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Claire Brown

Description of Project

Increasing use of digital devices and rising leisure costs, mean families are spending less meaningful time together. “Learn, Borrow & Play” is an interactive park exhibit designed to promote sustainability, conservation and family engagement at Ditchling Beacon.


After researching Ditchling Beacon and outdoor exhibitions, and inspired by repurposed phone boxes as community libraries, my design adapts themed compartments as community resource hubs for nature-based activities.

Learn, Borrow & Play

An interactive park exhibit in Ditchling Beacon

I developed an asymmetrical four-sided structure, each face offering interactive features to encourage movement and discovery.


One side provides accessible storage for borrowed play equipment, supported by educational panels linking activities to the local environment. Another incorporates seating with an integrated bug hotel, combining rest, photography opportunities and ecological learning. A third side showcases community-submitted artwork and photography in a rotating gallery, while the final side features an engraved height-measuring installation referencing local wildlife and landscape features.

Constructed from locally sourced/reclaimed timber, the structure blends into its rural setting, reinforcing sustainability. Reused activity materials promote environmental responsibility. The proposal adopts a low-impact approach, minimising disturbance to wildlife/vegetation while supporting biodiversity through features such as a bug hotel.

A roof will improve usability in poor weather, providing free, accessible entertainment all year-round.

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“Learn, Borrow and Play” combines education, play and ecology. Its interactive elements encourage playful engagement, while interchangeable displays and information panels allow it to evolve with changing seasons and visitor needs.

It transforms learning into a hands-on experience, encouraging visitors away from screens and reconnecting them with nature through play, exploration and shared activities, creating meaningful interactions with the natural environment and lasting shared memories.

Annotated exploratory sketches showing potential ideas for boards and information that they might contain. Composite image showing different possible constuction processes including joints, hinges, glass fitting and decorative engraving.
Digital realisation of the design with annotation showing different interactions that users might have, for example a photo backdrap, a height measuring tool, a bench, compartments for multiple items, ideas for activities.
Three different views of the design in use, showing it set in the Ditchling Beacon landscape with users interacting with it in different ways, familiies and young people.
Three different views of the design in use, showing it set in the Ditchling Beacon landscape with users interacting with it in different ways, familiies and young people.

About me

T217 has helped me develop new skills in SketchUp and digital sketching while building design essentials knowledge to help me work towards my BDes.

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