Phin Harper: How a Breakup Helped Me Find Home | Homing

Architecture critic and writer Phineas Harper believes that good design and heritage belong to all of us. Phin lives on Vanbrugh Park, a post-war council estate in Greenwich designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, the architects behind the Barbican. It's a home that completely reflects Phin’s ethos: architecture doesn’t have to be fancy to enrich our lives. Phin is deeply woven into the fabric of the neighbourhood. Together with their neighbours, they've transformed neglected corners of the estate into gardens and trained vines up the old washing posts. Every March, they all come together for a celebration called "Unlocking", where they plant a tree and share some of Phin's homemade rhubarb ice cream. In this conversation, Phin reflects on growing up on a generic new-build estate, what it felt like to be an outsider and why they've become so passionate about repair. Phin also reflects on the end of their long-term relationship, and how that experience transformed their understanding of what home really means. This episode was filmed inside Phin Harper’s Greenwich Estate Flat. Join us over on Patreon to watch the full home tour:   / homingwithmatt   More from Phin: Phineas Harper is a roving reporter for The Modern House and Inigo. Each month, they share a digital "postcard" that celebrates the "friendly, playful, warm, cosy, squishy and joyful" side of architecture. Follow Phin's escapades at    / @themodernhouse_films  . Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:08 Childhood Homes 04:15 New-Build Estates 05:29 Reasons for Moving 07:08 Exploring Gender Identity 09:02 How Home Shaped Identity 11:21 The Homeschooling Experience 16:20 Parents' Divorce 19:12 Learning from Parental Behaviour 20:58 The "Sweeties" Discipline System 23:21 Being the "Abnormal Kid" 27:50 Architecture's Social Purpose 30:25 Life on the Vanbrugh Park Estate 35:10 Finding Belonging After a Breakup 38:54 How the Flat Affected the Relationship 40:48 The "Unlocking" Ritual 45:20 Community Gardening Project 50:25 The Philosophy of Repair 56:30 Building with Natural Materials 1:01:41 Personal Rituals & Routines 1:04:31 The Art of Making Mobiles 1:06:17 What Does Home Mean? To hear more from us: Instagram:   / homingwithmatt   Contact: Email us at [email protected] Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live, is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/32017... Music by   / simeonwalkermusic   Identity & design by   / lena.winkler.creative.office   Produced by   / podshoponline   The full back catalogue of home tours is available to our Patreon community. Patreon:   / homingwithmatt