Paired with OEP UK, based in Preston and specialists in the development of prefabricated building systems, Tim Denton’s starting point was inspired by Blackburn’s public realm.
As part of the National Festival of Making 2019 programme, he delivered the Blueprints workshop, in which over 300 drawings of imagined architecture were created by children and adults, made from stencils that were traced directly from architectural features found in Blackburn.
The results were an eclectic mix of ‘blueprints’ that went on to inspire the next stage, a collaboration with mechanical and engineering students from Blackburn College to translate these designs into physical full-size models using large cardboard tubes and CNC cut plywood connectors.
Being informed by both participatory workshops, the artist and factory presented a unique installation intertwining heritage, contemporary design and industrial methods of making, forming the entrance to Festival Square at Cathedral Quarter. The work was fabricated by OEP UK from steel bathroom pod frames and the structural elements were later returned to the production line, going from art installation to becoming the formation of three new bathroom suites in a London apartment complex.
Alongside the structure, a collection of images is presented, documenting the design process that informed the final work.
For me, the design process itself should be an open-ended thing; something that is truly surprising for all parties, including myself. I like taking each step, not knowing or controlling where the process is taking you. This project truly represents that way of working.
The Artist
Tim Denton works from his design and build studio in Manchester, creating and constructing structural works both experimental and functional. His practice delivers bespoke furniture, temporary spaces and structures through intelligent construction presented with an effortless aesthetic. He is a graduate of Contemporary Furniture Design from Buckingham Chilterns University College.
The Manufacturer
OEP design, manufacture and install precision made bespoke components to construction projects. Pioneers in the early development of the prefabricated bathroom ‘pod,’ the company developed a more efficient model of working on large scale construction sites; by taking the detailed finishing of bathrooms off-site and completing them on the factory floor; ready for delivery as a completed functional room to multi-story buildings.
