CAN collaborated with artist Felicity Hammond to design Under the Eye of the Light, a permanent public artwork and community gathering space commissioned by Eastleigh Borough Council at the center of the Hatch Farm development in Hampshire. The site-specific civic artwork integrates public realm design with local folklore, drawing inspiration from prehistoric burial barrows and the traditional maypole motif to reflect ancient cosmological concepts of the world tree, an axis connecting terrestrial landscapes to transcendental realms.

Designed through a participatory process, the custom seating elements feature organic outlines derived from indigenous plant life gathered during workshops with local school and community groups. The color palette mirrors the vast night sky, using fractal geometries to illustrate structural parallels between microscopic natural forms and macroscopic astronomical systems. Through custom landscape furniture, community-driven placemaking, and symbolic material finishes, Under the Eye of the Light creates an inclusive, durable public space designed to foster social connection, local identity, and reflection on the natural world within contemporary residential housing developments.

Photography by Felicity Hammond