▣ TYPE: Demonstrator / Retrofit

▨ CLIENT: London Borough of Newham
▤ KEY MATERIALS: Reclaimed CLT / Wetland Boards
▦ METHODOLOGY: 1:1 Prototyping

▥ COLLABORATORS: Tipping Point East /Yes Make / RESOLVE Collective / London Borough of Newham

Tipping Point East is the largest climate futures centre in Europe, combining circular and biobased materials at scale to create a regenerative supply loop for the built environment and creative industries in the UK. The 7000 sqm site, established by Yes Make, Material Cultures, RESOLVE Collective and the Mayor of London will accelerate the shift towards net-zero and develop the construction sector's green skill capacity. 

Tipping Point East was catalysed by research and models developed by Material Cultures and Arup for LB Newham in 2022. The 'Circular Economy Construction Hub' report demonstrated the value of critical infrastructure for the circular economy in London that would be uniquely positioned to support the GLA and local authority objectives to shift away from the linear material use prevalent in construction today (‘make, use, discard’) and towards a circular construction economy while also supporting high-quality jobs and unique training and educational opportunities for residents and newcomers alike. 

The retrofit of the existing warehouses on site to accomodate the Tipping Point East programme will utilise only reclaimed materials, including CLT from a building in Mayfair, glazing from a commercial office space in Holborn, and electrical items from a building in Victoria. The new office spaces, meeting rooms, and event spaces will occupy the interior of the warehouses without undertaking major infrastructural changes to the existing structures, thus preserving the adaptability of the site.

Photography by Henry Woide