- Location:
- Nottinghamshire
- Services:
- Budget:
- undisclosed
- Client:
- Portland College
- Size:
- 40,000 m2 GIA
- Sector:
- Masterplanning & Urban Design
Landscape Architecture
Culture & Leisure
The range of activities centres around supporting the Further Education, Employment Support and Personal Care programmes that Portland College provide for people with a range of disabilities. Additionally it gives the College a great opportunity to create a visitor attraction that will service a number of regional areas, with the potential for offering external group activity days, team building days, woodland and bushcraft skills and woodland management studies.
One of the key aims of the Trail is to provide accessible woodland experiences for all users – and this includes allowing access to a gravity bike trail, zip wire, climbing wall, woodland paths and bushcraft areas.
construction photo
The woodland paths have, where possible, be gently graded to provide access for the use of electric wheelchairs creating access into the woodland for students to enjoy. The 100m long zip wire and climbing facilities are an exciting facility for both college users and an attraction regionally. The landform of the woodland area lends itself to allow the zip wire experience to be suitable for disabled users. The gravity bike trail is designed to utilise the site’s gradients and specialised four wheeled bikes will enable disabled users the chance to experience exciting off road biking in a woodland setting.
The masterplan has been designed to accommodate opportunities for future proposals such as a campsite that could further enhance the experiences to be enjoyed at the woodland at Portland College.
The design includes ecological measures, such as native planting, to increase biodiversity. Bird and bat boxes and a dipping platform / pond will provide close up interaction with nature. Designed to be in keeping with the existing character of the woodland setting of the site, the new accessible facilities create exciting opportunities for Portland College students and visitors.
