‘Heritage Revealed’: Accessing Dartington’s Historic Landscape
Interpretation Scheme Delivery Brief
THE DARTINGTON HALL TRUST
‘Heritage Revealed’: Accessing Dartington’s Historic Landscape
Brief for Interpretation Scheme Delivery Consultant
1. Introduction
2. Background
3. HLF Round Two Interpretation Design Plan
4. Scope of Work and Contacts
5. Fee
6. Contract Timetable
7. How to Apply
8. Tender Submission and Interviews
9. Questions and Further Information
1. Introduction
The Dartington Hall Trust (Dartington) is seeking a suitably-experienced heritage interpretation consultant with a track record in historic landscape interpretation to deliver an exciting heritage interpretation scheme as part of its £998,000 ‘Heritage Revealed’ Project.
'Heritage Revealed' is a project which will conserve and protect a significant piece of Devon’s cultural heritage, increase public access to, and engagement with, an ancient monument and historic landscape, and deliver a heritage interpretation offer that will benefit the local community and visitors to the area. Skills development, learning, volunteering and community involvement are at the project's heart.
Specifically, it will repair and conserve Dartington’s historic Deer Park Wall through essential and lasting conservation works, create new accessible and interpreted walks through the surrounding parkland, and encourage more people to engage in the landscape including through a brand new schools’ programme and new volunteering opportunities.
2. Background
The Dartington Hall estate is a rich and multi-layered heritage asset. The Deer Park and Deer Park Wall are two of 41 designated heritage assets on the estate. They represent valuable perspectives on Dartington's medieval history, bearing witness to the practices and skills of previous generations that have strong resonance today supporting our aim for more creative and resilient communities. The wall, grade II listed (reference 1219783), dates from c.1325 and today boundaries an area of approximately 66 acres. The Deer Park is a Scheduled Monument grade II (ref 1020870) and lies within a Registered Historic parkland grade II* (ref 1000453).
Although the accessible stretches of the Deer Park wall are highly valued by those who currently walk around the area, compared to the rest of the estate this is a hidden corner, which despite all that is known about it, is rarely visited and its historical significance is lost to all but a few with local specialist knowledge. At present visitors are not encouraged to visit the Deer Park and have no way of understanding the heritage significance of the area as interpretation and navigation are lacking.
This is borne out by visitor numbers to the area, with only an estimated 3,000 of Dartington’s 800,000 annual visitors reaching the Deer Park area. We are aiming to increase visitor numbers to the Deer Park area to at least 25,000 a year through this project. The project’s target audiences include local people and visitors to the area, schools, families, people with disabilities and volunteers. Central to this project will be the opportunity for audiences to explore, learn about and enjoy more of Dartington’s landscape heritage.
The project received a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Round Two pass in March 2016 for a grant of £622,600. The project is now fully funded through confirmed match funding from the Natural England HLS fund, Viridor Credits Environmental Company and Dartington itself.
3. HLF Round Two Interpretation Design Plan
Our HLF Round Two (R2) submission included an interpretation design plan worked up to RIBA Stage 3 with a construction budget of £46,300. This figure includes a 10% contingency but excludes VAT and consultant fees.
The R2 scheme comprises a series of interventions leading to and along the length of the new Deer Park circular route together with new public information. The proposals are broadly themed into three categories:
• Orientation and wayfinding – to include a new trail guide/map, information leaflet, and directional signage and route markers leading to and along the Deer Park trail.
• Interactive points of interest – to include combined seating/audio points/interpretation panels, a deer leaping activity, and a Message Tree in the Visitor Centre.
• Emotive and atmospheric installations – such as locally handcrafted wicker deer and evocative silhouettes of deer.
Starting from the Visitor Centre, interventions will be visible enough to be seen easily, but unobtrusive enough to be appropriate in the sensitive setting. Natural materials, wherever possible sourced from the estate itself (e.g. timber), and a subtle colour palette will be used to complement the setting. They will have a strong sense of craft and sustainability to reflect Dartington’s values and in response to HLF R2 audience feedback.
A key objective of the Heritage Revealed Project is to provide work experience opportunities for LandWorks, which is a charity based on the Dartington estate. LandWorks provides work-based training and support for current and former prisoners, enabling them to better cope with the transition from prison and probation to life outside the custodial system.
Some of the R2 interpretation scheme has been designed to enable LandWorks to be involved in its construction. As such the assumption was made at R2 that timber for the interpretation scheme will be cut, pre-prepared and supplied by LandWorks, so panels, plaques and audio points can be brought to site and fitted. LandWorks will also install some of the timber elements, i.e. primary welcome/orientation point, waymarkers and POIs. The value of the timber and LandWorks’ production and installation costs (estimated at c. £12,500) will be accounted for separately from Dartington's own reserves and as such are not included in the £46,300 construction budget for this scheme.
4. Scope of Work and Contacts
To undertake the detailed technical design and to act as contract administrator for the construction and delivery of the HLF Round Two Interpretation Design Scheme (RIBA Stages 4-6).
Reporting to the Heritage Revealed Project Coordinator, the role will include:
· Reviewing the HLF Round Two Scheme and proposing any adjustments/modifications (note: we welcome such review providing that any proposed changes align with the overall objectives, themes and design rationale set out in the R2 report and are deliverable within the budget and programme. The delivered scheme must also align with the principles of our estate-wide Design Protocol).
· Refining/developing additional technical details and preparing detailed construction design plans.
· Procuring and managing off-site production and fabrication works.
· Liaison with Dartington’s Estate Manager and LandWorks Manager regarding on-site sourcing of materials and the elements of the scheme being produced and installed by LandWorks.
· Undertaking copywriting and scripting, based on information supplied by the client team.
· Sourcing and gaining usage clearance for high-resolution copies of images and videos as required.
· Commissioning production of artwork for graphics and multimedia.
· Procuring and contract administration of on-site works, including installation and testing of all elements and snagging/defect remediation.
· Liaison/coordination with wall and access scheme consultants/contractors as necessary.
· Ensuring supply to the client of any as built drawings, O&M manuals, warranties and maintenance agreements, guidance on preventative maintenance regime and original artwork (copyright of which to be held by client).
· Identifying and managing interpretation scheme risks.
· Supporting the Learning & Participation Officer in the delivery of an activity with the local secondary school, KEVICC, as part of the Heritage Revealed Activity Plan.
· Providing monthly briefing reports for Project Board/Capital Coordination Meetings and attending these meetings in person on site from time to time as required.
Primary contact will be with the Project Coordinator and through her to the Project’s Core Team (comprising the Project Leader, Estate Manager and Senior Development Officer).
There will need to be regular direct liaison with the Estate Manager and LandWorks Manager regarding on-site sourcing of materials for the interpretation scheme and the elements of the scheme being produced and installed by LandWorks. There will also be liaison with the Estate Manager regarding coordination with the access works (for example to determine location of signage on new footpaths).
There will need to be occasional contact with the project building surveyor, archaeologist and ecologist to ensure coordination with the Deer Park Wall works and compliance with statutory consents.
There will be periodic contact with the Learning & Participation Officer to ensure coordination with the Activity Plan programme and to support delivery of an activity with KEVICC Secondary School in Totnes. This activity is currently programmed to take place over the course of one school term.
There will be occasional contact with Dartington’s Arts Department regarding initial design review and to contribute to the scheme’s alignment with Dartington’s overall values and Design Protocol, and with Dartington’s Volunteer Manager regarding any volunteering opportunities afforded by the interpretation scheme.
5. Fee
An indicative fee of £5,500 plus VAT was included within the HLF Round Two application for this assignment. We have added a contingency of £3,000 plus VAT to ensure that all aspects of the scheme can be delivered effectively to programme. We would expect fee bid proposals to be within the region of these parameters.
6. Contract Timetable
The contract delivery period is expected to be August 2016 to June 2017.
7. How to Apply
Your application should take the form of a tender response describing:
· Your proposed approach to reviewing and to finalising the detailed technical design of the HLF Round Two Interpretation Design Scheme.
· Your proposed methodology for delivering the Deer Park Interpretation Scheme, including an outline construction works programme.
· The experience of your team, including examples of relevant projects undertaken.
· How you would add value to the project.
· Your lump sum fee to undertake the work, including all expenses, contingencies and VAT if appropriate. Please specify your day rate and how many days you have included for within your fee bid proposal.
Please include details of three referees (preferably in relation to HLF-funded projects) for whom you have conducted similar services over the past five years.
Tenders will be assessed against cost, the quality of the methodology and the overall proposal and the track record of the team involved.
8. Tender Submission and Interviews
Tender Deadline: 5pm on Monday 18 July 2016
Please send tenders to:
Carrie Blogg
Project Coordinator – Heritage Revealed
c/o The Property & Estates Team
The Dartington Hall Trust
The Elmhirst Centre
Dartington Hall
Totnes
TQ9 6EL
Please mark your envelope “TENDER (INTERPRETATION CONSULTANCY SERVICES) – TO BE OPENED BY THE ADDRESSEE ONLY”.
Interviews will take place during w/c 25 July or 1 August 2016 by mutual arrangement with shortlisted tenderers. Please indicate in your tender your availability over this period.
9. Questions and Further Information
If you would like to discuss this assignment before submitting a tender please email or phone Carrie Blogg, Project Coordinator, on 01823 667465/07496 212009/ .
The following background information is available on request:
· Heritage Revealed HLF Round Two Interpretation Design Scheme
· Heritage Revealed HLF Round Two Activity Plan Summary
· Design Protocol
· Project Master Programme
· Project Delivery Structure Chart
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