How might co-production be embedded into a socially engaged pedagogy?

I teach BA Vertical Design Studio in BA Architecture with another tutor. The site that my co-tutor and I have chosen is Broadwater Farm Estate in Tottenham. The estate has a socio-political history relevant to Black relations in the UK, and whilst there have been shifts in the demographic of its residents, it remains very diverse.

My research aims to explore three pedagogical approaches for framing a socially engaged practice. The first is a set of introductory tasks inviting students to consider their identities and then share these with others within a small group and later to the entire studio. The second is a co-produced manifesto that sets out the principles for how students would approach the site, its residents and other collaborators. The third approach is locating our design studio on Broadwater Farm Estate for the majority of the first semester. The pedagogical ‘moves’ take place in the order set out above as a way of preparing students for a structured situated learning outside of the university.