IF_DO’s Sarah Castle: ‘People become the project’

Nov 27, 2024

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Episode 54. AJ Climate Champions with Hattie Hartman and Rachael Owens.

AJ Climate Champions latest series focuses on retrofit. Our guest today is IF_DO founder Sarah Castle, who explains that community engagement is not just asking people what they want, but what they can do.

‘It’s about giving people the power to change their environments and making them feel part of it,’ Castle explains in this episode. It’s an approach that is at the heart of IF_DO’s work and is manifest in their work in Hastings, East Sussex, where they have transformed derelict buildings into affordable, community-centric spaces for social enterprise Hasting Commons.

We discuss the refurbishment of the grand 1924 Observer Building which had suffered more than three decades of neglect and a dozen owners when IF_DO took on the project. The first phase created a cultural venue with exhibition, theatre and music spaces, workspace, a cafe and gym. ‘It’s a space that can hold everything - from raves to weddings,’ says Castle.

IF_DO’s approach prioritises ‘essential improvements over cosmetic enhancements.’ Rather than allowing ourselves to get ‘overexcited about tile colours,’ we have to focus on making the building ‘robust, well-insulated and easy to look after,’ says Castle. The building’s intricately detailed faience facade has been upgraded through a careful balance of repair and renewal.

Central to IF_DO’s work is an understanding of procurement that is driven by available grant funding, which Castle terms ‘pod,’ phased organic development. Hastings Commons has secured over 100 grants over the last decade. The Observer Building is owned as a community land trust, which provides a legal framework to ensure affordability and perpetuity. ‘This creates protected spaces within a sphere of gentrification, where rents are controlled below market rates,’ Castle explains. ‘It’s about forever,’ she says.