STUDIO IN THE WOODS 2026
RIBA Stages 0-7
As part of our ongoing architectural teaching programme with the University of Liverpool, Unit3 Design Studio supported this year’s 4×4 Wales live design and build project, which saw 25 BA1 Architecture students take part in the construction of a bespoke timber geodesic zome structure in Bodfari, North Wales.
The project forms part of a wider hands-on architectural education programme, giving first-year architecture students the opportunity to move beyond the studio environment and experience the realities of building at full scale. Over several weeks, the students worked alongside tutors from the University of Liverpool, architects from Unit3 Design Studio and the team at the Woodland Skills Centre to develop practical construction skills, understand material behaviour, and gain direct experience of translating a complex architectural design into a built timber structure.
The workshop began with students expressing their interest in January 2023, before progressing through a structured design, fabrication and construction process. The project encouraged students to consider geometry, setting out, structural logic, timber detailing, sequencing, teamwork and site-based problem solving. For many of the students, this was their first opportunity to physically construct an architectural installation and understand how design decisions are tested and refined through making.
The final structure is a 3m tall timber zome, positioned at the top of a steep bank within a private garden in Bodfari. The form combines a series of geometric timber panels and glazed perspex openings to create a lightweight, sculptural garden structure with views out towards the surrounding North Wales landscape. The design explores the relationship between architecture, craft, landscape and education, while also giving students a memorable introduction to the importance of precision, collaboration and buildability.
The completed zome is clad in a combination of timber and perspex, allowing the structure to feel enclosed while maintaining visual connections to the surrounding woodland and garden setting. Its faceted form creates a distinctive architectural object that sits carefully within the landscape, demonstrating how small-scale structures can be used to explore ideas of geometry, shelter, materiality and place.
The project was organised and run by tutors from the University of Liverpool, supported by architects from Unit3 Design Studio and delivered with assistance from the Woodland Skills Centre. Through this collaborative approach, the workshop provided students with valuable experience in live build architecture, timber construction, hands-on architectural education and sustainable design and build practice.
For Unit3 Design Studio, projects such as this are an important part of our continued involvement in architectural education. They allow us to support the next generation of architects by helping students understand the connection between drawing, detail, material and construction. The 4×4 Wales programme continues to demonstrate the value of learning through making, particularly within a rural North Wales setting where architecture can be explored in direct relationship with landscape, craft and community.
Work completed
The Gallery
Images
Unit3 are an award winning multi-disciplinary design studio based in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle. We work across three design sectors (architecture, graphic design and creative media) and help clients across the UK and internationally achieve great designs.
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