Students celebrate their winning Racecourse designs
James Jarvis and Phil Clay, who designed ‘The Arrow’ installation opposite The University of Northampton’s Maidwell Building, Avenue Campus and spheres throughout the Racecourse, will join local VIPs, staff from The University of Northampton and members of the Friends of Northampton Racecourse and Healthy Living Hub to celebrate their part in the project.
In 2007, the Healthy Living Hub team from Friends of Northampton Racecourse approached Product Design students at The University of Northampton with the brief to design ‘useable’ and vandal-proof installations for the Racecourse. James and Phil’s designs were selected and combined to create an arrow installation which has become popular as a place to meet and sit on the Racecourse and geographical spheres that are placed around the area.
Sally Crow-Matthews, Healthy Living Hub, commented:
‘Our overall aim was to involve all of the diverse communities which surround the Racecourse in the exciting projects taking place. It has therefore been very important for us to work with members of the student population, to take on board their ideas and to see them through to completion.
‘Our ambition of these pieces is to see them in many different ways - as seating, play, meeting point, talking point and, of course, merely pointing people in the right direction.’
Friedemann Schaber, Senior Lecturer, Design, School of The Arts, The University of Northampton, added:
‘In Design Studies, live client projects are enhancing the curriculum, challenging undergraduate students with ‘outside’ constraints and deliverables, therefore furthering their knowledge ¦in return, the community benefits from University links on various levels’
Student feedback on the project has been excellent with comments including: ‘I enjoy live projects and have developed new and improved existing skills as a result and Live projects have given me more clear ideas about the skills and knowledge needed in Product Design’
The official launch coincides with The University of Northampton’s Open Day which runs from 10am - 3pm at both Avenue and Park Campuses. Registration is between 10 - 11am. For further information or to pre-book onto the Open Day, please contact freephone: 0800 358 2232 or visit www.northampton.ac.uk/news/opendays
As well as finding out more about particular subjects and meeting lecturers, the Open Day also holds helpful sessions on key higher education student topics such as finance and accommodation.
