Festival of the Future 2026 School Show at Royal College of Art Features Community Workshop and Studio Spaces
Beyond the Box CIC is hosting the Festival of the Future 2026, a two-day event at the Royal College of Art in Battersea. This festival highlights the innovative work of students from London’s architecture and design schools. The exhibition features projects focused on climate design, community engagement, and shared spaces, such as a repurposed warehouse for community use, a public plaza in Isle of Dogs, and a self-sustaining care center. Among the participating institutions are the University of Westminster and Central Saint Martins. Noteworthy student projects include The Pepper Exchange by Ava Macgregor and Subsidence by Eda Samgul. Additionally, the festival provides workshops and talks to enhance accessibility to the profession, in collaboration with Dezeen.
Key facts
- Festival of the Future 2026 is a two-day celebration produced by Beyond the Box CIC at the Royal College of Art, Battersea.
- The school show features emerging talent from architecture and design schools across London, spanning RIBA Part 1, Part 2, and integrated MArch study.
- Participating institutions include University of Westminster, London Metropolitan University, Ravensbourne University London, Architectural Association School of Architecture, and Central Saint Martins.
- Projects address climate and regenerative design, reuse and material reinvention, care and community, and who gets to shape shared places.
- Featured projects include a former warehouse converted into community workshop and studio spaces, a public plaza in London's Isle of Dogs peninsula, and the transformation of a care home, sports hall, and nursery into a self-sustaining centre for cows.
- Student projects include The Pepper Exchange by Ava Macgregor, Subsidence – The Sunken Herd by Eda Samgul, Towards the New Station by Félix Perier, Next Valley by Aiden Lee, Moo Moo Meadow: A Metabolic Village by Shuncheng Lin, Re-Commoning the People's Forest by Amlyn Evans, Opening the Ground by Miriam Iuga, Wastescape by Seren Baldwin, The Circular Yard by Alex Naylor, Re:Make Garden by Olivia Walling, and Within The Frame by Callum Copping.
- The festival also runs workshops, talks, portfolio clinics, and panels with leading practices, universities, and civic organisations.
- The event is a partnership between Dezeen and Festival of the Future.
Entities
Artists
- Arthur Mamou-Mani
- Toby Burgess
- Peggy LeCren
- George Fereday
- Takero Shimazaki
- Jonathan Mortlock
- Darren Stacey
- Hwei Fan Liang
- Andy Costa
- Giulliana Giorgi
- Guy Sinclair
- Laura Stargala
- Jisoo Hwang
- Sho Ito
- Valentin Bontjes van Beek
- Rory James Sherlock
- Ioana Man
- Ana Nicolaescu
- Ava Macgregor
- Eda Samgul
- Félix Perier
- Aiden Lee
- Shuncheng Lin
- Amlyn Evans
- Miriam Iuga
- Seren Baldwin
- Alex Naylor
- Olivia Walling
- Callum Copping
Institutions
- University of Westminster
- London Metropolitan University
- Ravensbourne University London
- Architectural Association School of Architecture
- Central Saint Martins
- Beyond the Box CIC
- Royal College of Art
- Dezeen
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Battersea
- Isle of Dogs
- Lea Valley
- Anatolia
- Turkey
- Hamina
- Finland
- Ladywell
- Epping Forest
- Peckham
- Somers Town
- Haggerston Park
- Marsh Wall
- South London
- East London
Sources
- Dezeen —