Westonbirt Arboretum

New Community Shelter

It's lovely to see the engraved plaques Metallic Garden have produced for the beautiful new community shelter at Westonbirt Arboretum. These have been used to acknowledge the supporters of the project, which seems apt as they have been placed on one of the supporting beams of the structure.

Photos courtesy of Westonbirt National Arboretum

Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

"We worked with Piers Taylor the architect, to design a structure with our community groups from the Westonbirt Community Programme. Their brief was clear that they wanted a room without walls, to feel connected to the surrounding trees, to have no corners and not feel like a classroom. They were heavily involved in the design of the new shelter and continue to be heavily involved in its construction too. The design brief made it very clear that it had to be capable of being constructed by people of varying ages and abilities with little or no experience of construction. This meant no heavy beams, no complicated joinery, no specialist or power tools. The design team have done an amazing job of meeting those requirements and producing an inspirational and iconic structure that will be a home in the woods for generations of participants to come."

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with you, you’ve been very prompt in responding to my requests and helping me figure out the best options for such a uniquely shaped structure. The leaves were exactly what we were looking for.”
Ellie Davis
Individual Giving Manager
Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum