Hacer Developments

18/08/2026

& that’s on periodt 💅😮‍💨

28/07/2026

The Ffordd Bioffilig Gate!

How amazing does it look! We're so grateful to feature Aimee's artwork, in place to welcome visitors and residents into the building.

Check out the below post, and our previous posts to read more.

Aimee's website : https://aimeerayner200.wixsite.com/aimee-rayner-textile

REPAIR : https://biophilic.wales/

A Swansea artist has seen her wildflower design installed as the entrance gates at Biome, Oxford Street’s nature-inspired city centre building 🌸

🌸 Swansea-based artist Aimee Rayner has had her artwork installed as the entrance gates at Biome — the city centre’s Biophilic Living development on the former Woolworths site — using woodblock printing, a deliberately slow craft, to capture local wildflowers from Swansea and the Gower across all four seasons.

🌼 Early irises and crocuses appear near ground level, giving way as the design climbs to poppies and cornflowers through spring and summer, then pretty betsy and foxglove into early autumn.

🌿 The intention behind the gates is to blur the line between the building and the natural world outside it, giving people a reason to see their own neighbourhood a little differently.

🎓 Rayner trained in Surface Pattern and Textiles () at Swansea College of Art, UWTSD (), with nature and wellbeing running through much of her output since.

🏢 Biome is the UK’s first biophilic living development — a 13-storey mixed-use building between Oxford Street and The Kingsway, developed by Hacer Developments and designed by Swansea architects Powell Dobson. The 50 affordable apartments will be managed by , alongside rooftop gardens, a four-floor urban greenhouse and commercial space.

Source: Biophilic Living Hacer / Amy Rayner .textiles

23/07/2026

Rewilding Swansea, by Aimee Rayner 💚🌱

The artwork depicted on this gate began life as an A1 wood block print, inspired by the artist’s adventures documenting the local wildflowers of Swansea and the Gower, throughout the four seasons…

The artist being Aimee Rayner Textiles !! 🤩🤩

Aimee, now graduated 🎉, studied BA Surface Pattern & Textiles at Swansea College of Art UWTSD , with nature and wellbeing being a reoccurring theme in her work.

Aimee has experience working in both healthcare and design, giving her a unique approach to creative projects, having also facilitated creative art workshops with community groups and school children across Swansea and Pembrokeshire. 👩‍🎨

Aimee loves any slow, handmade processes, choosing the naturally slow craft of woodblock carving for this piece, to mimic the slow and continuous growth of flora and fauna.

Aimee’s graduate collection was titled Flow and Flourish, a multi-sensory discovery to personal wellbeing. Check out the rest of her work to see how she emulates this across other mediums, such as stitch & textiles!! 🪡 Aimee Rayner Textiles

09/07/2026

Happy Wales Nature Week!! 🪲

Thank you to Penny, a co-lead on the REPAIR project representing , for this lovely bit of audio I have found in my camera roll, describing the REPAIR project to visitors of the conference the other week!

It is so rewarding to see the roof gardens begin to flourish with lots of busy bees and new growths! 🐝
It is amazing how nature will always reclaim once you give it the means 💚

Wales Nature Week 2026 is all about ‘Your Neighbourhood | Yn Eich Cynefin’ 🏘️ Imagine what Swansea could be like if we integrated nature into every building, street corner, and bus stop…

more Biophilic Living buildings please!!

Great work is being done to make Swansea green again, so if you’re looking for something to do this week, go and explore your local green spaces!

🌱🪴🍅🐝🦋🌍🌻☔️🐞🌿🌊

urbanregeneration

02/07/2026

When the art girlie in the office wants a pretty entrance to the building ✌🏼🥰

What started as a block print by the amazing .textiles , is now an iconic part of the Biophilic Living Biome. 🏡

In the words of Aimee “The Biophilic Living gate aims to welcome you into a nature-filled space where the outside world becomes one with the building. The design breathes life and joy into the Biome, here, we welcome community, friendship, learning, and fun, inspiring a new way of viewing your local area.” 🌺

‼️Keep your eyes peeled for a more in depth post about the design & narrative of the gate! ✅

The gate follows on from a project Hacer did with the students, where they made artwork in response to the themes of the building.

30/06/2026

PROJECT REPAIR, ANNUAL REPORT 🗣️🎉

Read all about it!! The REPAIR project has published its first annual report, marking a year since its activation!

The report highlights the progress, achievements & learnings of the project, as well as the vision for year 2.

The achievements span from the publication of articles📰, to textiles workshops 🪡, workshops with schools 📚, speaking at conferences 🗣️, cohosting events🎤, the creation of zines 📝, and site visits with notable characters! 👷‍♀️

Innovation & collaboration, lots of great things being achieved via a transdisciplinary, ‘cross-threads’ approach. 🧬

Check it out via the link in our bio, and read the in depth stories on the REPAIR website, also linked!

14/05/2026

Some of the other faces behind the Biome! 🤩🤩

Beyond our small Hacer & Helix team, our residential partner have lots of people working extensively on the project, alongside the REPAIR research project, societal partners, and alllllll the trades!

It’s been a long journey with lots of learning, but we’re ever grateful for everyone who’s been a part of it, it will be amazing!

14/05/2026

30/04/2026

Site is sounding a little different these days 😌🌿

🔉🔉

23/04/2026

The Roof Gardens 🪴 - build up 👷

Before greening can be planted, there are many layers that need to be built up to ensure the plants will thrive, and structurally they will stay put!

Once the foundations had been built by Crest Carpentry, and the waterproofing installed by Vanguard, next to be laid was the protection and storage fleece. Made from 100% recycled fibres, the fleece protects the waterproofing, whilst also acting as an additional water reservoir. 💦

Next to go in was the steel structures, fabricated by our Helix21 team and designed by , inspired by the shapes of Swansea – more on this to come! 👩‍🎨

The roofs were then in the hands of Chris Bridgeman and his team of green roofing trainees, to lay the Meander Water Retention Board which will manage water levels on the roof to reduce water discharge.
The meander board sits under all the soiled areas on the roof (separated by a filter fleece) which consists of an intensive roof substrate and soil, supplied by Alfa Aggregates.

In the pathway areas, grids have been installed and filled with waste cockleshell from – utilising a by-product of the food industry whilst also maintaining a link with our coastal nature! They also make a very relaxing crunch as
you walk over them. 🧘‍♀️🐚

Theres a lot to a green roof, but it’s perfectly doable, especially with such a great team! 🏆

There was a lovely atmosphere on the roof during install, we’re very grateful to the hard work of everyone involved, now we get to watch it thrive! 🌿

Keep updated with us to find out more about the types of plants we’re using, the aims of the design, and the people involved!

📸Simon Beckett .film was on site capturing the install, bringing you some of the beautiful imagery you see here!