As one of the leading architects in London we are always interested to learn of the ideas and concepts people have for the future of architecture in the city. Understanding the vision and thinking of others enables our own approach to be more informed. This is vital to ensuring we always give as comprehensive and complete service as possible. In terms of this, we recently had the pleasure of watching a documentary called “Unplanning The Future”.

This documentary is one you can watch for free on the Architecture Foundation website. Although we’d hope you stay on our own site for the time being, we would certainly recommend you take the time to visit the Foundation site and watch. For now, though, we’d like to spend some time discussing key themes and concepts prompted by the quite boldly titled piece.

At a glance the name given to this documentary is quite provocative. It is not, however, exploitative. For the most part it is a reference to how the dynamics of modern life in London mean that any intended plans for future development have, effectively, had to be started again from scratch.

According to the piece growth volumes – and patterns – in terms of the population of the capital city are drastically different from planning predictions in place. A shift in focus has therefore been required. Although the documentary focuses on Croydon, there is much in the film to learn for all architecture in London.

In terms of what we do as architects in London the piece serves as a reminder of our responsibilities. Whilst first and foremost we are here to meet the expectations of our clients, it is the case that we must not lose sight of the impact of our work on the broader environment.

If the vision of the future must be unplanned, the responsibility lies with us as architects to work in a way which understands how London has developed. This is a very interesting concept and raises important questions for our industry. We urge you to check it out.