Skip to content
Open Block

Open Block

2021Participatory design and build workshop

A toolkit for residents to design and build shared public space

With Heat Island

Open Block connects planning and making. Residents arrange timber components in a scale model, test their ideas at full size in VR, then build shared public spaces using straightforward construction patterns.

Plan with scale models

Small lengths of timber make it easy to assemble, move and compare ideas together. The same components can become seating, planting beds and places to play.

Hands arranging timber pieces in the workshop scale model
Plan with models
Workshop participant testing the street design in VR, with virtual blocks visible on the monitor
Test in VR
Workshop participants cutting timber together
Build together
Shared places
to sit and grow.
Original workshop photographs and component drawings, with an illustrated planting grid.

Test designs at full size

The physical proposals were translated into a virtual model of the street. Participants could put on a headset and explore the scale and spacing of the blocks before building them.

The shared screen let people around the table follow the view inside the headset and discuss the design together.

Build shared public spaces

Repeated timber lengths and simple joints turn the chosen designs into furniture and planting. The workshop brought residents together to cut, assemble, paint and plant the pieces they had planned.

Planting beds and timber edging.
Planting beds and timber edging.
A bench joined to the planted edge.
A bench joined to the planted edge.

Open Block

A library of components connects scale-model planning and real-time VR with simple building patterns for shared public space.

Year
2021
Type
Participatory design and build workshop

Tags

public space,co-design,virtual reality,design and build

Bureau Burman

We work with great organisations to make better spaces, places and tools for the built environment.

Clients & Partners

We work with institutions, local authorities, research organisations, nonprofits, and cultural bodies across the UK and Europe.

Our collaborators span public sector agencies, universities, housing associations, and engineering consultancies — organisations committed to climate action and spatial innovation.

Open Block

A toolkit for residents to design and build shared public space

A library of components connects scale-model planning and real-time VR with simple building patterns residents can use to make seating, planters and places to play.

Year
2021
Type
Participatory design and build workshop
With
Heat Island
Location
Chisenhale Road, London