Router + lathe drilling jig

What Grows Again is a research project developed during my MA Material Futures at Central Saint Martins, exploring how coppiced timber can be used as a locally sourced material for temporary structures and shared spaces.

Coppicing is a traditional form of woodland management where trees are repeatedly cut back to encourage new stems to grow from the same root system. The resulting poles are typically smaller, more irregular and varied than conventional sawn timber. This variation became the starting point for exploring how fabrication processes could work with, rather than against, the natural differences in diameter, curvature and geometry.

During a summer build at AA’s Hooke Park, I continued developping and testing a fabrication process for working with irregular coppiced timber. This included experimenting with router and lathe setups, drilling jigs and connector systems designed to accommodate variation while maintaining a degree of consistency.

The process was later developed using locally harvested sweet chestnut from Torry Hill Sweet Chestnut Fencing in Kent, leading to a modular connector system that allows irregular poles to be assembled into different configurations and temporary structures.

What Grows Again is Antoine Léger’s final master’s project;

MA Material Futures 2026
Central Saint Martins University of the Arts London