Inventor Designer Environmentalist Architect
It doesn’t matter how small the product or how big the building the same principle applies – we must do a lot more with what we have without damaging the ability of future generations to live healthy lives whilst protecting the environment.
I design with natural and recycled materials to minimise any environmental impact. This is an essential consideration for any product or building. I have developed considerable experience working with forward thinking companies and inventive people to deliver innovative sustainable work.
2004 > 2010
Development and launch of the Ruralzed code 6 housing kit system (for Zedfactory)
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Heavy timber frame homes with Coolvault thermal mass blocks and ‘Lizard skin’ lareg format rainscreen designed and prototyped with Ibstock Brick
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Launched 2008 at Ecobuild with a cut away 3 bedroom house showing the anatomy of the eco-fabric construction
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The Ruralzed code 6 housing kit was the first commercially available zero carbon housing system in the UK
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All materials and systems were chosen for their environmental credentials and properties making the house an ‘eco-functional design
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The prototype house was transported from Earles Court to Grand Synthe in Dunkirk where it was launched as a model sustainable housing system
2002 > 2004
Forest Energy House heavy timber framed county house
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The Forest Energy House replaced an existing house built into the bank in the South Downs National Park. Planning permission was granted for an eco-house design of particular quality
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The house was designed around the ‘sun path’ to make the most of passive solar orientation and site with view across the Hampshire countryside the and a heavy timber frame.
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The house was ‘framed’ by the owner Mark Probyn - a furniture maker who trained as a boat builder - an included solar and a wood pellet boiler balanced against high levels of insulation.
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Oak cladding was procured locally with all the joinery made in the workshop - I also built furniture in the workshop under the tutorage of Mark including a desk, table and bed
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Planning was also granted for a furniture workshop built on a disused sand school hidden within woodland.
2015 > now
Clay masonry and terracotta rainscreen system prototyping
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Designs for the next clay cladding generation of cladding systems
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Patent application GB2576830A Masonry unit and structures made thereof
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Design registered for the interlocking brick concept 90056276680001; 90056276680002; 90056276680003; 90056276680004
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Patent pending - GB2594689A Masonry panel assembly system, method and masonry panel
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The brick and system can be used in simple or highly complex brickwork bonding and patterns
2009 > 2010
Development and launch of the Landark (for Bill Dunster Architects, Zedfactory)
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Bill set a brief for the development of an off-grid cabin concept for sustainable living design and assembles by the practice
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The ark had to be designed and built for Ecobuild 2009 in only 4 weeks from scratch - a very tight launch date
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The construction concept was that all components had to be palletised and CNC machined without metal connections
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The ark uses a locked chain structure with semi-circular frames like the hull of a ship with each made from standardised components
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The connection details are derived from 19c carpentry construction and also from split pegs used in Viking Ships which pin boards together
2005 > 2012
Upgrading existing buildings to improve energy performance whilst reducing environmental impacts
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Improve the building envelope thermal performance first (fabric first approach)
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Re-use materials such as timber for floors and fitout - the floors shown are old growth Douglas Fir relayed over insulation , sanded and oiled with clear OS wax
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A bathroom shelving unit to be installed into a vanity unit made from reclaimed pallets from South Asia. The timber white ebony (Diospyros malabarica) which is very unusual
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Make the best use of space by reusing components in furniture such as old pallets and galvanised tanks (shown with a curt down wardrobe door in a loft space)
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Apply renewable energy systems like solar thermal and pv. I installed the pv in 1930’s roof tiles and reused the ones taken out to patch the roof elsewhere
2018
Dining Table - putting wood, metal and glass together
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The table frame was originally designed for a wooden top mid 1990’s, the new larger and heavier waterjet cut glass top requiring the frame to be stiffened
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Constructed from unused fencing / gate Oak base and reclaimed fiddle back oak upper cantilevered supporting arms
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Jointed using tenon / through tenons with Joints wedged and glued with all wood finished with boiled linseed oil
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Painted steel struts reclaimed from a disused high energy floor lamp with threaded internal tendons
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Machined mill finish aluminium sourced from a scrapyard forming connection blocks
2010 > now
Create a biomorphic garden that maximises the potential of a small south facing garden at the rear of a terraced house
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Harvest rainwater in butts and overflow to pond - use solar pump to circulate water
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Use naturally durable land forming materials with untreated timbers such as oak sleepers or reclaimed materials
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Make your own compost from kitchen and garden waste - waste nothing and recirculate nutrients - to ‘grow’ your own soil
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If plants naturally grow through self seeding (such as fox gloves) encourage them as natural regeneration happens for a reason
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Organic home grown food including fruit, veg, herbs and flowers specifically grown for bees and insects
2010 > now
Create a biomorphic environment that maximises the potential of a small south facing garden to a terraced house
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Use companion planting to avoid the use of chemical treatments for pests - organic gardening is far better all round for ourselves and the environment
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Plant for food with high value crops such as fruit and herbs that can be rotated around the seasons including winter veg such as purple sprouting
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Structure the garden for ease of access including raised planters for children to pick strawberries and to keep crops slug free
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The biodiversity in the garden means that its an adventure for children but make sure they can harvest the fruit as part of an interactive environment
2010 > 2020
Transforming recycled materials and discarded components into useful furniture
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A bin store screen clad in left over cedar shingles left found in a shed with built-in planter from a reclaimed galvanised water tank (with drain at the bottom)
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A parcel box made from a small reclaimed galvanised water tank painted black and with reclaimed Douglas Fir rafters converted into frames and Western Red Cedar door for stability
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A bug hotel made from waste timber off-cuts and Western Red Cedar (damaged stock) with disused Victorian land drain pipes dug up from the garden filled with Chestnuts logs
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A milk box constructed from waste moisture resistant MDF, oak legs (profiles as found), reclaimed brass hinges, an oiled / painted cedar handle and pressed aluminium lid (over ply)
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The materials used need to be naturally durable like cedar and oak and use oil finishes on these that can be easily reapplied
2020
Designing around highly constrained areas that need bespoke joinery
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The entrance cabinet covers a tight arrangement of electrical meters, radiator, sockets, switches and cabling in the wall
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The cabinet was designed in outlined using 3D digital prototyping and then built in-situ with standard section of timber and scribed into uneven walls
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The cabinet has a tolerance gap to the ceiling so that it can be moved out as one, a continuous timber spine to join the sections, and a viewing panel for electrical meters
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The doors are standard sections of oiled American white oak whilst the frame is trade grade whitewood (spruce) with inner edges finished in a 18mm radius
1995 > 2003
Create a biomorphic form as emergency wilderness shelter and develop into fully recyclable furniture
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In 1995/96 whilst at the Danish Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen I developed a emergency wilderness shelter that inhabited the landscape
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The scale model was built in the workshops in 3 days with a soldered steel frame and shaped copper shell
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The idea of the form based on a steel chassis with plywood deck developed into a light weight aluminium bed frame with adjustable feet and the prototype was built in 2003
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I machined the 18mm thick birch plywood deck by hand with a router using templates in Mark’s furniture workshop but ideally these would be CNC cut
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All components can be easily disassembled and recyclable or reusable as part of a circular economy
1993 > 2021
Transforming a handmade 1:10 scale model of c.1250 Knights Templar barn truss into a play space
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The 1:10 threshing floor truss was constructed as a timber design elective whilst at Kingston Uni School of Architecture run by my structures tutor Brian
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Built with my grandfather the timber was hand squared and pegged with oak shaped through a dowel plate and finished in boiled linseed oil
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In 2020 my daughter asked for a dolls house so I decided to fabricate a floor, facades and roof from recycled timber left over from the dismantled carpentry workshop
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The cladding doors are made from uneven, extremely weathered water mill cut oak boards (likely cut in Brightling Park saw mill) with wire brushed and untreated surfaces
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The roof is to be covered in new split Chestnut shingles, upper infill panels are from an ancient copper tank that has tremendous patina (also used for a Uni project)
2020
Moving the office into the home and using materials that are to hand
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In mid March 2020 I moved from HTA’s London office to work from home. A table was needed for all the computer equipment quickly so I used materials to hand
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There was a set of funeral trestles from Brightling, East Sussex in the loft which were too short to work on and were originally painted black before sanding down
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The trestles were very likely made by my great, great grandfather who was the village wheelwright as the joinery is exactly the same as the church doors that I know his company made
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I extended the trestles with some oak and built a top from very old Santos mahogany complete with screw holes which was lightly sanded down but otherwise left unfinished
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The backboard is made from reclaimed farmyard timber with unused gate slates forming a services well along the back for cabling.
2019 > 2021
Toys that move
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The Thomas the tank engine was bought from a second hand shop for a couple of pounds but did not have the carriages Annie and Clarabel
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Each carriage is constructed from found materials including wheels from a washing machine (drum stops) and scrapyard metal offcuts
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The tow and draw bars are cut from spare loft ladder latches and the carriages are old birch plywood Ikea document holders cut down and refinished
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Cedar cladding, redwood offcuts form the bogies with aircraft birch plywood from a model shop bent and glued over unpainted Douglas Fir beams
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Wheel bearings are machined from brass and aluminium with interchangeable carriage bodies that can be swapped to face both ways on the bogies
2002> 2003
Making furniture from sustainably sourced and recycled timber
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A reclaimed mahogany (probably Cuban Mahogany) top trimmed out from old wardrobe doors with a sub-frame of timber from reclaimed door cills and frames
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The mahogany table is held in place with wooden buttons to allow for movement of the solid wood
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A 2004 Concept for a book matched chest of draws in Yew (unbuilt)
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2002 Jewellery making desk from European Oak solid laminated top and demountable frame connected with inserts and machine screws (in oversized holes)
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Different wood species are finished in boiled linseed, Danish or Tung Oil. Recycled materials need to be brought back to life but have provenance through marks which need to be kept
1995 - 1996
Beer and bread table (Kingston University mobile)
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The table formed part of a post graduate Diploma in Architecture project for a building designed whilst at Kingston University, London
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The point of the piece was to set the ‘straight line against the curve’ (in this case an organic shape) which is something I was taught in Denmark
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The round apple tree wood is from some very old trees in an orchard in Brightling, East Sussex which were decaying and falling over. The debarked wood is spectacularly burred
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The aligned frames are of contrasting and made from reclaimed mahogany with steel connections for adjustment so that the toughened glass top is evenly supported
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The beer and bread title was named by Trevor one of my diploma tutors and represents the refinement of organic materials into consumable products
1992 > 1993
Making prototypes with the materials with hand tools (compass saws, spoke shaves, draw knives and others)
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I was a first year architecture student when I was asked by family friends to present a proposal to the Battle Chamber of Commerce for greening the Abbey Green
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The historic Abbey green is owned by English Heritage who wanted the parking removed but there was an economic argument to keep it so my proposals only reduced parking by 3 spaces
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The planter design was prototyped at 1:10 and 1:2 in the carpentry workshop in plywood, painted steel and melted water pipes for drainage outlets to demonstrate the compound form
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The base is octagonal (following the Abbey gate towers) is swept up to a square neck with a square post arrangement (Modelled by Jenny)
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The intention was to use Corten steel with a marine grade timber frame but the project was not developed because of opposing view on what to do with the green (now pedestrianised)
2021 > now
Western Red Cedar 6’ and 3’ panels
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The old fence panels were past repair and the concrete posts (rear garden) had exposed rebar that had spooled off concrete cover
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I did not want to use thin treated panels that look rubbish and I wanted to keep the posts and avoid the need for new concrete
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The Western Red Cedar (FSC / PEFC certified) came in a fixed length pallet pack of 140x19x1830mm planed one side and sawn on the back
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The fencing is vertically boarded and fixed centrally with grade 316 s/s screws and washers to glue laminated rails to allow the timber to move
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The old concrete posts are over-clad and the front 3’ fence (6’ lengths cut into 2) uses left over aluminium angle posts grouted into old post pockets