Our students spent a week in Glasgow, Scotland at the end of March installing "Fern Gardens," an interactive art piece, at our NuVuX partner school, Kelvinside Academy. There was a grand opening reception of the installation with invited guests from around Glasgow. It was an exciting build-up to the opening, as our students spent 6 weeks conceptualizing, designing, and building the piece as part of a larger student exchange program with Kelvinside Academy.

Fern Gardens

The Scotland installation, Fern Garden, is an interactive installation designed for Kelvinside Academy in Glasgow, Scotland. The piece consists of a spatially fluid field of reeds, leading to a central clearing under an overarching canopy of lights. This inviting space is warmly lit and provides a peaceful area for students of Kelvinside to come together in a unique context.

The goal of the installation was to design a space where people can connect to others outside of their normal circles. The installation creates relaxing and comforting space where students can interact. It consists of a field of bamboo "reeds" that will be placed in the heart of the Kelvinside school. Each bamboo piece is attached to a self righting base made out of concrete. This allows the user to push through the reeds without knocking them down.

In the field of reeds is a secluded clearing with warm lighting. This creates an environment in which the students can feel relaxed and distant from the stressful school environment, while also providing a space for students to convene.