rural workshop

Sustainably crafted, timelessly 
rooted.

 Rural Workshop is a spatial design and make studio based in East Sussex, working across architecture, construction, and craft. The practice is rooted in the local landscape and operates through the use of natural and reclaimed materials, shaped by a close understanding of place. Projects begin with the site—its resources, constraints, and opportunities—forming a direct relationship between material, design, and build.

The studio works between drawing and making, bringing together design thinking and hands-on construction experience. Informed by collaboration with craftsmen, architects, and artists, it operates across design, fabrication, and delivery—from furniture to buildings. This approach is grounded in a regional circular economy, working with local supply chains and vernacular building knowledge to develop projects from tree to structure, resolving form, material, and construction as a single process.

The work is defined by clarity and buildability. Each project is developed through a close dialogue between site, material, and construction, resulting in proposals that are practical, considered, and enduring. Rural Workshop aims to produce space that is grounded in its context, shaped by its making, and built to last.












Shaun Ryder
Spatial Designer & Maker
BArch (Hons), MA Arch (cand.arch.)


Shaun’s background is shaped by work across architecture, artist, and design studios in France, Denmark, and the UK, with a growing body of work that extends between East Sussex and London. In Dijon, he worked with Atelier Zéro Carbone Architectes on projects including wineries and the adaptation of historic buildings. In Copenhagen, he worked with 3XN, contributing to large-scale design development and model making, including work exhibited at the Venice Biennale, alongside experience with artist-led practice AVPD. Returning to the UK, he worked with Dan Morrish on residential and rural building projects, establishing a direct understanding of construction and material use.

Alongside this, he has developed a strong network of collaborators across disciplines, including landscape architects Hortus Collective and landscape-led designers Local Works Studio, as well as structural and environmental engineers Allt Environmental. Through Rural Workshop, he delivers projects from concept through to construction, including The Wash House, recognised with the Scottish Structural Award for Best Sustainable Design Project. He is currently working with Global Generation on the delivery of the Triangle Site in King’s Cross, expanding his experience in site coordination, collaborative construction, and work within complex stakeholder and community-led frameworks.




©2024 Wilmington, E.Sussex.