THE ANSWER IS COMMUNITY.
Thursday, November 05, 2026
It doesn't matter what the question is. The answer is either nature or community.
One of my mantras.... I know I have a few..... but the more I work with people, buildings and places, the more convinced this is the main one!
I'm starting a new blog series.
THE ANSWER IS COMMUNITY.
Because I think we need to have a much bigger conversation about how we design, fund, manage and care for the places that bring people together.
We talk endlessly about housing, health, loneliness, struggling high streets, regeneration and public spending.
But what if we stopped treating these as separate problems?
What if we started with the people who actually live in these places?
Through my work with a parish council and @CMS Co-op on proposals for a new community hub and pre-school, I've been reminded that architecture is about much more than buildings.
It's about listening, learning, asking better questions and helping communities understand what is possible.
And it's about recognising that local people are experts in their own everyday experiences.
Today's budget makes this conversation particularly timely, with renewed attention on co-operatives, community enterprise and social clubs. But policies and funding announcements alone won't create thriving communities.
We need to connect the money, the people, the buildings and the expertise.
We need to rethink community engagement, protect and adapt existing buildings, and recognise that community spaces are part of our everyday health infrastructure.
And we need to remember something I have always believed:
Learn from the everyday to ensure the everyday is well designed. (Another one of my mantras)
This first article is my manifesto.
Over the coming weeks I'll be exploring things like community ownership, social clubs, retrofit, CIL funding, participation and the relationship between people, place and health.
I want to share what we're learning and start conversations that lead to action.
I'd particularly love to hear from councils, community organisations, co-operatives and anyone trying to give a much-loved building a new future.
What if the answer to some of our biggest challenges was already in our communities?
Read the full manifesto on my Substack
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