Looting and Swapping: Alternative Approach to Retaining History Part 1 Project 2024 James Ellwood Oxford Brookes University Oxford | UK Museums are often criticised for displaying looted artifacts, obscuring their unethical origins. The project proposes an Exchange and Discovery Centre that addresses this by involving communities in the storage and management of artifacts. Items are unearthed through archaeology or created through the Exchange, where objects are repaired, swapped and stored. This approach allows objects to transition gradually to the Discovery, reflecting the communities’ evolving needs and interests, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility.Situated in Bell Lane Creek, Wandsworth, the project draws inspiration from local history, forgotten narratives, and notably the lost canal, a vestige rebuilt within the plan. Buildings are created from earth-derived materials, to show weathering, human traces and imperfections.As the buildings convey more about the people of Wandsworth, the materials evolve into a poignant testament to the echoes of the past, with the value lying not in the buildings’ original utility but in their ability to evoke a deep connection to the past. Ultimately, with the passing of time, the scheme becomes a ruin, a new legacy of Wandsworth. Tutor(s) Louis Mayes