The New Bungaroosh

The conversation around constructing with local sustainable materials has seen a huge growth in interest. Materials that would have been considered waste from demolition sites are being reused and reconstituted into building materials for future construction on site, cutting carbon and saving on energy inefficient transportation.

Building sustainably at scale is still viewed as problematic, with concrete and steel seen as a default for larger developments by a risk averse construction industry but the 19th century builders of Brighton had totally nailed it with bungaroosh.

Popular during the 18th and 19th centuries, bungaroosh is particular to Brighton although it can be found in neighbouring towns including historic Lewes. Most of the 19th century Regency buildings gracing Brighton’s seafront were built with bungaroosh. The exact origin of the word is unknown, sometimes cited as being of Hindi origin or alternatively coming from the verb ‘to bung’!

Bungaroosh Block by Local Works

Made up of a mixture of broken bricks, flint, pebbles, cobblestones, pieces of wood and sand, the material was held together with lime, sand and pea beach shingle used to form a mortar. Bungaroosh was strong and easy to use with cheap, readily available local materials like flint from the South Downs and beach pebbles. Bungaroosh pre-dated cement-based concrete and was constructed by pouring between shuttering, often made of railway sleepers. To give the bungaroosh strength, timber would be inserted into the wall which also enabled fixings. The bungaroosh was rendered with stucco or plaster to stop erosion.

Holding up some of Brighton’s finest buildings including Adelaide Crescent, Brunswick and Sussex Square the choice of material is challenging given the town’s seaside location and salty air. Many of the listed buildings in bungaroosh stipulate that all repairs to the material need to be undertaken with lime-based materials to allow the material to breathe. Bungaroosh is notoriously tricky to drill into, causing an eye rolling challenge for builders who encounter either a soft crumbly texture making fixing impossible or flint impeding drilling entirely.

Bungaroosh is making a comeback. A beautiful example is the bungaroosh block made by material experimentalists Local Works Studio for The Phoenix project– a planned 7.9 hectare sustainable neighbourhood by Human Nature in Lewes. Local Works Studio were tasked with undertaking a site audit of materials for reuse within the new development. The audit is informing the practices ongoing material strategy for new bespoke cladding materials for the project, made with waste from the site.

Bungaroosh model for The Garden Museum by Mary Duggan Architects

Architect Mary Duggan has recently won planning permission for a new pavilion and perimeter enclosure for The Garden Museum in London. The proposal features walls formed of reclaimed London stone and spolia pieces, carefully graded and homogenised with a cement-free binder. Here, the ‘bungaroosh’ will be revealed and celebrated, with the granularity of material textures creating a beautiful finish to both enclose and elevate the garden’s boundaries.

Our conversations are becoming increasingly nuanced. There is growing awareness that construction industry related practices such as sand dredging have far-reaching consequences for natural habitats and coastal communities. Positive action is being taken to ensure the reuse of materials is a vital component in cutting the carbon cost of building.

The 150-year-old bungaroosh buildings of Brighton have stood the test of time and with a new generation of talented bungaroosh lovers reinventing the material, it could be time for a bungaroosh revival.

Vanessa Norwood is a curator and consultant for the built environment advocating for low-carbon architecture and materials.