Are forests entities with their own rights? Or are they just a tool or a reflection of human action? This project explores the interrelations between humans and more-than-human actors that cultivate a dynamic forested landscape. Informed by site-driven research, a set of interventions were developed to address the hydrological, ecological, and recreational issues in Kielder Forest.

Kielder Forest is a man-made forest in Northumberland that facilitates forestry plantations, settlements, tourism, and wildlife conservation, thus accommodating a range of often overlapping stakeholders. As the climate crisis continues to escalate, Kielder is forecasted to experience wetter and warmer winters, and hotter and drier summers, raising the risk of seasonal floods and droughts.

This project proposes to utilise a process-based design to restore the historically recognised peatland landscapes to improve the flood defences and water storage of Kielder Village, whilst providing a space that benefits the mental and physical well-being of humans. The interventions also provide new habitats to improve local biodiversity and combat carbon
emissions.