Twister is a free standing habitable sculpture inspired by the dynamic swirling shapes made by flocks of birds, swarms of insects and schools of fish. The Weathering Steel structure is made up of a stack of ellipses, as the structure rises each ellipse is rotated and scaled up to form a twisting funnel form. The steel contains a built in habitat for wild pollinating insects and other wildlife. Wild pollinators include bumblebees and other solitary bees, butterflies, moths, hover flies and various other insects such as beetles.

The project was funded by David Wilson Homes and supported by Waverley Borough Council.

An initial consultation with the Leithfield Park community revealed a preference for a functional artwork. This was taken into account during the artist selection process. Will Nash was selected to create a Habitable Sculpture, the artist worked with the community to develop the concept, and an online residents poll was set up select the final sculpture. The installation of the project was supported by volunteers from the Guildford Environmental Forum and residents of Leithfield Park. Residents were invited to work with the artist collecting natural materials from the local woodland, and packing them into the steel structure to create suitable habitat for pollinating insects. This activity was supported by the GEF and carefully managed to ensure that we did not cause any harm or leave a mess. About 40 residents took part in the workshops, the youngest volunteer was aged 2. Tasks included cutting wood and bamboo to size, drilling bee size holes, sanding off sharp edges, packing the wood and bamboo into the sculpture.
Expert advice on Pollinator habitat was provided by Buglife and Helen Bostock, Senior Horticultural Advisor from RHS Wisley.

“We are pleased to unveil the first sculpture of its kind at a David Wilson Southern Counties development. A true community effort, the sculpture is a marriage between art and environmental conservation, and aligns with our own commitment as a sustainable housebuilder to create a home for nature at our developments. I would like to thank all of those involved, including residents at Leithfield Park, for helping to bring this project to life.”

Kimberley Benson, Sales and Marketing Director at David Wilson Southern Counties.