Assemble Collective's Collaborative Architecture Approach Emphasizes Community and Continuity

The London-based architecture collective Assemble, founded in 2010, operates through collaborative, non-hierarchical methods that integrate design with social engagement. Co-founder Anthony Engi Meacock describes their practice as focusing on long-term frameworks rather than fixed outcomes, working across scales from installations to urban strategies. Key projects include The Cineroleum (2010), a self-built cinema in a disused London petrol station; Blackhorse Workshop in Walthamstow, a community tool library; and Granby Four Streets in Liverpool, a long-term collaboration with residents to restore houses and establish Granby Workshop, a social enterprise. The collective also engages in material research, such as with Atelier LUMA in Arles, using local resources like rice husks and limestone dust. Assemble's approach prioritizes existing communities, craft, and adaptability, viewing architecture as an evolving process.