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Knot Works: A loose assemblage of people and place

Part 1 Project 2025
Adrianna Druzdz
 London Metropolitan University | UK
Set within the historic town of Rye, East Sussex, this project proposes a cultural complex for an artist-led creative organisation. Inspired by Rye’s medieval fabric, the proposal takes the form of a loose assemblage of buildings, evoking the town’s varied rooflines, narrow lanes, and fragmented grain.

Rather than a singular mass, the complex comprises distinct volumes, each tailored to its function yet collectively forming a cohesive whole. A varied roofscape reinforces the sense of individuality while referencing the town’s irregular skyline. At the centre sits a materials swap library, acting as a social anchor within an open courtyard. This placement encourages a meandering movement through the site-echoing the experience of exploring Rye itself.

Studios for printmaking, storytelling, life drawing, and gallery spaces are positioned around this core, connected via external walkways that foster informal encounters and public engagement. Each building is expressed as an independent form, articulated through a palette of cladding types that vary in scale, texture, and finish.

This architectural language becomes a metaphor for community: individual identities gathered into a shared environment. Rooted in the materiality of Rye- clay tiles, brick, planting- the project aims to offer space for creativity, exchange, and quiet gathering.

Tutor(s)
Kieran Wardle
Holly Wheeler
Owain Williams
2025
Page 1: Knot Works: A Place for Community and Craft in Rye; Rye, East Sussex, is a historic town with a layered urban fabric shaped by a patchwork of small-scale buildings- each with distinct volumes, materials, and rooflines that create a varied and int
Page 2: A Loose Assemblage; The Nolli map reveals a characteristic condition of Rye- a loose assemblage of buildings, clustered yet distinct. This fragmented urban fabric closely reflects the intent of my proposal, where separate volumes come together as
Page 3: Architecture as Figure in Space; In Rye, the townscape unfolds through smaller volumes and shifting rooflines, creating a gentle rhythm of forms that feel both distinct and interwoven. This sense of variation shaped my proposal: a family of build
Page 4: Entry space: The staircase moves beyond function to become a quiet invitation, leading visitors into the life drawing space and the creative core of the building.; The tall library space opens up, drawing the eye upward and bringing light deep in
Page 5: The front elevation draws directly from Rye’s rich material palette- clay tiles, weathered bricks, and pockets of planting that soften and enliven the streetscape. These textures and colours shape the building’s facade, grounding it in the town’s
Page 6: The rear elevation reveals a quieter face of the building, where materiality takes center stage in subtle textures and tones. Model Study: An area where the many characters converge.
Page 7: Framed by facade’s textures, the entrance signals a place of gathering. ; BB’ Section 1:100; A model photograph reveals the intimate scale within where a small balcony and ladder lead to a quiet workspace tucked beneath the skylight, offering lig
Page 8: The ground floor with a series of disconnected public and gathering spaces, arranged around a courtyard and tied by external routes.; Ground Floor Plan 1:100
Page 9: Above, more focused creative spaces like the life drawing and print studios-offering calm, light-filled environments for concentration.
Page 10: Entry moment into the lane and first glimpse of the building. Partially revealed draws the visitor further in, balancing the openness with a sense of discovery.
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