Join us for a critical dialogue with three practitioners leading the shift toward regenerative systems in London
Join us for a critical dialogue with three practitioners leading the shift toward regenerative systems in London: Summer Islam (Material Cultures), Seth Scafe-Smith (RESOLVE Collective) and Thami Schweichler (United Repair Centre). Together, they will explore how place-based hubs and repair systems can reshape the city – bridging industrial construction and textile repair to challenge our "take-make-use-waste" model.
Moderated by Future Observatory Head of Curatorial Programme Janice Li, this session interrogates the circular hub as a blueprint for a resilient and regenerative city, marking the launch of Tipping Point East (TPE). By connecting the material reuse and low-carbon construction of TPE with the fashion repair economy scaled by United Repair Centre, the conversation will address how these diverse scales of circularity can foster a culture of maintenance rooted in abundance, community wealth and a just transition.
This talk marks the opening of Tipping Point East. Located in the Royal Docks, this 20,000 sqm initiative by Material Cultures, RESOLVE Collective, and Yes Make pioneers material reuse and community wealth building. United Repair Centre is also opening their third outpost in Paris in March 2026.
Seth Scafe-Smith, RESOLVE Collective
Seth is currently a director at RESOLVE Collective, a UK-based interdisciplinary design practice who combine architecture, engineering, technology and art to address social challenges. With RESOLVE he has delivered numerous projects, workshops, publications, and talks in the UK and across Europe, all of which look toward realising just and equitable visions of change in our built environment. Through RESOLVE, much of his work aims to provide platforms for the production of new knowledge and ideas, whilst collaborating and organising to help build resilience in communities.
Summer Islam, Material Cultures
Summer Islam is an architect and co-director of Material Cultures, an architecture and research practice founded to bring together design, material research and strategic thinking to make meaningful progress towards a regenerative built environment. Her work investigates the political ecology of construction materials, with a particular focus on the environmental implications of scaling the use of regenerative materials. Material Cultures is one of three founding partners of climate futures centre Tipping Point East, alongside Yes Make and RESOLVE.
Thami Schweichler, United Repair Centre
Thami Schweichler is an Amsterdam-based impact leader, driven to repair the broken apparel industry and build true circularity that enables people and planet to thrive. With a background of building social initiatives in Africa and Europe, he founded United Repair Centre (URC) in 2022, in partnership with outdoor company Patagonia and the Amsterdam Economic Board. Providing high quality, technical repairs for over 35 brands, the social impact company employs over 50 tailors - most of whom have been refugees and tailors in their previous countries - and has hubs in Amsterdam, London and Paris (opening spring 2026).
Janice Li, Future Observatory
Janice Li is Head of Curatorial Programme of Future Observatory at the Design Museum. She recently curated The Cult of Beauty and Thirst at the Wellcome Collection. Previously at the V&A, she contributed to V&A East and Fashioned from Nature. Her practice explores the intersections of art, design, science through the lens of ecology and intersectionality, realised internationally from MoMu Antwerp to London Design Biennale. She lectures widely on interdisciplinary research at institutions including the Royal College of Art and Columbia University.
