An essay on ‘the internet of things’ by Rakesh Ramchurn in a recent AJ (03.04.14 – vol.241, issue 13, p.55) introduces a term not previously encountered – the collaborative economy, the rise of which is said to mirror “the interconnectivity of social media by allowing resources to be pooled for mutual benefit... ‘a sharing economy is essential for the creation of new ideas’, says Nic Clear, head of the department of architecture and landscape at the University of Greenwich. ‘Reliance on the market brings none of the supposed benefits that are often claimed; markets do not foster greater innovation, competition, efficiency or equality. Only cooperation and collaboration achieve those goals.’ Here, perhaps, is a link between the ‘social innovation’ that Tom Fisher is suggesting I investigate, and the situation of small architectural practices – “studio culture will still exist but in a reconfigured form, where small practices or freelance individuals share physical resources such as premises, IT infrastructure, specialist technologies and technical support.”
And this week’s AJ (17.04.15 – vol.241, issue 13, p.47) features a new architectural practice ‘Lateral North’ :
“Our work is mainly community-based, developing a project from the business plan all the way through to completion, ensuring that all the time the community’s interests are at the heart of the project... Our biggest marketing tools are presentations, workshops and exhibitions...this has ensured we get new work delving into different disciplines. We also use social media a lot to get our work out there.”
A good precedent for the proposed seminar I organise at OTS, which Tom Fisher has endorsed this week.