JOSEPH ZEAL-HENRY; is a cultural worker bridging public service, cultural production, and spatial innovation for the public good. Currently serving as Director of Cultural Planning for the City of Boston and Assistant Professor at Columbia GSAPP. Here is his INFO, E-MAIL and Instagram.
PROJECT INDEX
PUBLIC SERVICE
Making Space for Culture
East Bank
Designing a Circular Economy Primer
A House for Artists
CREATIVE PRODUCTION
Proximity Continuum Film
Proximity Open Rehearsal
Dancing Before the Moon
(Venice Architecture Biennial 2023)
SHUBZ at the V&A
SHUBZ at SOAS, Festival of Ideas
Sound & Solidarity
WE ARE HERE at the RIO
NOW YOU KNOW
SOUND ADVICE Branding
SPATIAL INNOVATION
Proximity Continuum Boston
Dox Thrash Garden
SUPA SYSTEM
National Galley 200
Co-Living in Countryside
A House for Britain
Graveney School Sixth Form Block
Wembley Park Drive
Wayland Close
Good Grief Tomb
{image 1}
{image 2}
BRIDGING PUBLIC SERVICE, CREATIVE PRODUCTION & SPATIAL INNOVATION
A House for Artists was one of the most complex and unique projects I worked on at City Hall. It was ambitious as a capital development but also what it was trying to achieve from a public policy perspective. I led the project on behalf of the Mayor as a funder of the project. The project provides affordable housing for artists in Barking on the proviso that the resident arts deliver a public programme in the community space of the ground floor of the building. This meant innovating the tenancy agreements between the council and the residents, which took many years. The project aimed to address two strategic needs. Firstly, the need for more affordability in the housing market for artists. And, Secondly, the need to provide more community and social spaces in the context of diminishing funding opportunities.
The project was marginally viable financially as it was hard to negotiate aplanning policy which wasn’t supportive of Live/Work typologies. This means we worked with the architects to develop a project that created live/work-style units without exceeding minimum space standards. In addition, I had to secure an additional £450,000 from our Small Sites programme to unlock the project’s viability. To ensure delivery, I had to secure an endorsement from the Deputy Mayor of Housing for further funding and develop a strategy for its added value to the existing investment. I achieved this by ensuring the main contractor utilised local subcontractors and small builders in the project, which was a key priority for the programme. My main contribution to the project was to never let the momentum or confidence in the project waiver and to ensure that the consultants had the space and support to resolve the issues on the project.
The project was marginally viable financially as it was hard to negotiate aplanning policy which wasn’t supportive of Live/Work typologies. This means we worked with the architects to develop a project that created live/work-style units without exceeding minimum space standards. In addition, I had to secure an additional £450,000 from our Small Sites programme to unlock the project’s viability. To ensure delivery, I had to secure an endorsement from the Deputy Mayor of Housing for further funding and develop a strategy for its added value to the existing investment. I achieved this by ensuring the main contractor utilised local subcontractors and small builders in the project, which was a key priority for the programme. My main contribution to the project was to never let the momentum or confidence in the project waiver and to ensure that the consultants had the space and support to resolve the issues on the project.