Reinterpreting the Primitive Hut

A collaboration with The Cass and Sir John Soane's Museum

More about this project

7 Architectural Units at The Cass were invited by Robert Mull and the Director of Sir John Soane's Museum to respond to the theme of the Primitive Hut. They had access to Soane’s collection as a resource for research – drawings, books and models which he used to teach architectural students. The Cass students were shown material relating to Primitive Huts, including Marc-Antoine Laugier's 1755 Essay on Architecture, and were invited to reinterpret the notion of the Primitive Hut.

Each Unit designed and made models to be exhibited outside the Soane Museum; the models are vertical sections, in 1:1 scale. The models showcase 7 different modern-day responses to the history and theory of the Primitive Hut, taking ideas about craft and simple manufacturing techniques used by early man to create contemporary concepts about shelter. The results are diverse in terms of shape and material utilised. They will be exhibited outside Sir John Soane’s Museum in June, during London Festival of Architecture.

Copyright of Sir John Soane’s Museum. RA Lecture Drawings to illustrate Primitive Huts