This year there was a clear sense of relief across the WSA, as we moved from online ways of working back to the newly refurbished Bute building, studio-based study, and face-to-face tutorials. In the previous academic year, there had inevitably been a focus on digital methods and a significant amount of time was spent on re-establishing analog ways of working. Despite this, the cohort has produced an impressive array of projects that maintain the creativity, enthusiasm, and professionalism we have come to expect from WSA year two.

‘The division of ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ is… deeply ingrained in our culture. Throughout history, the rural has been attributed with many meanings: as a source of food and energy; as a pristine wilderness, or as a bucolic idyll; as a playground, or a place of escape; as a fragile space of nature, in need of protection; and as a primitive space, in need of modernization.’ Michael Woods, Rural (2010)

The theme of RURAL pervaded the whole year of study, beginning with talks from geographer Michael Woods, curator Peter Wakelin, and practitioners Sarah Featherstone and Niall Maxwell. Semester one focused on housing projects across all studios, with adjustments to the year-wide brief based on the specific context chosen by each studio. These contexts remained constants for the year – studio 1 were located on the edge of the Gower, studio 2 in the landscape around Llyn Brianne reservoir, studio 3 on the Gregynog estate, studio 4 in Saltford on the river Avon, studio 5 on the edge of Caerphilly, studio 6 at the edge of the national park in Pembrokeshire, and studio 7 in the small town of Hay on Wye.

In between the two semesters, we worked with YRP, a community-based trust tasked with regenerating the village of Ynysybwl. In groups, we collectively devised a range of visions for a site located at the centre of the community (served by the Trust) and for the wider landscape setting. Phase two of this work is currently ongoing…

Semester two presented us with the task of making a public project that engaged with our rural contexts and existing communities (the seven studio briefs are each outlined on the subsequent pages). Collectively, the projects aimed to respect and learn from their rural settings, whilst also innovating and challenging current practice - in particular around our impact on the environment. Responding to these briefs, BSc year two produced a thoughtful, imaginative, and sensitive body of work. Glimpses have been captured here, along with an account of some of the processes undertaken in order to understand and contribute meaningfully to these challenging contexts. We hope you enjoy it!

Ed Green, Year 2 Chair & Design Module Lead