TUESDAY 3rd NOVEMBER 2009
1 – 2pm, The Forum, Spring House
Department of Architecture and Spatial Design, London Metropolitan University
Dougald Hine of Space Makers Agency
presents
Nomadic Infrastructure
“In seeking to grease the cogs, we came to the loose conclusion that we needed portable kitchens, plugin cinemas and nomadic libraries…”
Temporary School of Thought
The impact of the recession on the high street has led to considerable interest in projects making temporary use of empty premises. Space Makers Agency is working with the Temporary School of Thought and the Hexayurt Project on the Nomadic Infrastructure project. This will map the physical and social infrastructure needs of temporary-occupancy projects, then develop designs and prototypes for mobile, modular units to facilitate the use of otherwise unfit spaces – as well as social toolkits for running effective temporary space projects.
All designs will be open-sourced and made available online. We are currently negotiating for the use of an empty retail space which will provide a base in which to host conversations and a workshop for designing and building equipment.
• Space Makers Agency researches the use of under-used space and works with a range of partners to develop practical projects. It is currently running the UK’s largest empty shops project with Brixton Village indoor market.
• The Temporary School of Thought made headlines in January 2009 when it organised a three-week “free school” in a squatted townhouse in Mayfair. Its members went on to work with the Royal Parks to build the Treehouse Gallery in Regents Park this summer.
• The Hexayurt Project was founded by Vinay Gupta, the inventor of the hexayurt – an open-source shelter which has been taken up by the US Department of Defense and the Burning Man community. Vinay also works on strategic critical infrastructure mapping and helped found STAR-TIDES.
One of a series of Tuesday lunchtime talks where architects, developers and theorists present and discuss their proposals for the public realm in the post-suburban city. Chaired by Vincent Lacovara / AOC
