Little Dewchurch Live Brief

We were recently contacted by Peter Houghton, the Vicar at St David’s Church in Little Dewchurch. Health and Safety legislation at their recent quinquennial review dictated that a handrail needed to be installed on the steps leading to the pulpit. After consultation and discussion we are really excited to announce that this has become the live brief for our second year Artist Blacksmithing students!

Blacksmiths often work to commission and this live brief will give students the opportunity to work directly with a client. They will:

• Conduct an accurate site survey
• Investigate appropriate building regulations
• Respond to a specific site
• Design a handrail
• Liaise with the client – the Vicar and parochial church council
• Design appropriate fixings taking on board the listed building status
• Explore appropriate finishes
• Create professional design boards
• Present your design board and articulate your design ideas to the client

After designing and making forged samples the students will be presenting their design boards to both the Vicar and the parochial church council before one design will be presented to the Diocesan Faculty for approval. The intention is that one of the second year students will be making the handrail.

We are all very excited about this live brief and it’s great to know that the selected handrail will be installed and be part of the fabric of Little Dewchurch church for centuries to come! Here we are on our first site visit conducting a site survey and measuring up.

More blog posts to follow…

Del