'Sartfell Retreat is one of those rare projects which appears to emerge out of the earth, providing a sense of permanence and protection for the clients to live with, and amongst the elements of the weather, wildlife and local ecology.'
- Will Foster (Foster Lomas)
Foster Lomas is a UK-based architecture practice established by William Foster and Greg Lomas in 2005. The practice has developed a diverse portfolio of work, ranging from highly tailored homes for private clients to a canal-side mixed-use development in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the multi award winning Sartfell Retreat on the Isle of Man and a 10-year masterplan for a 134-hectare site set within the Grand Sasso National Park of Abruzzo, Italy.
Sartfell Retreat is part of a growing body of commissions through which the practice explores the relationship between landscape and self-sustaining architecture. Foster Lomas’ response to the site relates to their research and experience of drystone construction whilst working in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Building on this vernacular technology, they have reinterpreted the local Manx stone structures to create an original building in its unique setting. The rural environment inspires their architectural aesthetic and the practice’s diverse backgrounds in craft and product design, including blacksmithing and lighting, allow for continual experimentations and innovations
About the Technical Studies Lecture Series
The Technical Studies Open lecture program (part of University of Westminster’s School of Architecture and Cities) is an open lecture series, where architects, engineers, writers, social theorists and artists are invited to take part in a discussion about the social use and function of technology in the context of design.
For further details please visit the Technical Studies website, which also contains details of previous lectures in the series.
For further details please contact Will McLean at [email protected].
