Island Surcyclage

Island Surcyclage is a self-build architectural proposal situated on Eel Pie Island, a unique and semi-autonomous creative community in the Thames at Twickenham. Responding to the increasing threat of urban development and environmental vulnerability, the project aims to empower the island’s artist-led community through a circular, incremental design framework rooted in sustainability, adaptability, and participation. The proposal introduces a phased construction system using reclaimed materials—such as timber pallets, gabion fill, and corrugated sheeting—sourced from within the island and surrounding areas. Each structural phase is designed to be built by the community itself, encouraging active engagement, knowledge-sharing, and collective ownership. Early stages provide essential shared infrastructure: open workshops, tool libraries, and flexible studio spaces. Later stages expand to include gathering decks, gardens, and public exhibition areas—each phase tailored to the community’s evolving needs and resources. A key feature of the design is its flood-resilient system: raised platforms supported by gabion-filled cages and lightweight timber frames allow the architecture to adapt to the tidal landscape without compromising ecological integrity. Functionally and spatially, the buildings are modular and open-ended, allowing for continual evolution and reuse over time. Island Surcyclage is not only an architectural intervention but also a socio-spatial strategy—supporting creative autonomy, ecological awareness, and long-term resilience. It reflects a deep understanding of site, material culture, and collective making, offering a scalable, low-impact model for sustaining fragile creative communities facing contemporary pressures.