Lotmead farm
strawberry trim trail
Lotmead is a fully functioning farm nestled away, in a gorgeous part of the Wiltshire countryside.
Lotmead Farm
As a family-run and very friendly activity farm, Lotmead Farm was looking to build on the already excellent reputation that they have as a visitor attraction. Greenspan Projects were in charge of the project and we at design F9 we were employed to produce a working drawing pack and create a 3D model to assist in the construction of a new play trail, as phase one of the new project.
The farm works as an attraction because they allow for children and families to get out into the fresh air on a working farm and pick fruit such as strawberries. The owner of the farm was very keen on making the absolute most out of the narrow space that was available to Greenspan.
The farm works as an attraction as it allows for children and families to get out into the fresh air and onto a working farm to pick fresh strawberries from the field, interact with the animals at the nature sanctuary and sit down for a bite to eat in the farm shop café. The owner of the farm was very keen on making the absolute most out of the narrow 50m space that was available to Greenspan.
From one end of the earmarked strawberry field to the other, the idea was to draw visitors and give them space to not just pick the strawberries on that part of the farm but also so that younger visitors could have a lot of fun too. Of course, the more fun visitors have the more they will want to return.
The aesthetic considerations of design
Greenspan decided on a design that incorporated natural waney robinia, which is in keeping with the surroundings afforded by the farm. The play trail design ideas, including the aesthetics, that we based our construction drawings and the 3D model on, are very much in tune with the aesthetics of Lotmead farm.
We are, rightfully we believe, proud of the final design and how the trail turned out when it was constructed. The trail incorporates challenges of varying degrees that are designed to engage children of all ages, and the included rustic farm tools that are situated along the trail offers up a more immersive experience than the trail alone could perhaps achieve.
Design in stages complete as one
Design F9 was involved in the first of two stages in the development of the adventure trail. One of the exciting things about helping to create the trail is that the entire thing is story-driven, based around a notorious strawberry thief that was known to be rather fond of the Lotmead strawberries.
The signage that lines the initial trail encourages the young visitors to progress along the trail until they encounter a range of features including ones they can climb.
The second phase of the design-build consisted of a play tower with a built-in tube slide. In keeping with the surroundings of Lotmead farm, the tower was designed to resemble a berry plant where the delicious jam is produced on the farm.
Lotmead Farm Render
The art is in the execution
We approach every project the same way: to make sure that the design vision of all involved, both the farm owner’s and the team at Greenspan, was translated into the build. This was achieved by us working very closely with the Lead Creative over at Greenspan, to create a working 3D model, as well as the requisite construction drawings, to deliver on the original concept.
The play and adventure trail that we were asked to draw up and construct as a 3D model was going to be 50 metres long, and run the length of the strawberry field. The whole trail was designed to be used by those that wished to pick the fruit, and also by the younger visitors that wanted to play.
We were truly delighted for the opportunity to work alongside such a dedicated and incredibly talented design team on this project. Everybody involved was committed to creating something totally unique and fun!
These types of projects, where young people can have fun and enjoy themselves, are always a joy to work on!