From regenerative design to material rationing, Christopher Ash and James Soane from Project Orange explore the urgent need for a paradigm shift in how we build, renovate, and engage with communities.
Project Orange founders Christopher Ash and James Soane photographed at their new studio in Lavenham, Suffolk. “It’s the ideal place to work from as it has a garden and a view of Tudor roof tops. It was originally an artist’s studio which was retained and added to. The interior is clad in old pine planks which lends a mellow ambience.”
The climate emergency is code red. Architecture is part of a system that is destroying our planet. We cannot keep pretending that the problems will be fixed with new technologies. The whole system has to change, and architecture cannot solve this. Exponential growth and extraction are symptoms of `Necrocapitalism’. That the UK has committed to reach Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is tragic and will be far too late.
Regenerative Practice is the closest blueprint to a pathway forward. However, until governments globally commit to ambitious targets and new thinking, we are tinkering at the edges. Depressing I know. Looking ahead I believe there will need to be rationing of materials which could both bring challenges and rewards.
Working with landscape designers and gardeners changes how you think about the spaces in-between. They are alive with possibilities for nature and creatures. Most of our projects are now in a rural setting and we are committed to working with nature.
Over half our work is renovation, so we spend time considering how to save as much built fabric as possible. The UKGBC’s whole Life Carbon Roadmap 2025 notes the biggest emission reduction for the built environment needs to come from the residential sector, with emissions required to fall by 66 per cent by 2040. Thus working towards the upgrade of domestic fabric is hugely important, not least because 80% of the buildings standing now will still be there in 2050.
We recently completed a new-build house in Lavenham that is the nearest we have come to designing an off-grid home. Water and warmth are harvested and stored. Most of the materials were locally sourced, and we were able to omit the use plasterboard, with all internal finishes wet plastered by a local firm.
How do you foster co-design with local communities? It is important to ensure that people understand that they have a seat around the table, but that they are not being asked to become designers. However, it has been distressing to see how conversations that happen on social media have skewed the process producing toxic opinions, influencing outcomes and promoting outrage. I am not sure what the answer is to combat this; empathy and patience are key.
Christopher Ash and James Soane
Project Orange
Lavenham, Suffolk
