Project ‘Vita Contemplativa’ was a site-specific installation created for Clerkenwell Design Week 2015, conceived as a way to present Equitone fibre-cement panels to an audience of architects and designers attending the festival in large numbers. Rather than a conventional product display, the project was designed as a thoughtful spatial intervention — using architectural language to demonstrate the material’s potential through form, rhythm, and presence within the public realm of St. John’s Square, London.

Challenge The challenge was to showcase a construction material in a way that felt meaningful, contextual, and design-led, rather than promotional. The installation needed to communicate Equitone’s qualities — durability, texture, scale, and versatility — while offering a reflective spatial experience within a busy urban festival environment. It had to engage a highly informed audience, balancing clarity of material expression with conceptual depth and restraint.

photographer Joanne Underhill structuraleye.co.uk

My Role As Head of Design at Nicholasalexander Ltd, I led the spatial concept, 3D design, engineering, and fabrication of the installation. Working directly with Equitone fibre-cement panels, I designed a series of vertical architectural elements that act as spatial markers, exploring proportion, surface, and repetition. Each component was engineered for temporary installation while retaining an architectural presence, allowing the material to be experienced at scale and in context.

Results & Impact Vita Contemplativa successfully positioned Equitone as an architectural material through experience rather than explanation. By embedding the product within a calm, contemplative spatial sequence, the installation invited architects and designers to engage with the panels physically and perceptually. The project demonstrated how material-led experiential design can communicate product potential while contributing meaningfully to the public realm and the wider discourse of the festival.