architecture
& development
LOKI Toolbox
Our vision, ideas and values
Expressed in journals, research & philanthropic work
OUR RESEARCH FORMS THE BACKBONE OF
OUR DESIGN WORK
Open call for collaboration for research papers!
We have curated a wonderful network of thinkers, urbanists, sociologists, theologians, strategists and practitioners to thought-partner with us to tackling some of the most complex challenges facing the built environment & those of us using these spaces. The intention of this project is to encourage thought leadership and discussion around issues integral to our respective disciplines and to communities that could benefit from our work. These collaborations keep us accountable and focused on our core values as practitioners. We believe in the social impact of our work, and aim to keep at the forefront of challenging of the status quo.
‘the great challenge of our moment is the crisis of isolation & fragmentation, the need to rebind the fabric of a society that has been torn by selfishness, cynicism, distrust and autonomy’
- DAVID BROOKS, NEW YORK TIMES, 2019
consultancy
As well as being practitioners, we also act as thought partners for individuals, organisations or public bodies involved in the built environment who need research or guidance on strategy and method. We operate in two fields:
Sustainability is a much used word, but not well understood in the built environment. Much emphasis is (rightly) placed on the energy efficiency of buildings, yet much less is known about their total environmental impact.
What is the extraction cost of different materials? How much embedded carbon do they contain given the energy needed to manufacture them? Polystyrene-based insulation materials may have good energy efficiency criteria but at the end of life cannot be biodegraded or recycled. How can the choice of material also drive down construction costs and improve the economics of a project without compromising the environmental credentials?
In construction, trade-offs exist everywhere we look and a holistic approach is thus needed to balance excellent energy ratings, low embedded carbon and acceptable end-of-life credentials. And all this needs to be balanced with the economics of a development project.
At LOKI we are experts in materials, their usage and their economics and offer consultancy services for developers or organisations looking to create a sustainability strategy which does more than tick a box.
01
SUSTAINABILITY
URBAN STRATEGY
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We are urban strategists focused on building inclusive communities through reinvigorating left-behind spaces and working with local businesses to strengthen the micro-economy and re-enliven our neighbourhoods. We are dedicated to high-level research and design to deliver innovative yet practical solutions. We believe that our high-streets are dying largely because of the homogenisation of stores, rather than simply falling victim to internet shopping and lack of footfall. Why travel anywhere when everywhere looks the same? We believe in celebrating local identity and tackling the source of the issue, not the symptoms.
We design strategies that focus on improving streetscapes, brownfield open spaces and create places people want to come to. We explore how to transform areas not solely through its hardware (landscaping, development, etc.) but also through its more imperceptible software, exploring, for example, new economic models to better serve local communities. For example, how can we bring creative enterprises back to the high street to keep them vibrant, if retail alone is not viable?
CASE STUDY Education Spaces
BLOG Housing
The Political Economy of UK Housing : 50 Years of Housing Tenure (1970 - 2020)
CASE STUDY Urban Theory
Designing In Identity: Cultural Appropriation in the Architecture of Consumer Spaces
ESSAY Social
That Homeless Issue:
Clearances through the practice of highly manicured civic landscaping
BLOG Housing Crisis
The Voidance of Communal Spaces in HMO has Tainted Co-Living. But Let's Look at Overlooked Opportunities
CRITIQUE Cities
Are Private Cities the answer when our governments fail us?
BLOG MakerSpaces
In Uncertain Times MakerSpaces Offer Both Creative Refuge & Spaces for People to Connect
BLOG Sustainability
The Environmental Hazards of Polystyrene is Commonplace, so Why Are We Flaunting it an Eco-Insulation Solution?
CRITIQUE Planning
A Piecemeal Approach To Planning Hurts Us All. So What Can We Do About It?
WE ARE A THINK & DO TANK.
WE CURATE EXCHANGES
AND DRIVE SOLUTIONS
We believe in the power of collaboration. We bring together people from different backgrounds, prerogatives & expertise to discuss big ideas and challenge the way we imagine the world around us to be.
We use shared experiences to create strategies with aim to shape policy or develop projects. Have a topic you want to bring to the table?
PHILANTHROPY
Architecture is a slow art.
In-between the construction sites and the building plans and the designing, we work hard on giving back. We do this through philanthropy, mentoring, volunteering, fundraising and pro-bono work. Below are a few examples of what we do, who we work with and where we are going.
Part of an organisation that could use
our experience & energy?
LOKI & THE COMMUNITY
JUNE 2019 ARCHITECTS DECLARE!
LOKI becomes a proud signatory of Architects Declare. Onward Ho!
FEBRUARY 2020 Mentoring
LOKI supports 1MM as a trained mentor working with young people to improve their career chances
MARCH 2019 Save The Children
LOKI has been donating monthly to the incredible organisation SAVE THE CHILDREN since March 2019
DECEMBER 2019 THE BIG SLEEP OUT
LOKI was a TOP 20 fundraiser in THE BIG SLEEPOUT campaign to end homelessness! Damian & Brigitte slept out in Trafalgar Square
APRIL 2019 WiP Career Development
Providing professional development with focus on sustainability and Mentoring through Women In Property
AUGUST 2019 TALK
Speaking at a RIBA event on encouraging supporting young architects
SEPTEMBER 2020 SPEAKING EVENT
TRANSITIONS is geared at helping refugees with built environment qualification enter the UK workplace
NOVEMBER 2020 PODCAST INTERVIEW
LOKI is featured on the EDD Podcast giving advice about engaging and architect
JULY 2020 ACAN
Campaigning for structural change to support environmental sustainability in the built environment
GET IN TOUCH
Whether you are someone who wants to work with us, wean our expertise or just want to find out more about what we do, please don't hesitate to write. We welcome questions and queries big and small!