Architecture students provide fresh ideas for Seaford's seafront

Architecture students from the University of Brighton have been working with the Seaford Community Partnership and local school children to come up with a range of designs to make the seafront area more attractive and enjoyable for local residents and visitors.

Students conducted surveys, undertook analytical exercises and ran a design competition to investigate and draw up visions for the beach and local environment. The emphasis was on small interventions and sustainable ideas that could also help improve footfall to local businesses in the town.

Senior lecturers Luis Diaz and Tony Roberts from the Office for Spatial Research at the university said: “We are delighted to have taken part in the project. It allowed us to provide students with the experience of working with a live brief and gave them an insight into how architecture can engage with community issues.”

Children from Seaford Head Community College and pupils from Annecy Catholic Primary School, Chyngton Primary School and Cradle Hill Primary School, have all contributed designs, paintings and models as part of the exhibition.

Keith Blackburn, chair of the Seaford Community Partnership said: “We are really excited about this project. We’d like to enhance the promenade and lead visitors into the town from the beach so that they can visit the shops, restaurants and cafés. We’re hoping that the exhibition will throw up lots of ideas for people to discuss and think about, acting as a springboard for the town to bid for funding to take some of the ideas forward.”

Town and district councillors and community groups will be invited to give their views on the designs and members of the public are warmly invited to visit the exhibition and give their own feedback on the ideas.

The exhibition will be open to the public on the weekend of the 24and 25 March from 10.30am to 4.30pm at the Crypt Gallery, 23 Church Street, Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 1HE.