“Making things the best versions of themselves…. how can we make it the most eventuated, most wonderful version of itself… rather than trying to make Romford Copenhagen”
Studio Weave are a London-based architecture practice that are doing some fantastic and beautiful work. Started by Maria Smith and Je Ahn. They have a passion for narrative as a tool for designing, engaging with people and a love of making which has allowed Studio Weave to deliver projects that nurture a strong sense of place.
What I love about their projects is the sense of joy and playfulness that is evident. Each project is unique yet there seems to be a sense of the fantastical and craftmanship that runs through every project.
I remember the lovely lecture Maria Smith gave at the Mackintosh School of Architecture a couple of years ago.
And check out Maria Smith’s writings for the Riba Journal. They are brilliantly funny and irreverent 🙂
It is essential that everyone in the town, including those that will be dead by the time the project begins construction, is happy with every aspect of all the proposals. We have therefore carried out extensive community engagement over the last 50 years. This has resulted in reams of fantastically useless questionnaires that the council does not have the resources or intelligence to interpret, and consultation fatigue on a spectacular scale. Last year alone saw three deaths that have been linked to pointless questionnaires.
Maria Smith, from the article Civic Slide on RIBA Journal
Active Socioplastics 
