Outpost is a series of teaching studios run by Wardle. Held during a period of extended lockdown, Outpost 04 was conducted online with design reviews and collaboration held on Miro, a platform used widely by our practice since the Covid pandemic.
Outposts are speculative by nature and represent a desire to evolve cultural values and experiment with emerging forms of knowledge. Outpost 04: M-Factory emerged from the ideas explored through the practice’s ongoing research into materials and their ecological impact. The studio set out to build a better understanding of the origins, histories, resources, and practices that surround the production of materials we consume within the construction industry – and the important role material selection has in reducing the emissions of a building across its life cycle.
The intent was to integrate this emerging knowledge with the practice’s interest in the application of materials and careful attention to detail and craft. How will the materials of the future affect the skills, tools, and tectonics of architectural application and refinement?
