Category: Project

MoreCanBe

The Morecambe Bay Project was a speculative design project, in collaboration with Aedas architects, that explored the future potential of Morecambe in 2030.

“Maybe we forgot that seaside towns were meant to be the escape from long working hours, smoggy cities, and ceaseless traffic. This place is perfect. Flat. Ideal to walk or cycle. Fresh air, sea breeze, big skies, big view. The Spa, on the front, that’s part of the new hotel has a pool that projects to the edge of the Bay, like an infinity pool. No wonder health nut Oliver Hill, the architect of the Midland designed his modernist hotel here. You can almost hear him say, ‘Morecambe? It restores the spirit.'”

In taking a co-design approach, the project engaged community stakeholders in imagining the future potential of Morecambe in 2030. The process began with a natural visual representation of the community’s vision for the future of Morecambe Bay Front, which used sea shells as artefacts collected from the beach and presented them alongside a scaled schematic of the sea front of Morecambe. The participants then placed the sea shells on the plan and described what each shell represented in their vision of Morecambe’s future, including features such as a new art gallery or an extended lido. The use of natural materials in this way acted as a device to encourage imagination and creativity in envisioning the future of the bay.

“The public spaces around this area of Central Morecambe have been built on standards set by the Tern Project. There’s always been a good feel for art in Morecambe. Why wouldn’t there be, Morecambe is to the brush, what the Lakes are to the pen. The new spaces to create and exhibit that were built near to the Midland, and the new Fine Art Centre for the University of Cumbria have really enlivened the arts community. You can’t walk along the prom’ without seeing someone with a sketchbook or camera. That’s what I love about Morecambe; it has texture.”

The ideas generated from the co-design process were developed into a written narrative, a speculative future story, guided in collaboration with architecture writer, Phil Griffin, which set a collaborative aspiration of what Morecambe could be. The final writing and co-created shell artwork were publicly exhibited to encourage debate and feedback, inspiring further engagement with the community.

“The Stone Jetty makes a great stage, and so does the new sweep of promenade extension, that springs out from the jetty, and loops back to the prom’ just by the theatre. This is quite a surprising walk over water, like the ramps in the Penguin House at London Zoo. And just across from it is the vibrant Marina that serves fishermen and sailing enthusiasts, some who sail to Morecambe from their training quarters round the bay in Capernway.”

The Morecambe Bay project was a collaboration that allowed the community to come together to imagine the future of their seaside town. The outcome was an inspiring vision for Morecambe, rooted in the values and aspirations of the community.  The result was a shared vision of a vibrant, thriving, and sustainable Morecambe, one that aims to capture the imagination and spirit of both its residents and visitors alike.

“Everything fits with the natural beauty that surrounds Morecambe. Panoramic views. Light or dark, Morecambe has the most beautiful backdrop. The architecture clicks so well. Views from every position. And if you want to take a closer look, drop into the Observatory, adjacent to the Bay Discovery Centre, or hire one of the snug bird huts that sit on stilts between the rocks.”

“MoreCanBe.”

Collaborators: Art Direction: Debbie Goldsmith. Narrative: Phil Griffin. Graphic Design: Darryl Hardman

Chetham’s School of Music

Chetham’s School of Music, located in Manchester, is a co-educational, and specialized institution devoted to the study of music. In 2012, the school inaugurated its state-of-the-art New School Building, designed by Stephenson STUDIO, which marked a new chapter in Chetham’s rich 600-year history. The new facility boasts acoustically optimized practice and performance rooms, as well as modern, well-lit spaces for academic study. Additionally, the building features The Stoller Hall, a cutting-edge performance venue that fosters connections between professional and student musicians.

In conjunction with the construction of the New School Building, and in collaboration with graphic designer Darryl Hardman, we worked with Chetham’s School of Music to create a new visual identity for the institution, the first in over 150 years. The school desired a contemporary identity that reflected the new state-of-the-art building. The design process involved extensive ethnographic research of the school’s culture and community, as well as further research into the school’s history, values, and goals, and was centred around the creation of a new logo, typography, colour palette, and imagery. The visual identity became an integral part of the wayfinding and signage within the new building, also etched into the fabric of the building itself, becoming part of the history of the institution for generations to come. 

Collaborators: Photography: Jonathan Keenan. Project Manager: Pip Roche


Blue Sky

In collaboration with Sam Pattinson of Treatment Studio and stage designer Willie Williams, U2’s long-standing Creative Director, we created a film to accompany the band’s performance of the track ‘Bullet the Blue Sky’ on their Innocence and Experience World Tour.

Inspired by the work of IPE academic Susan Strange and her book Casino Capitalism, we aimed to re-contextualize the track, taken from U2’s 1987 album, The Joshua Tree, and focus on the global financial crisis of 2008 and its aftermath. The film utilized looped news footage and graphic animation, presented on a 30-meter-long, hybrid LED screen suspended in the centre of each arena throughout the tour.

The film featured a repeating visual of a swarm of locusts, drawing on the lyrics of the song and the biblical quote from Nahum 3:15 NIV, which reads: “There the fire will consume you; the sword will cut you down— they will devour you like a swarm of locusts. Multiply like grasshoppers, multiply like locusts”. 

The final show in Paris was broadcast live across the USA on HBO.

Collaborators: Reseach: Rebecca Welsh. Edit and Animation: Olly Starkey and Sabina Dallu. Art Direction: Ebony Hoorn and Ellery Roberts. Graphics: Darryl Hardman. Advisor: Professor Peter Kawalek. Project Director: Pip Roche

Coloral Cycling Co

The Coloral bidon, a fluted alloy bottle with a cork stopper and tooled cap signed off with a scripted logo, was a staple of road cycling during the golden age of the 1940s and 1950s. This metal container was derived from the Old Norse word “bida,” meaning container.

The Coloral bidon was not just used to carry water, but also to preserve a simple blend of milk and sugar that kept energy levels high during competitions and even wine when celebrating victories. Its recognisable design made it a common sight at Le Tour de France and gained cult status among fans and riders alike.

However, despite its popularity, the production of the Coloral bidon dwindled with the introduction of plastic alternatives, eventually ceasing in the mid-1950s due to manufacturing pressures.

Fascinated by the history of the Coloral bidon, we as a team of three enthusiasts and co-founders embarked on a three-year journey to revive this British design classic using modern-day materials while staying faithful to the original design. 

We took great care to remain faithful to the original design while incorporating modern materials and technology. The re-engineered Coloral bidon features food-grade stainless steel that is brushed for a muted finish, ensuring the bottle is lightweight, compact, and has been modified to fit modern-day bottle cages. Additionally, the bottle is vacuum-insulated, ensuring that cold drinks stay cool and hot drinks stay piping hot.

Stockists: Labour & Wait | Tokyo Bike | Rouleur

Kings Cross

A design collaboration with Gehl Architects to reimagine the public realm outside Kings Cross Station in London. 

The aim was to develop a design fiction framework that would inspire and engage a diverse group of stakeholders, including local residents, businesses, and other key players with an interest in the area. By leveraging the potential of design fiction, we sought to open up possibilities and encourage imaginative thinking and discussion about the potential of the space.

To achieve those objectives, we devised a human-centered design approach that incorporated scientific metaphors and fictional character profiles to create a narrative for the space through which we were able to envisage future scenarios in which the public realm outside Kings Cross Station was fully optimized for social interaction and engagement.

The project was preliminary in nature and focused on sparking discussion and debate among stakeholders about the possibilities for the area. By collaborating with Gehl Architects and drawing on their expertise in architecture and urban planning, we were able to create a design fiction framework that was rooted in sound design principles and took into account the needs and desires of the people who would ultimately use the space.

Visualisation: Darryl Hardman, Stephen Holden and Gareth Edwards

Luta Pela Paz

Fight for Peace (Luta Pela Paz) is a charitable foundation, founded in Rio de Janeiro, that uses boxing and martial arts to empower young individuals. In collaboration with the foundation, we created an immersive film with the purpose of transporting United Nations delegates into the heart of the Complexo de Maré favela, showcasing the transformative power of Fight for Peace through a fully immersive experience.

The 360º format was designed to provide viewers with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by residents of the favela and the positive impact of the foundation’s programs. Through the experiences of Miriam, the central figure of the film, viewers can comprehend the critical role that education and physical activity play in promoting youth development and the innovative approach of Fight for Peace in bringing about social change.

This film premiered at the United Nations Youth Conference in New York, where it was highly acclaimed for its ability to effectively communicate the foundation’s mission and impact to the attending delegates. 

Collaborators: Director / Cinematography: Olly Starkey. Editor: Sabina Dallu. Producer: Kunyalala Ndlovu. Photography: Antony Crook. Research: Rebecca Welsh.

Original Modern

The Original Modern initiative was a strategic design project, developed in collaboration with Peter Saville, that sought to define the concept of Manchester as the Original Modern city.

Original Modern is a term developed by Manchester’s Creative Director, Peter Saville, to encapsulate the essence of the city and its unique cultural heritage. As a historical truth about Manchester, the goal of the Original Modern project was to ensure that the values and principles embodied by Original Modern continue to be a future aspiration for the city.

“I recognised a set of values true to the spirit of the city. The key value of provenance was “the first industrial city.” That would justify a museum but not provide a route forward. From ‘first industrial’, to the term “original modern.” In those terms, the values were timeless. They are two words that propose what Manchester is about.”

To gain a deeper understanding of what constitutes Original Modern in Manchester today, a series of co-design workshops were conducted with a diverse range of stakeholders, including public sector representatives, academics and students, artists and cultural innovators, non-profit organizations, and members of the local community. The workshops were designed to facilitate a collaborative process in which each representative co-defined what they considered to be Original Modern in the city. 

The synthesised outcomes of the workshops resulted in the development of six defined statements that captured the essence of Original Modern: 

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CITY + INTRODUCE A NEW IDEA OR BE PROGRESSIVE + CHALLENGE CONVENTION + THINK GLOBAL OR BE AMBITIOUS = ORIGINAL MODERN

These statements served as the basis for the development of an infographic device, which was inspired by Peter’s Manchester signifier logo and mapped the Original Modern criteria to the exemplars identified through the co-design process. The device provided a clear and intuitive overview of the findings and served as an effective tool for communicating the essence of Original Modern to a wide range of audiences. Current exemplars that were mapped using the criteria included graphene inventor Andre Geim, British Cycling, Mines Advisory Group, and Unicorn Food Cooperative. 

The project culminated in the publication of a hardback book, “Original Modern,” which included the infographic device and additional written contributions from historian and author Dr. Tristram Hunt, who provided historical context for Original Modern, and former Editor in Chief of The Observer, Will Hutton, who offered reflections on the future of Manchester.

“So many of the ideas that continue to shape our world first found their voice in Manchester. Alongside the Satanic mills and booming factories, here was where traditional crumbled, urban life was pioneered, and originality thrived. Here was where the modern was born.  Original Modern is what Manchester gives to the world.” 

Collaborators: Graphic Design: Darryl Hardman. Additional Text: Ra Page, Comma Press. Data Visualisation: Stephen Holden. Project Manager: Pip Roche.