This project explores how the history of Forres’ lost orchard can offer insights into the future development of public spaces along the High Street. Through historical maps, walking observations, and accounts from local residents, I discovered that memories of the orchard still linger in scattered fragments throughout the town, whilst some everyday spaces remain undervalued or have only tenuous links to local ecological life. The project integrates historical research, field observations, co-design and prototyping. The ‘Mobile Orchard Memory Box’, serving as a key participatory research tool, helps people situate their personal memories and future aspirations within Forres. This process transforms local experiences into spatial information, revealing recurring themes centred on nature, learning, daily routes and community life.

The final proposal is the ‘Fores Orchard Memory Public Space System’: three nodes connected by the ‘Orchard Memory Trail’. The Town Hall serves as a hub for public memory and interaction. The school surrounding area supports learning and seasonal observation. Grant Park, centred around an existing chestnut tree, creates a space for play, rest and ecological experiences. Through small-scale, removable interventions, the project reconnects local history, public life and ecological learning. It also enables the system to evolve continuously through future public participation, practical testing.