In the past twenty years, we have pioneered a path into process-driven architectural practice that moves beyond the traditional focus on material and object. Our approach, reflected in performative interventions, meanwhile-use programmes, and participatory design processes, has significantly contributed to the fields of architecture and urbanism. This is evident in our numerous publications and other forms of public dissemination. The key themes that have guided our work are actively shaping the current discourse in the field: care, nature in the city, building communities, participatory processes, and alternative models of architectural practice.
Work featured in books:
2022
Another breach in the wall. The city as a common good, BETA Architecture Biennale, ISBN 9786069505595 p16-17 Vacant Lot, action and garden project
2019
Make City, A compendium of Urban Alternatives Jovis ISBN 978-3-86859-567-3, p198-199 Livesey Exchange (open workshops, rendering local expertise visible)
2017
Stads Natuur Maken / Making Urban Nature nai010 ISBN 978-94-6208-332-5 p296-297 management and policy, Vacant Lot
2015
Transforming Cities, Urban Interventions in Public Space, Jovis ISBN 978-3-86859-337-2 p29, 178-179 Vacant Lot, Charterhouse Road Club community centre
2012
Cause and effect, Visualising sustainability, Gestalten ISBN 978-3-89955-443-4 p210 Travelling Shed, p211 Vacant Lot installation, p222 ON OFF
2011
Vector>, Critical research in context , ISSN 1842-8657, p27 SIT IN
2011
Carrot City, Creating places for urban agriculture, Monacelli Press, NYC , ISBN 978-1-58093-311-7 , p 59, 215, 220 Vacant Lot allotment program
2011
My Green City, Back to nature with attitude and style, Gestalten, ISBN 978-3-89955-334-5 p14 Vacant Lot
2010
HOME/AWAY, art in social spaces, Idensitat, Barcelona, ISBN: 978846136933, p126, 127 SIT IN: Noel Street, Liverpool
2010
Bracket (architecture, environment, digital culture), on farming, almanac 1 ISBN 978-84-92861-21-7 p223 Vacant Lot allotment programme
2009
Architecture of Change 2, Sustainability and Humanity in the Built Environment, Gestalten ISBN 978-3-89955-263-8 , p158-159 Vacant Lot allotment and Greening Romford Ring Road
2009
Spacecraft 2, More Fleeting Architecture and Hideouts Gestalten ISBN 978-3-89955-233-1 p93 Vacant Lot, Travelling Shed
2008
Actions: What you can do with the the city Canadian Centre for Architecture ISBN 978-90-8506-724-5 Action 74: Cow – the udder way, Actin 84: Plastic bags feed neighbourhood
2008
Surviving the Suburb, Versuche der Semi-Autarkie in Suburbia, Rotterdam ISBN 978-90-5973-090-8 Travelling Shed
2006
Shrinking Cities: Complete Works 2, Interventionen, foldout brochure with enclosed data media, Arch+ , ISBN 3-931435-03-2 Creating Images, Cow-the udder way (7 min film)
2005
Shrinking Cities, Volume 2: Interventions, Hatje Cantz, ISBN 978-3-7757-1711-3, p169-173 Cow – the udder way
Work featured in journals:
Winter/2023
Journal: The Developer, Topic: Climate ISBN 978-1-9160459-6-5, Article: p23, 118-125 Livesey Exchange, How can grassroots organisations thrive and grow in a fast-changing neighbourhood?
12/09/2023
RIBA Journal, What if: projects’ concrete cliffs and burrows bring country life into the city
10/2018
AD Architectural Design, New Modes: Redefining Practice, AD, vol 88 ISBN 978-1119328148 p13, Livesey Exchange; 107 Outside in, what if: projects
03/2018
FX magazine, Brief encounters, by Veronica Simpson Article on Mini Holland, p083-084
12/2016
The RIBA Journal Mac Ewen Award 2016 Mini Holland, Life’s better without traffic and vehicles
10/2016
FX magazine, Home-grown regeneration, by Veronica Simpson p075-078 Case Study, Livesey Exchange
02/2016
The RIBA Journal Mac Ewen Award 2016 Defining the common good ISSN 1463-9505 p.42 Doing something special with nothing, Charterhouse Road Club
2011
Dear… on courtesy, issue 1 ISSN 2244-9094 Greening the Romford Ring Road By: what if: projects
06/2009
Paisea, Landscape Architecture Review, no. 009: Public Square, ISSN 1887-2557 p99-104 cult landscape, what if…
05/2005
archplus 173, Shrinking Cities, reinventing urbansim, ISSN 0587-3452, Article: p35-39 Cow – the udder way
Work featured in press:
15/09/2023
AJ,Architect‘s Journal (online) First look: What if: projects completes community venue on Old Kent Road By: Fran Williams
17/07/2015
AJ,Architect‘s Journal p.23, 26 Rainham Station Forecourt/Viking Passage by Ellis Woodman and what if: projects
15/08/2013
AJ Architect‘s Journal, Specifications, Octavia‘s orchard Temporary orchard installed at Southbank Festival of Neighbourhood, By Laura Mark
2013
AJ Buildings Library Stepney City Farm
27/09/2012
AJ, Architect‘s Journal, Footprint What if: projects turns north London green (Vacant Lot, Charterhouse Road Club), By Hattie Hartman
2012
AJ Buildings Library Vacant Lot
16/06/2011
AJ, Architect‘s Journal, Forgotten Spaces 2011 The Curve ,By what if: projects
2008
D2, Dagens Naeringliv, Norway (Vacant Lot)
23.06.2008
Metro, “Bagging a bumper crop” (Vacant Lot)
28.06.2008
Times, “Painting the town green” (Vacant Lot)
03.04.2006
Independent, “Gardens” (Travelling Shed)
01.2006
Green Futures, “Move over Tracey” (cow the udder way)
25.11.2005
Leipziger Tageszeitung, “Küheinder Leerstelle” (cow the udder way)
09/10/2005
Independent, The Sunday Review “Daisy’s Big Adventure” (cow the udder way)
01/2005
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (cow the udder way)
28/06/2005
Liverpool Echo, “Amazing Graze” (cow the udder way)
24/06/2005
Farmers Guardian, “Jerseys take a city break” (cow the udder way)
02/07/2005
Farmers Weekly, “Merseyside visit for DevonJerseys” (cow the udder way)
TV, Radio:
08/09/2012
BBC London news, (Limehouse Curve, interview with G. Morris)
2008
BBC Country Files, (documentation of Vacant Lot)
2008
BBC Gardeners World, (documentation of Vacant Lot)
27/06/2005
BBC NW evening news, “Jersey by the Mersey” (documentation ‘cow the udder way’ and interview with Ulrike Steven)
30/06/2005
BBC radio Merseyside breakfast show, (cow the udder way), on site
Work featured in exhibitions:
06/2024
Fest en Fest Curated by: h2dance Location: APT Gallery, 6 Creekside, London SE8 4SA Projects: Perfect flower (photography), Choreography of survival (collective drawing)
14/06-01/07/2018
Make City, Berlin, a festival for architecture and urban alternatives A window into the life on Old Kent Road in London Loction: Mini Hub H36, Heinrich-Heine-Straße 36, 10179 Berlin
2010-2014
Carrot City, internally touring exhibition Curated by: Carrot City Research Group Project included: Vacant Lot (Exhibition archive)
5.02.-30.04.2009 Design Exchange, Toronto, ON, Canada
04.11.-13.11.2009 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair,Toronto, ON, Canada
17.03.-21.03.2010 Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
01.10.-15.12.2010 Parsons the New School for Design, New York
25.02.-11.03.2011 AIA/RI gallery, Providence, RI, USA
31.03.-28.04.2011 Parc de la Ligue Arabe, Casablanca, Marocco
07.04.-8.04.2011 Seixal, Portugal
22.08.-22.09.2011 Palais des Congres, Montréal, Canada
30.09.-27.10.2011 Architekturmuseum, TU Berlin, Germany
06.10.-25.11.2011 Charter Oak Culture Centre, Hartford, CT, USA
14.11.-30.11.2011 Hall du Pavillion Président Kennedy, Université du Quebec, Montréal, Canada
08.11.-17.11.2011 Technische Universität München, Germany
18.01.-28.02.2012 Transition Town Hal, Hannover, Germany
06.04.-20.04.2012 Millenium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG, UK
23.04.-06.05.2012 Edible Eastside, 122 Fazeley Street, Birmingham, B5 5RS, UK
08.05.-31.05.2012 MADE, 7 Newhall Square, Birmingham, B3 1RU, UK
21.06.-04.11.2012 Chai du Parc de Bercy, Paris
28.09.-10.11.2012 Médiathèque André Malraux, Strasbourg
03.12.-31.01.2013 Lyon, France
30.05.-14.07.2013 Toulouse, France
31.05.-11.06.2013 Bonn, Germany Links: https://www.torontomu.ca/carrotcity/
2008-2014
Actions: what you can do with the city Curated by: Canadian Centre for Architecture Projects inlcuded: Action 74 Cows Push Residents to Plan, Action 85 Plastic bags feed neighbourhood
Locations: 26/11/08-19/04/2009 Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal, Canada
16/10/09-13/03/2010 Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Chicago, USA
23/10 – 01/12/2013 Biennale Sao Paolo Links: action 74: https://www.cca.qc.ca/actions/actions/cows-push-residents-plan action 85: https://www.cca.qc.ca/actions/actions/plastic-bag-feeds-neighbourhood
10/2011-01/2010
RIBA Forgotten spaces exhibition Location: Somerset House, London Projects: Limehouse Curve and Pilgrim Ferry Exhibtion catalogue: RIBA and AJ
20/06 – 30/08/2009
Gartenstadt, Kunst und urbane Gärten, Location: Kunstverein, Hildesheim, Germany Project: Vacant Lot
19- 26/05/2009
Vacant Lot at Luis Vuitton Collaboration with Jeremy Deller Location: Westfield Shopping Centre in Shephards Bush, London
2005-2008
Shrinking Cities reinventing urbanism, internationally touring exhition Curated by: Oswalt Phillips, Shrinking Cities team Projects included:
cow-the udder way film (7min) abd photography, SIT IN and OUT POST
Locations:
2005, Deutsches Architekturzentrum in Berlin, competition entry (Cow)
19/11/2005-02/02/2006 Gallerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst-Leipzig (Cow)
08/12/2006-17/02/2007, Pratt Manhatten Gallery, New York (Cow)
03/02 – 02/04/2007, Cranbrook Art Museum, Detroit (Cow)
20/04 – 08/06/2007, Cleveland, Ohio (Cow)
17/11/2007-26/01/2008 Site Gallery, Liverpool (Cow the udder way, SIT IN ,OUT POST)
17/02 – 11/05/2008, Lehmbruck-Museum, Duisburg (Cow)
Links: http://www.shrinkingcities.com/ausstellungen.0.html%3F&L=1.html
22/05 – /04/06/2006
Garden Journeys exhibition, Curated by: Lulu Quinn Location: Polsden Lacey, Surrey Project: The travelling shed, blooming Surrey
Work that informed policy and planning documents:
Mini Holland, Waltham Forest:
07/02 – 2020
Case study: mini Holland Building Dutch-style cycle infrastructure in outer London. Image: Orford Road (designed by what if: projects)
21/04/2017
Central Government / Cycling and walking investment strategy p.15 Case study: Waltham Forest’s Mini Holland (Orford Road designed by what if: projects)
July 2018
Mayor of London, TfL, Vision Zero action plan, Taking forward the Mayor’s Transport Strategy p28, 42-43 Orford Road (designed by what if: projects)
03/2016
Mayor of London, Human Streets, The Mayor’s Vision for Cycling, three years on p19 Orford Road (Orford Road designed by what if: projects)
2016
Department for Transport, Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy ,p26 Case study, Waltham Forest, Mini Holland
Livesey Exchange:
11/2023
GLA case study Livesey Exchange
11/2022
Meanwhile use London A research report for the Greater London Authority ,By Arup Projects: Vacant Lot and Livesey Exchange
2020
Old Kent Road area action plan, 2020, draft Connecting communities, Livesey Exchange p140-141
2017
Mayor of London, Community Projects Handbook, crowdfund London p24-25 Finding a space
2017
Mayor of London, Crowdfund London film Livesey Exchange features 0:09-0:17
2016
Mayor of London, website Documentation of Livesey Exchange crowdfunding campaign