Surface Pattern and Textiles students partner with Hacer for collaborative Biophilic Living Swansea project

14 December 2023

Each year UWTSD’s BA/MDes Surface Pattern and Textiles programme team seek out ambitious Live Project partnerships for their students. Currently ranked 3rd in the UK, 1st in Wales, in the large and competitive field of Fashion and Textiles degree courses (Guardian League Tables 2024,) this UWTSD programme based at Swansea College of Art, hails much of its success due to the vibrant Entrepreneurial Learning strategy that underpins the student experience.

Carwyn Davies of Hacer stands at the front of a large group of Surface Pattern and Textiles students.

The team’s ethos aligns Creativity with Employability throughout, ensuring students graduate with a portfolio of incredible design projects rooted in tangible Creative Industry experiences, and a well-practiced entrepreneurial skill set.

The wider multidisciplinary nature of this Textiles focussed subject area takes the students on a plethora of live brief journeys, from liaisons with global brands to collaborations with community-based initiatives. This year the Surface Pattern and Textiles programme is proud to partner with Hacer Developments, and their collaborators Urban Foundry, to develop Interior concepts for the innovative project “Biophilic Living Swansea.”

The Biophilic Living project at Picton Yard Swansea represents a radical new approach to living and working in the urban environment. Biophilic Living is about enabling humans to reconnect with nature and creating a cohesive community to address the increasing issues relating to social exclusion and loneliness, as well as responding to the climate emergency with innovative technology and putting nature at the heart of the city. The project is a mixed-use development, providing affordable new homes and workspace alongside a community urban farm in the heart of Swansea City Centre.

Programme Manager, Georgia McKie said: “The Surface Pattern and Textiles programme loves the opportunity to respond to meaningful projects based in the Swansea area, it serves as a great way to give back to the city that so many of the students are glad to call their home. The ethos of the Biophilic Living project really strikes a chord. Notions of wellbeing in design and sustainability are integral to the conversations we have with our students. There is nothing quite like this development in the UK yet - we are so excited to be involved. The chance to enable our students to be a part of such positive change is incredible. As undergraduates soon to be graduates, this puts them in a truly privileged and enviable position.”

Students enjoyed visiting the Biophilic Living construction site a stone’s throw away from their Dynevor campus, in the centre of Swansea. The visit and project briefing captured their imagination, wowed by concepts of biophilic walkways, hydroponics, aquaponics with growing spaces throughout the impressive, towering construction.

They have been challenged by the Hacer and Urban Foundry teams to consider how can pattern, surface, material and colour can contribute to the Biophilic Living Swansea concepts and be used to enhance a sense of place and identity, creating joy, and boosting wellbeing. The project aligns itself to the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, and in this case enables future generations of designers to have a significant role in some of the interior concepts for an innovative building and living concept.

Students are challenged to address some of the issues surrounding design and its impact on the planet through a focus on reutilising materials gathered from postproduction waste streams, unexpected leftovers from the constructions process itself, with an onus on the students to select materials that are sympathetic to the biophilic values of the project.

Georgia McKie added: “Students are flourishing using thoughtful approaches to their materiality from low impact dye palettes foraged from the Swansea locality to those exploring stories of Swansea’s industrial heritage through considered references to wool, copper, and steel. The students’ abilities to identify a narrative and express it through pattern, surface, material, and colour, never ceases to amaze us - their acquired Textiles skillsets are truly impressive.”

Samples of fabric alongside design notes with photographs and sketches.

The Hacer team visited the Surface Pattern and Textiles students for a work in progress review at their beautiful design studio in Swansea College of Art’s Dynevor building.

Carwyn Davies of Hacer said: “The Biophilic project whilst being a highly innovative project , also has a considerable element of education and exhibition space . Its therefore really pleasing to work with the students and lecturers at Swansea College of Art. It’s been a real eye opener on the talents and skill the young people of the city have, and we are looking forward to incorporating their designs and work into the project .The emphasis has been on creating a narrative very much with climate change and Swansea at its heart!”

Lecturer, and 2nd year tutor, Claire Savage-Onstwedder said: “This year’s live brief is such a huge opportunity for all the students involved. We can look out from the Surface Pattern & Textiles studio here in Dynevor on the 5th floor and see this Biophilia Living Space grow in front of our eyes; and then for the students to be involved with its innovative developments and interior concepts; it is such a huge privilege.

“Facilities that are unique to our course will be on show through the students’ designs and sampling, such as UV hard surface printers to laser cutting and more analogue processing such as print or stitch. These Innovative solutions that are made out of ‘waste’ or ‘dead stock’ material is our future; and this brief celebrates new design in an innovative new building with thanks to Hacer and the team; in the heart of our city, Swansea.”

Caroline Thraves, UWTSD’s Academic Director Art & Media said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Hacer on this exciting development within the city. Live industry experiences such as these ensure our students have the best possible learning experience and go on to have successful careers”.

From January 29th to 23rd February there will be an exhibition of the students’ final outcomes at Swansea College of Art’s Dynevor Campus. There promises to be a breadth of dynamic interpretations for the varied domestic, working, public and communal environments proposed.