architecture as a catalyst for change: designboom LIVE talk with assemble at tAS

DESIGNBOOM TALK WITH ASSEMBLE’S Anthony Engi Meacock

designboom and Assemble’s Anthony Engi Meacock come together to discuss the UK-based multidisciplinary collective’s unique approach at the Architect Show (tAS) in Athens, Greece. Founded in 2010 to undertake a single self-built project, Assemble has evolved into a pioneering studio that merges architecture, design, and art, embracing a socially engaged approach that embeds architects in local conversations. The studio has developed a diverse portfolio while maintaining a democratic, cooperative working method that enables built, social, and research-based projects at various scales—both creating physical spaces and facilitating change. Notable projects include the LUMA Atelier in Arles, the Brutalist Playground, the Newcastle Theater Pavilion, the Granby Four Streets project, the outdoor courtyard of A/D/O in Brooklyn, New York, and many more.

‘It’s not just about the work we do now. It’s about creating a sustainable framework for the future,’ Assemble’s co-founding parter, Anthony Engi Meacock, tells designboom editor-in-chief Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou during our talk. During the conversation, Meacock highlighted the power of collaboration and multidimensional thinking in design, as well as the importance of adaptability and long-term impact in architectural practice. The talk delved into a series of the studio’s transformative projects, from early works to most recent initiatives, underscoring architecture’s potential to address pressing social and environmental issues. Key themes included fostering community engagement, championing craftsmanship, and building networks of meaningful mutual support. Read on to find more about Anthony Engi Meacock’s insightful conversation with designboom. 

designboom’s Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou and Assemble’s Anthony Engi Meacock at tAS 2024 | image courtesy of tAS

Reimagining Spaces: Assemble Challenges Architectural Norms

Throughout its evolution, Assemble has remained committed to redefining the role of architects in shaping the built environment. Their projects often emerge from direct engagement with local communities, using design as a tool for social empowerment and cultural enrichment. Whether restoring neglected neighborhoods, like in the Granby Four Streets project, or reimagining architectural heritage through playful reinterpretation, as seen in Brutalist Playground, their work challenges conventional notions of authorship and process. The UK-based studio’s approach extends beyond physical structures, fostering sustainable systems of collaboration and skill-sharing, as demonstrated in their involvement with the LUMA Arles Cultural Center. Against this backdrop, Anthony Engi Meacock’s conversation with designboom offers deeper insight into the studio’s philosophy, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities of practicing architecture in an increasingly complex world. Read on to find out more about the insightful talk between Anthony Engi Meacock and designboom. 

Anthony Engi Meacock highlights the power of collaboration and multidimensional thinking in design | image courtesy of tAS

Cinerolium: Creating a Lasting Impact

As Meacock explains, Assemble’s early days were marked by a desire to experiment with architecture in an immediate, hands-on way. ‘We started relatively informally,’ he says, reflecting on the collective’s first project, Cinerolium, a self-built cinema created in 2010. ‘We’d graduated from our bachelor’s largely doing architecture and had come out into the world just after the 2008 financial crash. Jobs were scarce, sites were empty, and the jobs we were getting were fairly depressing a lot of the time. I guess there was a real feeling of trying to work together again in the way that we had done at university.’  The group came across an abandoned petrol station, its planned housing development stalled due to the economic downturn. With limited resources but a shared sense of purpose, each member chipped in about 50 pounds of their own money to kickstart their first real project. ‘We designed it, built it, programmed it, made the uniforms, the signs, chose the films, and managed it,’ Anthony shares, recalling the hands-on nature of the project. The experience, although somewhat ‘naive,’ was their first foray into self-building. It was a ‘relatively ad hoc, improvised’ attempt to engage the public as designers, testing their limits and exploring what they could achieve without the formal structures they had once relied on.

Early projects were less about grand architecture and more about testing ideas, building networks, and understanding how physical spaces could become platforms for social change. The early work of Assemble—perhaps best represented by their Blackhorse Workshop project in Walthamstow, East London—served as a prototype for their approach to creating space for making. Blackhorse was not just a creative space but a ‘library of tools,’ a physical manifestation of the belief that making things with your hands is an empowering process. This ethos transformed an unused industrial space into a thriving community workshop, which remains a powerful model for ‘spaces of making’ across the city.

The Cineroleum (2010) | image courtesy of Assemble

The Cineroleum (2010) | image courtesy of Assemble

Granby Four Streets promotes Socially Engaged Architecture

While the workshop itself offered tools and resources for craftsmanship, it was also about ‘building a network of people’ and learning from the materials and fabricators they worked with. The design of Blackhorse, though minimalist and functional, was also aimed at creating a collaborative spirit—a space where individuals could come together to craft, experiment, and learn. For Meacock, the core idea behind these spaces was always about ‘creating a collective space, a holistic idea of architecture that is about the activities that come under it.’

This approach continued with other projects, notably Granby Four Streets in Liverpool, where Assemble worked alongside a resilient local community to reimagine a post-industrial area in decline. Granby was initially part of a failed regeneration project that replaced a thriving neighborhood with soulless, cookie-cutter housing. The council’s initial decision to demolish and replace was disastrous, as it tore apart not just homes but the community itself. ‘The real problem was that you replaced an area with real material culture, value, heritage, and a strong community infrastructure, with nondescript, soulless suburban developments,’ Meacock mentions. Instead of demolishing the buildings, Assemble worked alongside residents to carefully restore the homes, bringing back their historic value while incorporating modern elements to meet contemporary needs.

Granby Four Streets (2013) | image courtesy of Assemble

Granby Four Streets (2013) | image courtesy of Assemble

A Blueprint for Social and Economic Renewal

The project embraced small, meaningful interventions rather than large-scale, costly renovations.‘We reserved about 5% of the budget for these things we call enhancements,’ Meacock explains. These features became symbolic of the neighborhood’s revival, with even new residents respecting the fireplaces as part of their homes. It was for this project that Assemble was nominated with the prestigious Turner Award.

The Granby Workshop that grew out of this project is another example of how Assemble integrates design with community engagement. Initially created to produce handcrafted products inspired by the neighborhood’s architectural elements, the workshop has since become an employee-owned company. This initiative continues to support local jobs and sustainable economic activity, demonstrating how architecture can be a catalyst for both social and economic regeneration.

Granby Workshop | image courtesy of Assemble

Atelier Luma: Experimentation in Bioregional Design

Assemble’s commitment to holistic architecture and material-driven design extended to their collaboration with Atelier Luma, part of the Luma Foundation, for an iconic project in Arles, France. Rooted in the principles of bioregional design, the project focused on harnessing local materials and resources to create innovative, sustainable architecture. Working alongside BC Architects, Assemble transformed an empty warehouse into a research-driven experimental space. The team developed over 20 potential building materials using resources like rice husks, sunflower stalks, limestone dust, and reclaimed timber. Compressed rice husks bound with sunflower resin became self-binding insulation panels, while limestone quarry dust was tested for its calcifying properties in rammed earth construction. Locally sourced timber was crafted using traditional joinery techniques, resulting in structures free from glue and requiring minimal mechanical fixings.

‘This project was very much about creating prototypes and iterating on-site, so over time, it evolved and improved. Unlike a project like Granby, where the client needs everything to work perfectly from the start, here there was an understanding that risk was involved with the materials. Not everything would turn out perfectly, and that was part of the process,’ Anthony Engi Meacock explains.‘It was about progressing from prototype cubes to panels and then to entire walls, constantly developing the process. A lot of this involved learning from historical methods of building—not ignoring technology, but also not dismissing the past. It was about taking the best of what we used to do, recognizing where we’ve gotten things wrong, and building on that knowledge.’ For Meacock, the project showcases more than material innovation; it represents a paradigm shift in architecture—one that respects local ecologies and embraces risk-taking in sustainable design. 

Atelier LUMA (2023) | image courtesy of Assemble

Atelier LUMA (2023) | image courtesy of Assemble

Empowering Play: Assemble’s Baltic Street Adventure Playground

This commitment to experimentation, collaboration, and learning from both materials and people also defines Assemble’s participatory design projects, such as the Baltic Street Adventure Playground in Glasgow, which empowers children to shape their own spaces. Unlike conventional playgrounds, this space encourages creativity and self-expression by allowing children to build their own play structures. Meacock highlights that the playground is a direct response to a lack of engaging and empowering spaces for children in the city: ‘It was a space where the children came together, took ownership, and at the end of each day, they would gather to talk about what had happened. The children were allowed to express their agency within the space.’

The playground, designed and built with the involvement of children, is a playful and dynamic space that reflects Assemble’s commitment to giving people—especially the younger generation—the freedom to shape their surroundings. According to Meacock, the project is about giving kids the tools to design their own play. The Baltic Street Adventure Playground aligns with Assemble’s broader aim of creating environments where users can have a direct hand in crafting their experiences, reinforcing the belief that design should not be imposed top-down but should emerge from the people who will use it.

Baltic Street Adventure Playground (2014) | image courtesy of Assemble

Baltic Street Adventure Playground (2014) | image courtesy of Assemble

A Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, Meacock reflects on how the collective’s work will continue to evolve, especially as Assemble’s founding members grow older. ‘We are thinking about how the new generation will carry on the work we’ve started,’ he says. The collaborative model at Assemble is already adapting to allow for the next wave of leadership, with employees who joined the collective five or six years ago now becoming partners. ‘It’s not just about the work we do now,’ Meacock reflects. ‘It’s about creating a sustainable framework for the future.’

As Assemble’s practice matures, they remain dedicated to fostering an inclusive, participatory design process that ensures each project contributes to the betterment of the community. From Granby Four Streets to Cinerolium, Assemble has demonstrated that architecture is not just about creating buildings—it’s about creating meaningful, sustainable environments that reflect and uplift the communities they serve.

The Brutalist Playground (2015) | image courtesy of Assemble

The Brutalist Playground (2015) | image courtesy of Assemble

Blackhorse Workshop (2014) | image courtesy of Assemble

Blackhorse Workshop (2014) | image courtesy of Assemble

Blackhorse Workshop (2014) | image courtesy of Assemble

Dreamachine (2022) | image courtesy of Assemble

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Atelier LUMA (2023) | image courtesy of Assemble

The Blue (2022) | image courtesy of Assemble

The Blue (2022) | image courtesy of Assemble

The Blue (2022) | image courtesy of Assemble

The Blue (2022) | image courtesy of Assemble

Assemble Play (2018 - ) | image courtesy of Assemble

Assemble Play (2018 - ) | image courtesy of Assemble

Goldsmiths CCA (2018) | image courtesy of Assemble

Goldsmiths CCA (2018) | image courtesy of Assemble

Goldsmiths CCA (2018) | image courtesy of Assemble

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