果园丨英国丨Okra

Here’s what happens when you take a forgotten orchard in the UK’s  Hertfordshire and turn it into a space that serves people. The Apple House is a 150-square-metre education and wellbeing hub by Okra that puts material innovation and community access front and centre.

Getting this built wasn’t straightforward, to put it mildly. The site is situated within the Metropolitan Green Belt, which is subject to strict planning rules. Okra worked closely with the local community to prove the project’s worth, building a case around something simple but powerful: working with nature transforms wellbeing, and gardening brings people together.

The materials tell the real story here. Okra used a spruce glulam frame designed by Structure Workshop, then cast hempcrete between the timbers. In addition to acting as insulation, hempcrete stores carbon and adds structural stability. Birch ply connects everything, creating a big open space with windows that frame the woodland, vegetable beds, and plant library beyond.

The floors are particularly clever. Working with materials expert Will Stanwix, Okra used local unfired clay bricks from H.G. Mathews—typically used for walls—cut them in half, and sealed them with pigmented linseed oil. The result keeps all those warm clay tones intact. Outside, hand-split oak cladding from nearby trees gives the building its rugged texture. That irregular surface becomes home to insects and rare bats.

The building supports a year-round public programme that prioritises people with the least access to the natural world. The events attract school groups, mental health charities, local residents, and design professionals, with activities ranging from children’s workshops to events featuring internationally recognised garden designers, florists, artists, and therapists. The professional events help fund the community outreach work. The local charity Sunnyside Rural Trust also has a permanent presence here, operating a small plant nursery and offering horticultural training to individuals with learning disabilities.

Tom Stuart-Smith Studio designed the plant library that wraps around the building, featuring over 1,500 different varieties, mostly herbaceous plants. It’s an educational resource for anyone interested in plants, from horticulture students to garden designers and school children.

[Images courtesy of Okra. Photography by Nick Dearden.]