Soft is an installation and performative space, enclosed by dramatic ruffled curtains, designed to showcase the work-in-progress of MA Architecture students at the Central Saint Martins Summer Showcase 2023. The installation was developed and produced in collaboration with technicians from MA Fashion, Print & Textiles, along with students and our team at what if: projects.

The installation reuses the course’s keeclamp system and elevates it by draping it with lush, ruffled curtains made from everyday cotton dust sheets, naturally dyed with cabbage and turmeric. This reuse of materials and work with bio-based textiles reflects the course’s longstanding approach to making and its commitment to the principles of the circular economy.

Soft celebrates the students’ work-in-progress while exploring the intersection of architectural production and experimentation with climate and social justice. The diverse body of work featured in Soft includes objects, publications, and prints, embodying a collective student voice characterized by care, non-fixedness, and vulnerability. Rather than providing answers, the work poses questions, shares processes, and reveals the students’ passions and motivations.