Next, Ashleigh showcased East Square Cinema in Basildon (opening Feb ’23) explaining how its façades, in the new town tradition, are activated by artwork – in this instance, a lenticular screen made with local schoolchildren.

Justin returned for a review of Coronation Square, a vast mixed-use neighbourhood we designed for Leyton: the largest planning application in Waltham Forest’s history and the first to be consented by virtual planning committee in April 2020. The scheme includes a pre-school nursery, café, community halls and a new health hub with 20 GP rooms as well as 740 new homes. When it completes in 2027 however, it will also feature a contemporary Moot Hall, hosting communal, commercial and retail uses.

Roger rounded the session up by fixing the spotlight on Deptford Market Yard, which saw PTE fix up a Grade II listed industrial edifice defined by spacious arches now converted into buzzing retail units – a development that played a key role in Time Out recently naming the nearby High Street, one of the ‘world’s coolest’.

Knowledge Hub made Lunch this month – mixing up a tasty dahl with wraps and an egg salad (and shortbread for afters too). It’s a bit colder now, so we set out tables in the Foundation Room for a dining hall atmosphere, before clearing it again for the afternoon programme.

The Research and Thinking session, with partner Patrick Devlin and writer and critic Rory Olcayto, centred on ‘publishing’ – online, in mags, books and events. Patrick gave an overview of PTE’s own publications, from our government-backed HAPPI report (2009) and At Home with PTE (published by The AJ) to our estate regen books – Altered Estates I and II – co-produced with other architects and The Deck Access Housing User’s Guide for Routledge (January 2023).The interactive session also produced word clouds from audience responses to which books, magazines, online publications and events had helped shape their design outlook.

This Friday at Four saw four guest panellists join Hamish Kilford-Brown on stage, with Rory Olcayto chairing a wide-ranging debate inspired by the ‘work, learn and play’ theme. Jonathan Martin, Waltham Forest’s director of inward investment & higher education academic relationships, spoke about his borough’s culture industries profile and how it is creating meaningful place-specific jobs in this sector. He cited Walthamstow’s Blackhorse Workshops which has been combined with the borough’s creative academy. Beispiel’s Sven Mündner made the case for social value (pointing to John Soane’s altruistic and ‘make-do’ forging of the Dulwich Picture Gallery) to show that it has always been fundamental to the architect’s societal offer while Pauline Roberts of Lichfields, explored post-covid engagement strategy. Argent’s André Gibbs finished the presentations, musing on low carbon lifestyles and building communities in Brent Cross Town, before the audience joined the discussion – which continued over drinks and snacks in the Foundation Bar@Five (it’s become a thing!)