The People's Parliament
Cumbria is an isolated county with large ecological stress due to intensive grazing over centuries. Its economy is tourism-reliant, with the Lake District being a main anchor point. In recent years, however, tourism to Cumbria has been decreasing. Nature is dwindling, people aren’t visiting, and community isn’t developing.
How can we imagine a future where people are direcly involved in their own governance?
The People’s Parliament establishes a permanent yearly citizen’s assembly that aims to improve ecological pressure within Cumbria and Carlisle and designed to bridge old and new communities. The architecture moves away from rigid, traditional political spaces, transforming civic decision-making into an approachable, community-driven experience.
To achieve this, the project reinterprets Cumbria’s forgotten Celtic and agrarian history to merge ecological decision-making with a contemporary public celebration, The Beltane Festival.
The civic core utilizes a multi-layered architectural approach to ritual: an informal, community-owned pub/café fosters casual storytelling and equal connection; breakout deliberation rooms offer intimate, non-intimidating spaces for smaller focus groups; and a central, formal debating chamber acts as a communal “campfire” where policy is collectively formalized. Crowned by a monumental, glowing glass-shingle tower that serves as a visual beacon of active celebrated democracy.
