Royal College of Art
Graduates: 2024
Specialisms: Interior Design / Set Design - Stage Screen Dance / Product Design
My location: Paris, France
First Name: Joséphine
Last Name: Menut
University / College: Royal College of Art
Course / Program: Interior Design MA
Graduates: 2024
Specialisms: Interior Design / Set Design - Stage Screen Dance / Product Design
My Location: Paris, France
23-24 Gillender Street has transformed from a flour mill to a global delivery warehouse, reflecting the rise of mass consumption and industrialization. Construction and demolition waste make up a third of EU waste, and the building sector contributes 11% of global carbon emissions. While we can't stop this massive trend, we can make changes on an individual level. This project aims to bring us back to a human scale. The proposed Community Centre will promote the exchange of materials, experiences, and knowledge, challenging the notion that money is the ultimate goal. Inspired by "freeshops" collectives, it will feature spaces for material exchange, repair workshops, gardens for sustainable cooking lessons, and an art centre, all encouraging a more sustainable lifestyle. From reversing the consumption curve to reversing the building, the former factory will be open, dissected, and rearranged in several closed spaces. As an example of a new approach to construction, all the materials are found on site, except for photovoltaics panels. The renovation process follows only necessary choices, wether further additions might have benefitted the overall result, this project was an experiment study aiming to make the most out of the space through not overcrowding it.