Ellie Birkhead

Department: Social Design
Website: www.elliebirkhead.com

BUILDING THE LOCAL

WHAT
Ways to rebuild the endangered ecosystem of local manufacturing.

WHY
Globalisation has spelt the end of many small-scale industries. In ‘Building the Local’, Ellie Birkhead reacts to this issue in the context of the Chiltern Hills in south-east England. Her project considers local crafts as an essential aspect of cultural identity and a sense of place.

HOW
Ellie introduced waste products — spent grain from breweries, recycled glass from pubs, waste from farms — from neighbouring industries into the brickmaking process. ‘Building the Local’ enhances the traditional brick with new connections, thereby rebuilding the endangered ecosystem of local manufacturing.

QUOTE
Can the unassuming brick become the icon for the future of craft and industry?