All of us spent the weekend in the woods in Gloucestershire to … build things. Studio in the Woods is a weekend workshop for students and architects to construct experimental architectural installations designed to reveal an aspect of place.
Gianni Botsford and Kate Darby’s group spent the weekend in a large ditch surrounded by nosy cows. Grappling with the scale of the landscape, the group built a huge wooden truss formed by the topography of the ditch. On the final day all participants and tutors lifted, turned and placed the truss as a positive ‘cast’ further down the field. It was an awe inspiring experience of landscape and scale. See the video here
Piers Taylor and Meredith Bowles’ group cracked complex geometries stacking planks - without any mechanical fixing - to build a bird hide with exclusive views of the sky. Powerful and calm within the natural surroundings it now sits on a peninsula in the lake.
Toby Lewis’ group dived into the lake to ground their jetty. Beautifully detailed with seductive geometries, the installation connects the flatness of the lake with the vertical forest edge. It rises up high to offer a look-out seat in the trees. Not even put off by the prospect of having to lift (with bare hands) the final part into the trees at 4m height the group even carried on after most people had left.
And our group, we built a badger and sky (the badgers are rarely spotted) watching platform in a clearing in the woods….some called it positively ‘anarchic and pleasure driven’ – and so it was! (see: homepage > projects > participation > studio in the woods)
Talks and crits with Ted Cullinan, Peter Clegg and Charlie Brentnall were woven into the programme throughout the weekend, enthusing and inspiring.
Do we sound pathetically enthusiastic? Well those who were there know what a great experience it was.
Studio in the Woods is an annual event organized by Mitchell Taylor Workshop, see Mitchell Taylor Workshop's website for more pictures.
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