How many U-Build boxes did it take to stage the party for the National Gallery’s 200th birthday?
Drop your number in the comments. Closest guess wins bragging rights 🏆
📍Trafalgar Square, 26th July.
It marked the grand finale of Jeremy Deller’s The Triumph of Art, celebrating 200 years of the National Gallery. The square came alive with vibrant processions, brass bands, folk dancers, and giant puppets- bringing together commissions from partner institutions across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland for an unforgettable day of public art. 🎭
Our modular stage boxes formed the main platform for the handbuilt Gorsedd structure, created by @studioclaash and the brilliant volunteers at @centreforalternativetechnology
Lightweight, flatpack and rapidly demountable. Exactly what a pop up in the heart of London needs This is what our borrow a box Library is all about: sharing resources so communities can build temporary spaces to gather, create and celebrate together. 💛
Got a project in mind?
Dm or email us at [email protected] for more info!
Ever considered building your own sustainable and recyclable cabin? 🌿🏡
Our cabins are not only eco-friendly but also incredibly cozy, offering the perfect retreat in nature.
Plus, they can be built on wheels, so you can take your home wherever life takes you—whether it’s the mountains, the beach, or the countryside.
📸 Repost @thisplacewecallhome_
Capturing our U-Build cabin collaboration with @recabins
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#SustainableLiving #EcoCabin #UBuild #TinyHome #NomadicLiving #Architecture #TinyHouseMovement #CabinLife #OffGridLiving #MinimalistLiving #VanLife #TinyHouseOnWheels #SustainableDesign #CabinVibes #DIYCabin #ModularHomes #TinyCabins #HomeOnWheels #AdventureLiving #PrefabHomes #NatureRetreat #AlternativeLiving
✨Repost @recabins
📸 @thisplacewecallhome_
🍁✨ This is your sign to get a cabin! 🍂🏡
We designed these scenic cabins in collaboration with @recabins . 🛖🌲 Book a getaway with them to unplug from your busy life and experience the magic for yourself. 🌿🧘♀️💫
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#SustainableArchitecture #CabinDesign #EcoFriendlyLiving #TinyCabin #OffGridLife #SustainableLiving #GreenArchitecture #NatureInspiredDesign #EcoCabins #ModernCabin #SlowLiving #ScenicGetaway #ArchitectureLovers #EcoRetreat #DesignWithNature
And that’s a wrap on Futurebuild 2026! @futurebuildnow
A huge thank you to our Futurebuild team, our wonderful volunteers, and @ubuild for our incredible stand- a flat-packed, demountable and reusable U-Build structure🙌
And of course, a big thank you to everyone who came along to see us!! Let us know your highlights in the comments below & keep an eye out as we share our reflections in the coming weeks
📹 Video by @ubuild
#Architecture #Construction #Structure #FlatPack #Futurebuild
✨Interested in sustainable architecture and free tomorrow? Come by 👇
✨Join us tomorrow at Small Scale, Big Ideas for our ‘Self-Build for the Circular Economy’ presentation.
Speaker: Morgan Trowland
Morgan is our CNC and Workshop Manager, overseeing the efficiency of our timber manufacturing and shipping processes. While his primary focus is optimising production systems, he also provides hands-on support on-site to help bring projects to completion.
The talk will offer a retrospective on the development of U-Build, our self-build construction system developed by Studio Bark. We’ll discuss the details of how and why the system was created, with a focus on the case study of Nest House, as presented at the month-long exhibition.
Read more about Nest House: https://lnkd.in/eKv9Sjrc
📍 Building Centre
⏲️ 1-2pm, Friday 15th May
🎫 Book your tickets here: /whats_on/events/self-build-for-the-circular-economy
✨Blink and you’ll miss it 👀 What’s your favourite tiny moment in the timelapse?
✨Heading to Futurebuild today?
Don’t forget to visit the ACAN stage for energising discussions, insightful talks and more.
📍 ExCeL London
📅 12–14 May 2026
🎟️ Free tickets available via the registration link
We built this flat-packed, demountable and reusable U-Build structure for @architectscan , the Architects Climate Action Network.
ACAN brings together people across architecture and the built environment to take action on the climate and ecological crises.
At Futurebuild, they’re hosting talks, workshops and conversations on decarbonisation, ecological regeneration and cultural change in the built environment.
Futurebuild brings together people, ideas and innovation from across construction and the built environment.
We hope to see you there 👷🏻♀️✨
✨How many people did it take to build this structure for @architectscan in time for the opening @futurebuildnow ? 👷🏻♀️💪🏽
Closest guess gets bragging rights 👀
Come and see it for free in person at @futurebuildnow
📍 ExCeL London
📅 12 to 14 May 2026
🎟️ Free tickets available via the registration link
We built this flat-packed, demountable and reusable U-Build structure for @architectscan , the Architects Climate Action Network.
ACAN is a network of people across architecture and the built environment taking action on the climate and ecological crises.
At Futurebuild, they are hosting talks, workshops and conversations about decarbonisation, ecological regeneration and cultural change in the built environment.
Futurebuild brings together people, ideas and innovation across construction and the built environment.
We hope to see you there 👷🏻♀️✨
Where should these pieces go next? A festival, school, gallery, garden, or somewhere else? ✨
And that’s a wrap on Grand Designs Live!
Over the bank holiday weekend, our temporary plywood Architecture Advice Hub welcomed lots of curious visitors, big questions, and brilliant conversations about building differently.
The hub itself was built from pre-loved, flat-packed structures from our Box Library:
💎 The diamond cut-out columns once formed a travelling theatre in 2023
🔴 The colourful dotted stage boxes were part of a pop-up Parallel Parliament in 2025
🪵 Now, together, they became a temporary advice hub
This is what circular construction can look like:
deconstruction, not demolition
reuse, not refuse ♻️
Huge thanks to everyone who visited us and @studiobark at @granddesignslivelondon
A look back at our Ask an Architect arena buildfor Grand Designs Live 🏗️
✨ Huge thanks to everyone who came to say hello at ExCeL London, and to our sister company @studiobark for sharing the space with us.
✨Featuring U-Builder Nick taking apart the build, with no waste left behind.
✨We like to think of our U-Build boxes as giant wooden Lego: endlessly adaptable, easily stackable, and genuinely fun to play with.
The best bit? They are already on their way to being reused at another exciting project. ♻️
What if the future of housing starts small?
Join us from today till the 29th of May, at The Building Centre, for the ‘Small Scale, Big Ideas’ exhibition.
A month-long exhibition exploring how compact, thoughtful architecture can reshape the way we live, build and respond to the climate and housing crises.
The exhibition brings together twelve progressive practices working across housing, materials and experimental forms of construction, including U-Build and Studio Bark.
Our modular plywood boxes form part of the exhibition itself, creating temporary plinths and a U-Build stand where visitors can explore the system and discover projects spanning self-build homes, extensions, commercial fit-outs and community spaces.
Come and see it for yourself.
Small Scale, Big Ideas
The Building Centre, Main Gallery
5th to 29th of May 2026
Find out more via @thebuildingcentre
A look back at our Ask an Architect arena build for Grand Designs Live 🏗️ Featuring U-Builders Oliver Berry and Bailey O’Leary on the tools 👷♂️
We like to think of our U-Build boxes as giant wooden Lego. Endlessly adaptable, easily stackable, and genuinely fun to play with. Watch them go from pallets of single boxes into an immersive, interactive space built to share knowledge and spark conversation over the bank holiday weekend.
Best bit? It was all made from our circular Box Library materials, so now the event has wrapped it’ll leave no trace behind 🙂↕️
Huge thanks to everyone who came to say hello at ExCeL London, and to our sister company @studiobark for sharing the space with us. ✨
What does it take to build a giant demountable structure inside ExCeL? Watch and find out. 👷🏻♀️
Got a question about your own project? This is the place to ask it.
The U-Build crew is heading to Grand Designs Live, 1 to 4 May, and we’re transforming our modular boxes into something rather special. Throughout the four day event, the timber framed space will serve as the ‘Ask an Architect’ arena, where visitors can book a free consultation for expert advice on planning, site appraisals and everything in between.
We have an exciting line up across the weekend. Studio Bark, the architects behind our U-Build system, will be on a designated stand on Friday and Saturday, where you can put those crucial project questions to architects Ella Thorns and Hannah Towler.
Our Director Nick Newman and Studio Manager Livvy Bushell will be on hand on Monday to meet visitors and talk all things U-Build. We believe in deconstruction, not demolition. Rather than creating, using and wasting masses of trade show materials that end up in landfill, we’re supplying hundreds of our stage boxes and diamond cut out columns from our very own Box Library. Our materials have lived many lives already, and they’ll continue to do so.
Grand Designs Live is the UK’s leading home and garden event. Four days of self build inspiration, expert advice, hundreds of exhibitors, live talks and the iconic Grand House at its centre.
Get your tickets on the Grand design live website and come say hello!
