In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, while much of the UK went into lockdown, thousands of construction sites across England remained open. The Young Trustees were deeply alarmed by the risks this posed, not only to the health of workers, but to the wider public. Unlike architects and designers working from the safety of home, site labourers faced daily exposure with little assurance of proper distancing or protective measures.
Shut Sites Down was launched as a direct response to this injustice. It began as a call to action: for the government to close all non-essential construction sites, for developers to put people before profit, and for architects to confront their own complicity in systems that shift risk down the chain while continuing to benefit from ongoing construction.
The campaign highlighted the realities facing construction workers, many of whom operate on insecure contracts, live paycheque to paycheque, and cannot afford to stop working without state or employer support. Margins were too tight for contractors to close voluntarily. Developers would not act without a government mandate. Architects often felt powerless to issue extensions of time, fearing that the burden of delay would fall unfairly.
Through a social media campaign and a petition to parliament, Shut Sites Down pushed for clarity, accountability and collective responsibility. The campaign drew attention to discrepancies between health and safety rhetoric and on-site practice, and questioned the long-term ethical cost of continuing business as usual.
The initiative also launched AreWeSafeOnSite.com, a resource created to support construction workers in understanding their rights, reporting unsafe conditions, and making informed decisions about whether to attend site. This platform became a space to amplify voices from the ground, including site workers who were speaking out despite personal risk.
While the UK government hesitated, Scotland closed its non-essential sites, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stating simply: “We can repair the economy, but we cannot bring people back to life.” That clarity became a guiding principle for the campaign.
Looking back, Shut Sites Down remains a vital example of how architectural workers can use their voice and platform to advocate for those most vulnerable in the industry. It asked difficult questions about responsibility and profit and served as a reminder that solidarity must extend beyond design teams and boardrooms to the very people who build the spaces we imagine.