The original idea for my research question came from an observation of how the students can sometimes show a lack of respect and care for the shared studio space. Part of my role when I joined the course was to establish a ‘maker space’ in our studio which has a range of hand tools and materials to encourage students to make throughout the course. I have found at times students show a lack of respect towards the space and the tools. I wanted to address how we could foster a more conscientious use of the space and rethink how we use the materials to prevent waste.
Why is it relevant? – Our Course (BA Interior and Spatial Design)
Our course is aimed at producing environmentally, ethically and socially engaged designers.
How can we embed sustainable principles into the ways in which we learn and how we use our studio? This research project aims to actively engage students in addressing this question through a live project.
Why is it relevant? – UAL
In an average year UAL disposes of 1,000 tonnes of waste that accounts for 23 tonnes of carbon emissions. UAL is committed to reducing the waste it produces as part of the UAL Climate Action Plan. This is being rolled out through various methods and initiatives including encouraging students to re-use and re-purpose materials through ‘swap shops’ and encouraging the use of recycled materials across all the degree shows. This research project aligns with waste and recycling goals in the Action plan by address waste on a studio level, focussing specifically on our course.
Within the UAL Climate Action Plan > Change the way we operate > Waste, recycling and sustainable food:
Waste and recycling
We have a 2 stream waste and recycling scheme (PNG 145KB) and we don’t send any waste to landfill. In 2020/21 we produced 47 tonnes of waste, recycled 41% and sent 14.5 tonnes of food waste to an anaerobic digester.
Our waste management is compliant according to all current statutory legislation and audited through the ISO14001 management system. In 2021/22 we reported zero environmental incidents.
Recirculating materials and minimising waste is embedded across our operations and within our teaching and learning. For example:
- we encourage students to use sustainable materials in their projects
- we champion the use of recycled materials and degree shows should design according to the principle of ‘building for deconstruction’ so the materials can be reused
- we have been piloting an environmental assessment framework in our technical workshops which includes the recirculation of waste within our workshop spaces
- students have access to re-use units to encourage waste reduction and material reuse
- materials can be re-used, re-purposed or repaired at the Central Saint Martins SWAP SHOP
- Camberwell College of Arts have launched a Repair Café to foster a culture of repair
- sustainability has also been at the heart of our Grayson’s Robes competitions.
Why is it relevant? – Wider Conversations
Conversations in design are focussing around responsible resourcing and disposal of materials used in the built environment. There is also a shift in attitude towards constantly building new, we are now looking more towards repair, care and regeneration of the spaces that we inhabit. This research project seeks to address the use of materials in an educational setting on a micro level and also to begin a conversation around how we care for the spaces we learn in.
‘The everyday is in fact a site of constant renegotiation, and thus resistance and transformation….it is here, in daily life that societies are (re)produced and therefore must be the starting point for action.’
https://archplus.net/en/the-great-repair/#article-42696-42648
Akademie der Künste, Berlin, 2023, Photo © David von Becker
Why is it relevant? – Personal Motivations
During my studies to become an architect, I took part in a ‘live build’ dissertation, which involved working with two clients on real life community projects in Glasgow. This experience was very influential on my professional journey moving away from conventional architecture into the realm of co-design and live projects. The importance of this experience in my learning journey, has influenced me to find a teaching position which is focussed around setting up live projects for our students.
Through my experiences I fully believe in the transformative power of live build and making as tools for learning, engagement, and empowerment.
‘Learning by doing is the process whereby people make sense of their experiences, especially those experiences in which they actively engage in making things and exploring the world. It is both a conceptual designation applied to a wide variety of learning situations (in fact, as some would argue, to all learning), and a pedagogical approach in which teachers seek to engage learners in more hands-on, creative modes of learning.’