Our design team produce award-winning, contextually specific and ambitious buildings for both public and private clients. Our work is based on regenerative principles, using regionally sourced, low carbon materials to produce spaces that are high performance, spatially generous and often economic to build. We can provide support with brief development, masterplanning, design development and project management, taking an integrated approach to project delivery that ensures robust, functional and well detailed buildings.
Our highly location specific approach means both the spatial and material resolution of each project is developed in conversation with our clients, and in response the particular qualities of the site, including wider ecological context. We can work with our clients to indentify and develop an appropriate material pallet and construction approach, take a project through planning and permissions processes, manage collaborative design processes and oversee or undertake construction.
We also work with clients to develop detailed maintenance and care plans, from yearly maintenance to guidance on once in a generation cyclical renewal of key elements and post-occupany deconstruction and decomposition. We provide independently verified whole-life time impact assessements, which can be integrated into the design process to help both clients and design team understand the impact of specific material and design decisions on the over all ecological and carbon footprint of the project.
Clients
Arup
The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Cecence
Central Saint Martins, UAL
The Design Museum
Grizedale Arts
Forestry England
HG Matthews
Human Nature
London Metropolitan University
Naked House
Newham London Borough Council
SOM Foundation
Timber Strategies
Work Ltd
Xylotek
Collaborators
Alessandra de Mitri
Alastair Howard
Aya Mousa
Ceri Hedderwick-Turner
Christopher Gabe
Christopher Kokarev
Connie Beauchamp
Daria Moatazed-Keivani
Eloise Coleman
Henry Stringer
Ker Jia Goh
Jeffrey Hart
Joy Mulandi
Marwa El Mubark
Sam Little
Sodueari Graham-Douglas
Tom Hart
William Hayter
Will Stanwix
Areas of Activity
Material Cultures Design
Our design team produce award-winning, contextually specific and ambitious buildings for both public and private clients. Our work is based on regenerative principles, using regionally sourced, low carbon materials to produce spaces that are high performance, spatially generous and often economic to build. We can provide support with brief development, masterplanning, design development and project management, taking an integrated approach to project delivery that ensures robust, functional and well detailed buildings.
Material Culture Homes
Our industry facing work is primarily concerned with scaling, and how emerging methods of construction, including off-site fabrication have the capacity to transform the way we build, from the safety and comfort construction work through to developing regional economies around the production of bio-based materials in ways that support and regenerate local ecologies.
Material Culture Lab
Our research-based work (see) explores how land-use, material science and design practices can come together to create robust and regenerative supply chains that create high quality built environments. We cover a wide range of areas, including land use and distribution, material development and integration or implementation into industry. Our work learns from vernacular traditions and addresses not only sourcing and material use but also cultures of care, maintenance and modes of occupation.
Summer Islam
Summer Islam AADipl (hons) ARB is a founding Director of Material Cultures. Her work is focussed on the holistic integration of construction technologies and design. Summer co-runs 'Construction in Detail' in the Spatial Studies department at the University of the Arts London. Summer has taught at the Bartlett, University College London, the London Metropolitan University, the Architectural Association and the University of Cambridge. She was previously an associate at award-winning design practice 6a architects in London. Summer co-founded architecture and design practice Studio Abroad with George Massoud in 2014.
Paloma Gormley
Paloma Gormley MA (Cantab) is a founding Director of Material Cultures. She is an internationally acclaimed designer responsible for a series celebrated architectural and urban projects. Her work is rooted in a creative pragmatism whilst drawing on new technologies and the integration of new materials. Paloma co-runs 'Construction in Detail' in the Spatial Studies department at the University of the Arts London and has previously taught at the Bartlett, University College London and the London Metropolitan University. She founded Practice Architecture with Lettice Drake in 2009, through which she has completed a number of critically acclaimed arts and cultural projects, including the theatre at the Yard, a performance space for Bold Tendencies. and The Peckham Hotel.
George Massoud
George Massoud AA Dipl ARB RIBA is a Director at Material Cultures. He is an architect, educator and cultural worker. In practice, George has extensive experience working on a range of arts projects, complex refurbishments and commercial developments. He is a founding director of Studio Abroad, which he established with Summer Islam in 2014. George is Unit Master at the Architectural Association, exploring how alternative social ecologies are shaped through material and spatial politics. He is also producer and founding member of POA, a feminist, queer community platform for reimagining value systems through mutual interdependence.
Collaborators
Alessandra de Mitri
Alastair Howard
Aya Mousa
Ceri Hedderwick-Turner
Christopher Gabe
Christopher Kokarev
Connie Beauchamp
Daria Moatazed-Keivani
Eloise Coleman
Henry Stringer
Ker Jia Goh
Jeffrey Hart
Joy Mulandi
Marwa El Mubark
Sam Little
Sodueari Graham-Douglas
Tom Hart
William Hayter
Will Stanwix
Material Cultures Design
Our design team produce award-winning, contextually specific and ambitious buildings for both public and private clients. Our work is based on regenerative principles, using regionally sourced, low carbon materials to produce spaces that are high performance, spatially generous and often economic to build. We can provide support with brief development, masterplanning, design development and project management, taking an integrated approach to project delivery that ensures robust, functional and well detailed buildings.
Material Culture Homes
Our industry facing work is primarily concerned with scaling, and how emerging methods of construction, including off-site fabrication have the capacity to transform the way we build, from the safety and comfort construction work through to developing regional economies around the production of bio-based materials in ways that support and regenerate local ecologies.
Material Culture Lab
Our research-based work (see) explores how land-use, material science and design practices can come together to create robust and regenerative supply chains that create high quality built environments. We cover a wide range of areas, including land use and distribution, material development and integration or implementation into industry. Our work learns from vernacular traditions and addresses not only sourcing and material use but also cultures of care, maintenance and modes of occupation.
Unit 15, Regent Studios, 8 Andrews Road, London E8 4QN
E info@materialcultures.org
T 02072543376
Unit 15, Regent Studios, 8 Andrews Road, London E8 4QN
E info@materialcultures.org