I’d like to share this photograph of St Margaret’s in Eastney which I feel encapsulates aspects of this growing community & the architecture in it all.

The arrow is part of the food bank – absolutely key over lockdown & still providing essential supplies to 200 people a week, staffed by local volunteers. Art on site hoardings isn’t unusual, this piece by Fark (@farkfk on Instagram) has a particular connection to the project. Fark’s up beat & positive style appears all over the city his studio is a few hundred yards away. He’s regularly sourced material to up-cycle from the community shop.

So what’s the architect’s role in all this? Get to know you clients, get to know the community, get involved if you can, keep an open mind. I’ve had the privilege of working with Studio BAD as part of the client body for St Margaret’s, the deep engagement has been critical to evolving the proposals to meet the needs of our community & to reinvigorate this part of the City, you may share this communities’ faith or you may not, but working together extraordinary things are happening.

Andrew Malbon

For the technically minded: Leica MP, 35mm Summilux Lee ND0.6 grad ISO 200, F2.8