Gorse Hill Studios is a youth arts charity based in Trafford. The charity’s garden and outdoor space is edged by the busy A56 Chester Road, a main artery route between Stretford and Old Trafford. Touch Wood was called on to make a fence to screen the garden off from the busy passing traffic.
When our designer, Luca Cicchelli, visited the site for the first time, he found the noise caused by the traffic nearby overwhelming, so he suggested making a sound screen wall instead of just a regular fence.
Reclaimed wood – an ideal material
To create a soundwall, you need thick and heavyweight materials with no gaps. Fortunately, at the time, Touch Wood had an abundance of scaffold boards in stock. At 3.8cm thick, they are perfect to use to block out a considerable amount of sound.
The Touch Wood team made sure to close all the gaps between the scaffold boards so the timber could expand – they used pallet boards for this purpose. Luca tested the result, and finally the noise from the A56 is now at a manageable level for garden users.
Pergola & Trellis
In addition to the soundwall, Touch Wood built a trellis tunnel which was designed to connect the two main spaces used at the Studios. As the passage between the two areas contains large machinery and ducting, the team needed to carefully measure the clearance required for their servicing. We then built the tunnel around the panel openings, allowing them to be hidden by plants while still ensuring that the machinery can be inspected without any access issues.
A vision brought to life
This project was funded thanks to a grant from the Greater Manchester Environment Trust’s Green Spaces Fund. Katie Mason, Head of Inclusion and Participation at Gorse Hill Studios had this to say about working with Touch Wood on this project:
“Working with Luca and Chris was a great experience, they really bought our vision to life.
We loved the use with the repurposed materials, which really fit in with the Green Spaces Funded project. We have some beautiful climbing plants that have started to grow over the pergola, and the acoustic fence has provided a secluded haven in the middle of Chester Road!
We look forward to working with them on our next project funded by Reuse Manchester- watch this space!”
The Gorse Hill Studios team was so happy with the result, we have also been commissioned to build a covered area with seating, tables and hammocks. This has already been designed and we are hoping to start building it soon!
Want us to help you realise your plans?
If you have an outdoor space which could use a bit of care and attention, give us a call to chat through how we can help. Using reclaimed wood to make fresh green outdoor spaces is not only good for the planet, it’s good for you and those who use your outdoor space too.
Give us a call on 0161 223 8200.