Anatomy Of A Building

In 1994, work started on a new building for ‘Roots & Shoots’ of Lambeth, London; a charity set up to provide educational and vocational training to disadvantaged children, many with learning disabilities.

‘Roots and Shoots’ had a training and outreach centre, a thriving plant nursery, and a wildlife garden that is now a haven for birds and insects and provides a tranquil space for the neighbourhood. The new space extends the charity’s educational, administrative and retail spaces. The building was developed with green technology, such as a sod roof for insulation and solar power technology for all day-to-day energy needs.

I arranged to photograph the construction of this innovative building, and provided ‘Roots and Shoots’ with a set of pictures that would compliment their own documentation of the works.

This project is the consequence of my fascination in the underlying structure of things, of buildings and the materials incorporated within their construction. It is also born of a desire to publicize a charitable company whose philosophical, environmental, and educational work is to be applauded.