Let’s not lose touch with the handmade

In this digital age, never forget, we still like to make physical things…

…and we’re good at it!

Edge Director, Mark O’Neill, talks us through several ‘tricks of the trade’ from recent visits to some of Edge’s on-site projects – celebrating the beauty of hand-made and artisan craftsmanship.

‘I recently caught up with the team from The Plasterworks studio, who are working closely with us on a fantastic building in a conservation area in Beverley Yorkshire .  Here is a video of the guys taking on site moulds and recreating cornices for repair of the ceilings of this period - as with all artisan designs these are particular to the area and not "standardised". The technique is fundamentally as old as the original building and it still works, and is delivered through apprenticed specially trained individuals, using some modern mould-taking materials. Although modern materials are used for mould taking, the casting and reinforcing process is a traditional technique and the finished product will be indistinguishable from the contemporaneous 19th century architecture and interior of the building.

‘The masonry team on a new HQ which joins up with a converted barn are building and rebuilding walls to echo local vernacular, both in terms of form and material.  Although a modern technique  – the finished look will be fitting with the 19th century architecture and interior of the building.

We share as much as we can with our studio – our designers respond well to seeing accounts of the physical process involved in making their ideas come alive.”

Mark O’Neill, Director, Edge