Material Cultures
Material Cultures
Material Cultures

We bring together design, research and strategic thinking to make meaningful progress towards a post-carbon built environment. We provide design services, undertake hands-on construction and refurbishment projects, and work with public, private and third sector organisations interested in developing and delivering a regenerative, low-carbon built environment.

Design

Our design team has a track record of producing award-winning, contextually specific buildings based on regenerative design principles, for both public and private clients. Our work demonstrates bio-based materials can produce generous, robust and beautiful spaces, and we work with clients to support informed decision-making about the whole-life time impact of their project, working across the project stages from brief development through to overseeing construction.

Research

Our not-for-profit lab supports public, private and third sector lead research working towards a lower carbon construction industry in the UK, with a focus on regenerative material sourcing and circular economies. Our projects address the barriers to change, from land-use and policy constraints to technical and material challenges in supply chains and on site. We deliver strategic planning, regenerative system design, material research and product development.

Make

MAKE is a learning platform that foregrounds practical and accessible construction skills. We run education programmes and courses that tackle the significant skills gap in the UK: the country lacks the technical knowledge and skills required to transition to a low carbon construction economy. At the centre of the project are hands-on workshops, led in partnership with master builders and material specialists from across
the UK.

Material-Cultures-Dejeuner

Clients

Argent
Arup
The Architectural Association
The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Bauhaus Earth
Building Centre
Central Saint Martins, UAL
Charleston House
CIVIC SQUARE
Create London
The Design Museum
Evolving Forests
Fishtank
Grizedale Arts
Forestry England
HG Matthews
Hong Kong Design Institute
Human Nature
International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam
London Metropolitan University
The London School of Architecture
Naked House
Newham London Borough Council
re:arc Institute
Stiftung Sitterwerk
SOM Foundation
Timisoara Architecture Biennial
York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership
Woods into Management Fund
Wolves Lane Consortium

Directors

Paloma Gormley 
Summer Islam
George Massoud

Current Team

Chai Pandya
Daria Moatazed-Keivani
Francesca Leibowitz
Rory Corr
Sally Moussawi
Shreya Sarin
Will Bradley

Collaborators

Amica Dall
Andi Amirshah
Becky Little
Cecence
Esme Walker
Ffion Blench
Henry Stringer
Jeffrey Hart
Jez Ralph
Mark Harrington
Rachael Milliner
Sara Pereira
Will Stanwix
Work Ltd

Past Team

Alastair Howard
Alessandra de Mitri
Amaya Hernandez
Aya Mousa
Caroline Esclapez
Caitlin McNamara
Ceri Hedderwick Turner
Christopher Kokarev
Christopher Gabe
Connie Beauchamp
Cosmin Chirpac
Eloise Coleman
Francesca Tattersall
Joy Mulandi
Ker Jia Goh
Louise Underhill
Margit Kraft
Marwa El Mubark
Nana Adu-Offeh
Riyam Salim
Sam Little
Sara Sherif
Sodueari Graham-Douglas
Tom Hart
William Hayter
Xiao Fang

 

Selected Press

 

08.2023
Materials library: Material Cultures, Jason Sayer, Architecture Today  

08.2023
How to build a biodegradable house, by Malaika Byng, Financial Times Weekend 

07.2023
In Search of Sustainable Materials, Architects are Turning to an Unusual Source: Hemp, Francesca Perry, BBC  

07.2023
London architecture exhibitions 2023: a guide to the best shows this month, Ellie Stathaki, Wallpaper

06.2023
Material Reform: Building for a post carbon future, Elke Krasny, Drawing Matter  

05.2023

The Big Picture: A Conversation with Material Cultures

Will Higginbotham, Well Life, Lived Well

05.2023

The Building Materials of the Future Might Be Growing in Your Backyard

Marianna Janowicz, Untapped Journal

 


04.2023
Material Cultures workshops support shift towards sustainable building practices, Ellie Stathaki, Wallpaper

02.2023

Green Labour: Material Reform and The Value of a Whale

George Kafka, The Architectural Review

 

01.2023

Homegrown show makes compelling case for post-carbon construction

Pamela Buxton, The RIBA Journal

 

01.2023

London architecture exhibitions 2023: a guide to the best shows this month

Ellie Stathaki, Wallpaper

 

01.2023

Material Reform: Building for a Post-Carbon Future

Vanessa Norwood, The London Society

Selected Writing

06.2023
Planting a Seed, Keynote article by Summer Islam, The Architectural Review, Plants Issue

Summer, 2023
On Regeneration, article by Material Cultures with Jess Gough, Real Review, Issue 14


Selected Books

Material Reform
Material Cultures with Amica Dall
2022, Mack Books

Build: From High to Low Tech
Hinterland Architecture Studio
2022, Build Porto

Manual of Biogenic House Sections
Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, David J. Lewis
2022, ORO Editions


Radical Architecture of the Future,
Beatrice Galilee
2020, Phaidon

Houses That Can Save the World
Courtenay Smith, Sean Topham
2022, Thames and Hudson




We bring together design, research and strategic thinking to make meaningful progress towards a post-carbon built environment. We provide design services, undertake hands-on construction and refurbishment projects, and work with public, private and third sector organisations interested in developing and delivering a regenerative, low-carbon built environment.

Design

Our design team has a track record of producing award-winning, contextually specific buildings based on regenerative design principles, for both public and private clients. Our work demonstrates bio-based materials can produce generous, robust and beautiful spaces, and we work with clients to support informed decision-making about the whole-life time impact of their project, working across the project stages from brief development through to overseeing construction.

Research

Our not-for-profit lab supports public, private and third sector lead research working towards a lower carbon construction industry in the UK, with a focus on regenerative material sourcing and circular economies. Our projects address the barriers to change, from land-use and policy constraints to technical and material challenges in supply chains and on site. We deliver strategic planning, regenerative system design, material research and product development.

Make

MAKE is a learning platform that foregrounds practical and accessible construction skills. We run education programmes and courses that tackle the significant skills gap in the UK: the country lacks the technical knowledge and skills required to transition to a low carbon construction economy. At the centre of the project are hands-on workshops, led in partnership with master builders and material specialists from across the UK.

Material-Cultures-Dejeuner

Clients

Argent
Arup
The Architectural Association
The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Bauhaus Earth
Building Centre
Central Saint Martins, UAL
Charleston House
CIVIC SQUARE
Create London
The Design Museum
Evolving Forests
Fishtank
Grizedale Arts
Forestry England
HG Matthews
Hong Kong Design Institute
Human Nature
International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam
London Metropolitan University
The London School of Architecture
Naked House
Newham London Borough Council
re:arc Institute
Stiftung Sitterwerk
SOM Foundation
Timisoara Architecture Biennial
York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership
Woods into Management Fund
Wolves Lane Consortium

Directors

Paloma Gormley 
Summer Islam
George Massoud

Current Team

Chai Pandya
Daria Moatazed-Keivani
Francesca Leibowitz
Rory Corr
Sally Moussawi
Shreya Sarin
Will Bradley

Collaborators

Amica Dall
Andi Amirshah
Becky Little
Cecence
Esme Walker
Ffion Blench
Henry Stringer
Jeffrey Hart
Jez Ralph
Mark Harrington
Rachael Milliner
Sara Pereira
Will Stanwix
Work Ltd

Past Team

Alastair Howard
Alessandra de Mitri
Amaya Hernandez
Aya Mousa
Caroline Esclapez
Caitlin McNamara
Ceri Hedderwick Turner
Christopher Kokarev
Christopher Gabe
Connie Beauchamp
Cosmin Chirpac
Eloise Coleman
Francesca Tattersall
Joy Mulandi
Ker Jia Goh
Louise Underhill
Margit Kraft
Marwa El Mubark
Nana Adu-Offeh
Riyam Salim
Sam Little
Sara Sherif
Sodueari Graham-Douglas
Tom Hart
William Hayter
Xiao Fang

 

Selected Press

 

08.2023
Materials library: Material Cultures, Jason Sayer, Architecture Today  

08.2023
How to build a biodegradable house, by Malaika Byng, Financial Times Weekend 

07.2023
In Search of Sustainable Materials, Architects are Turning to an Unusual Source: Hemp, Francesca Perry, BBC  

07.2023
London architecture exhibitions 2023: a guide to the best shows this month, Ellie Stathaki, Wallpaper

06.2023
Material Reform: Building for a post carbon future, Elke Krasny, Drawing Matter  

05.2023

The Big Picture: A Conversation with Material Cultures

Will Higginbotham, Well Life, Lived Well

05.2023

The Building Materials of the Future Might Be Growing in Your Backyard

Marianna Janowicz, Untapped Journal


04.2023
Material Cultures workshops support shift towards sustainable building practices, Ellie Stathaki, Wallpaper

02.2023

Green Labour: Material Reform and The Value of a Whale

George Kafka, The Architectural Review

 

01.2023

Homegrown show makes compelling case for post-carbon construction

Pamela Buxton, The RIBA Journal

 

01.2023

London architecture exhibitions 2023: a guide to the best shows this month

Ellie Stathaki, Wallpaper

 

01.2023

Material Reform: Building for a Post-Carbon Future

Vanessa Norwood, The London Society

Selected Writing

06.2023
Planting a Seed, Keynote article by Summer Islam, The Architectural Review, Plants Issue

Summer, 2023
On Regeneration, article by Material Cultures with Jess Gough, Real Review, Issue 14


Selected Books

Material Reform
Material Cultures with Amica Dall
2022, Mack Books

Build: From High to Low Tech
Hinterland Architecture Studio
2022, Build Porto

Manual of Biogenic House Sections
Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, David J. Lewis
2022, ORO Editions


Radical Architecture of the Future,
Beatrice Galilee
2020, Phaidon

Houses That Can Save the World
Courtenay Smith, Sean Topham
2022, Thames and Hudson




Material Cultures Policies