Written by:
Guest Author
by Leo Care
In this blog, Leo Care, Year 3 Programme Leader at the University of Sheffield’s School of Architecture and Landscape, reflects on the University’s collaboration with The Glass-House on the 2025/26 WEdesign series, Multigenerational Places.
One of the most interesting things about the WEdesign events is seeing who walks through the door to take part. There are lots of factors that shape this, not least the timing of the event and the weather on the day! Some things we can (try to) control and others are left to chance. One of the parameters that we have experimented with over the years has been the location of the event. What kind of physical space are people likely to come to and how do they respond to it when they arrive? Moving from an online event (during Covid), and playing with a (online and in-person) hybrid format, the last few years have seen us trying university buildings, an urban room and most recently, a community venue.
With the aim of creating a metaphorical ‘safe space’ for people to collaborate in, the host building plays a key role for WEdesign. In the School of Architecture’s design studios, the domain of the students meant that they very much became the hosts, perhaps having increased confidence being in their own work space. We saw a number of local professionals and council representatives attending, who may have been partly attracted by the academic environment. The Urban Room – located in a city centre shopping precinct – provided a level of neutrality and on-street accessibility. A more mixed group of attendees were involved, some of whom saw the opportunity to pop in, or dip into the event, without fear of committing to something that they weren’t sure about.
This year, The Israac Somali Community Centre hosted the event and it provided one of the most interesting dynamics that we have seen to date. As well as some of our regular attendees we were delighted by an influx of young people to the event. The vibrancy and energy that this injected into the room was fantastic. The relationships struck up between the architecture students and locals was almost immediate, with numbers exchanged and photos shared. The proposals made by the groups also conjured a new optimism, expressed with a keen understanding of the ‘real politic’ and some frank reflection. There was a tangible air of celebration and rejuvenation in the space, which really pushed people on in their tasks. There was an added entrepreneurial twist to the event as a new healthy energy drink was unveiled by one group of young people!
Our latest event provided a reminder (if needed) of the power of local connections and working with community partners throughout the city. It was such an enjoyable and uplifting session. It is somewhat of a truism to talk about young people being the future, but this year’s WEdesign event proved that our future can be creatively shaped for the better by informed and interested people of all ages, led by younger generations. All that is needed to get conversations started and ideas flowing is a space where everyone feels comfortable and empowered to get involved.
You can read more about Multigenerational Places: Sheffield and the ideas that emerged here.
About the Author
Leo is an architect and teacher at the University of Sheffield School of Architecture and Landscape. He is also a Glass-House Enabler and Director of Chiles, Evans and Care Architects. Leo is a founding member, architect and resident of the Open House Project. Over the last twenty years, he has continued to explore and develop innovative participatory architectural design processes through teaching, scholarship and practice.