radical, responsible, collaborative: join designboom's LIVE TALK with assemble at tAS

Assemble joins designboom at The Architect Show

On December 7th and 8th, 2024, the Architect Show (tAS) returns to Athens, bringing together professionals and enthusiasts from the global architecture and design communities. Now in its sixth edition, the event serves as a key platform for showcasing innovation and exchanging ideas, making it a vital date on the design calendar. This year’s show features a comprehensive exhibition of construction materials, cutting-edge technology, and architectural products. Complementing the exhibition, a carefully curated talks program, co-hosted by designboom and ArchDaily, will provide insights from leading voices in the field.

The highlight of the designboom session is a LIVE TALK with Anthony Engi Meacock, founding partner of Assemble, the UK-based multi-disciplinary collective working across architecture, design, and art. Renowned for challenging traditional notions of architectural practice, Assemble’s work emphasizes a socially engaged approach to design that positions the architect as part of an ongoing local conversation. Engi Meacock will join designboom Editor-in-Chief Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou for an in-depth discussion about the studio’s body of work, ranging from large-scale architectural works to smaller-scale furniture and artistic interventions. Themes such as the potential of architecture to address pressing social and environmental issues, as well as its role as an agent of change in fostering community engagement, craftsmanship, and networks of meaningful mutual support, will take center stage. The session promises to illuminate how architectural interventions can empower communities to push forward change themselves, demonstrating the potential for architecture to drive positive social impact.

Anthony Engi Meacock | all images courtesy of Assemble

Anthony Engi Meacock and the world of Assemble studio

Founded in 2010 to undertake a single self-built project, Assemble has grown into a dynamic, award-winning collective working across architecture, design, and art. The UK-based studio is celebrated for its democratic and cooperative approach, enabling projects that range from physical constructions to social and research-based initiatives. Assemble’s philosophy embraces both the act of ‘making things’ and ‘making things happen,’ creating work that resonates at multiple scales—from furniture and installations to urban design and community-driven spaces.

Assemble’s members bring diverse skills to the table, spanning construction, ceramics, carpentry, set design, furniture making, and event programming, among others. This breadth of expertise underpins their commitment to local and participatory design, positioning architecture as a tool for meaningful engagement. ‘As a practice, we have tried to champion a way of working which is local and committed, which positions the architect as part of an on-going local conversation. Economically and organisationally this is often a struggle, and we are most proud of the work where we have been able to use architectural intervention to contribute to the efforts of a community to push forward change themselves,’ the team shares. ‘These include the work in Walthamstow, with Blackhorse Workshop, in Glasgow, with Baltic Street Adventure Playground, and in Liverpool with Granby Workshop. These are all organizations started by Assemble, which now have an independent life of their own, and which continue to be agents of change around which communities can strengthen, and grow networks of meaningful mutual support.’

Anthony Engi Meacock, a trained architect and carpenter, brings a hands-on approach to design, emphasizing the importance of materiality, construction, and the details of a project. His passion for education and research has led him to teach at prestigious institutions like the AA, LSA, and the University of Westminster.

The Brutalist Playground (2015) – the Flying Saucer at S1 Artspace

The Architect Show 2024

The Architect Show serves as a vibrant hub for Greece’s architecture and design community, offering a dynamic platform for innovation, collaboration, and inspiration. This two-day event brings together professionals and enthusiasts to explore the latest advancements in materials and technologies shaping the industry. With 6,500+ visitors and over 170 brands showcased, tAS fosters the exchange of knowledge through an engaging lineup of seminars, conferences, and lectures. Now in its sixth edition, the event unveils a fresh new identity, featuring a comprehensive exhibition of cutting-edge construction materials, innovative technologies, and architectural products. This year’s program is further enriched by thought-provoking talks curated by designboom and ArchDaily, cementing its reputation as a must-attend event for the design world.

The Brutalist Playground (2015) – view of The Brutalist Playground at The Edge Bath