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Join us this Clerkenwell Design Week 2023

This Clerkenwell Design Week, we are excited to present as the centrepiece of our exhibition, a collaboration between Iris Ceramica Group and Architects Szczepaniak Teh. Cloud to Cloud explores the water cycle, its importance, and our dependence upon it.

We have some fantastic events lined up and are looking forward to welcoming you! Our programme includes panel talks, original films, live music, tastings, and learning sessions. We will be investigating green hydrogen and water, design and optimism and rum. Guests include filmmaker Pavel Borecky, graphic artist Anthony Burrill, and author of The Eyes of the Skin – Architecture and the Senses, Juhani Pallasmaa.

TUESDAY 23RD MAY

Film: Living Water + Online Q&A

An ecographic film by director Pavel Borecky, Living Water is an atmospheric journey into the clash between the state of Jordan, agricultural businesses and Wadi Rum indigenous communities over the last abundant source of drinking water. Screening followed by an online Q&A with Pavel Borecky.

Time: 13:00 – 14:45

Cloud to Cloud: Water, Green Hydrogen and the Future of Ceramics

Iris Ceramica Group are one of the first tile manufacturers to start the transition to green hydrogen kilns. CEO, Federica Minozzi, commissioned the kinetic sculpture Cloud to Cloud installed in our collaboration space. Federica, Nicholas Szczepaniak (the architect) and Solus Creative Director Sam Frith discuss the inspiration behind the piece and how it relates to more sustainable modes of living.

17:15 – 18:30: Food by Migrateful, a charity supporting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in their journey to integration

18:30 – 19:30: Panel talk

WEDNESDAY 24TH MAY

Moving Earth: Sustainability & Ceramics RIBA-approved CPD

Our Sustainability Manager, Ken Graham, has carried out indepth research into the industry and its impact on the planet. Our popular Moving Earth: Sustainability and Ceramics CPD, presented by Ken, comes out of this research and addresses the climate crisis and the role that ceramics can play in creating sustainable buildings.

12:00 – 13:00: Lunch by Palm Greens, feel-good, ethical, plant-based food.

13:00 – 14:00: Presentation and Q&A

Film: In Conversation with Juhani Pallasmaa + Discussion

In The Eyes of the Skin (1996), Juhani Pallasmaa observed that, “The door handle is the handshake of the building”. Distilling, with impressive clarity, an attitude toward architecture that is both humane and embodied. The book has since become a classic of architectural theory. We visited Juhani Pallasmaa at his studio in Helsinki to talk about the authentic, the deeply real experiences that shape design. The film of this conversation will be introduced by Conleth Buckley.

18:00 – 19:00: Film

19:30 – 20:00: Two Drifters Rum tasting, a carbon-neutral rum made in Devon

Live: Expert Lover

Thoughtful ambient house and lively electronic music curated by James Mason. Live performance followed by a DJ set.

Time: 20:00 – 22:30

FULLY BOOKED

THURSDAY 25TH MAY

FILA CPD: Sustainable Surface Protection Solutions and Indoor Air Quality Care

FILA Solutions is committed to creating healthier environments through their products, and this is demonstrated in it becoming the first in its sector to achieve the Indoor Air Comfort Gold certification from Eurofins. This CPD will explore how FILA products can contribute to healthy and sustainable environments, as well as the important practicalities of their products.  

Time: 12:00 – 13:00

Session: Drop-in terrarium workshop

Terrariums are self-sustaining eco-systems. In many ways, terrariums are tiny planets. The Earth’s atmosphere acts just like the glass of the jar, trapping CO2 for forests to absorb and turn into oxygen. Drop in to our terrarium session to create your own self-sustaining world, a piece of living art that you can enjoy for years to come. 

Time: 13:00 – 16:00

Iris Ceramica Group: EcoActive buildings, where design and science meet

This lecture analyses how technology innovation can create new solutions to improve the environmental impact of new buildings. Photocatalytic technologies indeed, applied to the ceramic surfaces for floors and walls, offer unique features to improve the well-being and safety of spaces and those who live in them, without renouncing to the highest aesthetic and technical values. Due to those properties, the active surfaces can be defined “eco active surfaces” thanks to the impact they have on the environment in which they are installed.

Time: 16:30 – 17:00

Panel talk: How can design drive optimism and change?

Design is powerful; it can shape how we think, feel and act. So how can we harness design to generate optimism and drive change? Graphic artist Anthony Burrill, colour expert Justine Fox, and activist architect Rob Delius discuss these questions within the context of their work.

17:00 – 18:30: Food by Pasta Evangelists

18:30 – 19:30: Panel talk and Q&A

Live: DJ Arveene

Returning to Clerkenwell Design Week after last year’s ascendant set, music producer and DJ, Arveene has supported the likes of Liam Gallagher, Daft Punk and is soon to be joining The Prodigy on their latest tour.

Time: 20:00 – 22:30

FULLY BOOKED

The sand between your toes, the whisper of silk on skin, the creak of a wooden floor, the deep cool of stone walls, the handshake of the doorknob. The material employed affects the form, function, and perception of the final design. In what ways do materials influence human behaviour?

During London Design Festival, we hosted a panel discussion on the intersection of materials and wellbeing. 

Meet the panelists:

James Halliday, Associate at Squire & Partners

Ben Channon, Director at Ekkist

Dr Eleanor Ratcliffe, Environmental Psychologist at the University of Surrey

Roger Tyrell, Principal Lecturer in Architecture at the University of Portsmouth

James Halliday is an Associate at Squire & Partners, one of the largest practices in the UK with a global reputation for excellent, contextualised work. 

Ben Channon is a Director at Ekkist, a design for well-being consultancy. The Author of “Happy by Design” and “The Happy Design Toolkit”, Ben is an architect who has specialised in designing buildings that support better mental health. 

Dr Eleanor Ratcliffe is a Lecturer in Environmental Psychology at the University of Surrey. Her work focuses on Restorative Environments; spaces that help people recover from every day stress and fatigue. 

Roger Tyrrell is Principal Lecturer in Architecture at the University of Portsmouth. Roger approaches the study of architecture from a philosophical, social, and cultural perspective. 

The discussion was chaired by Conleth Buckley, PR Executive at Solus. 

The conversation was opened by asking James how he approaches material choices when approaching a brief for a commercial project. 

James explained that context was the critical consideration when approaching any brief. In-depth research into the building, area, or client and organisation would be the precursor to creating a palette of materials. Another consideration is how the materials change over time, particularly in commercial settings where you might expect high traffic.   

“Sometimes the aging process of materials is viewed as a bad thing, but materials can age very beautifully, becoming more beautiful over time. How metals patinate, leather wears, and timber floors gain character over time are all things that we think about. For the ironmongery in our offices, we used unlacquered brass on the handles. This was a conscious choice as the building we were designing, in Brixton, is a building that celebrates history, celebrates change. Our concept was to strip back the layers of history but as the brass has changed colour they seem to have settled into their environment and become part of the fabric of the building.”  

The Department Store by Squire & Partners. Image credit: James Jones

Conleth asked Ben, “Your book suggests that, if we spend 80% of our time in buildings, we should know how they make us feel. How does design effect feelings?”  

“As an architecture student I was never taught enough about how materials can affect feelings or, even shape behaviour. Yet there is a huge body of work emerging from Environmental Psychology that addresses this. Recent studies from Japan looked at how subjects responded to rooms clad in different materials. They found heart rates and blood pressure would lower in a timber room. The researchers believe it is because the materials are activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the opposite of our ‘fight or flight’ mechanism. So how do we encourage people to be more mindful of tactility and texture as they use a building? Can we engage more of the senses in a world that is dominated by the visual? Materials are a fantastic way to re-engage the senses, that can be through touch, it can also be through smell, but anything that involves the body in a more holistic way is to be applauded.”   

“Materials are a fantastic way to re-engage the senses, that can be through touch, it can also be through smell, but anything that involves the body in a more holistic way is to be applauded.”

Eleanor expanded upon Ben’s point and drew upon her research into the role of sound in wellbeing.  

“Sound has a profound effect upon people’s psychology. Much of the evidence is related to the negative impact of sound, how it relates to stress, anxiety, reduced quality of life, even physiological effects like increased risk of cardio-vascular issues. Over the past ten years Environmental Psychology has sought to better understand how sound affects people’s wellbeing. The Japanese studies you mentioned marry with the concept of shinrin-yoku or forest bathing, and an increase in interest in nature as a therapeutic aid. This sense of being immersed in nature is something you can achieve with materials in the built environment. Natural materials are an obvious place to start, but soundscapes and structures that give haptic feedback are also possibilities.”  

Conleth asked Roger how materials are related to his area of interest, the phenomenology of architecture and design.  

“Phenomenology is a much-misunderstood concept. Simply put, it’s about going back and understanding the essence of things. When Alvar Aalto visited the hill villages of Morocco he said, ‘I went to Morocco, not to find new things, but to rediscover the things we’ve forgotten.’ He visited settlements in the high Atlas Mountains so adapted to their environment that the only way to differentiate the built environment from the natural was by the fall of shadow on the vertical surfaces. You take the ground plain, you erect it, and it becomes place. Absolute affinity between place and material.”  

Village in the Moroccan hills.

Eleanor, “I would like to pick up on this idea of place, because in this field of restorative environments ‘place’ is not often mentioned, we more frequently talk about ‘space’ which seems more generic. But of course, when you ask people to go to a restorative natural ‘space’ they often go somewhere with positive associations, a favourite park or garden, somewhere they have an attachment to. The idea of ‘place’ as ‘a space with an identity’, imbued with memories, attachments or associations must play a role in how much it can support a person’s wellbeing.”  

“The idea of ‘place’ as ‘a space with an identity’, imbued with memories, attachments or associations must play a role in how much it can support a person’s wellbeing.”

Conleth asked Ben to comment upon making supportive environments and alluded to the work he has done on inclusive spaces. 

“I would not call myself an expert on inclusive spaces but the work that I have done in that area suggests that choice of materials play a huge role. Designing for neurodiversity can mean incorporating recommendations on colour, on light. And usually, spaces designed this way make everyone comfortable. Extreme contrasts in colour can be problematic for neuro-divergent people but, we also find that low contrast environments are better for eye health; what benefits a minority is potentially good for everyone else. Similarly designing for older people, say creating more textured, tactile floors that can prevent falls are more pleasant to use for everybody. The engagement of all the senses can have a calming effect on autistic people, say, when there are a lot of other things going on and they may be feeling overloaded.  

Coming back to Roger’s point about going back, we find that new materials are not necessarily good for health and wellbeing. It is traditional materials like timber, stone, or ceramics that have been around for millennia that have these supportive effects. Throwing down AstroTurf and saying, ‘This is great because I don’t have to mow it!’ yet exposing yourself and your children to microplastics is a disaster. A recent study from Germany found that 97% of 8-year-olds have plastic by-products in their blood or urine. It is estimated that by 2040, 4 out of every 5 men are going to be infertile because of this contamination, which is terrifying. So, we must reconsider our relationship with materials, as Alvar Aalto said, rediscover what we have forgotten and work with these classic robust materials that are not going to be harming us.”  

“We make too much stuff; we throw away too much stuff. We need to fundamentally change our thinking. Materials that we specify can have good sustainable credentials but that is not going to prevent us from going off the cliff.”

Bringing the conversation back to the notion of sustainability and how that relates to materials and wellbeing, James commented: 

 “Sustainability has become a primary concern of all practices and suppliers that we work with, but it requires a different way of thinking. We make too much stuff; we throw away too much stuff. We need to fundamentally change our thinking. Materials that we specify can have good sustainable credentials but that is not going to prevent us from going off the cliff.   

That is why much of the work that we do as a practice is in repurposing and restoration. We approach a site and ask, ‘How can we use what is already there? What is the minimum amount we can do to this building to help it function in its new guise, or how it now needs to be used?’ And that is a genuinely sustainable approach. Relating to Eleanor’s point about space and place, I connect to a place by seeing the history, through the materials that are living their second life.”  

Roger to commented on the relationship between materials and sustainability. 

“Ah! The ‘S’ word! It may be a heretical position to take, but I loathe that word with a passion because it is used as a catchall, and it means all things to all people. I would like to use the ‘R’ word, responsibility, because it is much less passive, it involves us taking a position individually and collectively and thinking powerfully into the future about the consequences of the actions that we take now on those that come after us.”

Conleth asked Eleanor how we create our own restorative environments, to help us recover from trauma or stress.  

“Most of us have fewer opportunities to make a whole new house completely, but there is a lot we can do, even as renters if not homeowners. Within the limitations of renting, we can look at furniture and fixtures to achieve a sense of comfort, of support. I know when I have had stress at work all I want to do is get into bed! There is a lot you can do with the materials in your bedroom, you do not have to remodel your house. It is about making that place the safest place for you: having things that remind you of where you have come from, having a blanket that you made or was made for you. These solutions do not have to be huge but materials that have some special significance to you can help create a supportive environment.”  

Opening the discussion to the floor, an audience member asked the question about the importance of light as a material given recent studies that show negative effects of fluorescent light.  

James takes the question. “In many commercial projects there are strict regulations for light levels. Personal taste is not always a consideration. But I agree with you that light is a material and a significant one. Junichiro Tanizaki in “In Praise of Shadows” meditates extensively on the role of light in traditional Japanese architecture. He writes about the use of gold paint and lacquer and how, in low light situations, the beauty of gold is more exquisite; how it can be used to illuminate a space by almost drawing light to it.”  

Ben picks up the point, “To me fluorescent lights are the devil. They are bright and tend to have a cold colour temperature. They are often bad for our eye health, as they pulse and flicker, and they can also disrupt our circadian rhythms. Sitting under a cold blue light in the evening means when we get home, we find it difficult to sleep. So, I would recommend a warmer light, particularly in the afternoons and something less bright.” 

Conleth concludes the discussion by observing that when we started a discussion about the impact of materials on wellbeing, he thought we would talk about wood, concrete, steel, ceramics but not light, time, memory, sound, and the sustainability of materials. The narrative around materials is just as significant to our wellbeing as the nature of the materials themselves. 

During Clerkenwell design week, we held a panel discussion on the theme of “Leading with Purpose”.  

As the impact of the climate crisis becomes more severe, the global marketplace encounters existential challenges, and attitudes towards labour shift, leading with purpose, integrity, and intent is critical.  

For our business, this means examining our operation against a sustainability framework; most recently, that has been the B Corp certification. Some of the panellists ran B Corp certified businesses, others were in the process of applying. A representative from B Lab UK was present and the discussion was chaired by celebrated architect, Mike Stiff. 

We were delighted to learn more about the certification process, its challenges, and rewards. 

The panel in detail: 

Sam Dent – a Director from B Corp certified House of Hackney, an interiors, fashion, and design brand that adheres to three principles: creativity with purpose, integrity in their actions, and compassion for the planet and people. 

Deepak Parmar – the Design Director at MCM Architecture, a purpose driven design consultancy. Deepak has worked with leading global clients to shape positive and healthy work experiences for their employees. He also led MCM to becoming B Corp certified. 

Kerry Lemon – a site-specific Artist who is driven by current scientific research to connect audiences to nature. She is also committed to sustainable practices and empowering womxn. 

Marie Carlisle – the CEO of bespoke furniture maker and social enterprise, Goldfinger. Marie has led the Goldfinger team since 2017 to become a respected social enterprise that has won the support of Hermès, John Lewis, and Tom Dixon. 

Kyle Soo – Partnerships Manager at B Lab UK. With a background in social innovation, service design and criminal law, as well as a practice as a Lego Serious Play Facilitator, Kyle combines these experiences to support people and organisations in being forces for good.

The Chair, Mike Stiff, kicked things off by asking Kyle Soo to give an overview of B Corp. Kyle explained,  

“Essentially, a B Corp is a business that meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. B Corps prioritise people and planet. They recognise that the current economic system is broken; and that we need to do more in terms of how we support the livelihoods of people that live on this planet and for the planet itself. A B Corp is committed to creating an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy for all stakeholders.” 

B Lab, the non-profit organisation that certifies B Corps, provides a free online impact assessment tool that any businesses can access to begin measuring its impact.  When a business reaches 80+ points and has completed the confidential Disclosure Questionnaire, its assessment can be submitted to B Lab, marking the start of a rigorous review process leading to B Corp Certification.  

The Chair suggested that, in a time of economic uncertainty, B Corp certification might be considered an expensive and time-consuming luxury.  

Kyle argued that younger people entering the workforce have different priorities to previous cohorts, and, if businesses want to attract and retain workers, they need to be more progressive. 

Marie Carlisle is the CEO of Goldfinger, a social enterprise that already has high accountability embedded in its legal structure. The Chair asked what the point was, for an organisation like Goldfinger, to pursue B Corp accreditation.  

Marie argued that whilst her company held itself to higher standards than were expected of B Corp, the opportunity to join a community of like-minded businesses was valuable. She believes that in time B Corp accredited businesses will begin to only do business with other B Corps, saying things like, “‘I am only sourcing from B Corp suppliers.’” 

“With every pound you spend, you are voting for the kind of world you want to live in.” 

She responded to the Chair’s point about pursuing sustainability during economic uncertainty by arguing that while sustainable products are more expensive, they represent the true cost of things rather than the cheap prices we are presented with by an exploitative economic system. “With every pound you spend, you are voting for the kind of world you want to live in.” 

“Luxury is the perfect conduit to sustainability. Being sustainable costs more. Paying people properly costs more. Sourcing sustainably costs more. A premium positioning doesn’t mean huge margins, it’s just to pay these costs.” Marie said it was the responsibility of businesses to make sustainable options more accessible to lower income consumers through financing. 

The Chair suggested to Kerry Lemon that, as an individual as opposed to an organisation, deciding to become a B Corp could be seen as counter intuitive.  

Kerry explained that while it was true that she was an independent artist her work involved collaboration with many stakeholders, and that a lot of her activities already conformed with the goals of B Corp, “For every project, I take it through people and planet.” 

On each project she mentors a local artist and employs local womxn to administrate and research the task. This means that some of the funding she receives is invested in supporting women and people who identify as women with childcare costs, wages, and mentoring. On each project, she attempts to leave the environment better off than when she found it through regenerative sustainability actions such as creating habitats or water reclamation systems.  

Kerry explained that, while the process of B Corp certification was arduous, it forced her to address areas of her business that she had perhaps neglected. It helped her to reflect upon how the allocation of her budget was an enactment of power; the decisions she makes about how she spends her funding becomes an ethical activity in support of sustainable outcomes. She claimed to have won work because of her pursuit of B Corp certification, as increasingly clients are looking to collaborate with sustainably proactive companies. 

“People don’t employ designers because they’re experts, but because they inspire change.”

The Chair asked Deepak Parmar, as a fellow architect, if, since becoming a B Corp, he had ever turned down work on ethical grounds. 

Deepak assured the Chair that MCM’s bidding process already scrutinises potential clients from an ethical perspective. He went on to say, “People don’t employ designers because they’re experts, but because they inspire change” and that he would rather work with a client and advocate for change through the influence of the relationship than turn down work.  

“We sell potential: potential of spaces; potential of people. We can be asked to redesign an office, but it becomes something much more transformational for the client that ultimately changes their culture.” Clients now approach MCM because they are a B Corp; not because they are perfectly ethical and sustainable in all aspects of their business, but because they are making conscious steps on that journey. 

The Chair asked Sam Dent how being a luxury goods supplier squares with their B Corp certification. How can a £200 cushion be considered sustainable?  

Sam replied that they can account for everything that happens in the journey of the conjectured cushion, from nothing to product: the cushions are filled with wool provided by regenerative farmers who adhere to animal well-being guidelines; the fabrics from which they are woven are the most sustainable and appropriate available. As suppliers, they encourage their manufacturers to join them on the journey towards sustainability with education and research. Sam finds, in accordance with Kyle’s initial contention, that their B Corp status is attracting and helping to retain talent. 

The Chair reflected that, as an architect, he often sees sustainable design value engineered out of existence and that it can be quite demoralising.  

“Sustainability isn’t a luxury, it’s the solution to a problem of our own making and unless we move to a regenerative and circular economy, we’re not going to get out of this.”

Deepak agreed that it was disheartening but that micro-change was still powerful and important. “I have a very militant view around this. Sustainability isn’t a luxury, it’s the solution to a problem of our own making and unless we move to a regenerative and circular economy, we’re not going to get out of this. We’ve got to make sacrifices. Purpose is what makes sacrifice worthwhile.”  

The Chair invited Kyle to give a closing comment and he said, “Have hope. I would encourage you or the businesses with which you are connected to sign up for the impact assessment tool. Reach out to us for help or if you have any questions about the process.” 

The discussion was a great success and admirably chaired by Mike Stiff who was appropriately provocative and challenging. The audience was buzzing with conversation afterwards and we hope some of the ideas found their way into diverse Monday meetings. We will continue to have this conversation within Solus and with our clients and customers, as we all hope to move towards a better world for people and the planet.