Ditchling Beacon Visitor Center

Due to the 2km travel restrictions in place at the time, user trips were mainly confined to local parks. They took the form of varying degrees of self-reporting and participant observation for product evaluation [Open University Book 2, 2019]. During a family bike ride in a local amenity it was observed that the majority of visitors were dog walkers. Dog litter waste containers were present at all major exits from the park.

A second family bike ride to a park known as Father Collin’s allowed for further observation. This location is popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists. In contrast to the first example, there were many litter bins dotted around the area. These were similar in height and width to the first but were made of metal. A number of these had been vandalised and it was noticeable that attempts had been made to set them alight. No recycling bins were visible, nor was there any signage on the bins as to what materials could be placed in them. I also observed a number of parents who sat outside one of the children’s play areas. They disposed of their coffee cups and drinks bottles in the general litter bins that were situated beside the seating and table area.

This survey was conducted with the aim of investigating people’s perceptions of recycling, to understand their motivations for the practice of recycling, and to assess whether there was any confusion around specific signage relating to plastic recycling in particular.

Responses indicated that people were equally motivated to recycle by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The practice made them feel like they were doing their part in contributing to environmental protection and that society needed to be educated more on the importance of the practice. This motivation was also supported by responses that the majority of participants were prepared to travel between 20 to 50 metres in order to locate a recycling facility/disposal area.

Design a system for collecting and recycling the waste generated by visitors to Ditchling Beacon. This will be located primarily in the visitor centre and car park but there is potential scope to extend the system beyond these locations. The system should encourage visitors to dispose of their waste appropriately, with reference to the key aim of the park, i.e. the promotion of sustainable living and environmental protection.

For the purposes of illustration, viable responses might include:

• A set of bins in the centre for various types of materials - plastics, paper, aluminium, food waste.
• A set of bins in the car park with similar functions.
• Compost bins for food waste.
• Appropriate signage placed on general bins through the park indicating the location of recycling points.

Chalk grassland is a unique, specialised and fragile habitat, important for landscape and historical value as well as for wildlife. Chalk grassland results from centuries of grazing on nutrient poor chalk soils, producing a short turf (or 'sward') rich in herbs, flowers and grasses. Chalk scrub is also often of high wildlife value but needs active management. Nationally chalk grassland habitat has declined significantly in the post-war period.

Waste generated by visitors to parks and natural woodlands is a huge problem and a recycling system aims to help in rectifying this problem as much as possible. The terrain of Ditchling Beacon is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), rich in unique and rare plants. It is partly wooded and partly open chalk grassland, an important habitat for insects, particularly butterflies. [Farm Wildlife, 2020]

Chalk grassland is typically found upon a limestone bedrock. [National Trust, 2020] Natural grasslands of this type are unfortunately one of the most threatened habitats in northern Europe. [NPWS, 2020] There is a great deal of historical significance in the area, including the presence of an Iron-Age hillfort which has produced a number of archaeological finds. There may be scope to associate the rich heritage of the location with the waste collection and recycling system.

Research studies have indicated that people are eager to recycle and prepared to mindfully dispose of their waste and packaging in appropriate disposal areas. These studies also show that waste disposal facilities in public parks and common areas are lacking for the majority of respondents.

By providing people with the facilities and knowledge of the location of on-site waste collection and recycling facilities, Ditchling Beacon aims to play its part in reducing the carbon footprint of visitors to the park, contribute to environmental protection, while ultimately maintaining and publicising the area as an ancient heritage site to be enjoyed by visitors.

Any physical installation of bins etc must be kept to areas which are easily accessible to the public. This includes the car park and visitor centre but may also extend to the main routes. Please note that the area is constantly at risk from erosion caused by visitors straying off the trails and littering. User studies and survey research has concluded that physical distance to a recycling point is an important consideration.

If there is a general waste bin near, chances are that visitors will dispose of their waste there, regardless of its recyclable properties. Regarding material use and manufacture, refrain from using flammable materials if considering an outdoor installation. Vandalism is a concern. Both of these concerns would have possible catastrophic consequences for the area. The materials used should be strong and resistant to nature’s elements.

Spend time observing the natural materials found in the areas, particularly the colours and textures of the rocks, wood and foliage. Play with association. The exploration of commonalities between nature and man-made materials that possess similar characteristics may be undertaken.

The storage container could be situated towards inner and outer boundary walls of the centre. It would take the form of a modern, inconspicuous structure

This idea takes the theme of heritage. A scale model of the hill-fort that is located in Ditchling Beacon sits atop a circular frame. There are holes cut into the upper section for various materials to be deposited in the bins.

This idea takes its inspiration from the ‘Leave No Trace’ ideology, where visitors are provided with purpose-made Ditchling Beacon ‘portable recycling’ bags.

This configuration was chosen as the frame shape demonstrated the best structural integrity. Also, no specialist wood turning or manipulation would be required for assembly.

More specifically the main frame is comprised of panels cut to size and fixed together via an interlocking tongue and groove combination, couple with extra strengthening with right-angle braces. Larger panels of wood sit on top of the main frame to create a layered ‘hill-fort’ model. Doors for each compartment were to be be attached to the frame, with slots cut out of each to facilitate depositing recyclable materials. Within the compartments, conventional plastic bins would be placed for collection.

Regarding the configuration of the doors on the lower frame, alternative arrangements were considered such as bifold, bypass and pocket doors. [Door & More, 2019]. However, paying regard to space, ease of functionality and access to inner storage containers, a regular door design was chosen.

The chosen design invokes a positive response with regard to the historical significance of Ditchling Beacon, also attracting attention because of its prominence as part of the overall visitor experience. I also regard the selected configuration to have a distinct visual identity, bespoke in nature and individual in its design. It would be a one-of-a-kind, similar to the unique environment in which Ditchling Beacon is situated. [Open University, 2019] From a technical perspective, this configuration will satisfy the required functionality more than configurations 1 and 2 by nature of its frame design and how all pieces fit together via joining. [Open University, 2019] The upper section, which includes the scale model of the hillfort, will sit upon the frame and provide a weighted anchor of sorts.

Materials

The design structure will be composed primarily of softwood. This is initially informed by the responses from the short user research questionnaires carried out earlier, such as associtation with nature and forests. Metal was considered, however, negative responses to the ‘user perceptions of materials activity’, coupled with observations of other types of metal waste management products indicate that it would not be suitable for this project, which focuses on sustainability, heritage and education.

PROS:

Environment & Sustainability

There is a low carbon footprint involved in obtaining the raw materials necessary for manufacture. Softwood species are fast growing, meaning that with the same amount of land more wood can be produced each year. Similarly, untreated softwood can be easily recycled. [WRAP, Wood Recycling Guide, 2020], is non-toxic with low formaldehyde emissions and is safer than composite products such as plywood or particle board [NC State University, 2013].

Transport

Low energy: Pine, spruce and fir and widely grown across the globe, meaning that they are readily available.

CONS:

Softwood is less resistant to scratches, and often it has knots and imperfections that can lead to shorter durability. When exposed to humidity it can also deform. [Urbanline, 2020] However, the short lifespan can be overcome by treating with epoxy resin system to harden [Wooddad, 2019]

Construction

The frame will be slotted together in a process similar to that of IKEA furniture. This requires tongues and grooves to be cut into the edges of each panel. There will be three levels for top section. One large flat base piece will sit on top of the frame and be fixed to it using corner braces and screws. The second and third levels will also made of softwood but will be cut in an irregular shape to resemble different layers of the hill fort. The edges of these levels will be sanded down, initially with hard grain sander and then fine grain, to create a sloped appearance. The levels will be covered with various types of grass mat sheet terrain (pictured below) to resemble the differing levels of the hill fort and the model will include smaller model iron age dwellings and possible figures. Within the frame, recycling materials to be deposited through a cut out in the upper section of each wall of frame into plastic bins. Plastic is chosen for its durability and ease of cleaning.