Artwork by LukeJohnMatthewArnold
Introduction
We have all endured unprecedented change over these past months. Inevitably, there is a lot of talk about when things are going to “go back to normal”. In many ways that will be great. Seeing family, friends and loved ones again is something we’re all looking forward to. But the world we left behind was hardly perfect.
Out of this situation, there is a glimmer of hope. An opportunity to enact lasting change, for the good of everyone. We have been talking about the changes we have noticed and the things we would like to hold on to as we move forward.
Photo by Fredrik Öhlander
Re-Wild
Our world has shrunk. Lockdown reduced us to our own four walls, ‘essential’ local shops and that single daily trip outside, which has proved to be a lifeline. But depending on where we live, access to quality open space varies significantly.
I hope this time in confinement has highlighted how important nature is to our wellbeing. Not just the convenience of growing food, filtering pollutants and storing carbon. Nature. Birds singing, bees buzzing and trees swaying. Dandelions, brambles and all.
The idea behind ‘Rewilding’ is to let nature take the lead, and it can start with the tiniest garden, balcony, street edge or local park. More and more of these little ‘nature islands’ woven together then become something much bigger.
Moving forward, can we re-imagine our neighbourhoods full of opportunities for nature?
Can we sit back a bit and let the garden grow? If we do, it might just reward us with abundance.
- Anja
Photo by Gaelle Marcel
Local Food
I love preparing food from scratch and sharing it with family and friends for the flimsiest of reasons. Since social foody get-togethers both inside and outside my home are on hold I’ve noticed a change in myself which I think is permanent.
It’s a slower time and I use more of it to plan and prepare our food. I’ve extended our repertoire although I have not yet ventured down the well trodden sourdough road! But there’s still time.
I’m more creative and adventurous leaving as little waste as I can. I’m shopping both more consciously and more seasonally but most noticeably more locally, celebrating our amazing local traders who I was often ‘too busy’ to use previously. I spend less than I would on a rapid sprint around the supermarket too.
My habits have changed, my values have changed and our kitchen has too. It’s functional, robust, well designed, easy to use and beautiful to be in. I’ve rediscovered the enjoyment of cooking in it.
I can’t wait to invent a multitude of meal occasions so that I can fill this space with people and share delicious offerings again.
- Dawn
Photo by Benjamin Thomas
Resilience
Just before 'lockdown' began, the Romanian made window's we’d specified for a private house project arrived on site. All breathed a sigh of relief as they could have been stuck anywhere en route and would have caused a real headache..
Hearing this story, another of my clients sought to minimise risk and selected windows made in the North-West. However the windows are made using imported aluminium extrusions. So there is still some risk... Perhaps my third client will have more luck with her timber windows fabricated in Wales.
This experience has put me to thinking a lot about 'resilience' - in how we procure building projects, in how we work as architects, and in how we live. It's also put me to thinking about what I learned in cub scouts - Be prepared. Think before you act. Things happen - deal with it.
- Randal
Photo by Nathan Dumlao
Learning Curve
As a university student currently on placement, Covid-19 hasn’t affected my education too much. But many of my friends are still at university and are paying full tuition fees despite completing their degree online.
Students don't pay £9,000 a year just for their education - it’s about the experience of “going” to uni. But the current situation means students aren't getting these experiences as they’re stuck at home. This makes me wonder about the future of universities, as people will only pay if they feel it's worthwhile.
In the short term, universities may decide to lower the tuition fees or focus more on independent learning - but what happens after? Maintaining these changes will cause a major loss in funding. Can they find a way of incorporating social distancing effectively? Or maybe apprenticeships will become the norm? It seems that universities have solutions for the short term problems, but how they deal with the long term effects of Covid-19 remains to be seen.
- Millie
Photo by Toa Heftiba
Renovate
Now more than ever, potential shortcomings in the qualities of the spaces where people live have been exaggerated, highlighting the importance of having a ‘healthier’ home. I think this comprises both the quality of internal space but also the connection with the surrounding neighbourhood.
Where many new developments are concerned, there is a lack of any sort of character or regional distinctiveness that would root them in their location. They are alien to their context. Often combined with smaller rooms and a lack of natural light these aren’t healthy homes.
The ‘future of housing’ is a big idea, but starting with a mass retrofit drive could be a strong starting point for improving the quality of housing in the UK. It would maintain a sense of local character, improve the living environment for many people, and by making use of existing building stock, encourage a greener economic recovery.
- Liam
Photo by James Genchi
Quiet
Where I live, sandwiched between a train line and a busy road near the centre of Bristol, I am surrounded by noise. But I had gotten used to it. After all, it’s to be expected when living in a relatively dense urban area isn’t it? However, since lockdown started, and the number of cars on the road and trains...on the tracks has decreased, I have become aware of just how noisy it was before.
Suddenly you can hear birds (other than seagulls) and hear the wind in the trees. It’s the kind of quiet that you only experience out in the countryside and I think it helps to reinforce a connection with nature that is lacking in our cities.
I’m dreading the return of the noise. Not just for what we lose, but for how quickly I know I will go back to accepting it as the norm. We could cling on to some of the quiet by encouraging policy makers to promote policies that reduce the amount of motorised transport.
- Adam
Photo by Andre Ouellet
Kindness
Over the past couple of months, we have seen such encouraging things happening within our community: the growing appreciation for our NHS and even the simple act of staying at home. This time has also highlighted stories of negativity and struggle. We are all isolated from each other, more than we have been for a long time. And those who are in poorer communities are receiving even less support.
However, we are all connected and facing hardships with this virus. It is important to see kindness and give recognition to what people, with however little they have, are achieving. A couple of ways I have found to help contribute have been to shop locally, using resources such as Bristol Food Union, and running to help fundraise for Choose Love’s ‘Around the World in 40 Days’ campaign.
I try to remain hopeful, and I wonder whether as we begin to settle again, we will continue to consciously make efforts to better our community, and appreciate the help and work that people do.
- Jordan
Photo from Murmurations
Citizen Power
The old ways of delivering public projects were never very good. People tend to enjoy real streets that have variety. If they can, they avoid the modern shopping centres that are a feature of most towns. Those projects were the result of developers imposing solutions that suited their purposes, funded by investment companies that were driven by maximum profit. Other public projects, led by local authorities, are often decided behind close doors and are imposed on communities without meaningful dialogue.
If we were able to re-set the way in which public projects are delivered, it must include mobilising the power of the citizen to guide them. This would help overcome the deficiencies that result from other people’s agendas and top-down decision making. It may make projects smaller, less comprehensive, less efficient but the impact of local people will always make them richer, more diverse, more human.
- Andy