Past Forward: Where heritage and the arts spark community-led regeneration
This project reimagines Cleator’s future by exploring how tourism can serve as a catalyst for economic diversification and regeneration in the town. Tapping into the visitor overflow from the Lake District, it proposes a broader regeneration strategy rooted in local perspectives—placing people and nature at the centre of development. The masterplan critiques the shortcomings of existing development at Cleator Mill and Leconfield, advocating for a human-centric, environmentally driven alternative that prioritises community wellbeing, environmental enhancement, and cultural identity over purely economic objectives.
Two key attractions form the basis of this strategy: a nature-led artisan hub at the former Kangol factory, and an immersive Mining Museum at Leconfield combined with an R&D centre for renewable energy. At the heart of Leconfield, a central plaza brings together diverse communities, while the community centre offers spaces to socialise, learn, and work. The Mining Museum is designed as a sensory journey—visitors follow a path guided by light and spatial transitions, evoking the experience of descending underground. This culminates in a future-tech exhibition, with an outdoor dune-like trail that allows physical exploration of the historic mining pit. The use of spatial depth, lighting, and acoustics is carefully crafted to trigger emotion and deepen connection to place. A 3D-printed wall that mimick the form of glacial erratic anchors the entrance, referencing the region’s geology and symbolising the displacement of miners in the past. Printed with iron ore pigments, it reflects Cleator’s historic haematite industry and merges natural memory with technological innovation.
As a designer, I am passionate about urban design that centres people and long-term sustainability. I’m especially interested in cultural and experiential spatial design—how light, form, and sound shape perception and emotion. My curiosity also extends to material research, exploring new sustainable construction methods that reflect and respond to place.
