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Celebrating and enriching biodiversity underpins every element of ceramics studio Casa Adams.
Founded by Araceli Robledo Adams, the studio produces handmade ceramics depicting intriguing sea life from a backyard studio designed by Alexander Symes Architect to help ensure the future of vulnerable species.
Through her work, Araceli sets out to astound customers and masterclass students with stories from the seas — from the incredible biodiversity found underwater, to the people who make it their life’s work to study their existence.
‘The mission of Casa Adams is to wow the world with the awesomeness of nature, hoping to spark curiosity that will lead to conservation efforts,’ says Araceli.
More than five per cent of earnings are donated to environmental and social causes, and Araceli invites experts such as marine biologists and ecologists to co-host monthly art and natural history workshops.
The foundations of Casa Adams began at Araceli’s former apartment kitchen bench following the birth of her first child and a 15-year marketing career.
As the studio flourished, Araceli and her family moved to a house in Dulwich Hill with enough space for a purpose-built backyard studio.
They engaged Alexander Symes Architect with a brief to design a small footprint studio across two storeys, enabling the ‘messy stuff’ to happen on the ground floor (making, glazing and packing), and the ‘clean stuff’ upstairs (painting, designing and admin).
Alexander Symes Architect designed the studio to have the most minimal impact possible. Drawing inspiration from his previous Pepper Tree Passive House project, the studio is clad in shou sugi ban, with the addition of recycled blackbutt windows, exposed laminated veneer lumber, perforated aluminium. ‘The fit-out is made from off-cuts and found objects from the side of the road,’ says Alexander.
The Casa Adams studio is 100 per cent electric and produces enough solar energy to power 85 per cent of its operations, including two energy intensive kilns.
The garden designed by landscape architect Jason Monaghan is an equally important element of the studio for enhancing nature and promoting wildlife.
‘We wanted to bring in the native insects, birds and other critters, and also to have plenty of space and functionality for our own food production. The landscape perfectly marries the two,’ says Araceli.
Existing veggie gardens were retained, and Jason designed new spaces for compost, chickens and bees.
Araceli’s favourite landscape feature is the pond that serves as a rainwater catchment and encourages wildlife to flock to the site.
‘It’s filled with leftover sandstone and native lilies and fish, snails, dragonfly larvae and countless other wonders,’ Araceli says.
‘The rest [of the garden] is planted with plenty of natives, particularly spiky and unusual local species that protect small birds from the local outdoor cats that roam by. Many of these plants need a few years to mature, but already the insects, dragonflies, butterflies, native bees, lizards and frogs are heaving in the yard.’
Araceli describes the new studio as a joy to work in that allows more efficient production of her wares, which each take up to two weeks to produce. Each ceramic collection work starts as a series of illustrations highlighting a particular ecosystem or species. These artworks are grounded in research and are often inspired by old natural history books containing hand-coloured etchings.
The Casa Adams studio is now a vehicle for education as much as it is a place of work. The tiled coconut crab mural on entry reminds visitors of the many magnificent and vulnerable species that inspire Araceli and are at risk of being overharvested by humans.
It is these conversations that Araceli hopes her work sparks and ultimately supports.
‘The best part of it all is when I really inspire people’s curiosity about nature. That is proof that I’m making a difference and fulfilling the mission of Casa Adams.’
