In 2012 John McDonnell MP invited the Cass to propose and establish public arts and architecture projects for Hayes. In response, students proposed and delivered a range of art, architecture and design projects that took place between 2012 and 2017.
This website presents an archive of live events, theoretical and realized projects. The projects are grouped and presented into four Hayes areas: the High Street, the Austin Estate, around the Grand Union Canal, and Industrial Areas.
EXPLORE
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HIGH STREET
Projects for the High Street include the backyards that support it and are connected to the High Street through alleyways. The yards currently form a network of neglected wilderness, parking, dumping grounds and workshops.
Proposals point out potentials to create new links -to the schools and residential areas beyond, including the Austin Estate. The links developed go beyond physical links; students worked with the women running the Austin Estate Sewing Club, which came together through events organised on the Austin Estate.
Events on the High Street have pointed towards potential future development, this included a paper engineering workshop for children, a gramophone installation, a printing studio and dance and parkour events.
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AUSTIN ESTATE
With its ethnically very diverse and fragmented population, the Austin Estate is local authority housing estate, a “closed city”within Hayes with limited physical connections to the town centre.
Projects reflected on the estate’s civic life and explored the notion of a“town hall” for the estate. They started with the construction of a mobile Work Shop to explore social enterprise potentials, a series of events and other 1:1 installations brought together the residents to get to know each other and participate in several new activities. Some of these, like the Austin Sewing Club, are now run by the community, and have received substantial financial support.
Other proposals for new civic spaces on the estate were developed as spaces to attract other residents from Hayes to the estate.Project were facilitated and supported by Hillingdon Play Association, and Housing Services at LB Hillingdon.
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GRAND UNION CANAL
The Grand Union Canal divides Hayes, with few crossing points connecting the two sides. Residential canal side development has only minimally considered public realm, sports and leisure activities, e.g. the annual Hayes Canal Festival.
Student proposals for the canal area support new working and making spaces, set by the canal between light industrial estates and housing.These also create new public leisure activities and new access points to the canal, attracting people to the water and bridging the divide between the two sides.
Students also worked with The Sharks canoe club to make proposals for a temporary clubhouse at Shackles Dock, a canal inlet within a town centre development site. These were published in the document “Shelter for the Sharks”, and distributed nationally to help funding.
Proposals for canoeing club facilities have subsequently been included in the residential canal-side scheme that was recommended for planning approval in March 2017.
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INDUSTRY & STATION
Industry is a key characteristic of Hayes’ past. The British record company EMI was a main employer in the area at its 150 acre complex in the town centre, employing 14.000 people until the 1970s. The site has now been developed to provide commercial, residential and leisure facilities.
Projects developed for these areas addressed the challenging transformation from a vibrant, but economically struggling centre, to a rapidly growing Crossrail hub with prescribed aspirations.
Proposals consider Hayes’ industrial history, and develop alternatives for community groups and sites. These proposals are inventive in use and design, and developed as alternatives to the prevailing plans for luxury housing. Other proposals for the station area developed this prime location and core access point as “City Gates” into a new welcoming point for people arriving in the town.