Practice
Formation Community is the employee-led social responsibility output at Formation Architects. It is a well-established entity that seeks to understand and influence how Formation Architects as a business, can remain aware of its impact on its employees, the rest of society and the environment. Formation Community is structured around five key strands: community outreach, fundraising, sports, sustainability and wellbeing. These strands help create a structure, but their scope is not limited and actions may interlink between strands. It is a significant staff organisation within the practice that is driven by champions and supported by fellow employees.
Key contact: Courtney Lau & Toni Allum
NEIL FARRANCE
DIRECTOR AND TRUSTEE, FORMATION ARCHITECTS
Heart of the City support SMEs to be a force for good through workshops, masterclasses and expert mentoring. Having completed their foundation programme, Formation Architects won the Heart of the City award at the Lord Mayor’s Dragon Awards in 2019 and was shortlisted in the Social Impact Award in 2023. These awards celebrates businesses that have recently started to have a social impact in Greater London. Formation Architects are ambassadors for the Heart of the City and our Associate, Nimi Stobart-Gabrie, sits on their Board Advisory Panel.
The community outreach strand utilises the skillsets of architects and designers to support the local community. This may be through pro-bono design work for local like-minded organisations, working with schools and universities, or the work-experience programme which supports students through their professional development. The aim is to engage with and develop relationships with our local community to provide support where it is needed.
Formation Architects support a charity which tends to be local and emotive to our employees. The fundraising strand aims to raise awareness of the charity within the company, encourage payroll giving and to organise fundraising events in support. Previous charities include: The Felix Project, Groundswell and Solace Women's Aid. This year the chosen charity is Mosaic Clubhouse. A charity that provides opportunities for individuals who have been socially and vocationally disadvantaged by mental ill health, to regain the confidence and skills necessary to lead productive and satisfying lives.
The Sports strand enhances the physical wellbeing of Formation Architects. Activities of this strand can be interconnected with other strands such as the Fundraising and Wellbeing strands. Initiatives include organising lunch and afterwork sport activities, joining the Architecture Softball League, enrolling in different sport challenges and many more. This strand receives one of the highest participation levels in 2023.
As a signatory member of Architect’s Declare, Formation Architects has taken positive steps to strive for constructive change in the face of the declared climate emergency. Formation Community seeks to build upon this and continue to reduce the environmental impact of the company and to encourage the employees of Formation Architect’s to take positive steps in combating the current climate emergency within daily studio life and their personal lives.
The wellbeing strand focuses on the employee wellbeing of Formation Architects. This is achieved through advocating annual events such as Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day. Other initiatives include promoting seasonal Wellbeing questionnaires, volunteering lunches and pro-bono projects. Formation Architects were accredited with the 'Achievement' Level of the Mayor's Good Work Standard in 2023 for our commitment to ethical business practices.
