Barn Conversation: Transformational Timber

Join us for a conversation exploring the emergence of wood as a key 21st Century architectural and building material.

Transformational Timber: the return of wood as a 21st Century construction material is a Barn Conversation hosted by Oliver Lowenstein, Fourth Door, in conversation with Liam Dewar, Eurban, and Steve Johnson, The Architectural Ensemble. Together with the audience, they explore this contemporary turn to timber across the sustainable building world.

What to Expect:

• 6:30 PM – Doors open. Take a stroll down the gardens, collect your OmVed botanical drink (included in ticket price) and find a seat at the Barn.
• 7:00 PM – Conversation begins
• 8:00 PM – Conversation ends. Stay for informal networking and book purchases
• 8:30 PM – Event ends
  

Come be part of the conversation — where knowledge is sown, and change takes root.

About the speakers: 

Liam Dewar, Founding Director, Eurban

Liam Dewar is a specialist in mass timber construction. Born in Edinburgh, he studied at the University of Bath and worked in the offices of German architect Karljosef Schattner, Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, and Swiss engineer Jürg Conzett prior to co-founding Eurban in 2003.
eurban.co.uk @eurban_limited

Steve Johnson, the Architectural Ensemble

Steve Johnson is an American architect who has made London his home since studying at the Architectural Association in 1985. He worked at Edward Cullinan Architects, where he was project architect for the Downland Gridshell building at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in West Sussex. Johnson opened The Architecture Ensemble in 2002 to specialise in timber design and construction and has been involved in several private and community projects including a series of industrial timber projects at the Woodland Enterprise Centre at Flimwell, East Sussex and most recently the mixed-use Flimwell Park woodland development (image above). These projects have helped nurture networks re-building communications between timber suppliers, processors, fabricators, designers and builders to help advance the use of local timber within the construction industry. He has taught at various architecture schools, including at present, The Bartlett, London.

@architectureensemble

Oliver Lowenstein, Fourth Door

Oliver Lowenstein is a writer and the editor of the award-winning cultural review magazine, Fourth Door Review and Fourth Door Books. He is an established specialist writer on contemporary environmental art, design and craft and on sustainable, timber and regionalist architecture, writing both popular and technical pieces for among others, Financial Times, The Guardian, Blueprint, Architectural Review and was the UK architectural correspondent for Detail Green. He works as lead partner in the research network, Fourth Door Research, on the boundary line between actionist, ideas pollinator, and imaginer. Lowenstein has catalysed a number of concept-based projects, including the Cycle Stations Project and Roots Architecture, alongside working as an exhibition curator, researcher and consultant, and has taught in design and architectural departments including at Goldsmiths and Falmouth Schools of Art, Southbank University and Brighton University.

@fourth_door fourthdoor.org

About OmVed Gardens:

OmVed Gardens is a garden, exhibition, events, and learning space in North London dedicated to exploring the connections between food, ecology and creativity for health and climate resilience. We are on a mission to inspire ecological awareness and action, and deepen our understanding of interconnectedness with the natural world.

As a registered Community Interest Company, all our activities prioritise social and ecological objectives. Whether collaborating with chefs, creatives, gardeners, or schools, OmVed Gardens is a hub for education, connection, and action. We aim to inspire individuals and communities to reimagine their role in building a healthier, more resilient world.

We work to increase biodiversity - of species, seeds, food systems, and participation, through regenerative gardening, seed saving, habitat creation, and ecological education. Our space serves as a living example of how urban areas can be transformed into thriving ecosystems that support both human and non-human communities.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter for tips from the garden and kitchen and hear about our upcoming activities.

www.omvedgardens.com · @omvedgardens

Please note: A note on accessibility: The gardens are set on a hill, featuring steep paths and may not be suitable for those with limited mobility. Wheelchair access across the site is currently limited while landscape works are underway. For events, there is drop-off access by car to the Barn main building. If you require wheelchair drop-off, please get in touch with us ahead of time. There is an accessible toilet located inside the Barn.

Refund Policy: Tickets are non-refundable.

This event is suitable for adults and young people aged 16 and over.