Frame Magazine Issue #162 - Interior Activism

Design as a force for systemic change

In this issue of FRAME Magazine, we confront a crucial truth: design is never neutral. While FRAME has traditionally focused on the creative excellence of spatial design, this edition takes a bold step into the political dimensions of architecture, interiors, and urbanism – exploring how design can be a powerful tool for systemic change.

As global crises intensify and societal structures are challenged, the projects featured in this issue reflect a shift in priorities. Sustainability, inclusivity, and wellbeing are no longer optional add-ons but integral to responsible design. Studios like Urban Radicals and Hanghar share why they view design as inherently political – reflecting contemporary ideologies, economic systems, and democratic values through the built environment.

You’ll also meet London-based POoR Collective, whose co-design approach actively includes young and underrepresented voices in reshaping cities, and Zarith Pineda of Territorial Empathy, who critiques the deep-rooted inequalities embedded in design education and practice.

From refugee-centered community projects to anti-capitalist interiors, this issue examines how creative practitioners around the world are pushing back against outdated systems – and creating new ones rooted in equity, justice, and action.