London's housing crisis is out of control. Alice Theodorou's forward-thinking project could be the answer

In London housing costs are increasing exponentially. Every day they become ever more unaffordable with current wages. The 2014 average rise of £81,000 for London property is unsustainable both for the city and its inhabitants. The Mount Pleasant mail centre in Farringdon has become a symbol of this perceived disregard for London residents, with 700 homes being erected after intervention from Boris Johnson; only a quarter of which are deemed “affordable” on the former public owned site.

“Mayor Boris Johnson’s recent abuse of his planning power is an insult to what proclaims to be a democratic system,” states RCA student Alice Theodorou. “As the capital continues to undergo widespread redevelopment as a result of the long-anticipated Crossrail link, the need to question the short-term, financially driven strategies employed by developers has become of paramount importance.” Her response to the fortress-like development is a radical alternative: a site that incorporates long-term thinking – 10,000 years in advance.

Her project, The Future Will Just Have to Wait, is a proposal for the Mount Pleasant site that considers the challenges London will face. These include: population growth and then decline, rising sea levels, stricter energy targets, future space exploration and language obsolescence. The design incorporates classical figures of caryatids and atlantes, acting as a reminder of our own human form and temporality, which Theodorou believes is a strategy to increase the buildings longevity.  

Recently we've been seeing a number of designers and influencers working towards a long-term sustainable future, from fitness brand Adidas' wavy kicks, made from recycled ocean plastic, to Kovert Design's mission to bring mindfulness to corporate culture. Look out for more on the Slow trend in the upcoming issue of Protein Journal.