We spoke with Alex Towler and Sammy-Jo Hagan, Co-founder and Architect at Transition by Design, about their role in incubating Makespace Oxford, and building a co-operative architecture practice that operates at the intersection between architecture, design and social change practice.

Sammy-Jo and Alex shared the value of ‘walking the talk’ when it comes to democratising design and development. As a Worker Cooperative, Transition by Design’s members take decisions collectively through a Consent process, which creates a sense of shared ownership and develops the tools and skills needed to democratise how our towns and cities can be developed.

During the conversation we touched on TbD’s wide ranging portfolio of work from community led housing, action research and meaningful community engagement to the low carbon retrofit of existing building stock at both a local as well as a national and strategic scale.

Sammy-Jo and Alex offered up the ingredients of a people-centred approach to design, using the tool of a Community Design Review Panel, which prioritises local needs and the accountability of design teams:

We spoke with Deborah Glass Woodin, former local councillor, activist, occasional human bollard and current Director of Oxfordshire Community Land Trust (OCLT) about the launch of their recent project Croft’s Court, which has built eight new permanently affordable homes in the Vale of White Horse on a formerly vacant brownfield site. 

The project hopes to bring residents together and democratise the management of the building through the creation of a tenant-managed co-operative. 

Deborah offered up the ingredients of grit, determination, and simply making something happen, that can’t be underestimated – adopting the principle of show, don’t tell.

We spoke with Rob Sykes from the 1998 LMS Occupation about their recent exhibition at the Community Works and the Old Fire Station, celebrating 25 years since the occupation of the former Oxford rail station.

The historic Grade II * Listed building the group occupied was eventually demolished to make way for the Said Business School, funded in part by the former arms deal fixer and businessman, Wafic Said.

In his fascinating account of the 4-month occupation that drew widespread public support and a great deal of media attention, Rob sketched out the magic (as well as the risks and challenges) of bringing people together in a spontaneous way.

The LMS occupation built a temporary autonomous space where local citizens could envision how public land might be developed in the future, whilst safeguarding and celebrating local heritage.

We spoke with Sarah Thorne, founding Director of The Children’s Allotment in Cowley, East Oxford. 

The Children’s Allotment was initiated and conceived by Alice Hemming, who sadly was not able to join us for the conversation as she was recovering from COVID at the time. 

Alice developed the vision, convened a passionate group of local families and negotiated a 10-year lease from Oxford City Council to reclaim a derelict former nursery on the fringes of the East Ward Allotments.

Over the last five years a dedicated group of volunteers have cleared, rebuilt and nurtured a space that is now home to a forest school, radical education project, Roots, a growing space and host to a range of seasonal community events and gatherings.

Sarah shared the value of building projects with children involved at every step, acknowledging that it takes more time and can be more complex, but offers a new way of working and learning across generations, where kids can develop a sense of ownership and belonging through the process. 

Co-founder, Annie Davy and founding Community Manager, Makena Lohr share their journey in founding and growing Flo's as a 'phenix centre' from an idea to a team of more than 40 members. Flo's is a former Children's Centre that closed during the cuts which was revived by local residents and transformed into a community cafe, events space, refill shop, nursery and much more. Annie and Makena focus on the essential role that 'people, place and participation' have played in shaping the project.

Co-founder, Andy Edwards and Communications Co-manager, Hannah Pye, explore Makespace's journey over its first five years. The conversation touches on what has been learned from the reopening of its first hub space at Aristotle Lane to adapting and expanding the model across Oxfordshire, bringing 30 buildings back into use.  Hannah and Andy reflect on the core role the growing community of residents have played in reanimating the spaces and building cultures of mutual support and solidarity.