Crafting up North
In our search for a uniquely crafted facade for our Quatrefoil project in Oxford, we worked with Middlesbrough’s oldest surviving foundry. William Lane, an established company that's been casting since 1862 and have an impressive 150 years of experience.
Seeking out a committed team to make epic buildings for our clients is an essential part of the process of making architecture. The pleasure of collaborating with knowledgeable craftspeople adds an extra dimension of understanding and insight into the work.
Here we share a storybook of moments that captures the paradox of danger and beauty in the workshop. It's a white-hot glimpse into an ancient process of making.
The molten bronze is shown ready to be poured into its mould to form a sand casting of a single quatrefoil tectonic tile. One of many that will adorn the facade of Quatrefoil House.
This decorative element is inspired by the popular quatrefoil motif that has been used historically throughout this area within Oxford, adorning many of its neo-gothic buildings.
Up north we found an authentic place of work, untouched by the distractions of technology – where craft and human care for quality reign supreme.