Tarek Merlin, director and co-founder at Feix&Merlin reflects on the ever-changing nature of MIPIM, where chance encounters and meaningful conversations defined his experience. This year, he took to the stage to discuss inclusivity in real estate and the value of a queer lens in housing design.
How are you enjoying MIPIM?
The thing that surprises me about MIPIM is that my experience is always different each year. Maybe it was the rain or maybe there was just something in the air this year that just kind of brought people together, lots of cute little huddles inside the stands.
MIPIM really is unique in the way that it can bring people together. So many of my conversations were just by chance standing next to the right people and being introduced to somebody.
What do you hope to achieve by coming here?
Well, this year I actually had two speaking opportunities: one round table with Shoosmiths, discussing how we can bring about a more inclusive real estate industry, and the other on the London stand on Thursday morning talking about how we can add value in housing design. More specifically, that was about how using looking at things through a queer lens can offer a new way of thinking to large volume housing.
So my main aim, to be honest, was to make it to those early morning sessions and try and sound vaguely intelligent. Luckily enough I managed to achieve at least one of those aims. Other than that, it was really just about meeting some old friends and making new connections. That’s always what MIPIM is about to me.
And is it working out?
Well, I made it to the talks and I met up with some old friends and I forged some new connections – so actually I’m super happy.
Walworth Town Hall in South London. Read about the project here. (Credit: Chris Wharton)
What’s been the highlight for you?
I think my highlight this year was a moment at the London stand when the sun finally did come out. There was a rainbow in the sky and everyone sort of converged out onto the terrace and in that one hour or two we got. We were all out there together. I felt really connected to everybody and had some really fascinating and interesting conversations with some of the people that I never get the opportunity to speak to so directly in London.
If you could change one thing about MIPIM what would it be?
The fashion. As it was a bit colder this year, it was all about the gilets worn under the blazers – that was the look for this year.
What are you working on at the moment?
We’ve just finished Walworth Town Hall with General Projects and it was great to bump into Jacob at London stand again this year. And we are working on a large multi unit residential scheme as well as some new student accommodation projects so there was a lot of talk about our role in meeting the government’s housing targets.
What keeps you awake at night?
I think about not just how we will build new housing, but do it in the right way, leaving the right kind of legacy for the people living there, the existing community, and how we will create a diverse and inclusive new architecture in the process.
Source: Architecture Today
