The Design Charity
Charitable objectives
The Design Charity has two defining objectives:
Firstly, we are committed to the design and build of transformative environments for charitable causes.
Secondly, as part of our educational role, we are pledged to research these environments and publish our evidence for the benefit of all.
Work in Progress
Swaminaryan Mandir
The Design Charity has been commisioned to provide design proposals for the landscape surrounding the Swaminaryan Hindu Temple in Chigwell. This is a potentially exciting project to provide community gardens for a religious faith that holds ‘service to the community’ as a founding tenet. ‘
BAPS Shri Swaminaryan Mandir, Chigwell UK
Our Current Research
A central focus of our research at the The Design CIC is the investigation of issues related to access to quality green space in urban environments – see our video below.
In design terms, we have explored issues of access to quality green space using the following metaphors and design concepts: ‘Gardens of Consciousness’, such as ‘Plant Hunters’, (see below) and ‘Digital Dreamtime’ (click here for more details: https://transformativehealingenvironments.co.uk/apps-and-game,
Plant Hunters
Plant Hunters is a ‘seek and collect’ style game for smart phones and tablet devices. It is designed to help shift ‘screen time’ from a sedantry pursuit indoors to an active outdoor pursuit in nature. The social element of this game is encouraged by a ‘Wardian Cube’ which serves as a multi media digital hub that embeds the game into a given community
Gardens that make 'you feel'
The Design Charity has created a number of gardens for leading Charities including Emmaus; Kid’s Company and Surf Survivors of the Rwandan Genocide. Profound emotions have been evoked by these gardens on the part of all involved, demonstrating the ability of the environment to “speak to us” The Promised Land Garden is a particularly poignant example
The Promised Land Garden
The ‘Promised Land Garden’ spoke directly of the experience and memories of one survivor of Rwandan genocide…It’s inner core was dramatized by a revolving light show that referenced alternating ‘rivers of blood’ and ‘rivers of life’….it was marked out by RHS judges and visitors alike for its ability ‘to make people feel’
For more details on this research and related projects:
Potential Projects - Proposed Collaboraton - Volunteers
If you like the sound of our work at The Design Charity and you would like to discuss a potential project or alternatively you want to collaborate or volunteer, or even if your simply want to share you thoughts and enthusiasm, please get in touch