Carving an Inhabitable Landscape: An Excavated House and Workplace

Shoreham Cement Quarry is located in the heart of the South Downs National Park, England. The quarry has been abandoned since the 1990s, from which a post-industrial ecosystem has evolved, however, biodiversity is still limited due to the effects of mining. The project proposes to develop a site on the limestone cliffs to nurture young plants and saplings, and to provide a home for a gardener and a sculptor, with the aim to slowly rejuvenate the entire quarry over decades.

The project proposes an organic, rhythmic, and fluid space carved into the limestone cliff, which maintains ventilation, access to rainwater, and sunlight required for the plant nursery.

It is envisioned that in the afterlife of the building's occupation, all materials can be removed and reused to create natural pathways from the cliff to the base of the quarry. Over the centuries, the quarry will develop into a rich, unattended, naturally evolved third landscape in the centre of South Downs National Park.