Architecture project. London, 2024.
During the period of Britain's Great Rebuilding five hundred years ago, for the first time, rural communities had the means to build relatively expensive buildings out of permanent materials, and the security of tenure to make these investments worthwhile. Today, multi-billion dollar developer corporations are building homes that live barely one-tenth as long as their ancient counterparts. Britain now boasts Europe's poorest quality housing stock and the construction industry accounts for over 60% of waste generated in the UK. Are disposable homes by design or merely a by-product of our throwaway culture? What does it mean to design for longevity above all else, and how can this create resilient homes and communities?
By researching vernaculture buildings, their construction techniques, materials, and the culture of care and maintenance surrounding them, this thesis proposes a new method of rural homebuilding; someplace in between a romantic notion of the past and the modern desire for affordable, quality homes.
This thesis culminated in a 244 page technical document. Click here to download the PDF