Livesey Exchange (LEX) is a grassroots initiative in South London that exemplifies the transformative power of sustained community involvement and demonstrates the significant impact a small, locally-led project can have. Originating with the activation of the Ledbury Estate garages, LEX has since expanded to two sites along the Old Kent Road high street, including the construction of a new communal building at LEX 2.

In 2016, what if: projects ran a successful crowdfunding campaign in collaboration with Pempeople to transform 60 vacant garages of the Ledbury Estate on Old Kent Road into the Livesey Exchange (LEX) – an arcade of workshops, studios, multi-functional spaces, and a training kitchen linked to an outside sports pitch. A multi-functional space and café were to form the main entrance from Old Kent Road, providing desk space for flexible working, meetings, events, and socializing.

Kick-started by the successful Mayor’s crowdfunding campaign, the temporary reuse of the abandoned Ledbury Estate garages on Old Kent Road for a temporary programme of workshops, exhibitions, open days, and other cultural events began in 2016 and continued to evolve into a creative space managed by Pempeople. The Mayor’s Community Handbook highlights lessons learned from this activation of a formerly dead space.

Building without Building: Our goal was to transform the unused garages on the Ledbury Estate into a place that offers space and skill building opportunities to the neighbourhood. We invited local makers and creatives to take up space at the LEX garages and share their skills with the public during a series of open days. A lively programme emerged offering hands-on workshops such as leather making, metalwork, welding, blacksmithing, sewing, and printmaking, complemented by live music, Latin dance, film screenings, exhibitions, and area walks. These events were organized in collaboration with Pempeople, the community interest group Action OKR/Peckham Weeklies, the business association Vital OKR, and many local makers and artists. They were part of the London Festival of Architecture, Open House, and the Peckham Festival.

Feedback on the proposed plans for adapting the garages was gathered at several events to inform the evolution of the project. Our long-term objective has been to enable local communities to participate in the development of the area as it evolves and to have the training and skills to effectively participate in and benefit from the coming changes.

While we developed plans for the physical transformation of the garages into workshops, we focused much of the design work on shaping the process and facilitating communication with the client group, future users, stakeholders, and the wider public. The public events, which created new spatial experiences, played a crucial role in actively engaging the community and breaking down barriers to planning processes.

Change of Site: Following the Grenfell fire, plans for the adaptation of the garages into permanent workshops and spaces for cultural use, attracting London Regeneration funding in 2017, had to be aborted. LB Southwark offered an alternative vacant site on the corner of Old Kent Road and St. James’s Road to LEX for a duration of 10-15 years (refer to LEX 2).