A self-initiated proposal for public works engendered a sense of optimism and purpose in a time of uncertainty, says O’DonnellBrown director Jennifer O’Donnell
It is no news that the coronavirus crisis has changed life dramatically, up-ending us all into different settings and circumstances simultaneously.
However, as we continue to adapt as a profession, and with a glimmer of hope on the horizon, there is an opportunity to look beyond these new settings and circumstances, out into our communities. We must embrace and apply our abilities as creative problem solvers and collaborators to engage with the real-time issues being faced by local businesses and individuals.
Over the past three months we have seen the profession tackle a number of pressing issues: designing and constructing temporary hospitals; and proactively offering solutions for how schools and workplaces might begin to reopen, to name a few. And at the same time, we have all shifted to living locally, gaining a new and deeper understanding of place specific issues and concerns.
Looking beyond our studio, at multiple locations in Glasgow’s leafy southside, we were spurred to action by this new grasp on the difficulties faced by our local cafés, bars and restaurants. We self-initiated a project to understand how we might help these businesses open, once the stay at home message changes, with social distancing restrictions in place.
Our proposal for Pollokshields is simple: repurpose and reimagine under-utilised open space and create a multi-dimensional public realm.
Initial ideas include using this open space for a combination of market stalls, which could be used by local shops, and more generous covered external seating areas, for local bars and restaurants. Building our last self-initiated project, the Community Classroom, we have also developed designs for its smaller cousin, the ‘Sitooterie’, a parking bay sized dining space offering different socially distant seating configurations, within a structure that each business can brand in their own unique way. Our suggestion is that the city council reprioritises our streets, at a time when car use is reduced, to allow amenity space to replace some parking bays.
Top: Nithsdale Road Proposal
Above: The Community ClassroomÂ
Of course, there is much to learn from other cities leading the way: This summer, Rotterdam is permitting all businesses to convert the parking spaces in front of their building into retail space, with the ability to borrow a parklet deck from the municipality; Lithuania’s capital Vilnius is proposing to turn the city itself into an open-air café, with businesses allowed to set up tables and chairs outdoors free of charge; and closer to home the Mayor of Liverpool has announced a new fund to help local businesses redesign outdoor spaces whilst the ‘Save Soho’ campaign continues to gain traction in London.
Back in Pollokshields, the act of making a proposal has acted as a kind of social glue, bringing local businesses together in conversation about shared goals. It has also allowed some of the brilliant ideas within the ‘Make your Mark’ charette, a 2016 collaboration between Glasgow’s Dress for the Weather and architecture practice Collective Architecture, to come to the fore again, with next steps including meetings between key stakeholders and the Community Council, the potential for a Business Owners Association to be established and ultimately conversations with the City Council.
Yes, there is a lot of red tape to cut through, but we feel energised by this way of working, and hope that by helping to bring together various organisations as a collective voice, alongside our design work, we can increase the volume and encourage Glasgow City Council to partner with local businesses, setting aside the conventional rule book for the summer.
Self-initiated projects are not new to O’DonnellBrown – motivated by a sense of duty to our community, particularly in times of trouble, they allow us to pursue societal issues, and test ideas outwith the constraints and agenda of our regular commissions. They enable us to really take control, and often, through this act of proactively making a proposition, a conversation begins which starts to turn that initial idea into a reality that can benefit our community and, we hope, improve people’s day to day lives.
The value and relevance of this approach hit home a few weeks ago, as I spoke to a group of students graduating this summer from the Mackintosh School of Architecture about the journey from university into architectural practice.
At a time of uncertainty, I felt, and do feel, optimistic, and it struck me that we have a new wave of talented problem solvers, well equipped to go out into their communities, engage with societal issues and create opportunities –Â for graduates, and architects alike, now more than ever is a time to be bold, idealistic and above all, to be involved.
