Let’s play together: The role of positive, creative & collective practices towards climate emergency retrofit in a context of technocratic domination

Lovesmith, George; Rasbash, Zoe

Abstract

Throughout 2022 & 2023 Watershed Bristol (cultural cinema, talent development & creative technology centre) will be working with George Lovesmith, architect & socially-engaged artist on plans to adapt their grade II listed (UK heritage status) building for the Climate Emergency. Watershed is an organization which leads within its communities with a proud activist agenda and has set an ambitious Zero Carbon 2030 commitment. Housed in a prominent heritage structure where building operations make up the majority of it’s current carbon emissions, the challenge is immense.

Methodologies:
Integral to this endeavour will be an exploration of creative methods for coming together / commoning as an alliance of building users, staff, creatives, management, activists, visitors…
…demonstrating the value of creative practices (e.g. events, games, storytelling, play, metaphor, gratification, imagination, collective learning, skill sharing, reciprocating, entertaining…)
& bringing people into a partnership to address the challenge and establishing shared understandings of building retrofit principles
This is not, however a purely technical challenge – Indeed the endeavour is intentionally re-framed as transdisciplinary, and inherently creative, because the way things are currently getting done nationally simply isn’t working and has insufficient urgency.
& because as an arts organization, addressing the climate emergency isn’t only about technical solutions, it’s about collective expression and welcoming people on board.

The practice and research hinge around the following expected findings:
-a recognition that there might be unexpected successes to design proposals if clients/users/others are invited to invest their expertise, understandings, creativities and desires in the processes.
-an educational value of communing – mutually engaging those same clients/users/others in the processes of adapting our built heritage.
& - a net gain for participants, of increased critical design appreciation and a wider-spread ability to contribute to improvements of the built environment.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Radical Architecture Practices for Sustainability, 2022
• Start Date: Nov 11, 2022
• End Date: Nov 12, 2022
• Deposit Date: May 26, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: May 30, 2023
• Keywords: Climate Emergency Retrofit, Creative Building Reuse, Green Economy, Public Heritage, Socially Engaged Creative Practice
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10525988
• Related Public URLs: https://www.rapsresearch.com/eindhoven2022