From Community Conversations to Creative Making to Commissions
Naomi Da Costa has been part of the Cosy Homes Club since its earliest stages, demonstrating how community participation can grow into creative leadership and new opportunities.
Her journey reflects the ethos of the Cosy Homes Club: starting with listening, learning together through collaboration and creating opportunities for people to shape their future.
Starting with Listening
Naomi first became involved as one of the Cosy Homes Club's community champion researchers. Alongside local residents, she spent time speaking with people across Anfield and Everton about their experiences of home, warmth and energy efficiency.
Rather than beginning with technical conversations about retrofit, the research focused on people's everyday experiences, asking questions like What does cosy mean to you? and What makes your home feel warm, comfortable and welcoming?
For Naomi, getting involved was about understanding what local people really wanted from retrofit.
"I've always had an interest in community retrofit and wanted to understand more about what people actually want and need when it comes to making homes cosy, warm and affordable. It felt important to start by listening, rather than assuming"
One conversation in particular has stayed with her.
"We asked one woman, 'What does cosy mean to you?' and she replied, 'Sunday dinner with the family.' That really stuck with me because it reminded me that cosy isn't just about insulation or materials. It's about people coming together, feeling connected and creating memories in our homes."
Those conversations became the foundation for the next stage of the Cosy Homes Club.
From research to co-design
Building on this community research, Naomi continued her involvement by taking part in a series of co-design workshops delivered in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).
Working alongside local residents, researchers and academics, she helped explore how conversations about retrofit could become more engaging, accessible and relevant to people's everyday lives.
For Naomi, the workshops felt like a continuation of those early conversations rather than a separate project.
"Instead of going full steam ahead with ideas that might not meet people's needs, we built on what we'd heard. It made the project feel rooted in this place and the people who live here."
She also recognised that the workshops reflected the same values that had emerged during the community research.
"That conversation about Sunday dinners made me realise the power of bringing people together. The co-design workshops felt like an extension of that. It wasn't about people coming in with all the answers, it was about learning together and making sure those values were reflected in the design itself."
From Participant to commissioned maker
Following the co-design process, Naomi was commissioned by Two Up Two Down to create one of the interactive elements for the mobile retrofit demonstrator.
Drawing on the conversations and learning from the workshops, Naomi is making an interactive domino game featuring natural and regenerative retrofit materials. The game encourages people to explore different materials, ask questions and discover new ways of making homes warmer, healthier and more sustainable.
Reflecting on the bio-material dominos, Naomi said:
"I hope people come away with an introduction to the different materials that are available and why they might choose to use them. I want it to show that anybody can get involved in these conversations, share knowledge and explore options that could be better for both their home and their health. Most of all, I hope it opens up conversations about the materials we use and encourages people to think differently about what's possible."
Naomi's story demonstrates what can happen when participation is meaningful.
She began by listening within the neighbourhood, helping gather insights that shaped the direction of the Cosy Homes Club. She then became part of a collaborative design process, contributing alongside researchers, designers and academics. From there, her involvement led to a paid creative commission, allowing her to contribute her own skills and ideas to the final demonstrator.
At Two Up Two Down, we believe participation is much more than being asked for your opinion. It should create opportunities for people to learn together, build confidence, develop new skills and access meaningful paid work where possible.
Naomi's journey shows how local knowledge and lived experience can grow into creative leadership, ensuring that the people who help shape projects are also part of delivering them.
As the mobile retrofit demonstrator begins its life in the community, her contribution will continue to spark conversations about retrofit, sustainability and what warm, healthy and affordable homes can look like across Anfield and Everton.