Outside Project by IDK: A Community-Driven Rural Hub in South Devon

 Architects: IDK 

Reimagining Rural Regeneration through Community and Craft

Located within a two-acre site in South Devon’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Outside Project by IDK exemplifies a fresh and hyperlocal model of rural development. Transforming a once-dilapidated agricultural structure, the project is now a vibrant, mixed-use community space that blends architecture, social infrastructure, and ecology.

The development incorporates a café, event space, ceramics studio, and a surfboard shaping workshop—all situated alongside spaces for skateboarding, small-scale farming, and outdoor play. Rather than impose a singular architectural vision, IDK collaborated closely with local stakeholders and embraced a self-build process for the interior, prioritizing local labor and materials throughout construction.

A New Model for Rural Development

In a landscape dominated by monocultural arable farming, Outside offers a compelling counterpoint—a regenerative, community-centered space that encourages biodiversity, skill-sharing, and economic sustainability. The project was built with support from over 300 individual donors, raising £60,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to construct a custom skate bowl, designed by Betongpark and built by Opus Skateparks.

Through extensive public engagement, including over 500 letters of support, the initiative earned broad approval and community backing. As a result, Outside stands as a case study in how collaborative rural design can thrive even within strict environmental and planning constraints.

Programming for Inclusion, Learning, and Local Resilience

From the outset, the design and programming of the Outside Project have been driven by the ethos of “maximum impact with minimum means.” The building’s flexible framework now supports a growing roster of workshops and events that promote inclusive and intergenerational learning.

These include:

• Girl and non-binary skateboarding clubs
• Ceramic and mosaic workshops
• Graffiti art sessions
• Film screenings
• Swap shops and repair cafes
• Guided ecological farm tours

By combining creative expression, craftsmanship, and social connection, the Outside Project fosters a richly layered experience that resonates across age, gender, and cultural backgrounds. The café and studios remain open daily, encouraging ongoing interaction and supporting the project’s financial self-sufficiency.

Architecture as Infrastructure for Shared Futures

Rather than a finished object, Outside is envisioned as an adaptive and evolving platform—an open-ended framework that responds to the community’s needs over time. As its user base expands, so too does its potential to catalyze cross-pollination among artists, farmers, educators, and youth.

Shortlisted for the RIBAJ MacEwen Award 2023, the project exemplifies how architecture can be more than shelter: it can serve as infrastructure for connection, co-production, and rural resilience. Through its localized approach and collaborative spirit, Outside offers a hopeful vision for how we might build—together—in and for the countryside.

All photographs are works of  Toby Coulson