Architecture Unknown Ltd is one of Manchester’s brightest young practices, specialising in community engagement and socially motivated design. We are passionate about involving everyone in the construction of our shared future from inception through to completion in a process we describe as “democratic architecture”. Eschewing the idea that community involvement means “design by committee” we aim to marry traditional architectural leadership with social empowerment to produce places that relate directly to user needs. Uniquely, Architecture Unknown extend this approach to construction and also offer solutions for communities to build their own buildings in partnership with contractors , an exercise in invested and connected placemaking. Our fundamental goal is to upturn architectural hierarchy to build meaningful and just communities whilst enabling the visions of communities and to provide the expertise to support them as they follow their ambitions from imagination to paper to reality.