Design Yearbook 2017

Testing Ground
Graham Farmer
The Testing Ground Programme provides the opportunity for students to collaborate with a range of related disciplines, external organisations
and building users through the vehicle of ‘live’ projects.
This year the students worked on two main projects. The first involved a collaboration with The Middlesbrough Institute of Modern
Art (MIMA) where the students designed and constructed the furniture infrastructure for the exhibition ‘If All Relations Were to Reach
Equilibrium..…’ This project involving display, and public programmes explored the subject of migration on Teesside and elsewhere, bringing
together artefacts and artworks made by asylum seekers as well as established artists.
The second project engaged the students in the design and construction of a Heritage Lottery funded Wildlife Hide at the Bakethin Conservation
Area, Kielder. The students navigated complex statutory and client requirements including making the structure fully accessible
and only specifying materials from sustainable sources. The students worked closely with the Northumbrian Wildlife Trust and the resulting
timber-framed structure contains two ‘pods’ on split levels, one for bird watching and one for forest viewing. The Hide is clad in charred larch,
has a moss roof and includes innovative sash windows that slide into the wall to give unobstructed views
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