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Category: Building

Growing the value of homegrown timber
To address the urgent need for a carbon neutral and economically regenerative future, how we manage woodland systems and value timber desperately needs rethinking. CAT graduate Jemma Ho explores inclusive, holistic and regenerative actions to sustain and develop the use of homegrown timber.

Jemma Ho

The area of woodland in the UK is estimated to be 3.25 million hectares – 13% of the total land area. Forest Research breaks this down as 19% in Scotland, 15% in Wales, 10% in England, and 9% in Northern Ireland.

In Wales, two thirds of woodland is on privately owned land, while only a third is publicly owned by the Welsh Government and managed by Natural Resources Wales. This means a large proportion of Welsh woodlands are at risk of being fragmentally managed for wildlife conservation, biodiversity significance, and mitigation of diseases and invasive species. As a result of this fragmentation and a lack of holistic due diligence across the construction industry, the maintenance of a secure supply of homegrown timber for construction is at risk. Today, the UK imports 80% of its timber for the construction industry, making it the second largest net importer of timber in the world.

Delving into woodlands

To discover how the timber supply chain operates, I toured nurseries, woodlands and sawmills. I studied structural timber joinery at the Centre for Advanced Timber Technology. And I enrolled on a 12-week short-course in Timber Technology and Engineering Design for built environment professionals at the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) in Herefordshire.

Through interviews with experienced ‘ground workers’, working with trees from the seed, through to plantation, all the way to felling and grading the tree for timber, I discovered that millions of UK-grown seedlings go unplanted simply because there isn’t a big enough workforce to plant them in the appropriate weather season. One operator at a nursery commented that there is a lack of government investment or subsidies in innovative forestry equipment to plant, maintain and grow trees to what is deemed as maturity.

I also interviewed several millers across Welsh sawmills, ranging from mainstream commercial operations to small cooperatives, and discovered that while various species of trees are measured and graded as to their appropriateness for construction, tonnes of tree thinnings go onto a “pile of waste” or are sold as firewood.

The UK can’t afford to keep throwing away these natural and precious resources. Woodland systems, land ownership, skills training, and innovation in timber development and its uses all urgently need collaborative rethinking.

Space to rethink timber

The findings from both my Master’s research and timber short course were steered not only by my interests in carpentry since a young age, but also from an awareness that in the last century the UK construction industry has been heavily influenced by steel production. This makes a major contribution to the overall impact of the built environment, emitting around 40% of greenhouse gases (GHGs). But this doesn’t have to be the way. It’s time to shift building in a more sustainable direction, where bio-based resources can be used in a regenerative way for the good of both communities and the planet.

In my final year of study on the M.Arch Sustainable Architecture programme at CAT, I was able to develop a project that responds to and reinforces the role of architectural design within the environmental debate. My proposal titled ‘Wood Culture Wales’ is a public centre that provides interdisciplinary learning environments and practical facilities, addressing the fragmentation and inconsistencies in the Welsh and UK timber industries. The aim is to catalyse activities across the timber production cycle that reduce our reliance on imports, boost skills, promote economic growth, and develop a truly sustainable future for Welsh timber production.

A new future for a derelict factory

My final design project includes a design proposal to uplift the derelict Wern Works factory in Briton Ferry, Southwest Wales, which was previously used for aluminium sheet rolling for British Airways Concorde jets, bringing significant economic benefit to this small Welsh town.

The theoretical scheme proposes celebrating and repurposing this historic building, reviving the existing heavyweight industrial steel frame, while ensuring minimal impact to the existing context by introducing innovative hybrid, reused and new-build construction strategies.

The four new-builds and two hybrid interconnected buildings aim to exemplify ways of using timber as a construction material – ranging from traditional timber frame, modern mass timber construction, and lightweight timber frame structures to adaptive reuse of other conventional construction materials. It’s a 21st century approach to industrial production and sustainable regeneration.

The project is driven by the development of six strategic concepts:
1. Uplift the economic context
2. Address forestry decline
3. Increase woodland creation and biodiversity
4. Innovate with waste
5. Catalyse timber craftsmanship
6. Develop and sustain a wood culture for Wales
Key spaces include:
- Three interconnected passively climate-controlled greenhouses to act as a living exhibition on how our trees could behave in future climates
- Makers’ gallery with hireable studios
- Conference centre, break-out spaces, nursery and accommodation
- Cabinet makers’ wood workshop, for adults and children
- Specialist boat-making workshop
- Visitor building for leisure activities, including a café and orientation gallery
- Outdoor exhibition space for various timber interventions
- Sawmill facilities (for local milling services)
- Reclamation yard for timber offcuts and exchange
Each building serves various user groups, ranging from young children to experienced professionals in the construction, timber and forestry industries to create a holistic knowledge-sharing environment.

The aim of this project is to advocate for urgent innovative actions within current Welsh supply chains to increase the industrial value of timber by creating a holistically streamlined supply of structural timber and better use of the ‘waste’ byproducts of production.

The Wood Culture Wales project highlights the pressing need to act now to use the knowledge our timber industries have to drive the development of lowercarbon construction materials. Timber is a resource that not only captures carbon but also creates greener jobs for future generations.

About the author

Jemma Ho is a graduate from CAT’s 2022– 24 Masters of Sustainable Architecture programme. She is an Architectural Designer at Architype, the UK’s leading architecture firm for sustainable buildings, primarily in the education and healthcare sectors.

In 2025, Jemma was recognised in The Architects’ Journal’s AJ100 Emerging New Talent list, recognising her rising influence within UK architecture. She is passionate about promoting the use of timber in construction.

Find out more about our M.Arch in Sustainable Architecture

Find out more about our M.Arch in Sustainable Architecture by looking at the programme description or by joining an upcoming open day.
November 14, 2025
Living architecture
Programme Leader Dr Carl Meddings shares a selection of our M.Arch Sustainable Architecture students’ final design projects showcasing regenerative design in a changing world.

Architecture matters. The ways we design, construct and adapt our homes, public spaces and infrastructure have deep environmental, social and cultural impacts. They shape lives, ecologies, landscapes and futures.

More than a qualification

The M.Arch Sustainable Architecture course at CAT is a challenge to the business-as-usual model of architectural practice. As an ARB-accredited Part 2 programme, it is a key step towards becoming a registered architect in the UK. But unlike conventional courses, it places the climate emergency, biodiversity loss and regenerative futures at its core. Our students learn not only how to build, but how to care, question and lead.

To build sustainably is not simply to reduce harm, but to actively do good; to repair, restore and regenerate. Students arrive with difficult, often radical, questions and leave with proposals that push boundaries. There is no token ‘eco-wash’ here; each project critically examines how humans (and more-thanhumans) can co-exist in inclusive and transformative ways.

We ask:
- What does it mean to design for uncertain futures?
- How do we retrofit not just buildings but mindsets?
- How can architecture support community, resilience, biodiversity and beauty?
- Who are we designing for?
The responses are ambitious: from low-impact, community-led retrofit to speculative visions of architecture as a catalyst for resilience. Students work with natural materials, circular economies, local craft and global systems thinking. Designs are rooted in place, culture and climate, yet speak to a world in need of repair.

Exploring how we must live, build and thrive

Each month, we gather at our spiritual home in the hills above Machynlleth for an immersive week of collaborative study. Students, staff and visiting tutors share a rhythm of inquiry, discussion, creativity and mutual support. We eat, build and learn together; from each other and from the place. CAT becomes, for that week, a microcosm of the types of communities we hope to inspire. The setting is both retreat and testing ground.

The dramatic landscape and shifting weather create a backdrop for exploration and shared purpose. In a world dominated by digital and dispersed learning, our time together is essential, giving texture to ideas and humanity to projects.

This year’s cohort has shown passion, intelligence and generosity. Their work is rigorous, imaginative and hopeful, rooted in research and sustained by solidarity. Architecture is inherently collaborative, and the students have demonstrated that community and care are vital tools of the profession.

In these projects, you will find technical skill, innovation and critical reflection, but also an ethic of care, a drive for justice, and a vision for a more balanced way of living. This is not an ending but a beginning, a contribution to the urgent conversation about how we must live, build and thrive in a time of profound ecological and societal challenge.

Student projects

Amelia Maddox – West Shore Kelp Desk, Llandudno, UK

The West Shore Kelp Desk is a coastal regeneration project in Llandudno, North Wales, combining seaweed cultivation with public education and environmental stewardship. Spanning two sites along the West Shore promenade, the scheme connects them through ecologically sensitive landscape interventions.

Central to the project is the cultivation of kelp and seagrass, species vital for biodiversity, carbon capture and coastal resilience, which are made visible and accessible as tools for climate education. Architecturally, it blends adaptive reuse with new-build structures. The West Shore Kelp Desk serves as a blueprint for sustainable coastal development.

Hannah Maxey – Holbeck Small Press Library, Leeds, UK

The Holbeck Small Press Library is a community-focused project situated between Holbeck and Holbeck Urban Village, just south of Leeds city centre. The project responds to the area’s poverty, poor living conditions and disconnection from the more affluent city centre by reimagining a disused library building as a grassroots cultural hub.

Rather than mirroring the British Library’s nearby expansion, which is geared toward research and business, the Small Press Library proposes a space centred on self-publishing, creativity and community participation. By questioning who regeneration truly serves, the Holbeck Small Press Library positions itself as a site of resistance, imagination and hope in the face of exclusion, inequality and environmental crisis.

Callum Lawlor – Acle Bridge Visitor Centre, Norfolk, UK

Located in the Norfolk Broads National Park, this project proposes a visitor and research centre that directly responds to the area’s pressing ecological challenges, including nutrient pollution, peatland degradation and biodiversity loss.

The centre supports habitat restoration, nutrient neutrality and public awareness of the Broads’ unique ecological and cultural value. The building is sensitively integrated into the landscape and ecological features are woven into the architecture, encouraging wildlife through nesting habitats and biodiverse planting schemes.

Functionally, the centre combines public education with scientific research, acting as a hub for learning, collaboration and long-term ecological care rooted in local knowledge and holistic systems thinking.

Millie Bush – Dowr Kernow, Water, Wellness and Knowledge, Cornwall, UK

Dowr Kernow (meaning ‘Water Cornwall’) is a project that reimagines our relationship with water in a world increasingly disconnected from natural rhythms. It challenges the narrative of pollution, industrial harm and ecological neglect, proposing instead a story of renewal, care and reconnection.

Dowr Kernow creates spaces where people can interact meaningfully with water: clean wild swimming spots; places of rest and convalescence; and learning environments focused on ecological awareness, water safety and self-care. The project advocates for a future in which water is treated with reverence, protected, shared and celebrated.

Thea Brooman – The Centre for Environment and Humanity, Kodaikanal, India

This project is situated in the high-altitude hill town of Kodaikanal in South India and is conceived as a catalyst for sustainable development for the town, its local community and the surrounding landscape.

The aim is to reconnect people with their local environment and promote stewardship of biodiversity. Developed on a site owned by a local international school, the proposal forms part of a broader initiative to transform an existing campus into a centre for ecological education, conservation and community engagement. Central to the vision is the restoration of the native Shola ecosystem, a unique and endangered montane forest that once thrived in the region.

Find out more about our M.Arch in Sustainable Architecture

More student projects can be viewed in our 2025 M.Arch Student yearbook.

Find out more about our M.Arch in Sustainable Architecture by looking at the programme description or by joining an upcoming open day.
November 7, 2025
CAT Conversations with Andy Baylis

Andy Baylis is a graduate of CAT’s MSc Green Building course, founding director of Jengo Sustainable Design, and a recently appointed CAT trustee.

We are thrilled to chat to him about his company’s pioneering sustainable construction practices and how postgraduate study at CAT influenced his approach to sustainable design.

Q: Lovely to chat with you Andy. Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led you to pursue a career in sustainable design and engineering?

I am a Chartered Civil and Structural Engineer, and I’ve worked in construction for nearly 30 years mostly in mainstream engineering consultancy firms in senior project delivery roles, people management and business development. I’ve had a passion for sustainability for decades but, apart from my self-build straw bale, had not managed to convince my employers to work in a sustainable fashion, so I decided to pursue the MSc in Green Building to delve into a new career in sustainable design and engineering.

Q: How has your MSc in Green Building from CAT influenced your approach to sustainable design?

Although I was an experienced Structural Engineer what I learnt at CAT transformed my confidence in delivering low impact design projects. Postgraduate study allowed me to apply my knowledge of climate and environmental impacts on the built environment to my new consultancy.

It was an amazing experience studying on-site at CAT during the teaching weeks, meeting wonderful fellow students and learning from inspirational and knowledgeable staff. It was a liberating change from working in a highly stressful mainstream construction profession.

Q: Can you describe some of the key projects Jengo has undertaken, and the sustainable materials and methods used?

Over the last four years I have progressed from standard residential construction to a majority of design in timber frame and retrofit projects. Key projects include the new Passivhaus home for fellow CAT graduate Janna Lann Lomas alongside several other Passivhaus timber frame buildings and I undertake the majority of timber frame design work for Broadaxe Timber Frames. Another increasing part of my work is with historic stone buildings in retrofit and conversion projects.

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in promoting sustainable construction practices?

Some architects, clients and contractors are not interested in non-conventional materials and ignore or resist alternative lower carbon solutions. I increasingly now refuse to take on projects that I deem are wasteful or highly impactful. However, there is a gradual improvement in knowledge through the work of organisations such as the IStructE and ACAN and I believe that CAT MSc courses would certainly be transformational for many designers and consultants.

Q: How do you see the construction industry evolving to meet the challenges of climate change, biodiversity, and pollution?

Although the solutions exist there are huge barriers to change as described in my dissertation on Sustainable Design of Foundations and Ground Floors. These range from skills, supply chains, procurement issues, code and regulation compliance, insurance, lack of a circular approach and a general lack of motivation and unwillingness to change or manage risks differently. To rise to these challenges, I’m hoping to continue to deliver less impactful building solutions, teach more within the industry and make an impact as a CAT trustee.

Q: You recently rejoined us as a CAT trustee; how do you envision your role at CAT contributing to a more sustainable future?

I now get to work with likeminded designers and clients on progressive low carbon projects, and I hope that my knowledge of design and development can assist CAT’s forthcoming development, retrofit plans and the Graduate School of the Environment on a strategic level.

Q: And lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring engineers and designers who want to focus on sustainability?

Studying at CAT was a liberating and inspirational experience that has led to a transformation in my career and lifestyle. Do an MSc in Green Building at CAT!

Study at CAT

Inspired by Andy’s story? Find out more about our Masters in Green Building or other courses on one of our next Graduate School open days or get in touch with our Admissions Team study@cat.org.uk 01654 705974.

August 5, 2025
CAT at the Triumph of Art

As part of the National Gallery’s Bicentenary celebrations, The Triumph of Art – a nationwide project by artist Jeremy Deller – brought together institutions from across the UK to celebrate the role of art, culture, and civic life in shaping our communities. The Centre for Alternative Technology was proud to be a collaborator and exhibiting partner in this extraordinary event.

In Trafalgar Square, CAT’s presence was marked by a powerful architectural installation and a series of hands-on workshops, all rooted in sustainability, creativity, and community. The event offered a unique opportunity to showcase CAT’s ethos and the work of its students on a national stage.

“CAT were delighted to collaborate with Jeremy Deller on the Triumph of Art commission for the bicentenary of the National Gallery over the last year culminating in the day-long spectacular in Trafalgar Square.  It was inspiring to see the CAT students’ pavilion “Gorsedd”, bringing a palette of earth and Welsh slate from Llwyngwern Quarry to the city and to see the many hours of craft by the students and volunteers weaving willow come to fruition.  We also enjoyed facilitating charcoal drawing and earth building workshops and having the opportunity to talk with members of the public about CAT’s vital work providing skills for the future.” - Eileen Kinsman, Co-CEO of CAT

CAT Supporters Gathering

The day began with a morning gathering for some of CAT’s most longstanding supporters, offering a chance to connect, share updates on CAT’s work, and celebrate the occasion together. After a summary of the ‘Gorsedd’ build by students Jordan Hau and Brandon Roberts, guests were then escorted to the CAT exhibit in Trafalgar Square to explore the student build and workshops firsthand.

This special event was a moment to thank CAT’s supporters and showcase the impact of their contributions in enabling transformative educational experiences and public engagement.

“It was wonderful to see the variety of activities and people of all ages just having fun but learning at the same time from CAT’s activities. It was a highly entertaining, enriching and lively encounter with each and all CAT staff on the ground too. So encouraging to see so many young enthusiastic people too.” – CAT supporter

Procession

CAT students joined other collaborators in the Triumph of Art event for the Bacchanalian procession through Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, carrying the banner created for CAT by banner maker Ed Hall.

Sharing Skills and Inspiring Futures

Alongside the Gorsedd installation, CAT’s students and teaching staff hosted a workshop showcasing Rammed Earth as a sustainable building material and CAT’s education team facilitated a creative drawing space to imagine a sustainable future.

CAT’s education work is so impactful because we believe in the importance of seeing, developing and using practical solutions first hand. Inspiring people through hands-on work with materials or through imagining what a green future might look like is a key part of CAT’s group visits, volunteering and training.

Alongside our workshops, we were able to talk to attendees about CAT and our work sharing solutions to the climate crisis. It was a pleasure to talk with so many interested and enthusiastic people, many of whom were already aware of CAT or had visited in the past.

Rammed Earth Plinths

Inspired by the plinths of Trafalgar Square, visitors were invited to create miniature versions using rammed earth—a traditional and sustainable building technique used extensively at CAT. The activity was supported by Rescued Clay who are based in Park Royal in London, and supplied the clay used on the day.

“It was wonderful to be invited to be part of the day and supply CAT with clay for the rammed earth workshops. The clay was reclaimed from local construction sites, demonstrating how waste materials can be reimagined and reused “
Prashant Patel— Rescued Clay

Charcoal Visioning Workshop

Participants also took part in a visioning workshop, using charcoal made from willow offcuts from the Gorsedd build. The activity encouraged people of all ages to draw their visions of a positive future—one where humanity has risen to the challenges of the climate and biodiversity crises.

Simple drawing prompts and visual guides to the charcoal-making process helped make the activity accessible to all.

Gorsedd

At the heart of CAT’s contribution was  Gorsedd—a striking architectural installation designed and built by students from CAT’s ARB-accredited Part II Master’s in Sustainable Architecture. Developed during their Build module, in collaboration with Jeremy Deller, Mostyn Gallery in Llandudno, and the National Gallery.

“This has been an exciting, challenging and inspiring project to be a part of. The opportunity to get hands-on in such a supportive environment is exactly what I wanted from my Master’s at CAT.”
— Hannah Maxey, CAT student

Gorsedd (meaning “throne” in Welsh) draws on Celtic mythology, Druidic rituals, and the National Gallery’s wartime history. Constructed using Welsh timber, Somerset willow, slate from CAT’s Llwyngwern Quarry, and reclaimed plywood from ReCollective, the structure is a celebration of natural materials and collective effort. Students were supported by tutors, CAT graduates, and collaborators, including Momentum Engineering.

“We have been providing engineering support to the design of structures created during Build week for over 20 years and the Triumph of Art is one of the largest projects undertaken.”
— Richard Heath, Momentum Engineering

The build itself was a performative act, echoing traditional barn-raising techniques. The frame was raised entirely by hand in a choreographed display of teamwork and simplicity.

The Gorsedd structure and the workshops in Trafalgar Square were more than a one-day event—they were a celebration of what’s possible when we build together. The students behind the project have since formed  Studio CLAASH, a design and build collective that will carry this momentum forward.

Plans are already underway to bring Gorsedd back to CAT for an event, continuing to share a message of sustainable, community-driven change.

Visit CAT at Welsh events this summer

This summer, we will also be attending other festivals and events in Wales, sharing our work and connecting with attendees.

Come visit us 2 to 9 August at WCVA’s Voluntary Sector Hub at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham or if you attending Green Man Festival 15 to 18 August come say hello to us in Einstein’s Garden

August 1, 2025
From CAT to Trafalgar Square: Students Unveil ‘Gorsedd’

As part of the National Gallery’s Bicentenary celebration, Triumph of Art, students from CAT’s Graduate School of the Environment brought a powerful new structure to life in the heart of London.

Gorsedd—meaning “throne” in Welsh—is a striking architectural installation designed and built by a collective of Master’s in Sustainable Architecture students, on their Build module in collaboration with artist Jeremy Deller, Mostyn Gallery in Llandudno and the National Gallery.

A Structure Rooted in Sustainability 

Rooted in CAT’s ethos of hands-on, community-led sustainability, Gorsedd is more than a stage—it’s a symbol of collective action, cultural heritage, and ecological urgency. Constructed using Welsh timber, Somerset willow, Plywood supplied by ReCollective (a Materials Agency founded by graduates of CAT) and slate from CAT’s own Llwyngwern Quarry, the structure draws inspiration from Celtic stone circles, Druidic rituals, and the National Gallery’s wartime history of storing paintings securely in Manod Quarry.

This project is part of CAT’s  Build Module, a unique and core component of our ARB-accredited Part II Master’s in Sustainable Architecture. The course blends design theory with practical construction, empowering students to explore low-impact materials, vernacular techniques, and community engagement.

The Build module allows students to delve into the practical aspects of implementing designs and construction through hands-on building workshops working on briefs for live clients. The structures designed and built each year on the module emphasise sustainability, minimal waste, responsible sourcing and versatility.

CAT student, Louis Parry-Jones said “One of the key elements of the Sustainable Architecture Masters at CAT, which first attracted me to the course, was the Build module. I would never have imagined that the National Gallery would approach us with such an exciting brief for the module! I have learnt so much from the design and build process that I believe will be invaluable in my future practice.”

Built by Many Hands: A Performative Construction

The build was a feat of collaboration, echoing traditional barn-raising and mast-stepping techniques. The frame raising was done entirely by hand, a very rare event these days, over Thursday and Friday ahead of the event on Saturday 26 July. Using choreographed movements, the raising was a performative expression of teamwork celebrating what can be achieved when we consider simpler ways of doing things, learning from the past, focusing on tools we already have and working together for a common purpose.

Gorsedd is the outcome of many hands working towards a shared goal. From the students, to MArch tutors Gwyn Stacey and Dieter Brandstätter, Jenny Hall, CAT graduate Simon Elliston and collaborators Momentum Engineering.

Richard Heath from Momentum Engineering, an award-winning structural and civil engineering consultancy that specialises in timber design and construction, said “We have been providing engineering support to the design of structures created during Build week for over 20 years and the Triumph of Art is one of the largest projects undertaken! We have been providing structural engineering advice on the student’s design and self-build methods of the timber structure and inspected the erected structure in Trafalgar Square prior to its use in the National Gallery Bicentenary celebrations”.

Throughout the build, students have had help from members of the CAT community and members of the local public with weaving willow using simple techniques to form the woven frames that are part of the roof of the structure.

“The support we have had from our tutors, classmates and the wider CAT community over the last year has been extraordinary; we could not have completed this project without it. The symbolism of the project is deeply rooted in our experiences at CAT and the coming together of a community.” CAT student, Anna Karien-Drost

A Legacy Beyond Trafalgar Square

The students involved in the Build Hannah Maxey, Anna Drost, Alfie Hatch, Cat San, Sam Garbett and Louis Parry-Jones have also gone on to set up Studio CLAASH, a student-led design and build collective which they will continue once they complete their studies at CAT.

And though Gorsedd’s debut is in Trafalgar Square, we hope to use it again for an event at CAT next year and hopefully at other festivals and events across the country in the future, continuing to share CAT’s message of sustainable, community-driven change and the impressive feat our student cohort has achieved during their studies.

Virtual open day recording

Missed out on a chance to join a Graduate School Open Day live? Catch up by watching a recording of our latest virtual open day.

Sign up to watch →

July 26, 2025
CAT and students to join ‘Triumph of Art’ event

The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) and their Graduate School students invite you to join them at Trafalgar Square on 26 July 2025 to celebrate the National Gallery’s Bicentenary.

This event is part of The Triumph of Art, a nationwide project by artist Jeremy Deller. It was commissioned by the National Gallery, London, as part of NG200, its Bicentenary celebrations.

Join us in Trafalgar Square

CAT is proud to be a collaborator and exhibiting partner at this extraordinary event, which highlights the role of art, culture, and civic life in shaping our communities. As part of the collaborative programme, CAT’s presence in Trafalgar Square will showcase our commitment to sustainability and positive change through an impressive build exhibit and engagement activities in green skills, alongside fellow institutions from across the UK.

CAT’s Sustainable Architecture students have also been working with Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno and the National Gallery, London, to design and build a structure that will be unveiled for the first time at the unique celebration in Trafalgar Square and is inspired by multiple sources, particularly CAT’s lineage of self-build construction and working with natural materials.

CAT student collaboration with the National Gallery and Mostyn Gallery

Designed by CAT students Hannah Maxey and Anna Drost, they were joined by fellow students (Alfie Hatch, Cat San, Sam Garbett and Louis Parry-Jones) on CAT’s MArch Sustainable Architecture course, and supported by Senior Lecturer, Gwyn Stacey, and Momentum Engineering to build the structure as part of CAT’s Build Week, which offers students the opportunity to gain knowledge of a selection of sustainable building systems through hands-on building workshops.

Throughout the build, students have had help from members of the CAT community and members of the local public with weaving willow using simple techniques to form the woven frames that are part of the roof of the structure.

Student Hannah Maxey said, “This has been an exciting, challenging and inspiring project to be a part of. The skills I have picked up working as part of a team to take the project from brief to build are innumerable – from liaising with Jeremy Deller and Mostyn Gallery, researching and specifying materials, to improving my confidence in the workshop. The opportunity to get hands-on in such a supportive environment is exactly what I wanted from my Master’s at CAT. On top of this, it is especially exciting that the project will go on to showcase the beauty of natural materials in the centre of London.”

Co-CEO of CAT Eileen Kinsman said, “It is wonderful for CAT to be able to share our work as a charity on this scale and at one of the most creative events of the year. It has been inspiring to see how our students over the past year have applied their learning and understanding of implementing sustainable design and construction to the practical opportunity of working with Jeremy Deller and the team from Mostyn Gallery and the National Gallery as part of their Build project. It has been a real pleasure to see the build come to life, and we are excited to see it (the build) revealed this summer in Trafalgar Square.”

Find out more about the event

Find out more about the Triumph of Art project here, and join the celebrations on 26 July. Make sure to also keep an eye on CAT’s social media for updates on the day as the structure is unveiled.

July 17, 2025
CAT stories – Nick Parsons and Mike Russell

Our unique community continues to use the knowledge, skills and networks gained at CAT to enable positive action on the climate and nature crises. This time we hear from CAT’s Eco Refurbishment course tutor Nick Parsons and recent short course attendee Mike Russell.
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January 29, 2025
Ready for retrofit

In their final year, CAT students produce a dissertation in which they explore and research solutions to the challenges of the climate and nature crises. CAT graduate Charlotte Ravenscroft shares her analysis of Local Skills Improvement Plans in England and how they are affecting progress on retrofitting homes.
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January 29, 2025
Hawkland — eco business takes flight

Over the last 50 years, CAT has played a crucial role in many successful sustainability-related businesses, including Hawkland, an ecological design and build company based in Bristol. Director and CEO, David Copeland, shares how knowledge, skills and connections gained at CAT have supported the business so far.
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January 29, 2025
Designs for Life

Through CAT’s MArch Sustainable Architecture course, students take a genuinely collaborative approach to improving life in an urban environment. Gwyn Stacey, Senior Lecturer, and Dr Carl Meddings, Programme Leader, explain the impact this unique course has on both students and the communities they engage with.
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May 23, 2024