This is written by us, informed by our experience in conjunction with feedback from clients and mentors, with the intention of sharing our creative journey and physical experience with you, the reader.

This project, in conjunction with British artists Harvey and Ackroyd, required us to design the layout for 100 potted oak trees, 14 years in age, ensuring that they were securely installed. This was done on the south terrace of the Tate Modern, open and free for all to see. We almost exclusively work in the public realm, because we believe that access to beautiful things should not be limited by anyone’s ability to pay for them. 

The installation brief required us to:

• Ensure that the trees would remain unscathed and secured from the elements.

• Create a boundary that would allow viewing access for the public while keeping the trees safe from any interference.

• Use materials that could be re-used afterwards, creating a zero-waste installation.

We designed and installed a lattice of steel rods that were woven through the air-pots of the trees to create an interwoven and interconnected floor-level structure which secured the trees during stormy wind and rain events. These metal rods were later reused to create a human-sized birds nest and forest gate as part of our recent forest school project at St. Mary’s primary school in Lewisham.

The curving barrier seen in the image above was constructed from locally-sourced wind-felled larch. We curved the wood using a traditional wood bending technique known as kerf-cutting which gave a sweeping ebb and flow to an otherwise static barrier. To compliment the curves, we scorched the timber to give it a deep and awe inspiring character. This was intentionally done to reflect the dark beauty of nature’s forestry management of wildfires whilst acknowledging and bringing attention to the increase in anthropogenic climate change and man-made wildfires that wreak havoc on both natural ecosystems and human life. 

It must be noted that whilst we aim to build our structures as naturally and eco-friendly as possible, this timber was glued and screwed to ensure safety and longevity standards necessary due to time and cost constraints. We still live in a world dominated by capital, which means as we attempt to model and practise new systems, we acknowledge that by default we operate within the norm. 

To best mitigate this, our finishing touch was to oil the scorched larch with natural pressed-Linseed oil. The cost is greater than varnish and wood stain, but the environmental impact is lower and the moral integrity satisfies heart and mind. After the project was completed, we dismantled the timber barrier and housed the timber components at our site to be used throughout our other projects. These components have contributed to temporary structures, furniture, and the St Mary’s Forest School project.