This project explores sustainable alternatives to toxic adhesives in Mass Engineered Timber (MET) by experimenting with wooden dowels as non-toxic joining methods. Through the construction of 1:2 models of Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT) and Dowel Cross Laminated Timber (DCLT), I investigated traditional joinery techniques and their structural behavior at varying scales. The research culminated in a raised balcony pavilion built entirely from DLT, DCLT, and roundwood, assembled without glue using methods like mortice and tenon joints and dowels. The design emphasizes material contrast, craftsmanship, and sustainable prefabrication, with timber components sourced and assembled to highlight natural variation.

This material research informed the larger architectural proposal, titled The Acton Artists’ Assembly. Located beside Wesley Playing Fields, the project transforms an existing warehouse into a hybrid cultural space combining artists’ studios, social lounges, and recreational zones. The design is articulated in five key stages:

Retention – Preserving the warehouse’s core structure.

Subtraction – Opening up the façade by removing brick infill.

Opening – Inserting dormers to introduce daylight into key spaces.

Box-in-Box Village – Introducing independent, prefabricated DLT-clad units with light-reflective interiors and textural, articulated exteriors.

Extension – Adding adhesive-free DCLT balconies and pavilions overlooking the adjacent landscape.

Together, the pavilion and building design reflect a deep commitment to ecological responsibility, hands-on experimentation, and spatial richness. By merging material innovation with human-scaled architecture, the project promotes a low-impact, community-centered environment. It challenges conventional construction by showing how traditional craftsmanship and sustainable practices can work in tandem to shape adaptable, expressive, and environmentally conscious architecture that reconnects users to materials, place, and one another.