Matt Robinson (b.1967) does all the design work in his purpose built studio (a converted farm building). He is a self taught, having first learned perspective drawings and then learned how to make buildings during the project management and actual building of various projects. He is renowned in Cornwall for having reintroduced the craft of cob walling (raw earth building) to the County in 1995.

Actual experience building has been supplemented by courses in Green oak carpentry (CAT & the Greenwood Trust) and furniture making (Parnham House). Formal education extends to a degree in Philosophy & Psychology (PPP) from Magdalen College, Oxford University (2:1)1986 .

Matt Robinson married the Painter Louise McClary in 1995 and together they have two boys, Luke (b.1996) and Alfie (b1998). Matt and Louise have spent the last 10 years creating the garden at their home 'Caervallack' which is open on the National Garden Scheme and is home to most of the sculptures seen on this website.

Our workshop focusses on timber and innovative projects such as the garden buildings, bridges, sculptures, and on the signature components for buildings designed by Matt Robinson. For larger projects and jobs that cannot be fitted into our schedule we subcontract to known contractors who specialise in precisely that   aspect of joinery window or green oak carpentry. Successful delegation is achieved through accurate and appropriate drawings, and giving the right job to the right type of maker.


Environmental Statement
Our work is entirely bound up with SUSTAINING the beautiful English landscape that we have inherited. We therefore use products that are both taken from and sustain this landscape: for instance we predominantly use locally grown timber supporting local woodlands and producers. For us, 'Sustainable 'means 'sustaining the landscape '. When oil runs out, that is all that we will be left with.

We believe it spiritually important to use the local geology to build structures that are grounded in their location: our buildings fit into their landscapes because they are made of their landscape. This path is also the most energy efficient, and it produces buildings that are directly connected to the pre-industrial vernacular that we all admire. If you want a low impact building, look at the countless examples built before the industrial revolution.

Wherever possible we use plant and animal based materials in the 'raw'. Less processing means less energy. We avoid industrial products such as plywood and plastics. We avoid chemicals in building by using durable timbers in exposed locations ; and by sound architectural detailing. All of these ideals are inevitably tempered by the Clients budget, the price of labour, the need to address modern Building Codes as well as our sense of architectural wit.

Awards
2002 Civic Trust Award
For the cob walls on Alice's Seat, Trebah.

2001 Cornish Buildings Group
Restoration award for the 'Chapel' Manaccan.

1999 Cornish Buildings Group
Recommendation for the restoration of Caervallack.

Contact address
Matt Robinson & Co
Caervallack, St Martin, Helston, Cornwall, TR12 6DF, UK