https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/zine daily 0.75 2026-02-24 https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/zine/the-anxiety-of-the-modern-house monthly 0.5 2026-01-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1768947237911-DQLFUD9O19NFE6FQLJYM/Modern+House.jpg Zine - The Anxiety of the Modern House - Make it stand out Abstract The contemporary domestic interior is increasingly defined by openness, visibility, and exposure. While often framed as progressive and liberating, these spatial conditions have deeper cultural and psychological consequences that remain under examined in architectural discourse. Drawing on anthropological studies of domestic space, philosophical critiques of ritual loss, and cultural analyses of technic rationality, this essay argues that the modern house has shifted from a site of refuge to one of moral performance. Through an examination of thresholds, windows, ritual practices, and spatial hierarchies, the text traces how the erosion of domestic gradation contributes to anxiety, compulsive self-regulation, and fragmented identity. It concludes by positioning introspection as an architectural method, reframing the architect’s role as a mediator of visibility, dignity, and human vulnerability. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1768947499808-PYLGR1YWT5POY9FUCWUO/Curtains.jpg Zine - The Anxiety of the Modern House - But even the most private interior has always been threatened by the gaze. Windows have long been charged interfaces, granting the outside world a line of sight into domestic life. The heaviness of pleated curtains in Dutch society, their association with the marital bed, and the eroticised “knicker curtains” are not incidental details. They show that domestic privacy was culturally curated, defended, and stylised. Here, the window becomes less a simple opening and more a moral boundary, determining what may be seen, by whom, and under what conditions. This moral boundary was never evenly distributed. The historical thread reveals that women’s visibility at windows was particularly policed. A woman seen at a window could be misconstrued as inviting attention, her presence interpreted as a signal rather than an ordinary posture of daily life. Later, when window cleaning became a predominantly male profession, the figure of the window cleaner ascending ladders to private windows entered popular humour precisely because the window had already been sexualised as an interface. What emerges is not simply exposure in general, but exposure as a gendered social mechanism. It determines who is allowed to be seen, who is judged when seen, and who controls the terms of visibility. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1768949151045-ZJCT3B05WNG4UL15YXDE/Open+Plan+Kitchen.jpg Zine - The Anxiety of the Modern House - After the World Wars, this spatial order was disrupted. Open plan domestic arrangements gained popularity as an aspirational modern product, often framed as a rejection of social borders and hierarchies. The parlour, sitting room, dining room, and kitchen were absorbed into a single continuous field. The visitor who once transitioned through a sequence of thresholds now received immediate visual access to a large portion of domestic life, often including the kitchen, historically an intimate site of labour, care, and vulnerability. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1768949348143-1B6OVNOUKK4A546L54CI/Open+Plan+Living.jpg Zine - The Anxiety of the Modern House - A critique of open plan is necessary, but it must be careful. Open plan living is not inherently immoral, nor universally anxiety producing. For some households, openness enables care. It allows parents to supervise children, supports accessibility, distributes domestic labour more equitably, and reduces isolation where compartmentalisation might otherwise intensify it. In certain contexts, particularly where earlier thresholds enforced classed and gendered hierarchies, openness can feel liberating. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1768950304336-YRZE7KORIGMOZ00ORN16/Surveillance.jpg Zine - The Anxiety of the Modern House - This architectural condition collides with a broader cultural one. Social media, data extraction, targeted advertising, and the monetisation of personal behaviour expose individuals beyond the physical home. Exposure becomes economic, informational, and continuous. In response, people construct facades and wear masks. Identities fragment, sometimes overexposed, sometimes concealed, sometimes manipulated, sometimes fiercely protected. https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/zine/do-cities-to-make-us-feel-alone monthly 0.5 2025-11-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1741819177464-OJ5SIBG3Y14DZFUCNPJI/Do+Cities+Make+Us+Feel+Alone.jpg Zine - Do Cities Make Us Feel Alone - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/zine/what-happens-when-design-exceeds-function monthly 0.5 2025-11-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/bb3e656e-b762-4b6c-8871-954d45564624/Zine+3-+What+Happens+When+Design+Exceeds+Function.jpg Zine - What Happens When Design Exceeds Function - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/zine/can-playful-spaces-restore-our-sense-of-agency monthly 0.5 2026-01-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1738019033843-9RK5TJG8I2EGVD2C7LNC/Zine+2.jpg Zine - Can Playful Spaces Restore Our Sense of Agency - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/zine/how-our-homes-reflect-our-inner-worlds monthly 0.5 2026-02-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1737498184945-AMOXZISK1GWVEC4R0HRI/Zine+1.jpg Zine - How Our Homes Reflect Our Inner Worlds - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/our-work daily 0.75 2026-02-24 https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/our-work/madrasah-al-mohammediyah-aez-croydon monthly 0.5 2026-02-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/f45ec323-4c3f-4f28-90c4-4022dcb69b9a/Diagram.png Our Work - Madrasah Al Mohammediyah, AEZ - Croydon - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/3fa53249-5063-4ece-ae4a-e7156d8034c9/Spaces-Diagram-Final.gif Our Work - Madrasah Al Mohammediyah, AEZ - Croydon - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1764897606243-VU49PCYRBB992PGZDNXQ/20-Proposed+Plan.png Our Work - Madrasah Al Mohammediyah, AEZ - Croydon - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/eeaf4fc0-018a-4834-85e5-9018162b8f00/Ex-vs-Pr-Diagram.gif Our Work - Madrasah Al Mohammediyah, AEZ - Croydon - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/our-work/designworkshop monthly 0.5 2026-02-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520070199-U0XXN1H1D2787B6BSLYD/682A2626.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520070090-X8MJSOBVRVEQ3JK3HI3T/682A2634.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520074937-TPVHYA99S6B4RJYGL31A/682A2636.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520074641-ERFH65OMMUHR9PP8DFZN/682A2641.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520079137-ULG0O4C33EFNBVGMFLJS/682A2642.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520079445-XRW006FCO4F88JCJCUCX/682A2645.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520084305-TZKNNP9QH0NL0UMANAZU/682A2647.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520083488-778ZMFCLDYF0MW2QFCIC/682A2651.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520088103-KAEDMECI7FOGRLGLR0XL/682A2707.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520089038-1J3NKMM9Q6M11MDS0PRV/682A2727.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520093189-RBGBZJUE6QH4YHMBOHM3/682A2728.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520094291-QRVKDU0P1NNMS7CMYZST/682A2731.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520097961-1DWDIF50J7L60BW55NNL/682A2732.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520098799-F9Z2N1MEVSHNV6ZT4RW0/682A2745.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520102750-W5TMGA7VFRIZ8XTB2JNG/682A2750.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520103820-RDPAN4JZJ9USVZ8BH3HD/682A2751.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520107297-J2HX5YHNV2OW6FX7DHXB/682A2752.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520108217-FFMCBI1AH04MLOG9A7UE/682A2772.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520112069-02WQKD36EUASALNIMV73/682A2781.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520114010-SJXHK207AX7XVLFVDCZA/682A2825.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520117657-A48JD0LLKV6EZU4AF0GG/682A2851.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520118649-STCI7PIQDTCIV2JZCSDD/682A2853.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701520122898-MMDMMXV7EP3WDSLYRADC/682A2863.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/885b6de9-d0d6-4533-b208-e84247775096/682A2731.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop - Transforming Your Story into Unique Architectural Experiences: Discover Our Workshop Insights I conducted a workshop that yielded fascinating insights both with college students aged 16-17 and with practicing architects aged 30-78. As a faculty member at the Leicester School of Architecture, I initiated this workshop during introductory events for college students who were considering a career in the industry. This workshop consistently produced remarkable outcomes with all groups of students. Two years later, I adapted the same workshop as a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) session for my colleagues at LRA in Brighton. The results were initially surprising, but upon repetition, they mirrored the outcomes I had observed with the college students. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/53a4b8dd-6224-4719-8b38-40d302a45212/682A2752.jpg Our Work - Design Workshop - Methodology: Provide each participant with a piece of paper and a pen. Select a single-page fictitious story, such as one from Italo Calvino's "Invisible Cities" (though other sources can yield similar results). Distribute the story to all participants and give them 5 minutes to read and comprehend the extract. In the next 5 minutes, participants must creatively and expressively draw their interpretation of the text. Set a timer for 5 minutes. After the timer rings, ask participants to raise their drawings to show the group. Observe the incredible and exciting diversity in each drawing. Invite participants to explain their drawings to the group one by one. Marvel at the personal and individual perspectives shared. Conclude that one's choices and interpretations are strongly influenced by their individuality and life experiences. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/5aadf265-7a5c-492c-8a72-82caf021171e/682A2781.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop When conducted with students, the workshop typically results in 20 unique interpretations. However, when the same workshop was organized for practicing architects, the first round generated consistently similar artwork. The architects' interpretations were constrained by conventional architectural thinking, leading to embarrassment when presenting their drawings and explanations. This prompted a second round using a poetically written client brief, which unleashed their creativity and empathy, as they presented unique interpretations. As each architect shared their insights, I took notes and later summarized these points on a blackboard. The collated points formed a powerful image of empathy, compassion, and creativity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/b5af6fa1-0cbf-4610-bdb3-5b8b7616d957/682A2727.JPG Our Work - Design Workshop This workshop has been highly successful with both students and architects. With students, it underscores the raw individuality stemming from their unique life experiences. In contrast, it reveals that seemingly qualified architects may collectively struggle to express their individuality and deeply empathize with a client's story unless provoked or challenged. These insights guided the formation of Platform 23 Architecture, a platform that champions empathy, compassion, and self-reflective individuality. Our architecture serves as a platform for your stories, where we translate your unique narratives into meaningful spaces. https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/our-work/patternsinnature monthly 0.5 2026-02-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/d7fc24d5-8e2e-4217-842a-e36704cbdec1/IMG_20191010_121433.png Our Work - Identifying Patterns in Nature The following is a contemplative exploration of Beacon Hill Country Park in the East Midlands, a journey I embarked upon in 2019 with the intention of communing with nature and uncovering profound insights. It was during this journey that I unearthed the profound connection between my findings and the world of architecture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701522428721-Z6UNFSXJHZUN4Y82SFZ5/IMG_0289.png Our Work - Identifying Patterns in Nature 1. Initially, the landscape stretches far and wide, undulating with soil and grass, resembling an endless expanse. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701522428309-CQJW7Z66CBQ20W27VKVG/IMG_0291.png Our Work - Identifying Patterns in Nature 2. Sun-baked rocks, weathered by the relentless passage of time, stand out sharply amidst this boundless terrain, intensifying the vastness of the surroundings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701522435031-QN526M9LMULKD39T89F8/IMG_20191010_121733.png Our Work - Identifying Patterns in Nature 3. While strolling through the fields, on e cannot escape the presence of dung scattered about. Out of a sense of curiosity, the observer ventures closer to the ground, as if trying to perceive the world through the eyes of a humble roach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701522441855-086G8E8NAVDUCTMVO992/IMG_20191010_121904.png Our Work - Identifying Patterns in Nature 4. Upon closer inspection, it becomes evident that the two-day-old decomposed dung, when scaled up and juxtaposed with the enduring rocks that have borne witness to a millennium, reveals uncanny resemblances in their silhouettes https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701522432423-5OEG205GK86G7NB1UB1B/IMG_0556.png Our Work - Identifying Patterns in Nature 5. Amidst the undulating landscape of neatly trimmed grass, a green canopy emerges, offering solace and symbolizing a beacon of hope, despite the overwhelming vastness of the terrain and the stern presence of the ancient rocks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701522450346-M8PAJ0W9YTDV47O74TB0/IMG_20191010_122645.png Our Work - Identifying Patterns in Nature 6. Stepping into the lower-lying landscape leading to the tree, a discernible trail appears, a testament to the countless individuals in the past who sought refuge beneath the same tree, following a similar path. Hope begins to take root. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701522460232-MLCDUJD8UVV11IFOYPZ6/IMG_20191010_123038.png Our Work - Identifying Patterns in Nature 7. The shape of the tree's canopy bears a striking similarity to the silhouettes of the rocks and the dung observed earlier, revealing a pattern that transcends the boundaries of these elements. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701522442812-XIQ9XOE6RCD9G90MC0C1/IMG_20191010_122043.png Our Work - Identifying Patterns in Nature 8. Furthermore, it is noticed that the tree's canopy remarkably mirrors the clouds hovering above it, prompting contemplation on whether nature adheres to a universal design that manifests across varying scales. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701522452404-TMR45FCACASAZU8Z32H9/IMG_20191010_122753.png Our Work - Identifying Patterns in Nature 9. The vegetation surrounding the path leading to the tree starts to thicken and grow taller, creating an inviting sense of warmth and fortifying the desire to reach the tree. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/1701522432509-XC3U2065OULC1PB2A56B/IMG_0299.png Our Work - Identifying Patterns in Nature 10. Finally, beneath the tree's canopy, there is welcome shade, accompanied by the occasional rays of light that playfully filter through the leaves. It provides a serene refuge from the winds and a vantage point from which to contemplate the endless expanse of the landscape. Hope finds its fulfilment in this tranquil setting. https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/our-work/foodjustice monthly 0.5 2026-02-24 https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/home daily 1.0 2025-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/464aebbf-c19a-4475-9389-7509cf1c675a/Spatial+Introspection.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/24ca062d-987a-49b0-a809-db21bb86aa48/Spatial+Story-Building.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/eade9fc2-ba4b-4af0-8f61-cba2d491df64/Dream+Home+Workshop.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/b4563b5d-6ab7-43bb-8f23-63532ad7ef99/Planning+%26+Compliance.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/0c437529-2050-47b5-84f7-e5acf3b95d9c/Technical+Craftmanship.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/5c14dd1d-43b4-47d6-8a0c-069e52ad1919/Community+Co-Design.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/e58cacd9-fad4-4394-9ea2-09fc73ae22dc/Work-with-us_01.png https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/who-we-are daily 0.75 2025-12-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/5b8546d8-68a4-4259-af3d-5199bebea82d/ASJ.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/054cc9a9-2a24-4e87-bea3-9cf6e55f12db/MM.jpg https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/wip daily 0.75 2024-03-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/0b856181-7582-48f4-8ffe-8d7ce33e3f45/Site+WIP+Icon.png https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/contact daily 0.75 2025-11-20 https://www.platform23architecture.co.uk/what-we-do daily 0.75 2025-11-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/464aebbf-c19a-4475-9389-7509cf1c675a/Spatial+Introspection.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/24ca062d-987a-49b0-a809-db21bb86aa48/Spatial+Story-Building.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/eade9fc2-ba4b-4af0-8f61-cba2d491df64/Dream+Home+Workshop.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/5c14dd1d-43b4-47d6-8a0c-069e52ad1919/Community+Co-Design.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/b4563b5d-6ab7-43bb-8f23-63532ad7ef99/Planning+%26+Compliance.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/d06fd7fc-5f0f-4fd4-93b4-4d455fb20cf4/Research+and+Reports.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/0c437529-2050-47b5-84f7-e5acf3b95d9c/Technical+Craftmanship.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65352fda22e5c5580568252f/8d513031-4873-43bf-a839-b00ecf4f8a63/On-Site+Learning.png