London
2021-22: Loughborough Junction
In 2021-22 Unit 6 student projects were located within the context of Loughborough Junction, an area in South London defined by a railway line which cuts through the city from Brixton to Peckham and beyond. The area is fragmented, not just physically but socially. Physical barriers segment areas of
industry and residential neighbourhoods that house some of the most deprived members of London’s society, despite the area’s high levels of economic activity.
Investigation of the area started through transect walks, using the lines of the railway as reference points. The walks brought attention to physical barriers that segment Loughborough Junction. The most obvious were the railway lines and roads, also the arches, alleyways, gates to parks and gardens. These barriers weren’t always visual, many allowed looking through to an unknown function hidden behind.
2025–26: Three Mills to East India Dock
In 2025-26, Unit 6 explored the River Lea as a Living Lab: a place where climate emergency, post-industrial transformation and social fragmentation intersect. Stretching from Three Mills Island to East India Dock, the Lea provided a framework through which to investigate architecture not simply as the design of buildings, but as a catalyst for collective action, cultural exchange and ecological stewardship.
The year began with a collective exploration of the river and its communities. Students acted as urban detectives, mapping overlooked spaces, uncovering local stories and identifying opportunities for intervention. Throughout the year students collaborated with Cody Dock through design-build activities, public events and exhibitions. Working with the idea of a Festival City, they developed proposals for temporary events, structures and public programmes capable of bringing diverse groups together around shared concerns and common ground.
These initial investigations formed the basis for a series of individual architectural projects. Students selected their own sites and developed civic programmes responding to the specific social, cultural and ecological conditions they encountered along the Lea.
