From this point of departure, we explored ‘making’ in the work of
contemporary architects and designers in the broader region of South East Asia, and in Britain. We spoke to Patcharada Inplang and Varudh Varavarn in Thailand, and Andy Rahman, Florian Heinzelmann and Daliana Suryawinata in Indonesia, while in the UK we consulted Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, Amin Taha and members of the 121 Collective. There is an underlying commonality in the work of these practitioners, where each seeks to reference their distinctive culture, tradition, building method and climate through sustainable practices.
A few common threads emerged from these conversations: a conscious effort to explore and experiment with local and sustainable materials and building techniques, and to collaborate with local craftspeople to reach a deeper understanding of how to use them. These attitudes, and the work they produce, illustrates that working with what is at hand does not necessarily mean going back to pre-industrial ways of making, but, rather, opens up new possibilities for a post-industrial age while keeping local material culture and vernacular traditions dynamic.
ABOUT MAKING