England's forests: the Yan visitor centre, Grizedale

The Yan in Grizedale Forest is made from oak, cedar and Douglas fir. Photograph: Isobel Cameron

How do you persuade people to come deep into the heart of the forest, to make the forest part of their daily lives? You build a beautiful centre that will reflect the woods themselves, both inside and out. And then you offer it up for?community use.

That was the concept behind the building of the Yan ("The One" in Cumbrian dialect), the new visitor centre in Grizedale in the southern part of the Lake District. After many years with very little local investment here, the Forestry Commission was keen to begin a project that would benefit both the local community and visitors. This part of south Cumbria extends across the area between Windermere and Coniston Water, from Hawkshead in the north to the A590 in the south. It's historically associated with the coppiced woodlands that provided charcoal for the iron industry.

Intended as a celebration of wood, the Yan uses a number of different timbers: oak for the interior finishes where its beautiful grain can be seen; cedar?for the external cladding because of its strength and durability; and?Douglas fir for the main structure.

Over the next few years, the Yan should become a community centre which local schools, groups promoting mental and physical wellbeing, those working with people from disadvantaged local communities, and local businesses will all regard?as their own. They will be?able to use it for meetings, for outings – or simply as a space in?the?heart of the forest.

View the original article here