Ethical Design
The following examples represent personal projects based on principles of ethical design.
These include my thesis design project which focused on inclusive and participatory design, as well as the thesis dissertation that informed this and examples of accessible design, social housing and urban regeneration.
MArch 2 Thesis Design: ‘Roma Burning: Punk Architecture’
This project focuses on the regeneration of the CSOA Forte Prenestino in Rome’s Centocelle District.
The brief focused on the CSOA’s history, being set up by Punks and outsiders in the 1980s, and the reflection of the context that led to the development of such squatted social centres in the social, political and economic context of Italy today.
Combined with my thesis dissertation, this created a brief which focused on providing new habitable space to create a safe, protected community for those persecuted in Italy today, as well as providing services for rough sleepers and healthcare facilities. Public spaces were also provided, to help prevent residents becoming isolated and to encourage understanding between those protected by the fort and the community outside.
MArch 2 Thesis Dissertation:
‘Punk Architecture: A Manifesto’
This dissertation focused on understanding the ideals and ethics of the Punk subculture, and seeking out architectural examples that follow the same ethics and concepts.
This included a synthesis of these architectural examples and ideas, setting out a series of points which the construction industry, and architects in particular, should champion. These key manifesto points, and the ideas explored throughout, provide an example of what ‘Punk Architecture’ should be, and how designers can seek to create a more ethical culture within the construction industry and within the world at large.
MArch 1 Design Synthesis: Somerstown Regeneration
The brief for this project focused on the regeneration of the Somerstown ward of Portsmouth, in the area occupied by Leamington and Horatia house which are currently under demolition. This area has become an urban island since redevelopment in the 1950s, and this project reconnects the historic routes into the site.
The brief proposed the construction of high density, low rise affordable housing, designed to create shared space opportunities to allow for community development and interaction. This included the incorporation of commercial properties, and typologies intended to replicate and update the historic streets of Somerstown.
All dwellings were designed to incorporate minimum Part M Accessible/Adaptable design standards, with ground floor apartments designed to be fully accessible. This allows both for future proofing of all dwellings as well as preventing any resident from becoming isolated from the community.
