ROOTED: Beneath the Surface

At Studio Egret West, being Rooted is fundamental to how we think about design and placemaking. This exhibition offers insight into how we investigate local heritage, explore themes of identity and connection, and embed our work within the character of each place.

Showing

1 May - 31 July, 2025

Location

Studio Showroom Windows, 3 Brewhouse Yard London, EC1V 4JQ

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Designing with Rootedness

Roots do more than anchor plants — they nourish, adapt, and store energy, forming a hidden network shaped by place. For people, roots evoke questions of identity, history, and belonging.

At Studio Egret West, being Rooted shapes how we design. We explore the stories, systems, and conditions that define a place, asking what came before, what matters now, and what connects people to it. Guided by ten “R” words, we interpret rootedness in many ways: cultural, social, environmental, and physical.

Roots ~ Raised ~ Reciprocal ~ Rigorous ~ Resilient ~ Restorative ~ Reconnected ~ Respect ~ Resonate ~ Relationships

Read our article on each of these aspects of Rootedness here.

Taking Root Across the Showroom

Our research was presented as a window display exhibition, animating the façade of our Brewhouse Yard studio. Visible from the street, the display brought our ideas on rootedness into the public realm, turning the studio frontage into a space for reflection, curiosity, and engagement.

Putting Down Creative Roots

The exhibition design is built around a continuous section drawing that cuts through an abstracted landscape, moving from high slopes down to the river’s edge. Along this imagined terrain, different plants are placed at key moments. Each plant has been chosen for its distinctive root system and for its connection to a project we have worked on, either through its inclusion in the landscape design or through a shared set of ideas.

These root systems are illustrated in abstracted form across the studio façade. River-edge species are shown with long, trailing roots that suggest flexibility and resilience. In contrast, established trees appear with broad, far-reaching root balls that evoke stability and deep connection. Together, the drawing reveals a hidden world beneath the surface, offering a visual metaphor for how we anchor our projects in place through cultural, environmental, and contextual understanding.

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Drawing on Our Roots

For Clerkenwell Design Week, we brought the exhibition beyond the glass by using chalk to draw sweeping root systems directly onto the pavement. These bold, playful lines spilled out from the studio façade, extending the illustrated roots into the streetscape and inviting passersby to follow their path.

This temporary intervention added a lively, festive energy to the street, drawing people in and rooting the exhibition firmly in its local context.

Discussing the Root of the Issue

Tying in with Clerkenwell Design Week 2025, Studio Egret West welcomed guests into our studio for an evening of conversation and reflection around our latest research on rootedness.

We hosted a panel discussion with leading voices from across the built environment, furniture, and interior design industries, exploring how rootedness can shape meaningful designs and spaces. The event sparked rich dialogue on the importance of history, identity, and context in design — themes that sit at the heart of our work at Studio Egret West.

Together, the installation and panel offered a glimpse into how we uncover cultural narratives, respond to environmental challenges, and embed our designs in the places they belong.

Left to Right: Jacinta Ashby (Interior Designer, Studio Egret West), Andrea Bazzaro (Executive Vice President, Moroso), Natasha Rewrie (UK - Sustainability Representative, Ege Carpets), and David West (Founding Director, Studio Egret West)