從順應土地天性，找回建築遺忘的氣息：專訪 Clayworks 共同創辦人 Adam Weismann

 

© Elliot Sheppard, Clayworks (Clayworks Studio)

 
 

在追求極致平整與效率的當代建築中，牆面常被視為劃分空間的背景。我們習慣被工業化塗料與標準化建材包裹，對於牆面的想像也逐漸變得單一。但在Clayworks 共同創辦人 Adam Weismann 眼中，空間若少了與人的感官連結，便顯得空洞。

「人類與黏土共同構築生活的歷史已達數千年，」Adam 觀察到，「直到近代，我們才轉而依賴化學物質、塑料與工業材料來構成居住環境。」他試著將黏土重新帶回現代視野，讓牆面擺脫裝修皮層角色，成為能調節室內氣候、與居住者互動的構造。

 
 

  • In contemporary architecture, driven by a pursuit of absolute flatness and efficiency, walls are often relegated to mere background elements used to partition space. Wrapped in industrial coatings and standardized materials, our imagination of what a wall can be has grown monotonous. Yet, in the eyes of Clayworks co-founder Adam Weismann, a space devoid of sensory connection to its inhabitants is inherently hollow.

    “Humanity has been building lives alongside clay for millennia,” Adam observes. “It is only in recent history that we have pivoted to relying on chemicals, plastics, and industrial materials to construct our living environments.” He seeks to bring clay back into the modern consciousness, liberating the wall from being a mere decorative skin and transforming it into an active structure that regulates indoor climates and interacts with its inhabitants.

 
 

Clayworks 共同創辦人 Adam Weismann ( © Cat Vinton, Clayworks) 

 
 

從英國到日本：一場關於材質本質的溯源


這場材料革命的起點，要從英國康瓦耳（Cornwall）溫潤的紅土說起。在正式創立 Clayworks 之前，Adam 與妻子 Katy Bryce 曾投入多年時間修復古老的土造建築，並走訪世界各地學習延續千年的黏土工藝。他們發現，在鋼筋水泥構築的城市裡，這項與大地緊密相連的技藝正被遺忘，取而代之的是冰冷、標準化，且阻隔空間流動氣息的工業合成面材。

然而，真正賦予 Adam 美學深度的關鍵，源於他在日本京都度過的那段歲月。在那座將「瑕疵」與「不完美」視為美學核心的城市，他深刻感受到自然材質如何隨著歲月歷練，打磨出獨有的優雅韻味，也讓他明白，當西方仍然試圖以精準數據規範環境時，東方職人早已學會順應材質的天性，在不刻意的純粹中，與自然和諧共生。

 
 

  • From the UK to Japan: Tracing the Essence of Materiality

    The genesis of this material revolution begins with the warm red earth of Cornwall, England. Before officially founding Clayworks, Adam and his wife, Katy Bryce, spent years restoring ancient earth buildings and traveling the globe to study millennia-old clay craftsmanship. They discovered that in cities built of steel and concrete, this earth-bound craft was fading into obscurity, replaced by cold, standardized, industrial synthetic surfaces that stifle the spatial flow of air.

    However, the true catalyst that gave Adam his aesthetic depth was the time he spent in Kyoto, Japan. In a city that embraces "flaws" and "imperfection" as the core of its aesthetic philosophy, he profoundly experienced how natural materials weather over time to develop a uniquely elegant patina. It made him realize that while the West still attempts to regulate environments through precise data, Eastern artisans have long learned to yield to the inherent nature of materials, living in harmonious, effortless purity with nature.

 
 

© Edvinas Bruzas, Clayworks (Wave Residence)

 
 

在大地孔隙間觸碰時間的溫潤


黏土之所以能跨越建築文明千年而不墜，核心在於它細緻的物理孔隙。與密不透氣的現代合成塗料不同，黏土抹灰（Clay Plaster）在施作完成後，依然與周遭環境保持連結性。Adam 常用「持續運作」的視角來描述這種材料：它不單是視覺上呈現，更隨著時間推移，細微地調節著空間裡的氣味、水氣與溫度。

 
 

  • Touching the Warmth of Time Through the Earth's Pores

    The reason clay has endured through millennia of architectural civilization lies in its fine physical porosity. Unlike impermeable modern synthetic paints, clay plaster maintains an ongoing connection with its surrounding environment long after application. Adam often describes this material as "constantly working": it is not merely a visual presence, but something that subtly regulates odors, moisture, and temperature within a space over time.

 
 

© Alex Treadway, Clayworks (CBRE)

 
 

「黏土在空間裡實際上是一套無聲運行的調節系統，支撐著居家環境的健康與舒適，」Adam 說明，這是一種能與建築環境和諧共生的材質。它具備自然的呼吸感，能敏銳感應濕度變化，並在冷熱交替間，為空間留下一道溫潤的緩衝 。

這種物理特性賦予牆面優異的吸附能力，能主動中和異味，並透過多孔質地軟化聲音反射，減少生硬殘響。最關鍵的在於濕度的自然調控——當室內水氣過盛時，黏土會吸收並儲存水分；環境趨於乾燥時則穩定釋放。在極端氣候下，這類特質會轉化為顯著的機能價值。以新加坡這類全年高溫高濕的熱帶氣候為例，黏土的呼吸性已經是機能上的必要材質。對於同樣處於濕熱環境的台灣而言，這種能平衡微氣候、緩衝溫濕度劇烈波動的材質，提供了一種比除濕機更為純粹且具質感的方案。

 
 

  • “In a space, clay acts as a silently operating regulatory system, underpinning the health and comfort of the home environment,” Adam explains. It is a material capable of harmonious symbiosis with the built environment. Possessing a natural breathability, it keenly senses shifts in humidity and provides a comforting, thermal buffer amid fluctuations in temperature.

    This physical property endows the walls with exceptional absorptive capabilities, actively neutralizing odors while softening sound reflections through its porous texture to reduce harsh reverberations. Most crucially, it naturally regulates humidity—absorbing and storing moisture when the air is too damp, and steadily releasing it as the environment dries out. In extreme climates, these traits translate into significant functional value. In a tropical, year-round hot and humid climate like Singapore, the breathability of clay is a functional necessity. For Taiwan, which shares a similarly humid and hot environment, a material that balances the microclimate and buffers drastic temperature and humidity swings offers a purer, more tactile alternative to a mechanical dehumidifier.

 
 

© Eleonora Boscarelli, Clayworks (Mouki Mou)

 
 

© James Retief, Clayworks (Terzetto)

 
 

© Harry Crowther, Clayworks (bloombloom)

 
 

透過指尖跨越工業製品帶來的疏離


當代設計的審美中，常存在對無瑕近乎執著的追求，試圖抹除所有自然痕跡，以換取視覺上的絕對完美。然而在 Adam 的觀察中，這反映了值得警惕的現象：當建築環境趨向標準化、甚至在視覺上顯得缺乏個性時，我們也逐漸遺忘了透過雙手去閱讀空間的本能。這正是他試圖喚醒的「觸覺智能」（Sensory Intelligence），一種長期被現代建築所忽視的感知能力。

Clayworks 的魅力源於不刻意追求標準化的質樸美感。藉由在材料配方中混入稻草纖維或細碎礦物，並結合職人手鏝時留下的紋理，牆面不再只是冷冰冰的垂直平面，而轉變為一種邀請人們觸碰的感官介面。

「相對於追求整齊劃一的完美，生活在具備個性與感官溫度的材質中更顯重要，」Adam 深信，人與自然的連結應是一場全身心的感官體驗。當手掌輕撫牆面，那種源自土地、帶著微小顆粒的溫潤感，是現代化學合成塗料難以模擬的質地。這種觸感在無聲中串連起設計師、工匠與居住者，以土地特有的語言消弭了工業製品的冰冷疏離。

 
 

  • Bridging Industrial Alienation Through the Fingertips

    Contemporary design aesthetics often harbor an almost obsessive pursuit of flawlessness, attempting to erase all traces of nature in exchange for absolute visual perfection. In Adam's view, however, this reflects a concerning trend: as built environments lean toward standardization and visual sterility, we gradually forget our instinct to "read" a space with our hands. This is precisely what he seeks to awaken—"Sensory Intelligence," a perceptive capability long neglected by modern architecture.

    The charm of Clayworks stems from an unpretentious beauty that actively resists standardization. By blending straw fibers or crushed minerals into the material formula and combining them with the subtle textures left by a craftsman’s trowel, the wall is no longer a cold, vertical plane; it transforms into a sensory interface that invites touch.

    “Rather than striving for uniform perfection, it is far more important to live among materials that possess character and sensory warmth,” Adam firmly believes. The connection between humans and nature should be an immersive, full-body sensory experience. When a hand gently brushes against the wall, that granular, earthy warmth is a texture impossible to replicate with modern synthetic paints. This tactility silently bridges the gap between designer, artisan, and inhabitant, dissolving the cold alienation of industrial products through the unique language of the earth.

 
 

© Edmund Sumner, Clayworks (Walmer Yard)

 
 

© Elliot Sheppard, Clayworks (Clayworks Studio)

© Clayworks

 
 

從東方啟蒙出發的在地色譜計畫


Adam 也提到，亞洲設計領域對自然材料本身變化包容度較高，更傾向於傾聽並順應材質的本質。「相較於西方，亞洲建築師更願意讓天然材料展現自我，而非試圖完全控制它們，」這種哲學思維引導 Clayworks 在面對台灣、日本等擁有深厚風土底蘊的市場時，除了提供高品質建材，也將傳統智慧重新導入當代空間之中。

他進一步將這份體悟轉化為視野的計畫：為特定地區開發專屬的材質與色譜（Specific palette of material and colour）。藉由研究在地土壤與傳統工藝，Clayworks 致力於開發能回應當地光影、氣候與人文語境的配方。這個計畫兼顧降低長途運輸碳足跡的環保訴求，同時達成讓建築深耕風土、在現代都市中重新接通土地脈絡的目標。

 
 

  • A Localized Material Palette Rooted in Eastern Enlightenment

    Adam also notes that the Asian design sphere shows a higher tolerance for the natural variations of materials, leaning more towards listening to and yielding to the material's essence. "Compared to the West, Asian architects are more willing to let natural materials express themselves, rather than trying to control them completely." This philosophical mindset guides Clayworks when approaching markets with profound vernacular traditions, such as Taiwan and Japan. Beyond supplying high-quality building materials, they are reintroducing traditional wisdom into contemporary spaces.

    He has further translated this realization into a visionary initiative: developing a specific palette of material and colour for distinct regions. By studying local soils and traditional craftsmanship, Clayworks is dedicated to formulating mixes that respond to local light, climate, and cultural contexts. This initiative addresses the environmental demand to reduce the carbon footprint of long-distance shipping, while simultaneously achieving the goal of deeply rooting architecture in its vernacular, reconnecting the urban fabric to the earth.

 
 

© Edmund Sumner, Clayworks (Walmer Yard)

 
 

擁抱瑕疵與修補，賦予空間隨歲月沉澱的韻味


在 Adam 的思維中，空間完成並非一個靜止終點，而是材料展現長效價值的開始。黏土材料與常見面材最大的區別在於物理韌性，面對生活中難免的碰撞或刮損，只需透過噴水與局部鏝抹，就能讓牆面重拾完整。這種維護上的便利，讓黏土從易耗損的裝修材料轉變為能與環境共生的基礎。

「黏土材質能記錄並回應生活的足跡，在經常觸摸的地方會自然發展出獨特光澤（Patina）。它具備呼吸與修復的能力，能承載日常痕跡，」Adam 認為，這些變化是材質與環境互動後的自然現象。當牆面具備隨生活演變的彈性，就能以更踏實的狀態支撐居家活動。

 
 

  • Embracing Imperfection and Repair: Imbuing Space with the Patina of Time

    In Adam’s mindset, the completion of a space is not a static finish line, but rather the beginning of a material demonstrating its long-term value. The greatest distinction between clay and conventional surfacing materials lies in its physical resilience. In the face of inevitable daily bumps and scratches, the wall's integrity can be restored simply with a spritz of water and targeted troweling. This ease of maintenance transforms clay from a consumable decorative finish into a foundational element that coexists with its environment.

    “Clay has the ability to record and respond to the footprint of daily life; areas that are frequently touched will naturally develop a unique patina. It possesses the ability to breathe and heal, capable of bearing the marks of the everyday,” Adam suggests. These changes are natural phenomena born from the interaction between material and environment. When walls have the elasticity to evolve alongside life, they can support domestic activities in a much more grounded state.

 
 

© Edvinas Bruzas, Clayworks (Wave Residence)

 
 

© Eleonora Boscarelli, Clayworks (Sticks–n–Sushi)

 
 

這種對材質本質的重視，提供了現代人重新審視居住環境的機會。選擇具備修復能力且隨歲月沉澱的材質，空間會隨著使用過程展現出層次感。在標準化生產主導的日常中，保留一面能隨時間緩慢演變、反映真實生活的牆體，是重新接通土地脈絡最直覺的方式。

 
 

  • This reverence for the essence of materials offers modern society an opportunity to re-evaluate our living environments. By choosing materials that possess the capacity for repair and gather depth over time, a space will reveal layers of character through its usage. In a daily life dominated by standardized production, preserving a wall that can slowly evolve over time and reflect the reality of living is the most intuitive way to reconnect with the roots of the earth.

 
 

© Eleonora Boscarelli, Clayworks (Sticks–n–Sushi)

 
 

▎關於 Clayworks

來自英國康瓦耳（Cornwall），由 Adam Weismann 與 Katy Bryce 共同創立。創辦人曾遊歷世界學習傳統土造技術，撰寫多本關於自然材質的權威著作。Clayworks 將古老黏土工藝轉化為符合現代建築規範的高機能面材，強調 100% 天然成分，致力在現代環境中重新尋回人與自然的連結。
Web / IG

 
 
Photo Source/ Clayworks
Interview、Text/ Lin（Fei.W)

 
SPEAKOUTLinVoice, art, object