Material origins: Seeding research The Centre for Creative Arts, Cultures and Engagement (CREATURE)

CREATURE-CUBE Lab is an on-demand laboratory to pitch and test ideas for further research development. It aims to provide a collegial platform to rehearse and/or seek feedback for a research presentation, practice and publication. It brings together a researcher and participants to explore a research idea and/or project through show and tell. The interactive lab is decided for the presenter to experiment a preconceived project for further study and/or examine matters related to research development and collaboration. Here, the Research Centre for Creative Arts, Cultures and Engagement convened the first CREATURE-CUBE Lab.

Starting with a specific material, timber, Material origins: Seeding research walked participants through a strategic process for securing seed funding to establish a body of research that might lead to further funding and collaboration.

"In our case, we identified a lack of use of locally sourced timber in UK construction. This prompted a research question; how can locally grown timber be specified more in regional architecture? This question led to conversations with local woodland enterprises who became collaborators on a broader research project called HomeGrownHouse. As a research team, we received university seed funding to identify barriers to greater use of locally grown timber and to support the development of new timber building products made from local species. The initial findings and prototypes were presented at the Timber 2020 conference (Wood Technology Society, 9-10th September) in a paper entitled; The XR Beam – A trussed hardwood beam for value-added use of roundwood thinnings in the south east of England. The proceedings of this conference paper will frame a peer-reviewed journal article on triangular cross section timber beam design."

 is Associate Teaching Professor at the School of Architecture, London Metropolitan University. George studied at the Royal College of Art, has conducted research at the University of Cambridge and worked in practice at Foster+Partners Architects. George's teaching interests include materials innovation for the built environment, use of natural materials in construction and learning through making. He is a member of Making Matters, part of CREATURE, Research Centre for Creative Arts, Cultures and Engagement, London Metropolitan University.