Making places, the London way

Jan Kattein, architect and author of Londoners Making London, shares the most impactful community-driven interventions in the British capital — and the lessons they offer.

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Temporary makers’ village, Blue House Yard. Photos Jan Kattein Architects

When waves of urban transformation pushed creative makers out of North London’s borough of Haringey, Jan Kattein Architects and Meanwhile Space saw an opportunity. They transformed an empty parking lot into Blue House Yard, a cluster of 11 micro-offices designed for small-scale production. Temporary makers’ village, Blue House Yard. Photos Jan Kattein Architects

Originally planned as a 4-year pop-up, it evolved into a thriving creative hub — a testament to the power of flexible urbanism. Makers with plotters, printers, and small machinery found a home here, something that working from their kitchens just couldn’t offer. The lease was extended, and today, the site is a lively creative community embraced by local residents.