Off the Grid

Oxford School of Architecture, 2019-20.

Located on the Energy Coast and overlooking the Irish Sea, Sellafield is a site of contrasts: optimism and paranoia, innovation and contamination. Once central to the UK’s nuclear industry, it employed 10,000 people and shaped nearby communities such as Seascale, known as “Britain’s brainiest village.” With the closure of reprocessing operations in 2018, Sellafield entered a new phase: shifting from production to cleanup and deconstruction. This turning point symbolises a wider moment in which humans confront the legacy of their planetary footprint, just steps away from the Lake District’s protected landscapes. The design studio engaged with this imminent transformation, investigating the challenges, needs, and hopes of local communities and stakeholders. Through design research, students explored how architecture might contribute to shaping more sustainable and meaningful futures in Cumbria.

Bachelor of Architecture Studio, Unit C.

Teaching partners: Ness Lafoy, Agostino Nickl.