{"id":1187,"date":"2026-10-02T06:15:53","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T06:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/?p=1187"},"modified":"2026-10-02T14:01:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T14:01:50","slug":"pioneering-the-potential-2026-october-november","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/?p=1187","title":{"rendered":"Pioneering the Potential 2026 \u2013 October & November"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gwynfaen \u2013 photo Stride Treglown<\/sup><\/p>\n

Pioneering the Potential 2026 \u2013 October & November<\/h2>\n

Homegrown \u2013 Earth, Timber and Bamboo<\/h3>\n

Homegrown – Growing the Regional Timber Culture, Earth and Waste Bricks in Design and Community<\/strong>, and Bamboo in a Warming Climate <\/strong><\/p>\n

Three Earth, Wood and Natural Materials <\/strong>evenings hosted by Fourth Door Research<\/strong><\/a>* in Lewes, Sussex October & November 2026. Gwynfaen:<\/strong> the UK\u2019s largest local timber housing development, Local Works Studio\u2019s Waste Brick <\/strong>for Design Museum Gent and atelier one<\/strong> and Will Cottrell\u2019s<\/strong> Bamboo journeys<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Fourth Door\u2019s annual Lewes timber and natural materials programme, hosts three evenings focusing on the culture of wood, land and fibre-based natural materials.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

October 23rd<\/sup> \u2013 Homegrown 01 – <\/strong>Forest & Frame: <\/strong>Growing the Regional Timber Culture <\/strong>\u2013 Timber talks evening<\/strong><\/p>\n

7.30pm \u2013 StudioHardie workshop \u2013 Unit 4, Phoenix Works, Lewes, BN7 2PE, East Sussex, map here<\/a>\u00a0(TBC)<\/p>\n

Tickets \u00a310.00 (\u00a37.50 Lewes\/BN7 residents \u00a33.50 \u2013 benefits\/students) \u2013 Eventbrite<\/a><\/p>\n

Rob Wheaton<\/strong>, Stride Treglown on Gwynfaen, South Wales, the UK\u2019s largest local timber housing project, plus Finbar Charleson<\/strong>, from dRMM on their English woodland research and the Forestry Commission Southeast\u2019s Matthew Woodcock<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In more detail<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

November 6th<\/sup> \u2013 Homegrown 02 – New bricks for old<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben Bosence,<\/strong> Local Works Studio and Alice Hardy<\/strong>, the Triangle<\/p>\n

5.00pm \u2013 Circus Kinetica, the Soap Factory, Phoenix Works, Lewes, BN7 2QJ, East Sussex, map here<\/a><\/p>\n

Tickets \u00a38.50 (\u00a36.50 Lewes\/BN7 residents \u00a32.50\/pay what you can \u2013 benefits\/students) \u2013 Eventbrite<\/a><\/p>\n

Ben Bosence<\/strong>, Local Works<\/strong>Studio<\/strong>, talking about the recently re-opened Design Museum, Gent, for which the studio helped develop a low carbon brick out of local waste material<\/p>\n

Alice Hardy, <\/strong>Global Generation\u2019s Community Build Manager on the Triangle\u2018s New Garden Story<\/strong>, a community urban gardening home and hub.<\/p>\n

In more detail<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

November 20th\u00a0<\/sup>Homegrown 03 \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>Bamboozler: Bamboo and a warming planet<\/strong><\/p>\n

Neil Thomas<\/strong>, atelier one and Will Cottrell<\/strong> (Lewes resident artist)<\/p>\n

7.30pm \u2013 The Lodge, 18 Phoenix Place, Lewes BN7 2QJ map<\/a><\/p>\n

Tickets \u00a38.50 (\u00a36.50 Lewes\/BN7 residents \u00a32.50\/pay what you can \u2013 benefits\/students) \u2013 Eventbrite<\/a><\/p>\n

Neil Thomas<\/strong>, atelier one <\/strong>and Will Cottrell<\/strong> (artist and Lewes resident) on their Isle of Wight Pavilion collaboration, and other Bamboo related projects on a warming planet<\/p>\n

In more detail<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Arc, the Green School Gymnasium, Bali by atelier one and Ibuku \u2013 photo \u2013 Thomasso Riva<\/sup><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS, PROJECTS, AND EVENING THEMES \u2013 in further detail<\/h3>\n

Homegrown 01 evening <\/strong>\u2013 Forest & Frame \u2013 three evening talks on growing the regional timber culture <\/strong><\/p>\n

Rob Wheaton<\/strong>, Stride Treglown on the Gwynfaen Welsh timber housing development, plus Finbar Charleson<\/strong>, dRMM and Matthew Woodcock<\/strong>, Forestry Commission<\/p>\n

\n
\nIn Depth<\/i><\/summary>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Gwynfaen \u2013 photo Stride Treglown<\/sup><\/p>\n

R<\/strong>ob Wheaton, Stride Treglown – Gwynfaen timber housing development<\/strong>: set in South Wales\u2019s Gower peninsula and with 144 timber frame housing units built from Welsh wood, Gwynfaen<\/a>\u00a0is the largest local timber residential project in the UK to date.<\/p>\n

Project architect, StrideTreglown\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0Rob Wheaton, <\/strong>will explore how this project managed to ensure local Welsh timber could be specified as a key material on Gwynfaen, both immediately relevant to Human Nature\u2019s plan for Phoenix Lewes\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0own all-timber urban district.<\/p>\n

Finbar Charleson<\/strong>, dRMM<\/strong> \u2013 Charleson is research lead at dRMM<\/a>, one of London\u2019s industrial timber pioneers<\/a>, and will talk about the architects role in Building from England\u2019s Woodlands<\/a>\u00a0research project, and other ongoing collaborative research into indigenous timber, next prospective steps in growing its take up, and the projects R&D examples that were shown at its V&A Museum exhibition, Make-Good: Building from Forests<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Make-Good: Building from Forests, the V&A Museum exhibition \u2013 photo dRMM<\/sup><\/p>\n

Matthew Woodcock<\/strong>, Partnerships & Expertise Manager, Forestry Commission <\/strong>\u2013 Matthew is a forester and senior manager at the Forestry Commission\u2019s Alice Holt<\/a>\u00a0Forest, Farnham Southeast HQ. As a long-term FC regional manager Matthew comes with many years of experience in forestry and wood culture across the Southeast.<\/p>\n

Matthew will be talking about the Forestry Commission\u2019s<\/a> evolving approach to the potential of locally sourced timber in the region, and specifically, regarding beech hardwoods, with around 60, 000 ha\u2019s of stands currently coming to maturity.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Friston forest \u2013 photo Oliver Lowenstein<\/sup><\/p>\n

Further<\/strong><\/p>\n

Growing the Regional Wood and Timber Culture <\/strong><\/p>\n

Growing the regional wood and timber culturehas been a major theme of Fourth Door\u2019s wood and timber culture focus since the early 2000s.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Coming soon<\/h4>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Homegrown 02 – New bricks for old – Ben Bosence,<\/strong> Local Works Studio and Alice Hardy<\/strong>, the Triangle\u2019s New Garden Story<\/p>\n

Ben Bosence<\/strong>, Local Works<\/strong>Studio<\/strong>, will talk about a specially developed brick made out of local waste material for the recently re-opened Design Museum Gent and other LWS projects + Alice Hardy<\/strong>, Global Generation\u2019s Community Build Manager on participatory building and making at the Triangle\u2018s New Garden Story<\/strong>, the urban gardening charity\u2019s first permanent community hub.<\/p>\n

\n
\nIn Depth<\/i><\/summary>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Design Museum Gent \u2013 photo Johan Dehlin<\/sup><\/p>\n

Ben Bosence<\/strong>, a specialist in clay, earth and soil-based materials, is a co-founder Local Works Studio<\/a>, a materials studio working out of Barcombe, Sussex, comprising designers, researchers and hands-on circular economy specialists, focusing on the creative use of site-based materials, local manufacture and processing. They provide sensitive, collaborative design, innovative craftsmanship, and holistic strategies for participatory shaping and improvement of our environments.<\/p>\n

Local Works Studio<\/strong> have been working with the Design Museum Gent<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 which re-opened at the beginning of the month \u2013 on a specially developed Gent Waste Brick<\/a> (made out of local waste material and reducing the bricks carbon footprint by two thirds.) A collaboration with the museum\u2019s architects, CamodyGroarke<\/a> and Belgian materials specialists BC Materials<\/a>, this is the latest in the studio\u2019s ten years of research and live projects<\/a>\u00a0focused on developing circular low to no carbon material strategies and solutions.<\/p>\n

Further <\/strong>\u2013 BC Materials on the Gent Waste Brick<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Cinzia Romanin\/Thomas Noceto<\/sup><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Triangle New Story Garden \u2013 photo Jan Kattein Architects<\/sup><\/p>\n

Alice Hardy<\/strong> is Global Generation’s Community Build Manager. Alice is an Architect & Lecturer at University College London with a background in sustainable development and community participation in the built environment. She has worked as an architect including with the Triangle\u2019s New Story Garden<\/a>\u00a0designers, Jan Kattein Architects<\/a>, where she developed skills in site management and previously with Studio Weave. Alice\u2019s particular interest in how communities can be involved in the design and construction of the built environment and how this can foster and nurture new connections and partnerships.<\/p>\n

New Story Garden (the Triangle)<\/strong> is the first permanent home and hub for the community organisation, Global Generation, so named after its site sandwiched between two converging rail lines at the northern edge of the Kings Cross redevelopment. After many years of temporary gardens, the Triangle New Story Garden, designed by Jan Kattein Architects, opened summer 2026, and is the latest stage in Global Generation\u2019s mission to provide mixed community programmes fusing urban food growing, self-build and carpentry, cooking and eating together with story-telling, creative writing, reflection and mindfulness.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Making earth bricks on Global Generations Triangle site \u2013 photo Jan Kattein Architects<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Homegrown 03 \u2013 Bamboozler: Neil Thomas<\/strong>, atelier one and Will Cottrell<\/strong>, artist<\/p>\n

Neil Thomas<\/strong> and Will Cottrell<\/strong> have been collaborating on an experimental bamboo pavilion for an Isle of Wight zoo, after meeting on the Bamboo U design initiative of Ibuku and the Bali Green School<\/a>, where Thomas teaches and Cottrell was a student.<\/p>\n

\n
\nIn Depth<\/i><\/summary>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Photo \u2013 Thomasso Riva<\/sup><\/p>\n

Neil Thomas<\/strong> is co-director of and co-founder of the boutique engineers atelier one<\/a>, who have been developing expertise in bamboo engineering and design in partnership with Ibuku<\/a>, co-completing several projects including the Arc<\/a>\u00a0(the Green School\u2019s gym building) Lumi Shala<\/a>, a yoga and gathering space, alongside projects in the Philippines<\/a>, Mexico and most recently the Pangolin Shield<\/a> temporary pavilion in London. Alongside their Bamboo work, atelier one have been engineers on prestige international projects ranging from Singapore\u2019s Gardens By the Bay<\/a> to stage set design for U2\u2019s 360<\/a> and PopMart<\/a> world tours.<\/p>\n

Will Cottrell<\/strong> is an artist living in Lewes who was inspired by bamboo\u2019s aesthetic, structural and cultural possibilities after participating in the Ibuku\/Green School Bamboo U<\/a> course. Cottrell has been exploring the materials since returning from Bali, recently showing his work in his autumn 2026 Lewes ArtWave exhibition<\/a> and the De La Warr Pavilion<\/a>, Bexhill. He has also been working with atelier one on the Isle of Wight pavilion, completed in August this year.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Divorce Engine: Will Cottrell <\/sup><\/p>\n

The evening will also explore the potential and perils of growing bamboo for Britain\u2019s broader built environment context in a time of a warming climate and research indicating temperature\u2019s may reach 45 degrees across England by the 2050s.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Bamboo U workshop in 2025 \u2013 photo Bamboo U<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Further Information<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pioneering the Potential 2026<\/strong> is in its seventh year after its first event in 2019 Pioneering the Potential and continues to highlight and draw attention to regional Weald & Downland wood, timber and natural materials cultures, connecting it with its sibling national and continental regional scenes and networks.<\/p>\n

* the Pioneering the Potential programme is supported by Making Lewes<\/a><\/p>\n

Fourth Door<\/a> – is a media, communications, events, and research platform, generally working in collaboration with a variety of partners. In addition, Fourth Door Research provides one-off consultancy and research.<\/p>\n

Annular<\/a> – Pioneering the Potential is supported by Annular<\/strong>, Fourth Door’s wood and timber culture web-portal.<\/p>\n

For further information please contact Fourth Door:
\n0044(0)1273 473501<\/a>
\n0044(0)7527 206856 <\/a>
\neditorial@fourthdoor.org<\/a>
\nwww.fourthdoor.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Supported by the Chalk Cliff Trust<\/p>\n

\"human-nat\"\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Fourth Door<\/a> \u2013 Making the Connections<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gwynfaen \u2013 photo Stride Treglown Pioneering the Potential 2026 \u2013 October & November Homegrown \u2013 Earth, Timber and Bamboo Homegrown – Growing the Regional Timber Culture, Earth and Waste Bricks in Design and Community, and Bamboo in a Warming Climate Three Earth, Wood and Natural Materials evenings hosted by Fourth Door Research* in Lewes, Sussex […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ongoing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1187"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1241,"href":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187\/revisions\/1241"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fourthdoor.org\/ongoing\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}