North Finchley residents took part in workshop on new ideas for ‘unloved’ spaces with Middlesex University students reports Sophie Mitchell

A group of people standing around a table with creative materials on the table — Workshop participants discuss their ideas for North Finchley – (Credit – Middlesex University)

Middlesex University MA Interiors students and North Finchley residents have met for a workshop to brainstorm ideas for improving underused buildings and spaces.

The workshop, held at North Finchley Library, brought four Middlesex students together with community groups, sixth form students and planning experts. As part of the London Festival of Architecture, Barnet Climate Action Month, and London Climate Action Week, the brainstorming session centred around the ‘Adaptive Reuse’ strategy, repurposing a building but retaining its architectural significance.

The five spaces explored were: Nether Street, North Finchley Bus Garage, the Tally Ho Triangle, The Grand Arcade, and parts of Victoria Park. Other than Victoria Park, they have all been identified for redevelopment by Barnet Council.

Participants could contribute their ideas by attaching cards to a 3D model of Finchley. Residents and students then used Artificial Intelligence tools to design their ideas.

The students presented a pop-up exhibition of their designs for other new spaces in North Finchley they made as part of their coursework. They plan to incorporate some of the ideas from the workshop into their MA projects. Students who took part in the workshop reflected on what they had learned and its impact on them as designers.

Student Afifa A Islam said: “After working on the area for almost a year on my course, it was eye-opening to hear directly from the local community – to understand what they love, what they want to change, and what they feel should stay untouched.

“As designers, we often propose from our perspective, but this interaction gave me a much-needed, real-world view. I really enjoyed engaging with the community and gaining fresh ideas through their lens.”

This North Finchley workshop was inspired by the Kilburn Lab project which similarly involved workshops, talks and events alongside Interiors students, coming together to create exhibitions exploring Kilburn’s past, present and future through the eyes of its community.

Attendee Michael Levitsky, a member of The Finchley Society’s planning committee, said: “The workshop was extremely interesting and useful. As a local resident involved in civic issues, I was fascinated to see the students’ ideas about how our town centre could be improved.”

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