FOCUS ON INNOVATION
BLOQS project : the conversion of a shipping container into a sleek and modern bicycle shelter .
About BLOQS
Established in 2012 , BLOQS is an openaccess factory and maker community . Supporting hundreds of independent makers and maker businesses , BLOQS provides access to high-end equipment , training and workspace across woodworking ; metalworking ; fashion ; engineering ; product design ; event production ; construction and architecture .
BLOQS Kitchen is an onsite cafe led by the former Head Chef of Moro and Morito , Marianna Leivaditaki , serving up a daily changing menu of Mediterranean-inspired dishes at the cafe and exhibition space .
380 full-time equivalent jobs have been created and £ 15m per year is generated in the local economy by BLOQS members
capital for the communities it serves , whilst being frugal with the planet ’ s increasingly scares resources . We take environmental stewardship seriously , as we look to regenerate urban creative economies by seeding maker hubs where creatives can learn and thrive together ” added Parra .
Regeneration and education
BLOQS Create offers a manufacturing process for bespoke projects and custom builds . From initial concept to final installation , it provides a fully tailored service that includes specialist design teams , project management , fabrication and installation . It has a multidisciplinary community of 700 + designers and makers to take on various projects , quickly assigning and managing teams of specialists as well as fabricating on-site .
BLOQS Yard is a new , grassroots venue nestled along the river Lee ’ s industrial waterways . Offering both open-air and indoor event spaces , as well as a fully equipped kitchen and bar , BLOQS Yard offers a dynamic setting for a range of events from club nights , live music and comedy to private hire parties .
Data shows that this regeneration is much needed . A recent report ( Centre for London : Making Space ) by an independent commission found that London has lost a quarter of its industrial floorspace over the past 20 years . “ BLOQS answers a systemic need in cities for affordable workspace . The trend for commercial and industrial land to be turned into often more profitable and badly needed housing has put a squeeze on space for people to create . We ’ re bringing energy and opportunity to under-loved areas , to people who ’ ve been forgotten and under-valued . We ’ re not really building workshops , what we ’ re doing is building a model for how resources can best be shared to achieve truly amazing things ,” outlined Arnaud Nichols .
This energy and model are already delivering commercial success . 380 full-time equivalent jobs have been created and £ 15m per year is generated in the local economy by BLOQS members .
30 | ismr . net | ISMR December 2023 / January 2024