Mather & Co takes up the recycling education challenge

Mather & Co has designed a recycling education centre for children that will be housed within an active recycling plant in Wrexham, Wales.

The consultancy was appointed last summer by Wrexham Borough Council and Waste Recycling Group after a recommendation by architect Lovelock Mitchell, which has worked on the facility.

Briefed to address a target audience of eight- to 14-year-olds, in a dual-purpose education suite and conference space that could be used for adults, Wrexham Council asked the consultancy to put the work of the centre into a ‘global and local context’, according to project designer Angela Oaks.

The education centre is 85m2 and sits on a 63 765m2 site, comprising a recycling facility for plastic, cans and cardboard, a vessel composting facility and 10 000m2 of nature reserve.

Set to open in September in time for the new school term, the centre will use play as an educational tool and comprises interactive displays, role-play games and CGI film showing the journey waste makes through the plant.

A panoramic glass window at the end of the education centre and a CCTV station will allow children to see the mechanics and conveyance of the recycling process. Wall-hung graphics, a weather station and a wind turbine will also be housed within the centre.

The consultancy has designed six bespoke furniture items, which will act as educational tools, showing how ‘small actions create large-scale issues and small changes create large positive impacts’.

Mather & Co worked with graphics specialist 1977, museum display specialist Workhaus Projects and digital group Flaming Pear to realise the design.