Emergence | Enabling Inclusive Design

Unit D is a distinctive design unit that focuses on Architecture within a broader context, both in terms of the city and in terms of wider society. We focus on Architecture and Urbanism as a way of exploring socio-economic and/or ecological spatial initiatives to support the development of resilient communities, and participation to challenge the structural conditions that perpetuate exclusion from urban planning, design, and governance and as a process to deepen democracy. 

The briefs for the year were focused on complexity theory and the notion of emergence. Through grounded research into Digbeth, a central area in Birmingham, to understand the existing systems and the current trajectory of the area becoming gentrified, programmes for the projects will encourage community development and mixed-use social enterprise, focussing on inclusiveness and diversity. In addition, the designer’s role will be to establish activism as a key strategy for resistance.  

  • Melissa Kinnear

    Peter Newton

    Rob Goacher (tech)

  • Zuzanna Krzyzanowska

    Elizabeth Ryall

    Ubada Muti

    Priya Addanki

    Adrian Mpanga - Sempa

    Barnaby Turner

    Stefania Gaudyn

    Alice Latham

    Emily Holland

    Omar Ibrahim

  • Adeyemi Aoife Motunrayo

    Amalie Ball

    Ana Bradbury

    Willem Butler

    Camelia Lupasco

    Annabel Cartwright

    Faye Ellery

    Hannah Lee

    Matthew Hamm

    Elle Packham

    Tenecia Pearce

    Chloe Richardson

    Jamie Siceley

    Ayush Chandorkar

    Ella Dichlian

    Emre Gunduz

    Milly Jackson

    Amy Morrill

    Eliza Neil

    Kate Sumitomo- Wyatt

    Ayser Hussain Umar Syed

    Carys Webb

Amalie Ball: Belonging - A welcoming, creative, educational, nurturing space for all ages of multiple ethnic backgrounds that face challenges with language, culture and communication. Through diverse programmes and access to support, people can impro

Amalie Ball: Belonging - A welcoming, creative, educational, nurturing space for all ages of multiple ethnic backgrounds that face challenges with language, culture and communication. Through diverse programmes and access to support, people can improve their English and will feel welcomed and prosper into Digbeth's and Birmingham's community.

Amy Morrill: Fashiontech factory - A new manufacturing facility and Headquarters for FashionTech, a centre of innovation and evolution for the digital fashion industry, a place for a community of creatives to be unified.

Amy Morrill: Fashiontech factory - A new manufacturing facility and Headquarters for FashionTech, a centre of innovation and evolution for the digital fashion industry, a place for a community of creatives to be unified.

Ana Bradbury: Reconnecting The Canals - A home for the canal community, supporting their needs and giving them the control to make changes to their surroundings/home. With a focus on increasing biodiversity and tourism along the canals to support Dig

Ana Bradbury: Reconnecting The Canals - A home for the canal community, supporting their needs and giving them the control to make changes to their surroundings/home. With a focus on increasing biodiversity and tourism along the canals to support Digbeth.

Aoife Adeyemi: Repurposeful - For the catalyst project, I designed a crafts workshop for everyday recyclable materials. The rest of the building is designed for recycling old building materials and objects from the 2000 destroyed buildings in Digbeth

Aoife Adeyemi: Repurposeful - For the catalyst project, I designed a crafts workshop for everyday recyclable materials. The rest of the building is designed for recycling old building materials and objects from the 2000 destroyed buildings in Digbeth, into furniture.

Ayush Chandorkar: Bridging past-present-future - Brick manufacturing, evolving map of Digbeth and space for public consultation integrated into a water management system.

Ayush Chandorkar: Bridging past-present-future - Brick manufacturing, evolving map of Digbeth and space for public consultation integrated into a water management system.

Camelia Lupascu: Biogarden - Designers face an unprecedented challenge to alter their methods and reprioritize their goals to address the accelerating degradation of the environment. This project aims to explore new ways of making.

Camelia Lupascu: Biogarden - Designers face an unprecedented challenge to alter their methods and reprioritize their goals to address the accelerating degradation of the environment. This project aims to explore new ways of making.

Carys Webb: Green Oasis Community Garden - A community garden providing a place to grow, play and learn by experiencing nature close to home. Whilst locals are encouraged to enjoy allotment and greenhouse space, children are welcome to join raft maki

Carys Webb: Green Oasis Community Garden - A community garden providing a place to grow, play and learn by experiencing nature close to home. Whilst locals are encouraged to enjoy allotment and greenhouse space, children are welcome to join raft making workshops, forest school and survival camps. The connection to the viaduct path means that extra produce can be grown and anybody walking along the path can come and rest in the garden. There are bat, bird and bug boxes and plants can be grown for personal leisure, crops, used in the cafe or to support projects such as planting flowers down the opposite side of the canal to help improve biodiversity

Eliza Neil: Children's centre for wellbeing - A place to nurture the local families, catering not only for the young children through programmes like a nursery and play area, but also offering support to new or struggling parents.

Eliza Neil: Children's centre for wellbeing - A place to nurture the local families, catering not only for the young children through programmes like a nursery and play area, but also offering support to new or struggling parents.

Elle Packham: Digbeth Lido - The project aims to increase the use of the canal and hopefully more waterways in the future by focusing on creating better aquatic environments through clean-up sessions and using vegetation that naturally filters water

Elle Packham: Digbeth Lido - The project aims to increase the use of the canal and hopefully more waterways in the future by focusing on creating better aquatic environments through clean-up sessions and using vegetation that naturally filters water whilst improving the health and wellbeing of the users.

Emre Gunduz: Sustainable Transportation Hub - Implementing a new mode of sustainable transport - Roboats - to the transport system of Birmingham to allow for a more sustainable way of getting around the city, including an e-scooter and bicycle hub.

Emre Gunduz: Sustainable Transportation Hub - Implementing a new mode of sustainable transport - Roboats - to the transport system of Birmingham to allow for a more sustainable way of getting around the city, including an e-scooter and bicycle hub.

Faye Ellery: Inclusive Sports Hub - A central hub for all ages and abilities to explore running, cycling, climbing or water sports.

Faye Ellery: Inclusive Sports Hub - A central hub for all ages and abilities to explore running, cycling, climbing or water sports.

Hannah Lee: Digbeth in Tiles - A studio space for ceramic tiles. People can come and paint and design tiles to then be placed on the wall and around Digbeth to create a new image.

Hannah Lee: Digbeth in Tiles - A studio space for ceramic tiles. People can come and paint and design tiles to then be placed on the wall and around Digbeth to create a new image.

Jamie Sicely: Digbeth Viaduct - A Studio for all architects, urban designers, developers and the community to come together

Jamie Sicely: Digbeth Viaduct - A Studio for all architects, urban designers, developers and the community to come together

Milly Jackson: Digbeth Artists Commune - The core theme is preservation of identity, achieved by providing affordable studios for local artists who will be impacted by the 2020 Birmingham Masterplan, and through reusing materials from soon to be demo

Milly Jackson: Digbeth Artists Commune - The core theme is preservation of identity, achieved by providing affordable studios for local artists who will be impacted by the 2020 Birmingham Masterplan, and through reusing materials from soon to be demolished buildings in Digbeth.

Ayser Hussain Umar Syed: Digital Twin Headquarter - The Digital Twin HQ hosts multiple spaces including an artificial hot spring, server room, cafeteria, meeting spaces, AR workshops and office spaces. Through augmented reality, the digital twin head

Ayser Hussain Umar Syed: Digital Twin Headquarter - The Digital Twin HQ hosts multiple spaces including an artificial hot spring, server room, cafeteria, meeting spaces, AR workshops and office spaces. Through augmented reality, the digital twin headquarters achieves a mixed reality where the digital experience interacts itself with the physical experience by liberating the user to navigate multiple realities while connecting the experienced reality to the physical reality.

Willem Butler: Canal Boat Retrofit Centre - Narrowboats and barges are typically outdated in their technology, most have diesel engines and are heated by fires. Alternative technologies exist to reduce carbon emissions of canal boats. The project aim

Willem Butler: Canal Boat Retrofit Centre - Narrowboats and barges are typically outdated in their technology, most have diesel engines and are heated by fires. Alternative technologies exist to reduce carbon emissions of canal boats. The project aims to retrofit canal boats with these new technologies.

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