Joséphine Menut

About

Joséphine Menut is a French interior designer now based in London. After her Bachelor of Interior Architecture & Design at LISAA Paris, she worked as an intern in a Parisian interior design agency. Looking for more exploration, she then embarked in the Interior Design Master at the Royal College of Art in London.

She believes in using her practice to connect people around social change. During her MA at the RCA, she conducted research about frugality and sustainability in design. She explored a new approach to the project through a deep study of the site and its materiality.

From a flour mill to a warehouse for global deliveries, 23-24 Gillender Street has witnessed the arrival of mass consumption. Situated on the banks of the Thames, close to the docks, it is part of a highly productive area. For centuries, it was a hub for exporting and importing goods. With gentrification and rising property prices, the area has become residential and is now an example of the Industrialization and capitalisation of Society.

Construction and demolition waste account for an estimated third of the overall waste generation in the EU. At the same time, the earth is running out of basic raw materials and the building sector is responsible for 11% of the worldwide carbon emissions. As individuals, we are not able -at least most of us- to stop this unstoppable machine. We are however able to take the issue at our scale and make a change at this level. This project is taking us back to a human scale.

A Community Centre celebrating exchange of materials, experiences and knowledge, reminding people that money is not the final destination. A place that forces/help people to question their needs and challenge their lifestyle for a more sustainable future. Inspired by the «freeshops» collectives, the space will include exchange spaces, repairing workshops, garden areas then used for sustainable cooking lessons and an art centre.