BakerBrown Studio, Collective Works, Groupwork, Webb Yates, UKGBC and Rowland Keable of Rammed Earth join the line-up at a seminar on whole life carbon and adaptive reuse delivered in partnership with HG Matthews on the morning of Tuesday 20th October as part of Regenerative Design 2026.
317 Finchley Road, the latest completed project in an ongoing series of investigations into the potential for hybrid stone and timber construction by Groupwork and Webb Yates Engineers. Photograph by Timothy Soar.
Sourcing natural and sustainable construction materials can present various challenges, but addressing these hurdles is crucial for promoting environmentally responsible and socially conscious building practices. This session brings together architects, engineers, materials specialists and policy experts to share case studies and applied research and to explore the issues around availability, cost considerations, certification and standards, quality and performance, education and awareness, regulatory compliance, supply chain transparency and local sourcing.
Chaired by Anna Hollyman of UKGBC, presentations include:
Jordan Panayi of Groupwork and Eleonora Regni of Webb Yates Engineers on the two practices’ on-going collaborative investigations into the use of natural stone in construction and the opportunities to unlock the potential of hybrid stone and and timber construction.
Siri Zanelli, co-founder of Collective Works, on the practice’s ongoing investigations into natural and low-carbon materials.
Rowland Keable partner Rammed Earth Consulting on the potential for earth construction as a means of accelerating the transition to regenerative design.
Anna Hollyman, Co-Director – Policy & Industry Intelligence at UKGBC on the national and local policy issues impacting on the wholesale adoption of sustainable and natural materials.
Lee Fox of BakerBrown Studio on the practice’s idiosyncratic approach to materiality from urban mining and harvest mapping to using spoil from site such as earth, clay and chalk for clay plasters and rammed walls to designing buildings as future material stores.
Specifying natural and sustainable construction materials
Tuesday 20 Oct, 8:30am – 11:30am
The Building Centre, London
Members of BakerBrown Studio pictured in front of Waste House at the University of Brighton, widely believed to the worlds’ first permanent building (performing to PassivHaus standards) constructed mainly from waste materials. Photograph by Agnese Sanvito.
Launched by Architecture Today, Regenerative Design 2026 is a month-long programme of exhibitions and events that takes place at the Building Centre throughout October 2026.
Specifying natural and sustainable construction materials is delivered in partnership with HG Matthews
