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The Nest - MA Curating Contemporary Design

A project by: MA CCD

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A curated programme providing space and activities in nature for people with dementia
“A world in which design enables this planet and its inhabitants to thrive.” The Design Museum: Our vision, mission, values, and strategic pillars, 2024

About us

We are Joanne Aguilar, Christen Faver, Berla Chang, and Jess De Villiers from the MA in Curating Contemporary Design at Kingston University, collaborating with the Design Museum to reimagine how outdoor spaces can support people living with dementia.  In March, we proposed using the Dame Sylvia Crowe Garden as a base to explore how design can empower memory, shift perceptions of time, and spark gentle agency for dementia communities.

We now have the chance to realise the implementation this Autumn. With your support, we hope to go further, creating multi-sensory experiences and community-led activities that welcome all.

The Nest: A Garden Where Memory Finds Its Way Home

The Nest will be an inclusive, sensory-friendly structure nestled among the trees in the Design Museum’s garden. Designed collaboratively with Foundation students from Kingston University, it will be built using natural and recycled materials to create a welcoming space for people with dementia and their carers.

As part of this initiative, we will also host a Herbal Tea Workshop in collaboration with Hackney Herbal. Participants will grow and blend their own herbal teas, gently engaging with nature in a way that encourages contribution rather than dependence. Rooted in dementia research and the benefit of being outdoors, this experience supports emotional well-being, sensory stimulation, and a renewed sense of agency.

We believe The Nest is more than a structure. It is a living, evolving experience that reflects the rhythms of its users and restores dignity through thoughtful design. It will be a semi-permanent installation, a continuing part of the conversation around accessibility in garden spaces.

With your help, we can make this space even more meaningful.

WHAT COULD YOUR MONEY PROVIDE?

To make this vision real, we’re inviting small contributions to help us:

  • £ 200 for buying, growing, and maintaining herbal plants to create a sensory-rich environment.
  • £ 200 preparing and levelling the garden ground to ensure it is safe, stable, and accessible for everyone.
  • £ 300 to cover travel expenses for seven Foundation students and their tutor between Kingston and the Design Museum.
  • £ 800 for hosting additional activities at the Nest that foster connection, creativity, and emotional well-being.
  • £ 500 for providing a contingency fund to cover accessibility needs, such as transport support or sensory-adjusted materials, for participants with specific requirements.

A small Thank-you gift

  • £ 10: A hand-written thank you card
  • £ 20: Photographs of the garden and The Nest as a postcard set
  • £ 50: A set of herbal teabags - presented by the Design Museum

Help us succeed!

You don't need to give money to help us succeed!

Please share this project with anyone you think would support us, would think it's a great idea: the more people who know about it, the more likely we are to make this work out brilliantly!

Whilst we know that we said you don't need to give money to help us, but we'd love it if you did! Please sponsor us and help make this happen.