Whose cathedrals are we building? Learning from Dalmarnock’s past, present and future.

“All Palaces Are Temporary Palaces” (Robert Montgomery)

Dalmarnock, like much of Glasgow, has seen many dramatic and transformational changes to its urban form and social fabric, from rapid industrialisation, subsequent depopulation, and radical visions of a new future.

Hosted in French Street Studios by New Future in collaboration with Architects Declare, this event will invite pairs of speakers to exchange stories and share conversation about Dalmarnock across past, present and future generations.

Engaging with the practice of cathedral thinking to consider redevelopment in terms of impact that extends multiple generations beyond one’s own lifetime, the discussions will explore how these historic generational shifts have influenced Dalmarnock's architectural and cultural heritage, and how learning from the past can guide sustainable future urban planning and design.

Can multi-generational thinking help to ensure a just transition and can regenerative development ensure future generations become custodians and beneficiaries of a sustainable and resilient built environment?

“Avoiding climate breakdown will require Cathedral Thinking. We must lay the foundations while we may not know exactly how to build the ceiling” (Greta Thunberg)

This event is twinned with Architects Declare’s ‘Beyond Mythologies’ talk being held as part of the London Festival of Architecture. Place-based stories and learnings from the discussions will be compiled and shared following both events.

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UK Architects Declare is a movement that quickly attracted hundreds of architectural practices seeking urgent change. More than 1,330 practices of all sizes have signed our declaration across the UK. Globally, our declaration has inspired thousands of others. Built Environment Declares - with Engineers, Landscape Architects, Contractors, Interior Designers and others alongside Architects in the UK, and more than 40 declare groups in 28 countries - now has over 8,000 signatories.

Architects Declare is many things: a declaration, a programme, a network, a charity, a critical friend, and a partner for change. Declaration: 12 principles to tackle our Planetary Emergency through action. Programme: guidance, examples and dialogue to help all build on their declarations. Network: an expanding base of shared ideas, inspiration and action. Charity: working for the public benefit. Critical friend: opening dialogue on our declaration; calling industry, institutions, media and governments to rise to its challenges.Partner: building dialogue and joint projects to drive positive change.

New Future is a Glasgow-based accelerator for cultivating sustainable construction and retrofit skills in the built environment. Founded as a Community Benefit Society, NFCS equips construction sector participants with the skills required to preserve our existing, and decarbonise our future, built environment. By delivering low-impact retrofit, heritage and new-build skills training NFCS enables new and existing construction workers to become versatile and multi-skilled experts in the practical application of sustainable, low-carbon, bio-based and circular materials. The novel model of retrofit and heritage training will be delivered through live construction projects, rehabilitating disused and at-risk buildings for community benefit. NFCS views access to specialist climate literacy education and sustainable construction skills as essential to addressing some of the most significant social, environmental and economic challenges of our time, aiming to empower construction professionals and urban communities with the agency to accelerate environmental and economic transformation.

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