB plinths and boxes.

Future Plans This project has had an enormous impact relative to

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the time and money invested in the structure itself, primarily due to the energy of the artists involved, and its use continues to evolve. The artists are now considering the Drawing Shed 2, a lighter and more crafted object, possibly for the 2012 London Olympics.

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The Printbike This is another project developed by Sally Labern, this time with artist Bobby Lloyd, again as part of the Be Creative, Be Well programme. The starting point for the project was a screen printing facility where people living on an estate in Walthamstow, North London, could come along and create signage with positive messages (to counter the many ‘No…’ signs on the estate) easily and quickly.

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The brief The project evolved into a mobile screen printing facility that could be moved around the estate, or indeed the city, to allow posters, signs and images to made quickly and easily by anyone. The printing facility became something that would be towed by bicycle and self contained, i.e. it would carry the screens, paints,

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paper, roll-up tables and provide a working surface for printing.

How we helped Studio Polpo developed a housing that would sit on an adapted bike trailer – the detail of this went through

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numerous refinements and iterations to reduce weight, and make best use of materials. The lid of this box, for example, when removed becomes the support for the removable ‘desktop’ within. Weight and strength were key, and again the structure needed to made by someone with good carpentry (but not specialist manufacturing) skills. A large sail, made by a kite-maker to a design developed by the artists and Studio Polpo, was also included to act as a windbreak, rain shelter, or banner.

Taking it outside

colourful and upbeat signage for example was very

The Printbike featured in the 2010 London ‘Big Draw’

powerful.

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where it sat adjacent to London’s City Hall and Tower Bridge and the artists secured sponsorship from

The next steps

Brompton, in the form of one of their folding bikes in

Due in part to this success, and also looking at how

a vivid orange which the trailer was painted to match.

to use this in other ways, the artists have looked how

The print making workshops have been very popular

the Printbike may be taken to further flung parts of

with participants able to produce graphically striking

London where cycling a great distance would be too

and powerful images fairly easily – the estate filled with

time consuming or exhausting. Studio Polpo have now designed a flexible waterproof fabric cover with reflective text pattering to replace the timber lid, a lightweight foldable tabletop, and minor modifications to the main box itself, which now enable the main box to fit into the back of a small family car. The trailer and bike can then be unpacked and moved around the destination as before.

These two projects have seen us researching unusual materials, working in a vey enjoyable and collaborative way with the artists and producing objects that act as powerful and imaginative tools for community engage-

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ment.

images 1. Workshop at YMCA, Walthamstow 2. Drawing Shed in Motion enroute to estate 3. Drawing Shed workshop stop on estate 4. Banners produced by children on Printbike 5. Printbike concept diagram 6. Printbike in action at the Big Draw, South Bank 7. Printbike banner/canopy links: www.london.gov.uk/welllondon/becreativebewell/ www.spectacle.co.uk/archive_production.php?id=584

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02

02 activist research

a campaign to save a vibrant and historic workplace that grew into a vehicle for the empowerment of the tenants, changed local policy, and will lead to a new and positive future for the buildings and their users

_ Portland Works

What is Portland Works?

benefit rather than their bottom line. A vital part of

enacting of sustainable futures. We wanted to make

Portland Works is a Grade II* Listed integrated cutlery

this was to understand the relationship of the building

a case for and creating a useful precedent of activist

factory. A hundred years ago, it was the birthplace of

to the activities within it; in terms of the way the mak-

scholarly research within architecture. We saw that en-

stainless steel manufacturing. Today it is a hub of craft

ing carried out there had shaped the place and also as a

gaged scholarship, community activism and community

and innovation, home to a community of diverse and

physical hub for such diverse businesses. In parallel to

economic development could converged to actually

thriving businesses including metalworkers, engineers,

this we developed an understanding that some things

Save Portland Works from speculative redevelopment;

engravers, artists, wood workers and musicians. This

would have to change in order for the place to remain

whilst proposing new, and hopefully transformative

project was initiated when the landlord submitted a

sustainable. Portland Works is structurally sound, but

things.

Planning Application for ‘Change of Use’: he pro-

in a poor state of repair, and will continue to dete-

posed to close the Works and convert it into bedsit

riorate unless substantial maintenance work is car-

What happened?

flats. Tenants, activists and local people worked first to

ried out; this has implications in terms of developing

The ‘Portland Works Industrial and Provident Society

oppose this, and then, to propose alternatives that gave

management and ownership strategies. The building is

(IPS)’ has now launched Sheffield’s first community

continuity to over 140 years of making at the Works.

currently fully occupied, but improvements to the fire

share issue for the purchase and refurbishment of the

The campaign started to stop Portland Works being

escape, access and zoning will allow for the intensifica-

Works. In order to get here we have explored options,

wiped out, rather than preserving it, and in the process

tion of use, raising rental revenues and bringing new

research precedents, constituted as an IPS, produced

hatched a plan for how it might evolve in the future.

skills and potential on site.

a detailed business plan, developed networks with

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cultural and educational organisations, changed local What is the project?

What has our role been?

planning policy and galvanised local and national sup-

As the campaign grew, so did the realisation that the

Our role as architects was to insist on the importance

port. We have also got to know each other much bet-

place could offer a wider community benefit; in terms

of the connection between the social and political ele-

ter; there have been thousands of hours volunteered,

of culture, heritage and education, and perhaps most

ments and the spatial and relational ones. In order to

funds raised, skills shared and ideas debated.

importantly as a cheap place in the city where ‘making’

do this we worked to establish a framework that would

could happen. It became clear that this was something

allow for the investigation of collective knowledge-

This activist work has taken numerous forms, including

that the tenants wanted as a legacy and saw as a way

production of strategies, and tools and tactics available

exhibitions, conference papers, audits, case studies, stu-

of growing their businesses that was based on social

to economically threatened communities to enable the

dent projects, workshops, and films. It has been carried

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out collaboratively, led by our shared understanding of the project as it developed, with no predetermined outcome. We have facilitated events (for campaign supporters, tenants, local residents, politicians and local, regional, and national agencies), to explore and conceive alternative futures for PW, positively framing and supporting the multiplicity of approaches, voices, registers and ways of operating, valuing contrasts, discrepancies and divergences.

What now?

The next few months will see us work towards physical changes to the Works; we intend to continue this activist approach which looks at what the building does and

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7 images 1. Plating forks at the works 2. The Works 3. Posters created to raise awareness 4. Workshops to decide on future business models 5. Tours of the works 6. Tours of the works 7. Steering group meetings 8. Workshop activities 9. Tours of the Works 10. Share Offer Launch Party 11. Share Offer Launch Party 12. Documentation of the process so far 13. Case studies as part of the documentation pack links:

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www.portlandworks.co.uk

the various roles it plays for the many people that use the building. We see this as a way to bring together the tangible and intangible aspects of Portland Works, in a genuinely collaborative and open manner.

This will involve working with Sheffield University MArch to run a Live Project, where a number of 5th and 6th year students will get involved in developing zoning and phasing plans and approaches to sustainability

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03 provoking & proposing

a self-initiated masterplan and series of creative interventions to focus attention on one of Sheffield’s lost waterways

Background

and M1 motorway.

The Forgotten Spaces 2011 – Sheffield competition,

forms, bird-watching hides, playgrounds, kayak plat-

Taking it forward

forms and a micro-brewery and boathouse at Hillsbor-

There is a vast potential here not for development as

run by the RIBA, forms a starting point for Studio Pol-

The Don from the city to the North-West area of

ough Corner. These would be linked by a walkway that

such (although there are numerous empty sites and

po’s investigations of the Upper Don river in Sheffield.

Hillsborough is a lost world however. Running parallel

is pontoon in places, path in others. The string of well

buildings) but for the opening up of a corridor. Need-

The competition sought ideas for neglected, overseen,

with a major road and close to the supertram track it

regarded microbreweries and real ale-pubs in this area,

less to say we did not win the competition, but Studio

unused or unloved parts of the city and Studio Polpo,

is almost invisible. For a large part it is also inacces-

together with the proximity to the tram are also a draw

Polpo are looking at a next stage now where we are

together with architectural journalist and PhD student

sible, cut off by private car-parks, industrial estates and

for visitors to the city

looking to bring together the many and diverse groups

Steve Parnell, used the competition as a way of explor-

empty sites. This section of river is full of surprises

ing this part of the city.

however; derelict water wheels, curiously named islands (Bacon Island) and an abandoned graveyard.

The context Sheffield, famously, is built on seven hills (‘like Rome’),

Initial Approach

however it also has five rivers that flow into the city

A series of walks enabled us to discover and map these

from the Peak District and surrounding countryside.

places and show, graphically, how much of the river

These generated the power for the grinding wheels of

was inaccessible. It also became apparent that there

the city’s well known cutlery trade, and later powered

was a green (or blue) corridor from the city centre out

steam engines and forge hammers. The rivers also

to the Peak District, waiting to be used.

acted as a drain and industrial waste conduit and for this reason were, until not so long ago, heavily pol-

Over a number of walks we discovered the lengths that

luted, and devoid of marine life. As the works build-

had been gone to, to prevent access to the river but

ings backed straight onto, or even bridged over, the

also the sense of calm, escape and nature only minutes

rivers (the station is built over a culverted section of

from a dual carriageway.

river) they became invisible.

A loose ‘masterplan’

_ Forgotten Spaces Sheffield 2011

In recent years, with the decline of industry, different

Our proposals for the competition fell slightly outside

forms of power and increasing environmental aware-

the exact brief in that we had not picked a specific site

ness, river walks and residential river-side develop-

but a large linear area of the city. Our suggestions for

ments have appeared along the River Don from the

what might happen here were outline and ranged from

city centre, East to the Meadowhall shopping centre

very simple to complex: picnic benches, fishing plat-

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There is a huge potential to re-invigorate a fantastic natural asset and a unique space in the city and create an escape from the urban into the rural, and a place to explore and adventure. Why wait to be comissioned, architects should be initiating the masterplanning process from the bottom up and making this an engaging journey for all interested and affected.

This is just a starting point!

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that are involved in the river (these include fishing groups, kayakers, the Environment Agency, heritage

ate street furniture from found objects along the river,

groups and a local renewables group) to see how some

to a series of balloons that mark the river’s course

of these ideas might be implemented.

from the street . All of these will capture the imagination and publicise the are in question. An ideas compe-

Creative Provocations

tition to design the objects/landscapes along the route,

We have been looking at artistic and provocative ways

or just to highlight the remarkable features already in

of generating discussion and interest. Ideas such as a

existance is another possibility.

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images 1. Existing river view 2. Existing river - collage 3. Inaccessible area map (orange) 4. Proposals 5. Early exploration 6. Proposals collage 7. Proposals collage

series of walks and workshops, where participants cre-

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04 flexibility and detail

a careful and consdidered building intervention and a new way of working in the meanwhile spaces of the city

The Background

Our intervention

clients re-located to an empty shop unit in the Univer-

Studio Polpo were commissioned to re-work the inte-

We also created a large window seat and glazed open-

sity Students Union. During this time they ran an ideas

rior of the Enterprise Zone building by the Universi-

ing to the formerly windowless meeting space and

competition and were keen to have a strong presence

ty of Sheffield’s Enterprise Centre (U.S.E.). The centre

through use of built-in joinery and lighting formed a

in their temporary home. Studio Polpo were com-

acts as an information point for students for all things

library-like space for quite study or group-work that

missioned by U.S.E to fit-out the empty unit in a cost

business and enterprise related and runs seminars,

is visible from the entrance. The building and new

effective but eye-catching way, but also in a way that

competitions and events for students and graduates on

facilities were also made fully wheelchair accessible and

allowed the unit to be turned into something else after

business start-up and social enterprise issues.

DDA compliant whilst remaining true to the original

they had left at a minimal cost.

colour concept and strategy.

Design Approach

The client had had initial work done by West consultancy who had provided them with re-branding, cor-

Studio Polpo also worked closely with the contractor

Our response to this was to design the ‘Ideas Box’.

porate identity and way-finding strategies for the space.

to develop a purpose made reception desk and locally

A successor to the Drawing Shed, the Ideas Box was

We took this on and developed it to look at wider

sourced slatted timber ceiling at a much reduced cost

mobile office unit that folded up to become a wheeled

issues of day-lighting, build-ability and lighting design,

to commercially available systems.

box that fits through a domestic doorway, but opens to

along with an M&E consultant and Quantity Surveyor.

become a 6m long structure when fully extended.

The level of attention to detail is high yet all finishes

The building had been re-furbished relatively recently

and detailing are designed for robustness, and over a

The Ideas Box included a reception desk, hatch/leaflet

by the Universities Estates Department and we worked

year after completion there has been very little wear

rack, storage box/bench with display wall, and adjusta-

carefully to retain or re-use whatever elements we

and tear and the building is popular with staff and

ble storage shelving. The unit was designed with hinges

could to avoid waste (carpets, doors, ironmongery etc)

users.

that enabled each section to swing by 270 degrees,

whilst working with West to change finishes and other

_The Enterprise Zone

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allowing a large number of spatial configurations and

items. Key to the refurbishment was the concept of

What next?

use in a number of ways in a number of places. This

rationalised wall planes that lead the visitor or user in

A second phase of works involving the main space of

meant that the money spent was retained in a structure

and around the space. These hide and house services,

the building may go ahead in the future depending on

that could be used once the client had moved out of

and contain seating niches and radiators, computer

funding available.

the shop unit.

The Ideas Box

The Ideas Box was made from OSB and finished with

Whilst preliminary building works were underway the

non-toxic paints to minimise off-gassing and make best

terminals and storage.

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erate it. The Ideas Box was housed in a purpose built wall niche in the Enterprise Zone upon completion of this building but this was sadly not to be as it was disposed of by someone from the client side during redecoration works. We have had a number of enquiries by other parties in this unit however, and hope to replicate it, with minor improvements, in the future.

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6 use of low-embodied energy materials.

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Gone but not forgotten It was our hope that the Ideas Box would be used extensively if not by the client then by other groups, as

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it was very easy for one person to open, close and op-

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1. Exterior 2. Reception Area 3. Reception desk seat detail 4. The Ideas Space and window seat 5. Slatted ceiling detail 6. Ideas Box closed 7. Ideas Box open showing shelving and reception hatch 8. Ideas Box fully extended 9. Seat/storage box detail 10. Shelving runner detail 11. Ideas Box partially open 12. Aerial view of open structure

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sowing seeds looking at temporary land use at a micro-level to create stronger community networks through the production and sahring of food

Background

by Studio Polpo to act as an online notice board and

Studio Polpo worked with Transition Crookes/Walkley,

knowledge sharing forum for gardeners.

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part of the UK’s Transition Towns network, looking into issues surrounding Peak Oil and Energy Descent,

Curent situation

to apply for funding for two Sheffield-based commu-

The gardeners come from a broad range of back-

nity growing projects.

grounds and ages and produce food for the centre, a neighbouring sheltered housing development for the

The garden on Hallamgate Road is situated behind a

elderly and themselves. The revitalised green space also

day-care centre run by the City Council for adults with

creates a peaceful but stimulating environment for the

severe learning disabilities. The building, formerly a

centres users who are able to experience the fragrances,

large house, has a garden with a plastic polytunnel and

sounds and textures of the garden. The Hallamgate

was not used by the centre having become overgrown

garden works well as an allotment site amongst fairly

and neglected. A member of staff, herself affiliated

dense housing – there are many allotments nearby that

to a Transition group elsewhere, contacted Transition

require a long walk, or a car journey to access them, as

Crookes/Walkley to see if they would be interested in

well as requiring security and tools, this one has a pool

taking on the garden as a space to grow food.

of equipment, has the security of being overlooked by the centre during the day and is just off a major bus

What we did

route. The centre also benefits from having people

Studio Polpo worked with the group to plan what

onsite at weekends.

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might be done with the space, to talk to the council

_Hallamgate Garden _Walkley Micro Allotments

races has numerous tiny pieces of land in front of its

and centre staff, and apply for Climate Change Fund

The Micro-Allotments

monies to develop the site.

A parallel project to the Hallamgate Road garden was

The funding bid, for over ÂŁ4,000.00 was successful

the Micro-Allotment Initiative. Based in Walkley, a

and was used to by materials, plants, trees, raised beds,

neighbouring area to Crookes, location of Hallamgate

water tanks, and tools which the Transition volunteers

Road, this project looked to initiate small scale food

used to transform the garden into a shared space for

growing in the many unused front garden spaces of

growing food. A website for the site was also set up

Sheffield. Walkley in particular, with its long ter-

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houses. Too small to sit in, often tarmac covered, these offered the potential for long chains of productive spaces.

Again, Studio Polpo helped Transition Crookes/Walkley secure funding for a small number of pilot projects and this was used to buy soil, plants and a bike trailer.

There were a number of aims of the Micro-Allotment project; to increase food growing capacity, to reduce water run-off and urban heat-island effect, and to

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bring about social change.

In many streets the majority of inhabitants are unaware

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WALKLEY micro-allotments

of the majority of their neighbours and we sought to address this by linking together those that may be happy to give their space to another to garden, those that may wish to share resources (either tools, water or crops) or just to provide a talking point to start conversation. We mapped a number of potential ‘actors’ in the network such as elderly people who were physically no longer able to tend a space themselves but would like to see it looked after (and would welcome the opportunity to talk to the ‘gardener’) people with an

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interest in gardening, but with no space of their own, people with an interest in ‘green issues’ and a space, but no time, who could benefit from produce grown

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on their doorstep.

What you can get:

A specially designed compost box made from reclaimed timber A fruit bush or tree A sealed composting container for collecting peelings and scraps A small water butt and timber screen.

A raised bed filled with compost and topsoil Seeds and seedlings Volunteers to set-up and tend the plot

How it works:

Transition Crookes/Walkley will agree with you the terms of the use of your space, depending on what you are comfortable with.

You may want to be involved, whether this is just watering & weeding, planting, or just benefitting from what is grown.

We are also looking for people interested in helping us to look after these sites and establish a larger network in Crookes and Walkley.

If you are interested please email or call, details at the foot of the sheet.

Do you have an under-used front garden?

Think it’s too small to bother with?

No time to look after it?

We are looking for people with small front gardens in Walkley who want to take part in a new initiative to create a series of micro-allotments that will turn these spaces into productive plots growing vegetables, herbs or fruit trees or bushes.

Very often the act of delivering materials, tools or

Transition group vounteer, helps co-ordinate sites, lives nearby

Volunteer, spends two hours a week tending and watering her three nearest sites. Has no garden space of her own and finds this relaxing and productive.

Landlord owns four properties that he lets out to professionals or students. Likes the idea that the front of these is looked after especially when empty to help market them, but also keep an eye on the properties.

Elderly person, lives alone & used to like gardening but struggles now and doesn’t like the front garden looking overgrown.

Likes to chat to the garden team when he sees them and also gets some seasonal vegetables.

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carry information about the initiative for interested parties, and to public events

distribute seedlings, cuttings and plants to sites from hub

plants in the bike trailer made people aware of the

distribute produce between sites

Transition Groups bike trailer and initiated discussion

deliver / distribute compost to/from sites hub

and interest. This very visible process again created a talking point on a street and more links.

Student household, generally interested in all things green but no real interest in outside spaces - happy to get a bit of cheap and healthy salad or seasonal fruit from the garden.

Students get two know elderly man at next site and help him with the odd task.

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the Transition Trailer is based at our hub at the Hallmagate Allotment* site in Crookes and can travel around to all micro-allotment sites. (*see the website at: www.16hallamgate.ning.com)

TC/W

*

www.transitionsheffield.org.uk

*the transition towns initiative raises awareness of, and looks to provide local resilience to issues of peak oil

Student vounteer, helps out on for a few hours each weekend

carry tools & equipment to maintain sites

a Transition Crookes/Walkey initiative 8

Young couple, work and go out a lot, no time or interest in gardening, but keen on the idea of the front garden being useful and supporting the initiative.

Use herbs from garden in their cooking, once established.

12 concept and graphics by studio polpo www.studiopolpo.com office@studiopolpo.com

if you are interested please email: or call Mark or Cristina on:

crookes-walkley@lists.transitionsheffield.org.uk 0114 267 6861

images 1. Gardeners meet at Hallamgate 2. Drawing Shed in Motion enroute to estate 3. Initial publicity 4. Productive raised beds on site 5. Productive raised beds on site 6. Volunteers clear roots 7. Bramble removal 8. Micro-Allotment equipment kit 9. Early stage of Micro-Allotment 10. Transition trailer delivering raised bed kits 11. Runner beans at garden 12. Micro-Allotment publicity 13. Seed propagation 14. Off-raod planters

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practice profile

Dissatisfied with the architectural status-quo and that

search into Architectural Practice and Education.

the design of places we live is dictated by the financial

Mark continues to collaborate with Architype, a prac-

interests of the few, we sought to create a practice that

tice at the forefront of sustainability and with roots in

enables and initiates, rather than responds and reacts.

the Walter Segal self-build movement, and this enables

In a climate of significant cuts to the public sector

Studio Polpo to keep up to date with developments in

and a considerable drop in private investment in the

sustainable approaches to technology and construction

built environment we seek to tactically occupy gaps,

and the surrounding debates.

sometimes to critique, often to propose otherwise.

Our work allows us to investigate what roles architects

We are based in both Sheffield and London and this

could and should take in these matters of concern.

allows us to operate locally, close to our situation, but always be connected to other places and ideas. Situat-

Our social enterprise model allows us to instigate our

edness is key to our approach to practice and projects

own projects and offer free or subsidised design work

away from our bases are always in collaboration with

for ethical projects. Crucially this also facilitates our

local partners.

questioning of the dominant the economic system, whilst tactically taking opportunities that it provides.

“...a building cannot be defined by what it is and what it means... but only by what it does: what kind of disputes it provokes and how it resists to attempts of transformation in different periods of time and according to the variable geometry of different human and non human actors...it manifests agency in design; far from shaping social identities and relationships, it simply connects architecturally.”

(Yaneva 2009)

Sheffield offers a unique location for a practice such as ours. A city with a long history of socialism and co-

We collaborate on multi-disciplinary spatial, social

operatives it has been a hotbed of change and protest

and environmental design with those that might not

throughout history. As a post-industrial city that has

otherwise have access to architectural skills. We learn

declined and had to re-invent itself there are numer-

too from their experiences and approach. This allows

ous opportunities (seen by many as problems) both in

us to be open to answers to spatial and relational ques-

terms of creative or temporary (re)uses of land and a

tions which may not always be to design a building,

very particular landscape. The city also sits at the edge

but could sometimes be a strategy, an action or an

of the Peak District National park, and the countryside

event. Our practice brings together research, practice

reaches into the heart of the city along the river valleys.

and teaching; each critically questions and informs the

This connection is a strong one and enables even the

other.

most blast-deafened and grimy steelworker, or lobotomised call-centre worker to escape into pure and raw

Studio Polpo consists of five people; Cristina Cerulli,

nature and wander along cliffs, moors and waterfalls.

Anna Holder, Mark Parsons, Stuart Thomason and

This unique history and topography, together with a

Julia Udall, all of whom have overlapping fields of

renowned friendliness and openness, have resulted in a

interest and activity yet with distinct areas of expertise.

city where the centre is relatively small and community

Our structure is flat and all people initiate or collabo-

networks are strong. It is easy to connect with others in

rate on projects. Stuart’s role at the Young Foundation

the city and we are strengthened and influenced by it.

Studio Polpo are: Cristina Cerulli Anna Holder Mark Parsons Stuart Thomason Julia Udall

Studio Polpo

brings a non-architectural viewpoint to our work and a wealth of expertise in social and economic thinking

This exchange would be very timely for our practice,

related to enterprise and young people in particular.

allowing us to further consider pressing questions

Anna and Julia’s research is based on socially motivated

facing architects in the UK. We would hope to take

architectural practice, and the tools available to archi-

advantage of this opportunity to co-investigate some

tects to help transform communities, respectively. This

of the following issues; What kinds of roles are

both feeds into and benefits from the issues we look to

architects taking in different contexts and countries?

address in our practice. Cristina brings social enterprise

Has the remit of what architects ‘design’ broadened

issues into architectural education and equips students

from buildings to also include strategies, networks and

to become initiators and agents as opposed to simply

policies? How do different social and policy structures

employees as well as working across disciplines. She is

impact the ability of architects to initiate projects – as

part of the Sheffield University based research centre

the nature, perception and role of the state are very

The Agency, which carries out Transformative Re-

different in both countries.

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responses to questions

a) What are the main influences and inspirations for your practice?

Our main source of inspiration are the people we meet and places we see; our practice is deeply situated in the contexts we are operating in, as professionals and citizens. We are also inspired by a number of ‘spatial agents’ (Schneider and Till 2008), often outside architecture, that have used creativity, ingenuity, determination and canniness to implement collective and individual actions that shift perspectives, exploit loopholes, hijack, resist, collaborate to propose and implement projects and initiatives that make our cities more environmentally and socially just.

b) What are the current issues facing British cities that architects should be addressing?

Bacon Island, Upper Don, Sheffield British cities are under increasing pressure of the privatisation of space, yet at the same time investment

approach to mitigating future flooding could offer

for actions, interventions and activities that address

in the built environment form both public and private

Sami Rintala + Marco Casagrande use art and architecture

us insights into re-establishing a better ecological

social and environmental justice. How can we create

sources has been drastically reduced. We are interested

to provoke debate and delight; we’ve followed their

connection in the UK. Sheffield, England’s greenest

the conditions for the emergence of a resilient system

in addressing the following questions:

work for a number of years. No longer a partnership,

city, would particularly benefit from lessons from

of ethical actors working interdependently around/

they remain inspiring.

Finland due to its low-density, proximity to the Peak

in/with urban waters? How can we trigger a shift

District National Park and lack of acknowledgement

towards more just society through rethinking access,

of and strategic planning around the cities’ five rivers.

management and use of urban waterways?

sensitivity to materiality and site. The education and

We would hope to also be able to offer our peers

We instigated a project about a bottom-up reclaiming

promotion of young practices is a pressing concern.

interesting insights into our experience of the social

and rediscovery of Sheffield’s five rivers, which are

economy and of our approach to working with diverse

large part of which are inaccessible to its citizens, and

HDL (Helsinki Design Lab) works critically to influence

communities and actors. As populations are dispersed

through actions and small projects we are building a

- Are there opportunities to occupy (temporal,

policy, and like us, is interested in the notion of

due to conflict and resource scarcity, and the average

community now working towards collective initiatives

economic and physical) gaps,and make visible

‘interdependency’. We are motivated by their skill at

age of the Finnish population increases, will the

around our urban rivers.

intangible strengths?

addressing and then communicating complex problems

demographic of Nordic countries change rapidly?

and innovative solutions.

What issues will this raise and how will architects be

- Does the current situation create space for critical approaches that propose alternatives to market driven

New graduates Rudanko + Kankkunen, combine an

and commercialised places?

understanding of the importance of management with

- Can architects initiate projects that embody and promote ethical values?

placed to help communities and places?

- What roles should and could architects take in these spatial and relational concerns? d) What would you hope to gain from an exchange programme with peers from Finland?

the exchange theme ‘cities and water’?

c) Which architects from Finland do you find most interesting?

e) How could the work of your practice respond to

We would hope to initiate ongoing conversations and collaborations with our peers from Finland and their

Water shapes cities by being the conduit and locus

OK-Do work in an interdisciplinary and collaborative

networks, and see the exchange as an opportunity to

of activities and exchanges and plays a significant

way. Their synthesis of research and activist practice

look at projects and landscapes on both sides with

role in their complex ecology (including at economic

is something we are exploring; it is exciting to see in

fresh eyes. Finland’s much stronger connection to

and environmental levels). Our particular interest is

another context.

nature and cities such as Helsinki with their proactive

to explore water in urban contexts as a prime site

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Thank you for reading this document, we hope that you have found it interesting.

Should you require any further information on anything shown here please do not hesitate to contact us. studio polpo, june 2011

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