Critical Spatial Practice

Selected Works

Reimagining Elderhood

A co-design and participatory process is underway that considers the potential of Cornmarket Street for future residents and businesses alike. More specifically, with the independent music community of Cork City, in particular with the music community hosted by Plugd Records on Cornmarket Street. The identified group has a professional interest that unites them - the performance and promotion of independent music in Cork City. This cultural community regularly contributes to the city centre but more often than not, due to limited access to appropriate facilities or financially viable living and working spaces, have to commute to and from the city centre. 

During this co-design process these cultural agents become spatial agents. Over the coming months we will consider the question set by SOA:

‘What kind of places do we need to live well as we age, and how can aspects of our neighbourhoods be modified to support ageing well?’   

Panta Rhei Collaborative x Floating University Berlin

Panta Rhei Collaborative ran an experimental workshop as part of the Floating University 2021 Free Radicals Programme from Friday 1st October to Sunday 3rd October. The workshop used Berlin as its laboratory, through several walking tours exploring three districts: Wedding/Gesundbrunnen, Schöneberg and Neukölln. These tours included visiting localised initiatives and sites of collective self-governance, witnessing places of stark contrasts between cultures and exploring radical typologies for new learning environments.

The findings were then developed over three days at Floating University, with a final presentation and discussion evening. This mini zine illustrates the themes explored over the three days, where collectivised methodologies were used to explore key issues that related back to the commons, and how we might learn directly from the city.

TEST SITE Project

TEST SITE is an urban research initiative situated on Kyrl’s Quay in Cork City, dedicated to the examination and promotion of sustainable social engagement within the built environment. Functioning as a curated public meeting space, TEST SITE plays a pivotal role in facilitating discussions, workshops, and social activities.

The project works at the intersection of art, architecture and ecology. Co-created by architect Ailbhe Cunningham and artist Aoife Desmond, TEST SITE activates a vacant site in Cork city centre through three core lenses - Biodiversity, Urban Planning and Architectural Heritage. TEST SITE is an applied research project that showcases a design, build, disassemble and reassemble Pavilion at Kyrl’s Quay, Cork City Centre.

SPIRIT LEVEL

Spirit Level is a monthly radio show getting to know community radio stations around the world through conversation. It is hosted on éist, a volunteer-run internet radio collective based in Cork city, Ireland.

In addition to learning how, where and why community radio stations exist, we're sharing what we are listening to - an exchange of all forms audio capturing our attention on the day.

Cork Community Land Trust

Cork Community Land Trust (CCLT) is a non-profit, democratic, inclusive and diverse organisation which will provide a structure for local communities to develop affordable, sustainable homes as well as social, cultural and ecological spaces.

CCLT invites collaborators to imagine a resilient, community led future for Cork City.

Dremka

Dremka is a project designed to give participants a deeper, more intuitive understanding of timber’s properties and the value of old-growth knowledge. At the heart of this shelter’s design is a conscious response to nature’s diurnal cycle, more specifically the rhythm of the hiker’s routine – seeking shelter as the day ends, leaving with the rising sun.

Built using traditional joinery and nails, the shelter employs old construction techniques to create a modern interpretation of a rural shelter. The shelter is still in place in the National Park today.

Tara National Park | Serbia