Establishing an urban commons for the precariat.

The ‘precariat’ is a term used in economics and sociology to describe a new social class formed by people who experience precarity. This social group exists without job security or predictability. Such employment is increasingly prevalent in the globalised labour market.

This project proposes a programme that focuses on providing a space for this social class, enabling the users to articulate their own identity and establish some form of representation.

The building’s programme reclaims the social and forgotten memory of the lost Trade Union Quarter that previously occupied this area of London. The programme facilitates the idea of philanthropic endeavour through spaces of welfare and enrichment, from which the visitor can transition autonomously.

The building establishes itself as a presence in the city by harnessing the unique characteristics of the site and incorporating them into its design in novel ways. The technical study centres on the exploration and analysis of chalk, the bedrock of the city, grounding the building to the site and integrating it into the city’s infrastructure.