Friday, 18th - Sunday, 20th October

East Quay, Watchet

Times Vary

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Join East Quay and five leading architecture practices from across the UK as we come together to discuss, create, and explore what it truly means to make as a community.

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Friday, 18th October

7PM - LAUNCH EVENT: A GUIDE TO COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE: A PANEL DISCUSSION

Join us to open the festival with a wide-ranging conversation about how we can break down barriers between the architecture profession and the communities they service. Hosted by Rob Feihn. £5 including a glass of wine - book your tickets here.
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Saturday, 19th October

11AM - 3PM - COMMUNITY MAKING WORKSHOPS

Join our architects to make something fabulous in these four free, drop-in, open-to-all ages workshops to build shelters for all beings at East Quay. No need to book - just come along.

• Making a Community Shelter with Owen from Pearce+
• Frankenstein Furniture with Steve and Bo from McCloy+Muchemwa
• Mini Beast Mansions with Ella from Studio Bark
• Weaving and Textiles Architecture with Becca from New Practice

3PM - 4PM - WORKSHOPS TOUR WITH PIERS TAYLOR

Take a walk around the fabulous creations of the day with East Quay architect Piers Taylor.

4PM - 5PM - ASK THE EXPERTS: ARCHITECTURE SPEED DATING

An opportunity to ask the architects anything you want to know about your own build, project or ideas. You'll have 10-minutes dedicated time to your project within the session. BOOKING ESSENTIAL - book your tickets here.

7PM - 9PM - ‘LEARNING FROM THE LOCAL’ KITCHEN CONVERSATION WITH PIERS TAYLOR

East Quay’s architect takes us on a journey through his forthcoming book (2025) exploring how architecture engages with the world. In the East Quay Kitchen, £12 including a shared meal. BOOKING ESSENTIAL - book your tickets here.

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PLUS SHORT FILM SCREENINGS in Studio 10, from 10am - 5pm all day Saturday.

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ABOUT THE ARCHITECTS

Rob Fiehn

Rob is the Director of the London Society an a London-based communications consultant specialising in architecture and design. Also, the Chair of the Museum of Architecture and Trustee of Blackhorse Workshop in Walthamstow. Rob edited two books published in 2023: Collective Action! The Power of Collaboration and Co-Design in Architecture (RIBA Publishing) and London of the Future (Merrell).

Piers Taylor

Architect, Professor of Knowledge Exchange in Architecture at UWE. Founder of Invisible Studio, a multi-award-winning architecture practice, operating through collaboration, experimentation, research and education. Taylor’s practice-based work includes numerous award-winning projects, including the National RIBA Award Winning Wolfson Tree Management Centre, Room 13, and East Quay, Watchet. His book ‘Learning from the Local’ will be published by the RIBA in 2025.

Owen Hughes Pearce, PEARCE+

PEARCE+ is an experimental studio weaving together architecture, land art and collective making. PEARCE+ designed and built the interiors for East Quay's accommodation pods and Creator Space. Their practice  founded on four core propositions: Architecture must be allied to the earth and connected to nature, not an imposition on it; Making is an exploratory process for learning and betterment, not a task to be outsourced; Collaboration is the foundation of enjoyment and advancement, not a box-ticking process; Design is a behaviour and a commitment, not a body of knowledge.

Becca Thomas, New Practice

New Practice are experts in place working across the UK, Ireland and internationally. The practice is women and LGBTQIA+ led and exists to develop the community, creative and cultural capacity of places and to connect people with the decision making processes that underpin lived experiences. The team is dedicated to creating projects that prioritise people and community.

Ella Thorns, Studio Bark

Studio Bark are architects for a better future. We create buildings that are radical in approach but sensitive in context, to get people talking and speed up change. We challenge the norms to create a better future for us all - you, the community, the planet, and our future together.

Steve McCloy and Bongani Muchemwa, McCloy+Muchemwa

With their roots in Africa and now London-based, they were recently named in the Architects’ Journal '40 Under 40', and they are committed to making affordable, low-carbon architecture, as well as being passionate about big-ideas and experimenting.

The pair complement their residential architecture projects with teaching, writing, exhibition design, and making furniture and playful installations. McCloy + Muchemwa often employ humble materials such as corrugated metal panels and exposed blockwork, or even inflatable buoys and road barriers, in fun and surprising ways. As keen collaborators, Steve and Bongani enjoy the opportunities for teaming-up with larger organisations to tackle all manner of public projects… and preconceptions!