March news: The triumph of Human Nature

The idea of walkable cities is at the forefront of today’s conversations about good urban living. Imagine a place that prioritises people over cars, thereby reducing living costs and environmental pollution – well, this fantasy has just taken a massive step closer to reality as Human Nature’s Phoenix project in Lewes, East Sussex, has just been given the official go-ahead.

The Phoenix is set to be the UK’s most environmentally friendly neighbourhood, transforming a former industrial site into a community-focused, affordable blueprint for sustainable placemaking. Its first 44 homes – designed by Ash Sakula Architects – are due for completion in 2027.

Learn about the neighbourhood

Through its mission to champion the creative and architectural uses of underused woods, AHEC has built a solid reputation for commissioning show-stopping installations from some of the most exciting talents on the scene. This year, AHEC has commissioned two designers, each making their Milan Design Week debut.

As part of the Class of ’24 exhibition by Wallpaper*, British-Ghanaian designer Giles Tettey Nartey is presenting ‘Communion’ – a table exploring the rituals of domestic life in Ghana – while Parti, the interdisciplinary studio founded in 2015 by Eleanor Hill and Tom Leahy, will push the possibilities of CNC to create ‘Pirouette’, a family of furniture inspired by the fold and flow of fabric in motion.

Read more about Class of ‘24

When Smile Plastics told us they were diverting 500 tonnes of plastic waste from landfill every year, we jumped at the chance to work with them. Now, as they’ve settled into a new home – a former chocolate factory on the Gower Peninsula, Wales – and upped their capacity to as much as 3,000 tonnes, we’re overjoyed to see their success. 

Capacity was not the only consideration behind the move. Smile Plastics’ relationship with South Wales has always been central to the business’s blueprint and ethos, and the company was determined to maintain its locally focused talent, community and supply chains. Now they’re installed in the new space, what they’ve achieved is an engineering marvel: the new factory can convert up to 70 tonnes of 100% recycled material every seven days.

Take a look inside the factory

Our good friend, the artist and activist Bisila Noha, is set to showcase her captivating clay work Reunion alongside photography in a special creative collaboration that celebrates the true story of artist and potter Marie-Berthe Cazin.

Following a sellout run at Vaults Festival, the  one-woman musical In Clay is making its way to the Upstairs at the Gatehouse theatre in Highgate from 11 March to 7 April 2024. Accompanying the performance, an exhibition of women contemporary ceramic artists, including Bisila, connects history with the present moment.

Grab a ticket to the show

Building upon the huge successes of Britain's last entry to Venice Biennale, Dancing Before the Moon, TEMPLO continues to lead the visual identity for the latest pavilion: John Akomfrah’s multi-layered exhibition ‘Listening All Night To The Rain’.

With a shared interest in migration, racial injustice and climate change, TEMPLO founders Anoushka Rodda and Pali Palavathanan are excited to collaborate with John on his ambitious plans for the festival.

Get the latest updates about Venice

JA Projects is the go-to design studio for institutions tackling complex histories with flair and imagination. Following the hit show Fashioning Masculinities at V&A in 2022, and a show at the Wellcome Collection, Jayden Ali’s studio has recently completed two major feats – The Time Is Always Now at the National Portrait Gallery and Entangled Pasts at the Royal Academy. And as the reviews are tumbling in, the verdict is clear: you can’t miss these shows.

Want to hear more about how these exhibitions came together? Join Jayden and friends for a special talk at RA on Thursday 21 March.

G . F Smith has spent more than a century thinking about colour – and its latest project with students at Manchester School of Art explores it from an unorthodox angle. Having commissioned music agency Father to make a soundscape inspired by colour, resulting in 55 sounds to reflect each colour in G . F Smith’s beloved Colorplan paper range, G .F Smith has  invited graphic design students to create unique album art, responding to the sound of colour.

The creative interplay between music and colour references synæsthesia, while also paying tribute to the storied history of Manchester’s music scene. Up to 10 winning designs, each of which will be printed on sleeves and exhibited on 18–19 March – just in time for Record Store Day.

Find the latest on Instagram

As part of our 24 for ‘24 launch at the Common Rooms in Stamford Hill, we adorned the walls with a series of colourful hand-made artworks bearing the word ‘community’. Artist Alex Booker created 200 bespoke woodcut prints exclusively for the event, using Colorplan Natural paper, kindly donated by G . F Smith. 

The prints were offered as mementos to the 200+ people attending – an apt reflection not only of the role of the Common Rooms as a community space, but also a permanent and lasting reminder that all of us are a part of something much bigger than ourselves. It was a huge amount of work, so thanks, Alex.

Alex delivers frequent workshops teaching woodcut printing and other artistic techniques at his art studio in Limehouse, so feel free to visit and create your own bespoke prints. 

Follow Alex and book a workshop

Design Can has announced a major evolution to its Jobs Board – now, all job listings and opportunities can be featured for a flat fee of £50 (down from £150).

Why is this important? Because our industry is still deeply unrepresentative of the society around us, and Design Can is on a mission to change that. The Jobs Board connects businesses with an audience of 10,000+ people with wide-ranging skills and from diverse backgrounds, and should form part of any inclusive recruitment process. 

Check out the Jobs Board