MultiPly is one of the Landmark projects from the London Design Festival 2018, which ended yesterday. It was designed by Waugh Thistleton Architects who specialise in sustainable buildings across London, in both the commercial and residential sectors.
I knew them since I noticed one of their new developments in the Finsbury Park area, which is called Woodberry Down. I was secretly hoping to rent a flat there, but someone made an offer before I could even contact the agency!
Then I discovered that Waugh Thistleton was in charge of one of the Landmark projects for the London Design Festival. This year the LDF was busier than ever and it spread around more areas of the city. I couldn't visit many exhibitions but nevertheless I saw some that were really interesting. Certainly, MultiPly is one of them and it became more special since I had the pleasure to interview one of their founders. And this was honestly the most inspiring moment of the entire festival for me.
A. For the last 15 years, we’ve been designing buildings in timber and we’ve built all sorts of them from tower blocks to office buildings, cinemas, and synagogues. A lot of our practice is about researching different types of timber, panels, beams, columns, and different types of wood. And so what we’ve done here is to work with an American hardwood, this tulipwood, which is a low-grade fast-growing hardwood from the East of United States, and to press it into engineered panels, in a way to improve the strength and the durability of the material and how easy it is to work with.
Also at the same time, a lot of our work recently has been around prefabricated houses, so the industrialised processes of construction, rather than building. You know the way we build buildings now really is the same as it was a hundred years ago. Every other industry, every other design profession has embraced industrialisation and digital technology. So the idea behind this is about the opportunities of industrialisation to create great design and architecture. Also about using natural materials, surrounding issues around climate change, and carbon capture. And also about 'Biophilia', you know the understanding that being surrounded by natural materials is good for you, makes you happier, makes you healthier, less stressed, etcetera.
A. Yes, of course.
A. Yes, it is made of wood. I think for a lot of architects that are interested in the sustainable practise of construction, and we’ve always been really focused on making it mainstream. So we work for big developers, for big housebuilders and we work with them on how to produce more sustainable, environmentally aware construction processes.
A. Yes, we do everything we can get.
A. Well, we look at every material that we use. And we look at it in terms of the amount of energy that’s gone into it to recycle, how easy it is to reuse, how it is produced, etc. As a practice, I think if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem, in terms of climate change.
© David Parry
And as architects and designers we are supposed to take on board the responsibility of our industry, to be design leaders. Most architects do not engage with issues of sustainability at all. It’s about maybe some more insulation or a solar panel on the roof, but it’s a bit more serious than that.
A. You know, I have built some really fabulous buildings, I have been really lucky. I have built my own house.
I think we would really like to be involved in a well-founded dynamic partnership with somebody who was making modular housing. That’s really what my fascination is. As in tall modular housing, so no single-family housing but an actual solution to have on a housing prices. So that’s what we are looking for.
A. Do what you believe in.
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