About
Grymsdyke Farm is a non-profit organisation and shared space for design experimentation, located in the village of Lacey Green just outside London. Over the past 20 years Grymsdyke Farm has repurposed its agricultural buildings to create maker spaces and communal facilities where traditional craftsmanship blends with modern digital design.
Grymsdyke Farm is a destination and a reference point in the design sector: a place to develop ideas, explore design practices and investigate methodologies. Within easy reach of central London, its rural setting in Buckinghamshire is linked with design and making in a region that historically was the heart of the British furniture industry.
Grymsdyke Farm has pioneered a holistic and communal approach to design, making and learning that links reading and collaboration with the making process. Our programmes and workshops develop experimentation in fabrication, supported by lectures, talks, publications and exhibitions.
Grymsdyke Farm functions as a research facility, an experimental laboratory and a living-working space.
- Farmhouse: includes residential amenities such as a kitchen, living room, bedrooms and a library.
- Maker Spaces: at the core of the facility maker spaces are equipped with various forms of fabrication for daily experimentation.
- Outdoor Spaces: an orchard, tennis court, paddock, vegetable garden and spaces for events and site-specific installations.
Established in 2004 by Dr Guan Lee and Paul Starr, Grymsdyke Farm has supported hundreds of students, designers, artists, architects and other practitioners to develop research in the field of design.
Founding Director Guan Lee is joined by Vicky Richardson as Director and Marco Campardo as Creative Director. Their vast experience will build on Grymsdyke Farm’s 20 years of experimentation, education and exploration in architecture and design.
Each renowned in their own discipline, the team develop and extend Guan Lee’s vision to offer a unique space for free-thinking and experimentation in materials and concepts. The new leadership reflects the farm’s commitment to and passion for open, collaborative practice across disciplines.
Meet the team:
Dr Guan Lee: Founding Director
Dr Guan Lee defines Grymsdyke Farm’s creative vision while overseeing its operations. Alongside his practice as an architect and designer, Guan is an academic at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, and the Royal College of Art.
He holds a BSc in Architecture from McGill University (1997), a Diploma and MSc from the Architectural Association (1999, 2003), and a PhD in Design from the Bartlett (2013).
Vicky Richardson: Director
An internationally respected curator, writer and educator specialising in design and architecture, Vicky brings strategic leadership and curatorial vision to Grymsdyke Farm.
Previously Head of Architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts, and Director of Architecture, Design and Fashion at the British Council, Vicky has led award-winning exhibitions and global programmes. She is an Honorary Fellow of the RIBA and has held key roles at the London School of Architecture and the Architectural Association.
Marco Campardo: Creative Director
A London-based designer focused on research, production and teaching, Marco explores material experimentation as a form of critical practice.
Through hands-on methods, he investigates themes of culture, identity and authenticity, creating objects shaped by process as much as intention. His work blends high-end and lo-fi techniques, serving as a reflection on the value of making and contemporary craftsmanship.
