DESIGN NATURE - FOREST GARDEN SCHOOL
Location: Greater Manchester, UK
Typology: Research + Feasibility Study
– All the animals and plants in the world. All the features, forces, and processes that exist or happen independently of people, such as the weather, the sea, mountains, reproduction, and growth.
– The character of a person, or the characteristics a person is born with.
We transform an underused green chain land in the UK into a local forest playground by integrating National and Local Planning Policies through biophilic design with multidisciplinary collaboration for a Sustainable Community.
We aim to improve wellbeing of young people and children, enhance natural environment as well as bring economic benefit to its community.”
Main Service: Design a sustainable vision for a local forest playground.
4 Branch Products and Services through multidisciplinary collaboration:
1. Forest (Landscape)
Forest Garden, Urban Farming, Outdoor Organic Food Market, Online Organic Food Store, Fete, Adventure Playground.
2. Shelter (Architecture)
Visitor Centre, Organic Food Store, Organic Kitchen, Multifunction Hall, Cafe, Bring Green House Home.
3. Education
Educational Site Of Universities, Forest School, Tour With Interpretation, Talks Events, Art Events, Training Events.
4. Therapeutic
Therapeutic Session In Forest, Art Therapy, Forest Bathing.
The mission is to enrich a community by protecting and enhancing its existing natural environment at the heart of Symbiotic Relationship, Sustainability, Green Infrastructure (GI), Education, Wellbeing, and Economic Impact.
A connected, resilient and cohesive community will be developed for improving the health and wellbeing of children, marginalised young people as well as local residents.
We are passionate designers, gardeners, urban farmers, educators, social workers and builders. We collaborate with institutes, local authorities, charities, entrepreneurs, and individuals.
-WHO WE ARE-
-HOW IT WORKS-
-FEASIBILITY STUDY-
-Central Aims & Questions-
This research is therefore aimed at bringing together academics, students, local communities and urban designers to leverage the potentials of missed opportunities; drawing attention to children and NEETS communities for confronting a post pandemic world; as well as exploring another possible methods to utilise existing derelict local Open Space for overcoming inefficiency and reducing health inequalities. Hence a site of collaboration in order to enable research dedicated to envisaging a more just and sustainable community – The nature of Forest Playground is under the principles of a Forest Garden.
To critically analyse current practice around Forest Schools, Gardens and Playgrounds in order to discern suitable design practice from a social, environmental, and economic point of view.
- What are national and local planning policies and framework(s) necessarily integrated in this research?
- To what extent is the feasibility of retrofitting Open Spaces into Forest Playgrounds?
- How does Forest Garden contribute the ecosystem without sabotaging its existing environmental setting?
- What are the local species suitable for the principles of Forest Garden in the UK context?
- How much food could a Forest Garden provide? How to stabilise the productivity? What are the risk factors needed to be considered?
- How could Forest Gardens bring in economic benefit?
- What is the most efficient size of land to build a Forest Playground?
- How to define a holistic Forest Playground to embody community empowerment, children and NEETS in particular? Which programmes are aligning its notion?
To assess existing therapeutic and educational tools for engaging with children and NEETS in relation to the ecology and the environment.
- How successful are existing educational tools in engaging with and educating young people and children about sustainability?
- To what extent can therapeutic and educational tools be co-produced with young people, social workers, and the local community?
- To what extent can therapeutic and educational sessions be integrated with the design of Forest Playground?
- How might such an initiative be financed?
- What technical barriers exist to realising it?
- To what extent are practitioners aware of the benefits relating to the notion of Forest Playgrounds?
- What are the issues in turning Open Space in Greater Manchester into Forest Playgrounds? What risks may require mitigating?
