Studio Makes Old Materials Shine Again
Tuckey Design Studio, a London-based studio, is known for its creative approach to adaptive reuse and new builds, taking a circular and materially sensitive approach to design and construction. The studio’s founder, Jonathan Tuckey, explains that they were faced with an interesting challenge when building a new house in the Wiltshire countryside in England, as they typically only work with existing buildings.
The client wanted to build a house on the site of a disused Victorian brickworks, but the existing building was not suitable, so the studio had to find a way to reuse the site in some way. They turned to unstabilized rammed earth as a solution, using materials such as clay, gravel, and crushed brick and concrete aggregate from the former brickworks.
Rammed Earth House
The resulting Rammed Earth House is a textured, quietly alluring domestic complex, embellished with traditional materials such as cedar shingles, copper, and reclaimed greenheart timber. The process of making it was labor-intensive, involving the demolition of the existing buildings, excavation of clay, and sorting of waste into piles.
The studio had to work out the optimal building material composition, using a 25/25/25/25 ratio of clay, demolition aggregate, locally sourced limestone gravel, and water. Local contractors had to be trained in building with the material, and the walls were painstakingly constructed layer by layer, with the rammed earth manually compressed by the builders.
Jonathan Tuckey notes that this project was a learning experience for the studio, and it has led to new initiatives, including setting up a rammed earth factory to make prefabricated rammed earth panels.
This will allow for quicker and more cost-effective construction, as well as reducing waste and generating income from recycled materials. The studio is working on several new projects, including a set of six terraced houses in Wiltshire or Gloucestershire, a homestead with four residences and communal facilities, and a new home in Surrey, England made of timber, hempcrete, and lime concrete.
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They are also working on a residential interiors project in Yorkshire, which involved reconfiguring the home’s layout as well as creating bespoke joinery, furniture, and murals. The studio has also developed an ongoing stream of work reconciling buildings for hospitality.
The studio is driven by a desire to understand how people use buildings and why they are the way they are, rather than following specific styles or trends. Their approach to design and construction is rooted in reuse and recycling, and their use of materials such as rammed earth, hempcrete, and reclaimed timber reflects this.
Jonathan Tuckey’s goal is to create buildings that are not only sustainable but also beautiful and functional. The studio’s work demonstrates the potential of adaptive reuse and circular design, creating unique and innovative spaces that reduce environmental impact and promote social and economic benefits.
In the context of current environmental challenges, the studio’s approach to design and construction is particularly relevant. By reusing and recycling materials, they are able to create spaces that reduce waste and promote sustainability.
One of the key benefits of the studio’s approach is the potential to reduce construction costs and promote affordability, as evidenced by their plans to use prefabricated rammed earth panels in future projects. This approach could have significant implications for the construction industry, particularly in terms of promoting sustainable and affordable housing, and human connection through design.
As the studio continues to push the boundaries of adaptive reuse and sustainable design, their work serves as a model for others in the industry, highlighting the potential for innovative and environmentally friendly design solutions to promote social, economic, and environmental benefits.
