Mudworks
HS2 defined Mayfield’s mud as a neglected and polluted resource. The Mudworks contradicts this phenomenon by appreciating the ecological value of the existing landscape.
The project redefines the soil as a treasured and regenerative resource. Emerging from the muddy landscape as an anthill, the building melts into its context. Reconnecting people with the earth through an experience that transforms.
The programme includes a mudbath and a rammed earth workshop where excavated soil from the site is reused to create rammed earth bricks for the building itself. Through these grounding encounters, visitors escape the sterilised conditions of the city and develop a renewed appreciation for soil and the natural environment. The Mudworks is open to all, encouraging the local community to actively participate in producing and laying the bricks, allowing each visitor to leave a lasting imprint on the architecture.
Grounded in principles of rewilding and biodiversity, the project evolves with the landscape through material honesty and adaptability. Designed to be partially demountable, the building eventually allows the rammed earth walls to decay naturally back into the site, embracing cycles of biological evolution.
