Introduction to ‘Social Fabric’ Through our studio, we will Re-Think the relationships between people and place, mediated by materials and processes of Re-Making.

Our studio will:

1. Re-Map the different environments in which we live through the prism of ‘abundance, waste(d) opportunities, ‘spin-out’ benefits for more ‘virtuous-circular-economies’ and local-productive-habitats.

2. Re-Mine the material and human Re-Source to uncover new (or latent) opportunities for Re-constructing our physical-places as and through social-spaces.

3. We will Re-write our ‘multi-local’ material narratives and vernacular and Re-Form our interconnections as a means to..

4. Re-Define and Re-Cast the role of designers and makers as curators of new social, cultural and environmental systems and services,

5. Literally Re-Making Meaning and Re-Designing Design in an age of environmental crisis, social and political repression and cultural homogenisation.

Using our wiki-GIS map participants Re-map the ‘fabric’ of their place - uploading content including photographs, drawings and visual samples, assemblages and references as a means to capture a sense of the material environment and waste(d) opportunities. Things to consider are:

• Abundance • Pollutants • Natural habitats
• Historical precedent • Future vernaculars • Meaningful stuff • Compositions

Do not be restricted (only) by notions of waste and look for idiosyncratic and particular place-based opportunities.

Using the legend on the map generate visual research + (Re) construct a set of visual and material samples that have technical potential and local provenance.

Re-map your place in terms of the social context and opportunities. Who, what and where can the ‘circular city’ formulate new opportunities for ‘spin-out’ opportunities.

If we Re-mine the city or region how do we form an “Industrial Re-Design”- what are the Re-machine and Re-miners roles and how do they Re-form our locally-productive-places?

We will share references and comparative studies and practices that support notions of 'Social Fabric' where the re-use, re-cycling and re-thinking of materials stimulates and enables new cultural scenarios and systemic change.

Using a variation of Amy Holroyd Twigger's Fashion Fictions we devised a speculative alternate present and set of scenarios inspired by our 'deep-mapping' processes.

Each particpant has constructed a 100 word descriptor outlining an alternate world that has spilt from our own and is governed by counter-cultures of re-use and re-construction that facilitate meaningful material cultures.

Parallel Presents Speculation: Container fab-labs are built in Belgian recycle parks as a make place to reuse construction and demolition waste and turn it into street furniture, tiles ... The origins of this culture can be traced back to the decree of waste in 1981.

Companies such as MIWA organise recycling parks in such a way that citizens collect and drop off their resources they want to get rid of and recycled. But in 1 of the fab-lab containers you will find local upskilled instructors making something innovative with it regarding the need in the city. Having less waste, less container-transport, less pollution.

In world X, buildings last a thousand years. The origins of this culture can be traced back to a moratorium on new construction, forcing a rethink of the Approved Documents in 2033 (IPCC)

Buildings must be repaired and maintained. In order to be economical, new components are robust but easily removable, and a new rental market of building components flourishes. Building techtonics become much more legible as a result.

The freedom this offers enables particular the elements of buildings to be easily adapted.

Reconstruction & Craft

Parallel Presents: In this parallel timeline, all public buildings are mixed used, restored and never fully new-build in the UK. The origins of this culture can be traced back to resource scarcity and de-globalisation due to Covid-19 pandemic and 15 minute city campaigns.

As a result of this practice, heritage, history and locality are more valued. Sustainability and circularity in design are the norm rather than a plan. Buildings tell a story and become a timeline of the place they occupy.

Parallel Presents Speculation: People's homes are built to meet all of their needs in housing developments across the UK. The origins of this culture can be traced back to the revocation of the Right to Buy scheme in 1980.

Developers such as Linden and Bovis Homes work with local tradespeople in the area, upskilling them in how to resource map and turn these resources into a reusable product. People provide their own waste to be used in the building and have agency throughout the process. Developers learn to listen to future residents and work with them to build something to last.