BA Architecture students at London Metropolitan University have collaborated with the National Forest, South Derbyshire District Council and the Burton and South Derbyshire College (Construction), to design and build a climate change pavilion made from 100 ash tree thinnings with ash dieback.
The project seeks to educate our students about sustainable forest management, local timber sourcing and efficient design with roundwood for the built environment. Importantly, the project also offers students practical experience of collaboration with others by mimicking professional workflows found in industry.
Early conceptual designs and structural roundwood joints were tested at the 1:1 scale in London and Mudchute Community Farm in the first semester. These designs and joints were then critiqued and refined in early-stage collaboration with structural engineers from Structure Workshop.
A final pavilion design was established through a competition stage where students presented designs to the local council. A suite of architectural drawings were then issued to construction students at Burton and South Derbyshire College, who acted as building contractors on the project. The pavilion structure was prefabricated in the college grounds, disassembled and transported a few miles for use in Swadlincote High Street.
The pavilion is a temporary structure and will function as a public climate change exhibition space for use by schools and the local South Derbyshire community. It will promote greater awareness of local climate change issues and highlight the resources and greenspaces available to residents in the National Forest. After the exhibition phase, the pavilion will be disassembled and relocated for use as a woodland retreat for visitors to the National Forest.
Teaching has been led by architect tutors Robert Barnes and Siân Moxon, with supplementary technology workshops with me based on findings from the roundwood research project, Home Grown House (Coppice Construction, TTJ September/October 2021).
By integrating applied research with teaching, the project enlivens the architecture curriculum and enriches the student experience by enabling interaction with communities and the natural environment. Engaging students in a broad range of tasks, modes of learning / assessment, collaboration and societal issues in the community also help us demonstrate London Met’s commitment to duty of care, giving back to society and education for social justice.
