Interiors Year 2 Studio 01

Studio brief

In transition: 24 hours combating sensory deprivation in the Covid City

Our lifestyles are changing and people are working, resting and playing at different hours of the day and night. Rigid, formal ways of living were already on their way out – the current pandemic has only accelerated an inevitable move toward more flexible / blended forms of being in the city – these societal shifts call for adaptable, flexible, transformable and intelligent spaces.  

A 24-hour cycle of activities can support our flexible lifestyles and we are familiar with the daytime economy, but the night-time economy is not just about pubs and clubs, it can and should extend far beyond this. The Mayor of London has set a plan for the future ‘A Vision for London as a 24-Hour City’: the night-time economy is a significant feature in this plan and the next London Plan of 2036.

In semester one we will focus on reconnecting us with our environments (home/campus/city) after the sensory deprivation brought on by the pandemic.  This research will organise itself into three interconnecting strands: video/visual, touch/sensory and body/measurement. The complementary outcomes of these strands of research will provide each student with a powerful footing upon which to build their major project.

In semester two we will focus on the Whitechapel Gallery and locality, developing designs for adaptable space that transforms over a 24-hour narrative cycle of each students’ devising. We will pay attention to creating a more permeable – more humane, less austere connection between the building and the street, and in particular an underutilised exit to the rear of the building, connecting the site to Brick Lane.

Students will consider how we can devise innovative solutions to combat The Sensory Deprivation of the Covid City, enhance sensory experience and help the public re-engage with their city during the 24-hour cycle, boosting the economy and connecting communities.

The studio will consider the requirements of Whitechapel residents, investigate what makes a truly adaptable and flexible space, how that space might change focus and use over 24 hours, and how the space might react to the quickly changing rules of social distancing.