The proposed thesis project explores the sculptural and spatial dialogue between architecture and landscape, drawing inspiration from the work of English sculptor Henry Moore. Focusing on the formative decade between 1930 and 1940, when Moore lived and worked in the Kent Downs. The proposal examines how this rugged, undulating landscape influenced his evolving sculptural language. The organic forms, fluid contours, and nuanced play of mass and void that define Moore’s later works are traced back to his intimate engagement with the terrain during this period.
The gallery is conceived as a space that celebrates Moore’s legacy both indoors and outdoors, allowing his sculptures to be experienced in a range of spatial and environmental contexts. Designed to foster contemplation and immersion, the architecture seeks to deepen the viewer’s connection with Moore’s work and the surrounding landscape.
At the heart of the architectural approach is the idea of the wall, not merely as an enclosure but as a sculptural element. These walls shape the rhythm of space, frame vistas, and mediate the ever-shifting relationship between light, shadow, and form. They serve as silent yet powerful companions to Moore’s sculptures, reinforcing themes of presence, materiality, and perception.
Material as Message:
Rammed earth is central to the project’s material palette, selected for its rich tactility, environmental responsiveness, and its capacity to echo both the geological strata of the Downs and the grounded quality of Moore’s work. The gallery’s earthen walls anchor the building within its landscape, both physically and conceptually.
As part of the Realisation unit, the project further investigates the structural and expressive possibilities of rammed earth through hands-on experimentation. I developed a modular, perforated wall system composed of hand-compacted rammed earth blocks made from a sand–clay–lime mix. Each block integrates through-holes to accommodate vertical steel reinforcement, allowing the blocks to be dry-stacked and bonded with mortar. The resulting screen wall is breathable, stable, and light-filtering, challenging traditional notions of rammed earth as monolithic and opaque.
This reinterpretation presents a low-carbon, low-tech construction system tailored for interior partitions and adaptive reuse. The work extends the thesis agenda’s focus on sustainability, craft, and material innovation, grounding the architecture in both landscape and making.
Architecture 
Josh Chambers | Architecture
