background

the Stansfield craft studio is to be located in a building to the rear of the historic Wormald hall in the village of Almondbury. Wormald Hall dates back to the 15th century, the property of a family who made money in the woolen industry but whos fortunes declined in the civil war. The hall as it stands now was reworked in stone in 1631 and it is supposed that our building also dates from that time and was probably part of the estate. When the estate went into decline it became a weavers croft and then a general workshop. The Stansfield name comes from its last owner, a joiner who occupied the site until 1987. Most recently it was taken over by Charles Turner who plans to turn in into a craft workshop and gallery. Our job is to design an adjoining sculpture garden, where work from a wide variety of artists can be displayed outdoors.

design

we knew already that any overt design element put into the garden would have to be minimal. not that it couldnt have impact but that this impact would have to be subtle. Although the design demands a lot of open space it would be dull to have all the exhibits laid out immediately to view, so the garden has to be divided into a series of spaces that allow the visitor to explore and discover its contents. To this end curves have been introduced that divide the garden as efficiently as possible, constantly concealing and revealing a series of views. They also fill two other roles, giving the garden a visual dynamic and relating the garden to the landscape beyond. By combining these functions in one element we have a subtle flowing design. Planting in the garden will be naturalistic, in drifts, tending to areas that are unused. sculptures and artworks can be sited in areas that draw people on into other sections of the garden or concealed where

After surveying the grounds we made the following decisions;

To have a raised area that connects the rear doors to the rest of the garden. This will allow large pieces to be moved out of the workshop easily and double as a social area.

To clear the undergrowth and remove the fencing at the south end of the garden re establishing the view of nearby Farnley Wood, which is sadly wasted.

To deal with the slight level changes by having a vale running through the centre of the garden, a shallow bank being built up on either side. This will also assist drainage.

To leave as much ground as possible open for display purposes. Also that the design itself would be fairly neutral, its purpose being to provide a setting for the artworks not to compete with them.

To do it all on a fairly low budget!

they have to be found. Alternatively there is enough open space to site some pieces fairly dramatically with the valley as a backdrop. The raised area connected to the building will command the best view of the valley but be somewhat detached from the garden itself, encouraging people to go out and interact with the space.

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