Architects are trained to choose materials, compare their properties, and decide how they should be used. Some practices are taking on a different task: developing the material itself.
For Material Cultures, BC architects, and Studio Ossidiana, this can begin with hemp grown for construction, earth excavated from building sites, or mixtures of concrete, pigment, stone, and shells. Their work connects material research with processing, fabrication, and construction.
From Choosing a Material to Defining One
Material Cultures explores material development through hemp and other bio-based resources. Flat House at Margent Farm in Cambridgeshire was central to the creation of the organization. For the project, hemp grown across 20 acres of the farm was used to develop prefabricated panels for a construction system intended for larger-scale housing. The collaboration also produced a hemp-fibre cladding product used for the first time on the house.
This work extends beyond the material itself. As George Massoud of Material Cultures explains, developing alternative materials requires understanding the ecosystem around them and the political economy that supports it. This includes where resources come from, who processes them, and how they reach construction.
BC materials, a branch of BC architects, works with resources commonly treated as waste, including excavated earth, agricultural by-products, and construction debris. Through testing and processing, these resources can become blocks, plasters, mortars, rammed-earth mixtures, and prefabricated construction systems. The practice develops bespoke materials for individual projects as well as standardized products, adjusting their composition and production according to each application. Its work extends from identifying a local resource to determining how the resulting material will be produced and used in construction.
Studio Ossidiana develops concrete-based materials by changing their ingredients and proportions. The studio describes this research as the creation of a new material vocabulary, combining pigments, stones, sand, and cement in different ratios to recover the expressive qualities of concrete. In Petrified Carpets, these variations produced pieces with different colors, textures, and surface finishes.
From Sample to Building
Moving from a material sample to a building introduces questions of scale, consistency, fabrication, and assembly. The material's dimensions and performance can affect the structure, enclosure, finishes, and construction sequence. Its production also requires equipment, time, and people with the necessary skills.
At Regional House Edeghem, designed by BC architects, compressed-earth blocks made with local clay form the structural arches, while hempcrete insulates the facade and roof. Around 19,000 blocks were produced during a three-week workshop, followed by the installation of 312 square meters of hempcrete over another two weeks. More than 150 volunteers participated in producing and building with the materials.
Working at this scale required coordinating production, construction, and knowledge transfer. The mixtures had to remain consistent as they were reproduced across thousands of blocks and hundreds of square meters of enclosure. Participants also needed enough instruction to prepare and install them correctly.
At Flat House, the development of hemp-filled prefabricated panels shaped how the building was produced and assembled. Manufactured off-site, the panels were raised into place in two days. The material system connected the cultivation of hemp at Margent Farm with the construction sequence of the house.
For Art Pavilion M in Almere, Studio Ossidiana developed Surf and Turf Terrazzo using local shells and aggregates drawn from horticulture. Its composition and surface finish were developed for the pavilion, giving the material a specific visual and tactile role within the architecture.
When Material Knowledge Travels
Material development can continue beyond the project where it began. At Lot 8, developed with Assemble and Atelier LUMA, BC materials is credited as the manufacturer. Its participation shows how material expertise developed within an architectural practice can later contribute to projects involving other teams.
This role reflects the broader evolution of BC architects, which has expanded its work through BC studies and BC materials to include research, training, prototyping, and material production. These activities allow knowledge developed through one project to inform later materials, construction systems, and collaborations.
The three practices organize this work differently. BC connects design, research, training, and production through related branches. Studio Ossidiana develops materials through individual projects and collaborations with specialist producers. Material Cultures connects material research with cultivation, processing, construction skills, and regional resources.
Across these practices, architects take part in stages that usually occur before a material reaches the design team. They source resources, develop mixtures, test components, and organize fabrication. Material production becomes part of the architectural process, expanding the architect's role from specifying what to build with to determining how those materials are made.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topic: The Architecture of Craft: Handmade Stories in a Digital Age. Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.
