The tower opens up floor by floor to provide more freedom as you progress up it.
You are given glimpses of nature (which increase up the tower) using the customised weave to create controlled & framed views.
The tall tree to the side is an ever present part of the tower, working it’s way in through the side of the building to interact with the structure and it's users.
The tower caters not only for the initial student target audience, but indeed for all.
Multiple types of wood are used, the tower is not confining itself to just one.
- This mirrors the surroundings.
You are given glimpses of nature (which increase up the tower) using the customised weave to create controlled & framed views.
The tall tree to the side is an ever present part of the tower, working it’s way in through the side of the building to interact with the structure and it's users.
- The bottom floor has a wall on the side where the tree is located but this is for shelter and does not restrict access to the tree nor does it negatively effect the tree itself as there are few if not no low down branches that this level could interact with.
- In fact the tree is never negatively effected or disrupted by the tower due to the open design, the tower is essentially passive and works with the tree, important considering that all of the trees are protected!!
The tower caters not only for the initial student target audience, but indeed for all.
- It has been designed to be fun and safe for children, enticing for students and accessible by all ages.
- This includes positioning places for rest on the ground and first floor so that any elderly visitors need not climb all the way to the top in order to gain benefit from the tower, good views can still be obtained from these areas and the ground floor provides not only a place to rest but also shelter too, something which the rest of the park does not currently offer.
- In fact, aside from the students union (primarily for trent students only) the surrounding area does not have any place that a person can simply stop and shelter in, there is no building dedicated to this. As such, in the event of a sudden downpour, this tower may even become a target destination for people nearby.
Multiple types of wood are used, the tower is not confining itself to just one.
- This not only creates a diverse structure with complimenting aesthetics, but it also reflects a connection to the purpose of the arboretum’s beginnings.
- The arboretum has brought many different types of tree from all over the world into one area, this should celebrated through the tower and is one of the great reasons behind having multiple different timbers involved in the tower.