Shortlisted for the Pineapple Award for Child-Friendly Place.

A temporary playful climbing structure made from unstabilised rammed earth decorated with hand-decorated tiles in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent’s historic Spoke Works.

Inspired by the curved bottle kilns that used to service the area’s enormous pottery industry, and utilising local-sourced construction spoil and recycled HS2 excavation clay, this experiment enabled us to study the longevity of the materials during the six-week Ceramics Biennial celebration.

Rammed entirely by hand by eager local volunteers, with no added concrete or hardeners, a row of bricks was laid to protect from rising damp, whilst a mix of low-fired clay tiles and lime checks prevent the fragile corners from cracking. The tiles were decorated in Spode’s classic white and blue style, with scenes and patterns but local artists and residents sharing what they enjoy of their town and wider countryside.

Designed and built in collaboration with Tuckey Design Studio, funded and commissioned by the British Ceramics Biennial.