Upstairs, Downstairs, and the Myth of the Clay Tower…

There’s something sacred about climbing stairs in a pottery studio.

Maybe it’s the timber underfoot, the shift in light, or the quiet at the top.

In ancient Crete, kilns sat on rooftops for smoke control. In Mesopotamia, clay dried on terraces. Elevation wasn’t just practical — it was symbolic. In many cultures, clay rose just like towers, temples, and memory.

At Mayfield Studios in Abbotsford, we’re building upward too.

Our mezzanine studio space and front balcony are taking shape. Windows flood in light. New ceramic shelving lines the walls. The feeling shifts — we’re not just working low anymore.

It's not a temple or a rooftop kiln. But it’s part of a long lineage of pottery studio design that values height, air, and vision.

Here in our creative studio in Abbotsford, we’re making more than space. We’re making stories rise.