To Eat Equally
This proposal addresses Trafford’s above‑average gender gap by tackling women’s oppression rooted in unequal social–reproductive labor. Located in the Empress Conservation Area, the scheme rehabilitates two vacant listed buildings (Veno Building and Trafford Press) following conservation principles and minimal intervention, while introducing a new community model that redistributes unpaid care through spatial reallocation.
The design is organized around three core elements—communal, private, and outdoor—to rebalance care responsibilities through built form. Communal facilities include a central dining hall, integrated childcare, flexible co‑working spaces, and shared domestic amenities that collectively reduce the care burden on mothers and enable diverse modes of householding. Private housing offers a range of unit types and adaptable plans to accommodate single adults, couples, multi‑generational families, and chosen households.
Landscape and topography are deployed as mediating devices: varied planting, terraces, and subtle level changes create graduated thresholds between public and private realms, preserving privacy while encouraging incidental social encounter and reciprocal care practices. Conservation-led interventions upgrade the two listed structures for contemporary use while conserving heritage fabric.
The new façades use weathering steel panels chosen to harmonize with surrounding red‑brick and red‑clay materials; their evolving patina creates temporal dialogue with the context and supports longevity with low maintenance. Sustainability is pursued through material longevity, passive design strategies, and communal resource sharing.
By combining adaptive conservation, diversified housing, and care‑centred communal infrastructure, the project proposes a replicable spatial strategy for gender‑equitable urban living in Trafford.
