Follow The Thread (collaborative project)
Interior Design for a Community/Visitor Hub
Working as a group of 4 we created an interior design plus outdoor interventions for Heartland of the Borders, a proposed community centre on the main thoroughfare between the main transport interchange and Galashiels town centre.
We worked to a brief and presented the project on 2 occasions to the client. Through our understanding of the local people of Galashiels as well as the visitor, we were able to develop a space that supported local businesses, promoted attractions in the Scottish Borders and drew attention to a street with potential for use as a vibrant pedestrian zone. The design drew inspiration from the textile and weaving industries that Galashiels is famous for and used modular structures to create an exciting yet practical multipurpose space.
This project was selected for inclusion at an exhibition held in the Great Tapestry of Scotland Museum during July 2022: A Yarn Worth Spinning. You can see photos of the exhibition here.
Wayfinding was important for us, creating connectings to the Great Tapestry of Scotland Museum, the cinema and other local businesses as well as reaching out to neighbouring towns. Our research had revealed how community could feel a little left out of the wider Scottish Borders improvements so we felt by creating this network of community it might help reduce this issue.
A graphic is created to demonstrate our understanding of exhibition guidelines. As the Centre would include displays and shows by local artists, photographers and attractions it was important that we showed knowledge.
Showing the exterior at night was an important aspect for us because we wanted the space to be used in the evening as well as the daytime. We added bike parking and solar lighting as part of the wayfinding scheme; here you can see visitors coming and going from the events held inside and outside.
Example of zoning and space planning for the Visitor
During the day, we proposed temporary market stalls that could be wheeled back inside and set up within. Adding bike lock facilities was a small but vital part of the design; in order to encourage cyclists to stop and spend time in the Hub, there have to be safe places for them to lock their bikes.
