Practice North

Practice NORTH focuses on the history and under exploited potential of the North. This year we explored themes of place-making and community in nearby Toxteth, L8. Our Semester 1 and 2 sites are located adjacent to each other and form the boundary of a neglected city block. St Nicholas Greek Orthodox church forms the centrepiece of this urban triangle. It has narrowly survived the ravages of second world war bomb damage and the Toxteth riots unlike the neighbouring urban fabric which exhibits signs of decades of underinvestment and a series of vacant lots. Our first project was to design a community art gallery and studios as a means of urban regeneration and in recognition of the emergence of Toxteth as a place where art and community are valued. We visited Granby Winter Garden by Assemble and toured the Welsh Streets area that was saved from redevelopment by local activism and ‘design diplomacy’. Studio members were encouraged to consider how their design might respond to local conditions and, following an urban design workshop, provide a vision for the wider public realm. The second project was to design a Youth Zone. The project brief required a range of accommodation and facilities but also offered the scope for reinterpretation through individual research and analysis.

Students

Tutor Team

Richard Dod (Lead)
Jane Moscardini
James Jones
Anthony Mackay

Guest Critics

Yu Zhan
Jasmin Eastwood
Valentino Capelo
Lee Bennett
Dan Wiltshire
Mike Cruise
Roger Stephenson OBE

Special Thanks

Nina Edge Artist and Activist
Jaimie Ferguson Optimised Environments
Reverend Stavros Kasino