News + Media | MATT+FIONA

News + Media

Press

Article: LDA and MATT+FIONA collaborate with youth group on HS2 ‘meanwhile use’ community garden, Building Design, August 2024

Podcast: Shawn Adams of POoR Collective on effective consultation and engagement, RIBA Journal, August 2024

Article: How Essex teenagers are shaping their community with a little help from MATT+FIONA, Building Design, August 2024

Article: The Rubble Garden, Architecture Today, August 2024

Article: So you reckon you are co-designing? Really?, Architect’s Journal, October 2023

Article: Design News, The Guardian, March 2023

Article: Why we need foundational change in how we engage young people with the built environment, Building Design, November 2022

Article: MATT+FIONA picked for latest Kew treehouse commission_Architects Journal_April 2022

Article: Rejuvenation feature, Financial Times, February 2022

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matt_and_fiona

MATT+FIONA is an architecture organisation that trusts and supports children and young people to make more inclusive & representative spaces & places

Wishing you all a wonderful festive season and a v

Wishing you all a wonderful festive season and a very happy & creative 2025!

Looking back at 2024, it’s been our busiest and biggest year yet. Swipe ➡️ to see our year in numbers.

Matt and I would like to say a big thank you to our team, partners, funders, collaborators and of course all the children & young people we’ve had the pleasure of working with ✨ Bring on 2025!

The magic of protobuilds ✨ Building prototypes

The magic of protobuilds ✨

Building prototypes at 1:1 not only ensures genuine and transparent co-design, but it’s fun! Seeing ideas come to life at full scale 💥

In the final workshop with Mission Grove Primary School students, the children built life size versions of the pieces for the play street. Bendable honeycomb cardboard acted as the metal trim trail and locally sourced fabric created the colour & pattern.

The children created a low level, climbable bench, a hoop for ball games, stepping stones, and a trim trail with rails for hanging upside down & sliding.

The design team will now incorporate these ideas into the final design for the Play Street, part of the council’s wider Government Funded (Levelling Up Fund) ‘Walthamstow Culture for All’ Programme to improve safety, greening, inclusiveness, and accessibility in the town centre.

More information about the programme is available here: Walthamstow Culture for All https://talk.walthamforest.gov.uk/walthamstow-culture-for-all

Workshop led by @jshmulevitch

📸 @jshmulevitch

#protobuild #playstreet #playontheway #walthamforest #youngdesigners #codesign

Last week’s workshop with the Essex Young Design

Last week’s workshop with the Essex Young Designers was the second in this chapter in which we are supporting the group to design a permanent element for phase 1 of the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community.

The young people split into three groups focusing on different elements of the brief: landscape & activity, structure, and roofing & shelter. They were asked to create different possibilities for ‘A Place to Meet’ through 3D models using materials that reflect regenerative design principles. We will begin to synthesise their thinking in between sessions before scaling up to a proto-build in the new year.

We were joined by Russ Edwards from @latimer the Project Director for TCBGC, who since the project’s inception has been a strong advocate for the importance of young people shaping the Garden Community.

The Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community is a joint project between Tendring District Council, Colchester City Council and Essex County Council. It is a planned new community, centred on Garden Community principles. Latimer by Clarion Housing Group and Mersea Homes are the joint delivery partners. MATT+FIONA are supporting with the in-depth and genuine involvement of young people. The Essex Young Designers are led by our Programme Manager, George Pope @georgepope227

#gardencommunity #youthengagement #regenerativedesign

Out this week 💥 It was a pleasure for George, M

Out this week 💥 It was a pleasure for George, Matt & Fi to sit down with wonderful @umarellnewsletter co-founder Katy Hope @epoh_ytak this summer for their issue, A Hand to Hold.

In case you haven’t come across the word before, umarell is an Italian term for men of retirement age who spend their time watching construction sites, especially roadworks – stereotypically with hands clasped behind their back and offering unwanted advice to the workers.

And if you haven’t come across the journal, Umarell, do check it out - link in bio.

In their words:
Umarell was born at the end of 2022 over a pint in Glasgow. The manifesto we set out from the beginning was to highlight under-represented and radical projects in architecture and all its peripheries. We wanted to create an accessible, but not dumbed down, publication that would extend the reaches of architectural practice beyond what is the norm to many.

We open Umarell up to everyone, architect or not, we don’t believe in the elitist narrative that a lot of architects perpetuate. Architecture is unavoidable in life and through deepening people’s understanding of the built environment we hope that they will begin to question these places and take action against architecture’s many injustices.

Umarell was started by Rory Thomas, Katy Hope and Andrew Wilson, we all met whilst studying at the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow. It takes many more than just us to do the projects we have done so also a big thanks to everyone we have worked with, whether that be on the publication or our built projects. Thanks to all our umarells.

Playing in 3D 📐✂️🪨 In the second worksh

Playing in 3D 📐✂️🪨

In the second workshop with Mission Grove Primary, the pupils took their ideas for the Play Street from the first session and explored them in three dimensions. Many created undulating surfaces to move across, peppered with play elements and wiggly metal bars at hip height for swinging and support.

We are excited to be working with Waltham Forest Council @lbwalthamforest to support local primary school children at Mission Grove Primary School to co-design play elements in the new Play Street proposed for Mission Grove, just off Walthamstow High Street.

In the next workshop their ideas go BIG! Watch this space.

The project is part of the council’s wider Government Funded (Levelling Up Fund) ‘Walthamstow Culture for All’ Programme to improve safety, greening, inclusiveness, and accessibility in the town centre.

More information about the programme is available here: Walthamstow Culture for All https://talk.walthamforest.gov.uk/walthamstow-culture-for-all

Workshop led by @jshmulevitch

📸 by @jshmulevitch

#playstreet #playontheway #walthamforest #youngdesigners #codesign

The value of youth engagement, co-design and makin

The value of youth engagement, co-design and making (part 3)

Perhaps the most significant outcome of youth engagement: A better-designed place ✨

Our experience of delivering co-design projects suggests the resulting places will be:

- Unique & imaginative
- Shaped by local expertise
- Green & equitable

All in all, lovely places to live, work and play.

Inventive illustrations by the talented @ciapaite.dovile

#youthengagement #planning #placemaking #codesign #equity #sustainability #imagination #livedexperience

The value of youth engagement, co-design and makin

The value of youth engagement, co-design and making (part 2)

Sharing the second of three key outcomes of involving children and young people in the shaping of the built environment: Big social impact.

This includes:

- Widening participation
- Meanwhile use
- Upskilling & volunteering

Beautiful illustrations by @ciapaite.dovile

#youthengagement #planning #socialimpact #socialvalue #givingback

The value of youth engagement, co-design and co-ma

The value of youth engagement, co-design and co-making ✨ (part 1)

This autumn we’ve been reflecting with the children, young people & place-makers we work with, on why youth engagement is so important to good place shaping.

Integrating young people’s unique local knowledge, lived experience and imagination leads to 3 key outcomes (amongst many others!):

1. Smoother Planning Process
2. Bigger Social Impact
3. Better-Designed Places

The wonderful illustrator Dovile Ciapaite @ciapaite.dovile has helped us to bring these ideas to life in a series of illustrations.

Here we share the first three, demonstrating how youth engagement can lead to smoother planning processes through:

- Constructive dialogue
- Bringing together design teams & communities
- Widening engagement

#youthengagement #planning #codesign #cocreation #illustration

The power of light, materials and open ended possi

The power of light, materials and open ended possibility ✨ What a brilliant day we had creating spaces with everyday materials at the UAL @ualawardingbody #TeachInspireCreate conference on Friday.

George @georgepope227 Jon @jshmulevitch and Eve @evie_nix_ led the workshop for dozens of super FE teachers from across the creative sector, sharing insights into how to make 1:1, open ended & collaborative installations with their students. Stunning results that we hope will be repeated in colleges across the country. (If only we could guarantee Friday’s beautiful sunlight would reappear too ☺️)

Thank you UAL for inviting us to lead one of your creative workshops as part of the conference. We are huge admirers of teachers and the invaluable work they do supporting the next generation, especially those teaching creative subjects and giving young people the opportunity to try to make sense of the world and discover their place within it.

📸 by @jshmulevitch and @georgepope227

#ualawardingbody #teachinspirecreate #furthereducation #creative #industries #makespace

This autumn we’ve have been collaborating with @

This autumn we’ve have been collaborating with @2_3degrees and @wemakecamden on the ‘Build Better Programme’ in Kentish Town. We’ve had the joy of working with a group of 13 young people from the West Kentish Town Estate, looking at how we might activate meanwhile space during the future estate redevelopment.

Design sessions have moved from collages to small scale models, and finally to large scale prototypes. The young people began by reflecting on how they have previously gathered on their estate, and what types of seating allowed them to do so. They then built up these ideas into their own propositions, using 1:20 scale models. In our final session, they worked in groups to bring these ideas to life, at 1:1 scale. The young people’s designs will be fabricated by MATT+FIONA at Euston Skills Centre in December.

It’s been fantastic to work collaboratively with 2-3 Degrees, who have led further sessions with the young people, developing their confidence, public speaking and critical thinking skills.

Keep your eyes peeled for updates on the installation of the group’s designs in the new year.

The project is being brilliantly led by our new Assistant Programme Manager Eve Nixon @evie_nix_

In the spirit of genuine co-design, the Essex Youn

In the spirit of genuine co-design, the Essex Young Designers - the group of young people aged 13 to 19 who are contributing their lived experience, local knowledge and imagination to the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community (TCBGC) - have been invited to design a permanent element for Phase 1 of the scheme.

In the first design workshop of this chapter, we explored ideas for the landmark brief, ‘A Place to Meet’, through elevational drawings. What can a meeting place be, who will use it, does it include shelter or seating, what materials it might be made of? We then moved on to working in plan, collaging fabric to indicate where the designs could go within the garden community.

Emerging ideas include sheltered seating for meeting friends, and potentially the addition of sports equipment and natural play.

We were joined by Sandy and Caitlin from @periscope_uk and Hana from @hat_projects who provided invaluable insight into Phase 1 of the TCBGC, and helped the EYD develop their designs.

The Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community is a joint project between Tendring District Council, Colchester City Council and Essex County Council. It is a planned new community, centred on Garden Community principles. Latimer by Clarion Housing Group @latimer and Mersea Homes are the joint delivery partners. @matt_and_fiona are supporting with the in-depth and genuine involvement of young people, and the Essex Young Designers are led by our Programme Manager, George Pope @georgepope227

📸 by @jshmulevitch

#youthengagement #codesign #gardencommunity #northessex

We are excited to be working with Waltham Forest C

We are excited to be working with Waltham Forest Council @lbwalthamforest to support local primary school children at Mission Grove Primary School to co-design play elements in the new Play Street proposed for Mission Grove, just off Walthamstow High Street.

We are leading a series of workshops throughout October and November 2024 to determine those needs, joined by staff from the design team and Waltham Forest Council.

Workshop 1, designing through collage, has made clear that the children of Mission Grove Primary School are keen on elements that will allow them to play and move from one area to the other, therefore making ‘play on the move’ essential. We can’t wait to see what the young designers come up with next!

The project is part of the council’s wider Government Funded (Levelling Up Fund) ‘Walthamstow Culture for All’ Programme to improve safety, greening, inclusiveness, and accessibility in the town centre.

More information about the programme is available here: Walthamstow Culture for All https://talk.walthamforest.gov.uk/walthamstow-culture-for-all

#playstreet #playontheway #walthamforest #youngdesigners #codesign

We’re delighted to welcome Eve Nixon @evie_nix_

We’re delighted to welcome Eve Nixon @evie_nix_ to the team as our new Office Manager and Assistant Programme Manager ✨

Eve has built up an impressively diverse skill set, both inside and outside the world of architecture. Studying architecture at Manchester University and @lsofarch, she previously worked at the community engagement focused architecture practice @_newpractice

She has spent her time outside of practice organising large scale architecture events, helping to bring 400 young architecture students to Sheffield for two weeks in the summer of 2023, as part of @easacommons European Architecture Students Assembly (EASA) Commons. The event explored self-initiation of community projects, partnering 20 workshops with different community groups across the city.

We’re excited to be working with her! Please join us in welcoming Eve to the team 🤗

Co-design with young people on a whole new scale!

Co-design with young people on a whole new scale! Young designers at Oasis Academy Southbank have been on site at @bywaterproperties Paradise Building in Lambeth viewing the tiles they co-designed with the building’s architects, @fcbstudios

MATT+FIONA supported the young people to co-design the ceramic façade through a series of workshops two year ago, and we organised for them to come back last week to see it going up on site! For many it was their first time on a building site, and they took it in their stride.

The project was instigated by visionary sustainable developer, Bywater Properties, who see outreach, community engagement and co-design as a key part each of their projects. In this instance, the building overlooks a local park for the young people, so it felt important that the pupils should have a say in the design of the building’s façade.

We can’t wait to see the whole façade once the scaffolding comes down early next year!

Reflecting on the project, one of the students said: “I Feel like it was an awesome time because it showed me how to do architecture,” and another: “Architecture is cool because it shows and gives you new experience.”

Photographs by Nick Turpin

@bywaterproperties @fcbstudios @webbyates @gilbertashnews

Dazzling! ✨ ⚡️ First stage of the @gosh_arts

Dazzling! ✨ ⚡️
First stage of the @gosh_arts Safe Streets project coming to life 💥 Children from Great Ormond Street Hospital @greatormondst Coram Fields and the Holborn Community Association designed these eye catching posters and signs to make everyone aware of the upcoming construction works for the new Children’s Cancer Hospital that will be built over the next 5 years.

If you’re in the area you might need to wear your 😎

📸 and project led by @jshmulevitch / Project instigated by @carojmoore @gosh_arts

#greatormondstreethospital #greatormondstreet #graphics #designedbychildren #safestreets #dazzle

Playing with light, shape and colour: the panels f

Playing with light, shape and colour: the panels for the Euston Playspace, designed and built by the young people at Fitzrovia Youth Action @fyaonroad .

These will attach to the structure they’ve designed in the meanwhile garden designed by @ldadesign and @integral_engineering_design for @hs2ltd

We can’t wait to see how they reflect and come to life, and create illusions in the garden for performance and play ✨

#shadesofblue #patternandlight #youthdesign #playspace #codesign #cobuild

BUILD WEEK What a team ✨ The fantastic young d

BUILD WEEK

What a team ✨ The fantastic young designers at Fitzrovia Youth Action @fyaonroad seamlessly turned their skills to building last week, making all the elements that will make up the Euston Playspace on Euston Road, designed in conjunction with @ldadesign for the meanwhile garden on the @hs2ltd site. One of the young designers and makers has already confirmed themselves a place on an apprenticeship! 😌

A big thank you to all the volunteers from @fyaonroad @ldadesign @hs2ltd @macegroup @jesticowhiles @buro_happold plus @rufusrufusrufusrufusrufus and @nunn_dominic and especially to the Project Lead, @jshmulevitch supported by @chloehyl and @georgepope227

The playspace and meanwhile garden will open this autumn!

📸 by @jshmulevitch

#buildweek #playspace #designandbuild #youthengagement #build #design #play

Introducing our latest BUILD BADGE for our summer

Introducing our latest BUILD BADGE for our summer build, kicking off today 💥

This week young people from Fitzrovia Youth Action @fyaonroad will be building the play space they’ve designed for a meanwhile garden on Euston Road. We hope they and the volunteers from @ldadesign @hs2ltd @macegroup @integral_engineering_design @jesticowhiles and @buro_happold have a super week! 👷🏾👷🏼‍♂️👷🏿‍♀️👷🏾‍♂️👷🏻‍♀️

Watch this space and keep an eye on our stories for updates 🔨🪚✏️📐

Huge thanks to the team for making this happen @jshmulevitch @georgepope227 @chloehyl

Badge design based on the young people’s design, by the talented @aggie_fielding

#build #playspace #buildweek #finalcountdown #vounteers #thankyou #codesign #communitybuilding

Are you looking for a new challenge this summer?

Are you looking for a new challenge this summer?

Our new Office Manager & Programme Manager position is a dual role, requiring a dual skill set:

1. Overseeing the processes and operations to ensure the organisation is run efficiently and effectively;

2. Working alongside our other programme managers on project development, management and delivery to ensure young people have a say in shaping their built environment. This requires experience in architectural design and outreach with young people.

Only candidates with relevant experience in both of these areas will be considered. For full details, follow the link in our bio.

Closing date: midnight Sunday 1 September 2024

We’d be very grateful if you’d share this role with your networks 🙏

#hiring #newrole

Play takes lift off! What’s privilege to be allo

Play takes lift off! What’s privilege to be allowed to fill the @designmuseum atrium last week with collective imaginings on shadow play. Thank you @ashley_mccormick_projects for inviting us to be part of your celebration of the International Day of Play on 7th August, wonderful to collaborate with you, @avniavniavni00 @milapvarela @leasherr and the rest of the brilliant learning team.

We completely agree with the reflections of Tim Marlow, CEO at the @designmuseum on what you curated:

“I wanted to say how wonderful the museum felt yesterday in spite of the political tensions around the country. Play Day was so uplifting and energising and so impressive. Thank you and your team for all the work you did and the impact it clearly had. We talk about animating our building and driving momentum around the transformative power of design… and Play Day did just that.”

Thank you for leading this project @chloehyl, to @lucyeccles90 and @mpaola.b for ensuring the many visitors got see their ideas take flight, and, as ever, to our in-house knot expert and all round magician Matt for ensuring it stayed afloat despite being over 50 miles away at Land Sky Water!

Oh and swipe right to see our new Chief of Mischief ✨

Photos by Richard Heald Photography

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