ReSpace Projects is a social enterprise based in London that specialises in transforming empty and derelict buildings into useful sites with the agreement of local councils and landlords. Founder Gee Sinha initially became involved in reclaiming commercial properties that remained vacant and disused, often for years. Sinha lived in a squat after becoming homeless in 2010 and campaigned for squatters’ rights and the legalisation of occupation of empty buildings. He reasoned that these empty spaces provided an opportunity for the community to repurpose them and imbue them with vitality.
Sinha teamed up with Hackney council in 2014, which provided the newly-formed social enterprise, ReSpace, with an empty office block in Dalston. Founder of ReSpace, Fleur Disney, noted that the space had become disused and decayed because local authorities and landlords failed to find a use for it, leaving hordes of commercial properties in a ‘meanwhile’ state. Sinha and Gerrard developed a unique collaboration, and that’s how the ReSpace approach was created. ReSpace then filled the building with a variety of activities from music and poetry, to wellness and healing days; along with a cafe and a hub for local start-ups. Short-term housing was also provided for homeless people who in return assisted with the renovation. By the end of the arrangement at Dalston in 2018, ReSpace had developed a model for transforming meanwhile spaces and received funding from the Tudor Trust to take their work forward.
Since then, ReSpace has transformed approximately ten other abandoned properties in the London area alone. The structures turned into various community centres and startup hubs, improving both the surrounding area and providing entrepreneurs with a viable location to work from. ReSpace is adept at sourcing and repurposing waste materials that would otherwise be destined for landfill. According to Disney ReSpace has “advised on hundreds more”, repurposing empty or underused real estate to make “everywhere somewhere”. Landlords benefit by avoiding steep renovation costs, and also save themselves money whilst earning brownie points with local authorities.
ReSpace’s approach to derelict properties turns problems into assets for the greater good, with an inclusive philosophy that benefits all involved. Disney called the approach “benign squatting” but unlike battleground squats with landlords and unfit living quarters, ReSpace turns dead spaces into thriving community hubs. The approach is very similar to the Pop-Up initiative that puts together makeshift vendors in otherwise unused space, a collaborative current that builds on our collective need for shared experience
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