2024
The Old Oak Clay Centre
The Bartlett School of Architecture, UK
Located in Old Oak Common, Acton, this clay centre pushes back on digital reliance by grounding the project in a timeless material: clay.
Driven by five principles — public/private balance, community focus, element tension, low carbon, and cultural memory — the building houses a ceramic workshop and library aimed at teenagers.
Inside, users can disconnect through making or reading. Outside, a ceramic garden offers space to breathe.
The rammed earth façade reflects the building’s character: slow, hands-on, always evolving — like the community it serves.
Main Facade Drawing As a façade wall, the Clay Canvas is a space that brings users together. Community maintenance not only helps to extend the wall’s longevity, but users can express themselves and contribute their own footprint through plastering.
Ground Floor
First Floor
Spaces
Short Section The plan for the clay centre follows a grid layout to contrast to the use of natural material. The kiln acts as a tension breaker to the regularity of the plan. It is the centre point of the building and brings everything together.
Clay Centre Interior The interior of the Clay Centre evokes a warm and comfortable environment using the regular arrangement of the brick arches. The brick has a warm colour tone and the arches serve to break up the space.
All the process behind the madness!
