Studio Collaborative Production

The prevailing economic model of speculation and market-driven growth is unable to address the urgent global challenges of climate change and social inequality. The industrial exploitation of resources, followed by disuse and abandonment, is no longer acceptable or feasible. The damaging consequences of this are nowhere more apparent than in the east of Sheffield, where the studio is located. How might an alternative economic model be realised, and what kind of built environment might it generate?  

The focus of our investigation will be Attercliffe, which forms part of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID). This links new forms of advanced manufacturing to existing centres of production, housing and education. The Studio will learn from and develop the work of the ‘Connecting AMID’ Live Project group and the mapping exercise carried out by Liveworks. This identifies Attercliffe as a potential Mobility Hub, connecting across the region via zero-carbon transport links and a network of active green corridors.  

Students will work collectively during the early stages of the project, sharing resources, ideas and approaches to develop a shared spatial and environmental strategy.  The opportunity exists for the reimagination of Attercliffe as an environmentally and socially sustainable urban  neighbourhood, bringing mixed tenure housing back to the area alongside new civic, social and cultural amenities.  

The climate emergency demands that we drastically reduce the consumption of energy and water in building construction and use.  The studio will look to maximise the use of existing buildings and infrastructure, drawing on the area’s historic character and industrial heritage.  The introduction of new green spaces and improved access to existing waterways will create spaces for social interaction whilst increasing biodiversity. 

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