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Fettle Studio / About



fettle
noun
ˈfɛt(ə)l condition. Eg. To be in ‘fine fettle’
verb
trim or clean the rough edges of a piece of pottery (or a metal casting) before firing.

Architect Lydia Johnson established Fettle Studio in 2018 to pursue her two passions: architecture and ceramics. Her work has varied in scale, from homes, workspace and community projects, to tableware, lighting and public art commissions.

Lydia works closely with each of her clients, carefully listening to their brief, challenges and ambitions for the project. She uses her knowledge and understanding of good spatial design and construction from her years in practice, to create thoughtful, enjoyable, well crafted proposals, which bring delight and comfort to the people who use them.

Lydia has extensive experience in housing design, urban regeneration and refurbishments for community and arts uses. She spent her formative career at Stirling Prize winning practice, Mae Architects, followed by multi-award winning firm, Citizens Design Bureau, before going ‘full Fettle’ in 2021.

Lydia’s architectural education began in 2006 with her degree in Architecture and Planning at UWE Bristol, achieving First Class Honours. Following two years working on heritage and housing projects in Bath, she then moved to London for her Masters at the University of Westminster, where she received Distinction. Throughout her architectural education, Lydia undertook freelance commissions and managed small scale private projects alongside her time in practice, which set the foundations for starting her own business.

Lydia’s interest and skills in design and making has extended beyond architecture and placemaking, to interiors and homewares, making ceramic tiles for kitchens (and even facade), lampshades and tableware. Her work involves slip-cast and handbuilt ceramics which are both functional and architectural, inspired by geometry and modularity. In 2019/20, she co-curated a major exhibition with the Building Centre, entitled Hand Held to Super Scale: Building wth Ceramics, which featured her own work alongside other master makers and architects, including renowned artists Grayson Perry, Kate Malone and others. 

Lydia has been a tutor and visiting lecturer for a number of architecture schools, including London Metropolitan University in 2017-18 where she taught Unit 5 with Mae Architects, the London School of Architecture, and The Bartlett UCL, most recently as a BioID thesis tutor, guiding students as they research porous ceramics and bioreceptive facade materials.


Lydia’s approach at Fettle Studio is underpinned by delight, practicality and imagination. From designing for complex sites and challenging briefs, to developing inventive solutions and personalised environments: Lydia relishes each opportunity and brings positivity and personality to any task. For life at Fettle Studio, flexibility and balance is key -  home and studio, work and play, design and making - celebrating big ideas and fostering small moments.

If you have a project you would like to discuss, please feel free to get in touch.



www.fettlestudio.co.uk
lydia@fettlestudio.co.uk
 
Fettle Studio Limited - a registered company in England & Wales.
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