People
Meet the Dockers: Raissa ‘Rai’ Vasconcelos
Raissa ‘Rai’ Vasconcelos is the founder of Unit F Studios, a photography studio, based in the Royal Docks where she helps clients bring their creative visions to life. Alongside running her own studio, Rai is also Site Manager for Projekt, which offers mixed-use, affordable space for businesses, events, artists, designers and creative SME.
In this interview, Rai shares the magic behind Projekt’s spaces, how creativity is transforming the Royal Docks community and the exciting role that The Pump House - one of Projekt’s newest venues - is playing in Royal Docks Originals, a free arts festival taking place across the Royal Docks until 4 October 2025.
How did you get started in the creative scene at the Royal Docks?
I started off my creative era as a studio assistant for a company at the Silver Building and got to know Nick Hartwright, the CEO of Projekt. Over time, I began working directly with Projekt and we developed Unit F Studios in The Factory. Since then, I’ve worked across Projekt sites, mostly in a site manager role, with a particular interest in locations and shoots.
Can you tell us about The Pump House and its transformation?
Projekt took on The Pump House three years ago as a shell-and-core derelict site. The Projekt team have a knack for spotting the beauty in older neglected buildings and immediately thought it’d be a great entry point for the Docks and a place that would work really well as studios for creative businesses. It’s now home to about 20 tenants, and we’re helping them grow and develop into bigger businesses. Take Carmen, for example. She started off at The Factory with a content studio called ‘Paper Studios’ and she’s since expanded to The Pump House with ‘Sunday Studios’ that functions as both a content creation space and a pilates studio.
What makes The Pump House and other Projekt spaces special?
The Pump House is in an incredibly accessible location. It has a quirky, stripped back industrial vibe, dark bricks and all. Without spaces like The Pump House, The Silver Building and The Factory, there really wouldn’t be affordable workspaces for people starting and growing their businesses. Projekt is all about creating platforms for creatives and entrepreneurs to thrive. Our spaces improve the local area and by curating and supporting a strong network of tenants, we’re also growing alongside them.
What kinds of businesses and activities are happening at The Factory site?
Our Factory site spans about five acres and is home to Folk, FullTilt, Menace Models, Certain Blacks, and many more amazing tenants. Everything you can think of has probably happened onsite — from musical events, film and photo shoots, theatrical productions, conferences and more. Every single day is different.
Without spaces like The Pump House, The Silver Building and The Factory, there really wouldn’t’t be affordable workspaces for people starting and growing their businesses.
How does Projekt support tenants differently from typical property companies? What’s different and beautiful about Projekt is that our spaces are affordable and we also cover and arrange the initial fit out for tenants, which is practically unheard of in the property world. I’ve also had the fun task of project managing some of the builds we do and seeing what people do with their blank canvases. At the heart of it, it’s about affordability and flexibility—that’s what drew me to Projekt in the first place. The ethos is something you don’t really find anywhere else.
Tell us about the cafés and what they bring to the community.
Within the various Projekt spaces we also have four cafés called FREIGHT. The concept is quite simple: decent coffee and great Galeta pastries. And now that the Pump House will be host the Royal Dock Originals Festival Hub for Royal Docks Originals, we’re upping our game even more. Think Italian beer, Portuguese vinho verde’s with light Italian snacks. We also have really good matcha!
How do you feel about The Pump House becoming home to the Blue Sunset mural?
The Blue Sunset mural is fab - a real ‘rai’ of sunshine! It’s a bright, welcoming addition to the area and part of the Docks Open Art Series, which is a collection of outdoor public artworks commissioned especially for Royal Docks Originals 2025.
The building’s dark bricks give it a brutal edge, so I think tenants and locals were really thrilled when the Blue Sunset mural was chosen. It’s brought a burst of colour to the area and features local favourite flowers. I’m particularly pleased about the sunflowers! To complement the mural, Anila from the Royal Docks Culture and Activations team and I partnered with a local school on a planting project called PolliNation Action. I wanted to bring life to our flower beds with plenty of geraniums, making it the perfect match.
What does having the Royal Docks Originals Festival hub at The Pump House mean to you and the team?
Having Royal Docks Originals Festival Hub at The Pump House has been a real privilege. The whole Projekt team feels the same. They’ve seen the Docks change and have played a part in shaping it. We’re all super chuffed.
What events are you most looking forward to during the festival?
I’m especially excited about Certain Blacks Pump House Pulse free live jazz nights held every Thursday at The Pump House throughout the festival.
I was also involved with Opening Up: The Factory, part of Royal Docks Originals. The Factory building was opened to the public for free tours, featuring a fashion show and opportunities to meet some of the creative tenants, including Full Tilt, lighting and sound specialists who bring performances to life. During the tours, visitors could see this work in action in a live show by the East London Youth Dance Company, which revealed the tech behind the scenes. I had the pleasure of leading some of the guided tours, which was a fantastic experience. It was wonderful meeting locals, discussing the sites, and hearing their hopes for the future of the area.
What does community and connection mean to you in the context of Royal Docks Originals?
At the end of the day, it’s all about connections—how people interact with each other and their local area and how they share their resources. Royal Docks Originals is really helping to foster that and I’m really glad I can contribute through Projekt.
Find out more:
To learn more about Projekt visit www.thisisprojekt.com
Royal Docks Originals
Royal Docks Originals a free arts festival takes place across the Royal Docks from 15 September to 4 October 2025. To see the full programme visit www.royaldocks.london/rdo
