In this week’s release of the A is for Architecture Podcast, Wayne Hemingway MBE logged on to discuss one of his latest initiatives, The Housing Assembly, a growing movement seek paths out of the housing crisis by amplifying the voices of folk excluded from secure, affordable homes. Aiming to transform lived experiences into influential action and through grassroots initiatives The Housing Assembly is building from the bottom up a collective platform to demand well-built, affordable homes in good places.

For those who don’t know, Wayne is a renowned British designer, co-founder with his wife Gerardine Hemingway of the iconic fashion label Red or Dead which delivered affordable, socially conscious design in the 1980s and 1990s. Wayne and Gerardine later establishing HemingwayDesign, a multi-disciplinary design team dedicated to creating positive social impact through culture-led regeneration, urban design, placemaking, branding, and community collaboration. 

In short Wayne is something like a national treasure, but edgier and more purposeful. An icon of mine since I first encountered his work – and bought a pair of Red or Dead shoes to go on a date - this was a genuine privilege to record. 

HemingwayDesign can be found here and on Instagram, The Housing Assembly is linked above and is on Instagram and all over SM. Wayne can be found on LinkedIn.

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Music credits: ⁠Bruno Gillick