'The New English Rural' is the development of a code for living that proposes new and/or refined approaches to constructing a rural architecture and approaches to reuse and repair.

This is applied to a somewhat counterintuitive site: a brownfield site in Rochester that is struggling both socially and economically. The new rural paradigm will be implemented through the production and construction of a series of catalysts, to explore whether a development that draws on local rural resources could aid in reducing the deprivation of this town. It also demonstrates that the proposal of rural architecture may not necessarily evolve from an existing rural community. The main outcome of these catalysts is to deal with the issues of unemployment, a lack of education and reduced income (in comparison to the national average wage). As a whole, the project explores whether rural life can contribute to an urban community’s wellbeing and future development.

The catalysts encompass the ethos of The New English Rural. They adhere to three principles:

1. Nothing goes to waste,


2. Surroundings are appreciated,


3. Everything is bound to the seasons.