Hayes Cave Trail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROJECT: Hayes Cave Trail
LOCATION: Stone, Staffordshire
COLLABORATORS: Friends of the Hayes
PROJECT TYPE: design, construction
BUDGET: £2000 (grant awarded from YouthUK)

Set in a semi-ancient woodland in Staffordshire, the Hayes invited students to create functional interventions using locally sourced material with designs inspired by the geological and ecological features of the landscape.

One of the features on the site is a cave adjacent to a picturesque stream bank. However, access to the cave is difficult to navigate to. Students developed a number of design options for a barrier acting as a wayfinding tool.

Digital craft changes the way a designer interacts with the materials they specify. However, these processes can be combined with traditional techniques creating work that is more responsive to its natural environment and has greater tactility when touched. The project involved explorations in combining reclaimed and pre-fabricated materials to embrace a more sustainable approach in design.

The project is due for completion in 2013.