Interactive Clerkenwell installation invites architects to shape ‘safer buildings’ conversation

Building materials manufacturer, wienerberger, will invite architects to be part of a live, evolving digital installation at Clerkenwell Design Week, as it explores what building safety really means to a profession being reshaped by regulation.

From 19 to 21 May, wienerberger will install a digital mosaic wall, titled ‘The People Behind Safer Buildings’, within EH Smith’s Clerkenwell showroom.

Architects and specifiers will be invited to share their personal perspectives on building safety and compliance, with each contribution forming part of a live digital installation that will evolve across the three days of the festival. The final mosaic will reveal an image capturing both the industry’s collective responsibility to deliver safer buildings, and the complexity involved in doing so.

Designed to create a moment of reflection and conversation within the busy festival programme, visitors are encouraged to pause, contribute, and connect with peers by sharing what building safety means to them, helping to shape a collective industry snapshot.

This installation builds on recent research by wienerberger, which highlights the growing pressures architects face as building regulations evolve. Marking a decisive shift towards enhanced safety standards, the introduction of the Building Safety Act (2022) has redefined accountability throughout the build lifecycle, placing increased administrative, financial, and creative pressure on those responsible for design.

wienerberger’s research found that, since the Act was introduced, 95% of architects have experienced an increase in workload and now spend 10% of their working week verifying product information.

Insights gathered during the event will be used to further explore how the industry can better support architects in managing compliance, with findings informing future research and product developments.

Kate Painter, Channel Marketing Manager at wienerberger, said:

“Architects are at the heart of delivering safer buildings, but the demands placed on them are increasing rapidly. We want to provide a platform for practitioners to share these challenges more openly - and highlight where improvements can be made - so that the industry can work better together to deliver buildings that are compliant, without compromising on innovation.

“At wienerberger, we’re committed to building for what’s next – by understanding industry pressures, facilitating conversations, and highlighting the real-world cost of compliance. Proper building safety is a collective industry responsibility, and we’re proud to support architects in meeting their enhanced obligations. By continuing to foster better collaboration and solutions across the supply chain we can, in turn, ensure improved safety standards.”

wienerberger’s presence at Clerkenwell Design Week forms part of its wider work to understand and respond to the challenges architects are facing. Through practical tools, services and CPD programmes, the manufacturer continues to invest in product developments that support professionals across the built environment and enable them to successfully deliver projects that meet evolving regulations.

wienerberger’s installation, ‘The People Behind Safer Buildings’ will be on display at the EH Smith Design Centre, 38-42 St John Street, Clerkenwell, from 19 to 21 May.

For more information about wienerberger, go to: www.wienerberger.co.uk