Loneliness – sixteen3 Salon #2

Events
26/03/26 | Alex Lifschutz, Nicola Bacon and James Teatum discuss what drives the loneliness epidemic and how the places and spaces we design can respond, with our host David Taylor

Thursday 26th March 2026 | 18:30 – 20:30

 

For the second event in our sixteen3 Salon series, host David Taylor chairs a discussion about what drives loneliness, and how we might combat it. Featuring Alex Lifschutz of Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, Nicola Bacon of Social Life, and James Teatum of Noiascape.

Loneliness is increasingly being recognised as a contemporary epidemic, especially in densely populated urban areas where community is harder to foster and crowds offer anonymity, rather than the potential for meaningful connection.

Our speakers pride themselves on their people-focused work: Nicola Bacon is co-founder of Social Life, an organisation entirely concerned with the relationship between people and place, exploring how we are affected by changes in the built environment; Alex Lifschutz forefronts flexibility and adaptability in buildings and placemaking, with his degree in sociology and psychology bringing an additional awareness to this conversation; architect James Teatum co-founded Noiascape with his brother Tom to create homes that look afresh at the use of private space and invite new ideas of what ‘home’ might be. Noiascape’s social programme and development policy invite continual interaction from the resident community, fostering relationships between people, as well as between Noiascape’s buildings and the city.

 

The event will run Thursday 26th March, 18:30 – 20:30 at the sixteen3 showroom, 25 Bastwick street, EC1V 3PS. Drinks will be served, with the actual talk starting around 19:00.

 

 

About Our Speakers

  • James Teatum – Co-Founder at Noiascape, James is an Architect turned developer & operator of experience led, modern urban living developments. Over 15 years experience as an Architect and development manager designing and delivering complex residential led mixed-use projects in London & UK for both private clients and Noiascapes own development projects.James leads the acquisition and strategic overview for new sites, with an emphasis on innovating development models that create a fluid relationship between public & private space. These models respond to the emerging opportunity where we can live, work & connect all from the same location.

 

  • Nicola Bacon – Nicola co-founded Social Life with Saffron Woodcraft in early 2012, and in the last ten years has grown Social Life’s work on place-based innovation and social sustainability. Nicola advises central and local governments, foundations and third sector agencies in the UK and internationally, with a focus on innovation, and embedding fresh approaches to public policy and service delivery to tackle inequality and disadvantage. Until July 2012, Nicola was the Young Foundation’s Director of Local and Advisory Projects. She was responsible for the Young Foundation’s work with local authorities and other partner agencies on local social innovation, setting up major programmes on communities, wellbeing and resilience, and preventative investment. Nicola developed the Young Foundation’s advisory work portfolio, taking this breadth of experience into her current work at Social Life. Before joining the Young Foundation, Nicola worked at the Home Office where she was a Deputy Director of the Anti-social Behaviour Unit and was Director of Safe in the City, an award winning action research programme set up to pilot new ways of preventing youth homelessness in London by working with young people and their families. She was also Director of Policy at Shelter. Nicola is a Young Foundation Fellow, a Design Council Expert, a High Streets Task Force Expert, a member of the Design South East Expert Panel, an Associate of the Quality of Life Foundation and a mentor for Bethnal Green Ventures. In 2024 she became a member of the National Highways Strategic Design Panel. Nicola was named a The Planner RTPI Woman of Influence for 2024-2025.

 

  • Alex Lifschutz – Following a degree in sociology and psychology and research in cognitive psychology, Alex studied at the Architectural Association in London. He joined Foster Associates in 1977 and in 1986 formed Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands. Alex is interested in the ability of design to create buildings and cities that respond to change, and which are easily adapted by those who use them. He has developed construction and furniture systems that empower users to easily alter buildings both in the initial construction process and throughout their life.

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