Our Design Charrettes – an insight into life at the LSA

For the second Charrette we will investigate and propose another set urban interventions but at the scale of the street, and in the form of public furniture. It is here where moments of encounter can become moments of exchange – if the furniture is fit for purpose and people. From Roman amphitheatres to town band stands to high street park benches, urban furniture plays a fundamental role in how we engage and exchange with one another.

If we were to consider the essential pieces of furniture in our homes and consider the equivalent for our cities – what would it include? What would a street furniture catalogue contain? Who would create and manage its application? How could it be procured and maintained? What do other cities have that enable places of exchange? Italian piazzas, Spanish courtyards, American baseball bleachers and Parisian chess tables enable the manifestation of everyday life and culture to play out. What should be part of our culture in London?

Another consideration for this Charrette is that of implementation and maintenance as so many good ideas and great designs are limited by inefficient processes of installation and maintenance. Addressing the lifespan, responsibility and desire to care will only strengthen the impact that you design can have. Can your furniture be ‘resourceful’ and connect with existing infrastructure or can new installation requirements create opportunities for further growth and diversity of use? Can you devise creative ways to enable ownership and maintenance beyond the local authority?

Site
You will be allocated a group of around seven people, consisting of students across Year 1 and 2, and asked to choose a site from those studied by the Year 2 students in their DTT projects. In the coming days you should begin sharing this knowledge across the group, adding to it and discussing potential lines of enquiry.

Outputs
You are asked to design a kit of parts for street furniture that will allow for moments of exchange within the specific context and spatial conditions drawn on (1) one A0 axonometric drawing that records a number of you street furniture pieces, (2) a 1:10 drawing of two of the street furniture pieces and (3) a 1:5 model of one street furniture piece made from white model making card which will be supplied to you.