Gomm Valley Community Engagement Event

Project Details

Human + Nature is a developer building a new sustainable settlement in the Gomm Valley, Buckinghamshire. We were given 8 weeks to organise a three day community engagement and design event in June 2018, for up to 300 people to attend.

The primary aim of the event was to raise awareness about proposed development plans for the area and provide stakeholders with an opportunity to raise concerns and feed into the design proposals at a very early stage.

Unlike typical stakeholder engagement consultations, the proposed development plans and drawings were exhibited on the actual site, in an open field. This created an informal atmosphere whereby locals could have frank and honest discussions with a team of multidisciplinary specialists about the proposed plans for the area.

Process

Design and run an event with minimal carbon footprint and environmental impact by using curated suppliers sourced through our own network and through market research. This was combined with in-house technical calculations to continually assess impact.

Thinking differently

To reflect the innovative and ambitious aims of the project, we chose to use geodesic domes to house the exhibitions and breakout spaces instead of standard marquees.

Commitment to minimal waste

Water was supplied in cardboard cartons, with a 1,000 litre cardboard water store on site to sustain guests through the heatwave. All knives and forks were made from biodegradable, sustainably sourced wood. No plastic was used on site.

Powered by renewable energy

The event was powered with the Solar Roller, a mobile, solar powered generator producing sufficient clean, green, silent energy to power all the equipment including electricty, including lights, fans and sound.

Nutritious and delicious catering

With delicious Indian food supplied by Pilau Pot, a Caribbean BBQ from the local, volunteer run Hills cafe, and crepes from the Magic Box, there was food on site to meet all tastes and dietary requirements. Cocktails mixed with seasonal fruit were mixed by the team at Crimson.

Community transport

A community shuttle bus ran between the nearest railway station and the event all day long, stopping at points along the route to pick up and drop off local attendees. This was also beneficial in reducing emissions from individual cars travelling to the site.

Cleaner air, lower transport emissions

A set of bike racks was provided to encourage travel to the event by bicycle. Our attendees were also able to unleash their cycling prowess with our demonstration electric bikes, a great way to introduce young and old to alternative transport options.