SOLD OUT: Build a Small Barn – The Farmer’s Arms Architecture School

Join Grizedale Arts for this experimental and hands-on residential 7 day workshop – led by Takeshi Hayatsu exploring the use of local, natural materials and traditional Japanese and British building techniques to collaboratively build a small off-grid cold store 

The Building:

The barn will replace an existing store for the The Farmer’s Arms pub and will be the first component in a new fermentation garden being built over the coming year as part of the community pub’s food and education offer.

This Architecture and Artisan Craft school features:

• Expert-led, hands-on workshops
• Building using techniques and materials from both Japanese and UK traditions combined in a contemporary way for contemporary use.
• Locally sourced materials including larch, seaweed, clay, hazel lathe, bracken and slate.

The course will cover activities ranging from foraging materials such as local seaweed for traditional Shikkui plaster to learning traditional joinery, lime plastering and decorative techniques (pargetting) with the experts coming from both from the UK and Japan.

The focus of the workshops is to be experimental as well as practical, by working with various materials directly with your hands in an idyllic and beautiful rural setting.

The programme:

The school is hosted by The Farmer’s Arms and includes full bed and board with traditional English and Japanese country cooking.

The Farmer’s Arms is a community project led by Grizedale Arts where the project aims to both save and innovate a traditional country pub and 6 acres of land.

Food will be cooked by Motoko Fujita and Ms Fukudasan (wife of plasterer Fukudasan) in a style Motoko describes as “super domestic Japanese” typical home cooking, (i.e. rice, soup, one main, one side dish and salad). Vegetarian and vegan options will also be offered.

There will also be food from the pub and the wider facilities of the site will be open for use including the bar, café, workshop and gardens.

A series of optional talks and visits are programmed throughout the week and include talks from the tutors, relevant films and archive material and lists to historic and contemporary projects in the area including Lawson Park, the home farm of Grizedale Arts.

(A full programme will be circulated prior to arrival)

About the workshop leaders:

Takashi Hayatsu is a Japanese architect based in London where he leads Hyatasu Architects. Aside from an impressive history of working in contemporary architecture Takashi has also worked with Grizedale Arts for eight years helping develop strategic projects throughout the organisation’s programme and sites, in particular the village of Kiwanosato in Japan. His approach is a combination of traditional, contemporary and European and Japanese with a particular reference to the arts and crafts movement.

Kiyoshi Fukuda is a traditional Shikkui plasterer from Japan who learnt the skill from his father. He undertakes many heritage projects and is a recognised expert in the field of traditional plaster work.

Tom Philipson is by training a cabinet maker, he received a Crafts Council development award in 2015 and has for the past five years been working with Grizedale Arts developing design projects with a practical application ranging from The Farmer’s Arms to projects in Japan.

Owen Jones MBE is a celebrated coppice worker and supposedly the last swill maker in the UK. He works in the Crake valley just three miles from The Farmer’s Arms.

Motoko Fujita is an artist and photographer who has developed the Kiwanosato project and has worked with Grizedale Arts on many significant projects that have innovated social practice and the ethos of art in everyday life.

Ms Fukudasan accompanies Mr Fukudasan on this occasion and will be offering an insight into Japanese rural life and cuisine.

Adam Sutherland is the director of Grizedale Arts and will be leading visits, talks and discussion throughout the week.

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