9ft in Common
Born out of a curiosity about the unrealised space beyond our back gates and the power that people can bring to them, 9ft in Common has been highly commended in both the Heritage Angel Awards and the RIAI Irish Architecture Awards.
Collaborators Dr Aisling Rusk and Amberlea Neely.
We initiated a city-wide grass-roots creative investigation into Belfast’s alleyways with ongoing collaborator, architect Dr Aisling Rusk of Studio idir. It has captured the imagination of radio producers, journalists, and of course Belfast’s residents, and has been generously championed and supported by Belfast 2024, Belfast’s biggest celebration of culture.
The name came from a deed map (1902), which shows a 9ft passage in common at the back of a terrace house. Designed to be utilitarian spaces to service the things you don't want to see, alleys or entries have, over the years, developed from undesirable and unloved to places bursting with potential.
From our own small, quiet 9ft, to the 202km of alleyways that stretch across Belfast, 9ft in Common demonstrates new ways that people can tackle old problems in alleys:
Belfast Alley Maps
Our immediate concern was around the lack of public information about Belfast’s alleys, so we set about mapping and sharing where the alleys are, whether they were adopted or unadopted, gated or ungated. We collected and mapped stories about people’s connections to alleyways across the city. This has allowed us to measure the amount of public space that exists within the alleys and to demonstrate what this might mean for an entire city.
Belfast Alley Map.
Design Concepts
With the rising costs of gating, and the lack of evaluation of the gates as a way to solve alley issues, we co-developed a series of concepts as more human centric alternatives.
Design concepts for alleyways.
Creative Programming
We invite alley folk to celebrate the connection to the celtic seasons, as we learn about their potential as small social spaces through growing, music, movement, and making.
Bealtaine Gathering with stories and song in a Belfast alleyway, with Joshua Burnside and neighbours.
Egress by Laura Nelson, alley gate commission as part of Liminalley.
A Manifesto for the Alleys
A co-developed manifesto for making Belfast’s alleyways brilliant and sustainable places for our city.
To learn more about 9ft in Common, please visit
www.9ftincommon.com
Imbolc Gathering to sow seeds and weave reeds, in a Belfast alleyway.
Client: Necessity (SHED) and Belfast City Council
Team: Amberlea Neely, Dr Aisling Rusk, Meadhbh McIlgorm, Aaron Vinaccia, Simon Mills, Jo Facer, Miriam Turley.
Photos: Simon Mills
Illustrations: Aisling Madden, Studio idir