Aivaf Ltd

Aivaf Ltd Creators of amazing experiences! Interactives, model makers, scenic productions, AV hardware/software and general museum fitout We create amazing experiences!

For 34 years we have had the privilege to work on some fantastic projects producing hands-on electro mechanical, interactive, designing and manufacturing models, fabrication of props and full scenic and set works. No two days are the same, every client and project unique. We work all around the world in all types of environments, including visitor centres, Zoo’s, Museums and Theme Parks.

Today is International Women's Day — a moment to recognise the women who help shape the museum and exhibition sector. Fr...
07/03/2026

Today is International Women's Day — a moment to recognise the women who help shape the museum and exhibition sector. From early concept design and storytelling to engineering, fabrication and installation, women play a vital role in creating the experiences that bring cultural spaces to life.

Across the sector, women contribute at every stage of a project:
Designing engaging visitor experiences
Solving complex engineering and fabrication challenges
Managing projects from concept through installation
Helping museums tell powerful stories

Their creativity, expertise and leadership continue to shape the future of cultural spaces.
We’re proud to celebrate the women across our team and throughout the wider museum and exhibition industry. Their work spans design, making, project delivery and visitor experience — bringing creativity, technical skill and thoughtful problem-solving to every stage of a project.

Today is a chance to recognise those contributions, reflect on the progress being made across the sector, and continue supporting opportunities for women in design, engineering and fabrication.

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 9 of 10 Nest & Acorn Play ElementsThese pieces were designed to be tactile, robust, and inviting ...
06/03/2026

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 9 of 10
Nest & Acorn Play Elements
These pieces were designed to be tactile, robust, and inviting — scaled specifically for younger visitors within a larger exhibition environment.
Build process:
Acorn carved entirely by hand from a rough structure built using yellow pine planks
Shaped with a mix of chainsaws, grinders, rasps, and sanders to achieve the final form
Nest formed around an internal armature to establish the overall shape
Individual wooden slats stained in a range of tones, then woven together to create an organic, nest-like appearance
The open structure creates safe, engaging spaces where small children can explore and play, without feeling separate from the main exhibition.
One more scenic post to come.

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 8 of 10 Hoverfly ModelThis build was driven by material choice as much as form. The brief was cle...
02/03/2026

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 8 of 10
Hoverfly Model

This build was driven by material choice as much as form. The brief was clear: use real wood to complement a wider theme of natural substrates and materials.

Build process:
Constructed from a variety of woods, selected to suit both form and finish
Modelled on the pine hoverfly, native to the Scottish Highlands and rarely seen
Designed with conservation context in mind, reflecting a protected and vulnerable species
Scenic painted to unify the different wood types
Fully sealed to protect the model from the exposed Highland environment
A sculptural piece where craft, material honesty, and environmental context all mattered.

Two more scenic posts to come.

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 7 of 10 Magna – Water Cycle Giant ModelOur biggest miniature to date. An imagined Peak District l...
25/02/2026

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 7 of 10
Magna – Water Cycle Giant Model

Our biggest miniature to date.

An imagined Peak District landscape built at scale, designed to house water features, electronics, and hands-on interaction.

Build process:
Polystyrene carved base formed from three 2m x 3.3m sections, with integrated electronics and water systems
Resin hard-coated to create a surface strong enough to walk on during construction
Hand-sculpted plaster rockwork and textures added to define scale and realism
Scenic painted using multiple techniques to build up natural colour variation
Enhanced with diorama materials to bring the landscape to life

Installation:
Transported to site by lorry and assembled into a single seamless landscape
River beds fibreglassed to create a fully waterproof barrier
Final detailing added, including electronics, miniature people, and trees
A complex scenic build where structure, finish, logistics, and interaction all had to align.

More from the scenic team soon.

🧪🚀 Horrible Science Lands in Manchester! 🚀🧪We’re excited to share our contribution to the brilliant Horrible Science exh...
24/02/2026

🧪🚀 Horrible Science Lands in Manchester! 🚀🧪
We’re excited to share our contribution to the brilliant Horrible Science exhibition in Manchester — a show packed with hands-on experiments, big questions, and plenty of messy fun.
Aivaf designed and built five bespoke interactives to bring the science to life, including:
🔴 A Miniature Mars Rover — navigate the terrain and explore the red planet
🎮 A 2-Player Mission Control Game — teamwork, timing and communication are key to success
🚀 A Rocket Launcher — test your aim and power as you blast off
…and two additional interactives designed to challenge, engage and spark curiosity
Projects like this are exactly why we love what we do — taking bold concepts and engineering them into robust, high-energy experiences that can withstand thousands of curious hands.
If you’re in Manchester, it’s well worth a visit.

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 6 of 10 Scenic Finishes & Surface TreatmentsThis image is a snapshot of the sample finishes we ke...
20/02/2026

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 6 of 10
Scenic Finishes & Surface Treatments

This image is a snapshot of the sample finishes we keep hanging in our boardroom — a quick way to show the range of surfaces our scenic team can recreate, refine, or completely invent.

Finish samples include:
Rock faces and earth textures
Brickwork and concrete
Wood grain and metal
Greek façades and stone sculpture
Bones, rust, and aged surfaces

We work from real-world references, design visuals, or pure concept — whether that’s historically accurate, contemporary, or full fantasy. The goal is always the same: finishes that sit perfectly within the wider design and hold up in public environments.

If you can reference it, we can build it.

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 5 of 10Magna Science Adventure Centre – Earth Gallery | Volcano EnvironmentCreated for the Earth ...
17/02/2026

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 5 of 10
Magna Science Adventure Centre – Earth Gallery | Volcano Environment

Created for the Earth Gallery at Magna, this build focused on full immersion, turning the space into a dramatic volcanic landscape that supports both play and learning.

Build process:
Large-scale volcano landscape and skyline painted by hand directly onto the walls
Rock features cast and sculpted with a hard-coat finish, then scenically painted to match the wall artwork
Stepping-stone game integrated to emulate the floor is lava
Gobos and lighting used to unify the space and tie all elements together
A room-scale scenic project where artwork, fabrication, interaction, and lighting all had to work as one.
More from the scenic series soon.

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 4 of 10 Young-hee (Squid Game) ReplicaBuilt for Netflix’s Squid Game: The Experience this piece n...
13/02/2026

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 4 of 10
Young-hee (Squid Game) Replica

Built for Netflix’s Squid Game: The Experience this piece needed to be instantly recognisable, structurally sound, and finished to a broadcast-ready standard.

Build process:
Head core carved from polystyrene to establish the base form
Coated in a durable water-based hard coat, with mounting points fibreglassed into the structure
Sculpted and refined to create facial features and surface detail
Base box constructed from MDF
Finished with layered paper coatings and multiple paint passes to achieve an aged, weathered look
A good example of how scenic fabrication scales from museums into large-format, real-world productions.
More from the series soon.

Today is International Women & Girls in Science Day.Jo is on site at Manchester Science and Industry Museum installing p...
11/02/2026

Today is International Women & Girls in Science Day.

Jo is on site at Manchester Science and Industry Museum installing part of a new exhibit — turning drawings and ideas into something physical, robust and ready for the public.
This is what science and engineering look like in our world:
practical problem-solving
precision under pressure
making complex systems feel effortless to the visitor
delivering properly, not just talking about it
Jo brings technical skill, attention to detail and a calm head on site — exactly what good installs demand.
Representation matters. But so does competence.
Jo delivers both.

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 3 of 10 Inis Cealtra – Landscape ModelThis model was all about storytelling through terrain. Ever...
11/02/2026

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 3 of 10

Inis Cealtra – Landscape Model

This model was all about storytelling through terrain. Every contour, surface, and texture was designed to show how the landscape has evolved over time — not just how it looks today.

Build process:
Base constructed from MDF and polystyrene for stability and form
Coated in a water-based acrylic resin for durability
Sculpted land masses including fields, ditches, and mounds to reflect historic land changes
Finished with faux grasses and diorama materials to create realistic riverbanks and water surfaces
Figures and buildings 3D printed, then scenic painted and textured to integrate seamlessly into the model
A detailed piece where accuracy, material choice, and finish all had to work together.

More from the scenic department soon.

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🎨 Scenic Series – Post 2 of 10 Aivaf Stone SignThis piece is a good example of how our scenic department builds large, d...
08/01/2026

🎨 Scenic Series – Post 2 of 10
Aivaf Stone Sign
This piece is a good example of how our scenic department builds large, durable features that look solid and permanent, while keeping weight and structure under control.
Build process:
Base form created from laminated large-format polystyrene sheets
Carved and shaped to define the overall structure and letter forms
Wrapped in aluminium foil and coated with a fibreglass layer for strength
Finished with a concrete render to give mass and toughness
Scenic painted to achieve a realistic stone finish
The result is a lightweight structure with the visual weight of carved stone — built to last in a public-facing environment.
More scenic builds coming next.

🎄 Merry Christmas from Aivaf! 🎄As we wrap up for the holidays, we’re taking a moment to look back at an incredible year ...
23/12/2025

🎄 Merry Christmas from Aivaf! 🎄
As we wrap up for the holidays, we’re taking a moment to look back at an incredible year of creativity and collaboration.
2025 has seen us design, build and deliver projects across the UK and beyond — including:
✨ Stonehenge – Schools Sets
⚓ Poole Maritime Museum
🌌 British Library – Kaleidoscope Telescope
🗺️ Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience
🏛️ Preston Park Museum
🎹 Techniquest – Refurbished Piano Exhibit
🔍 Conductr Challenge Rooms
🌱 London Science Museum – Future of Food
🏝️ Arainn Islands Heritage Centre
🧬 Chester Zoo – Centrifuge Interactive
A huge thank you to all our clients, partners and the Aivaf team for making these projects possible.
We’ll be back in the new year, ready to take on even more exciting challenges!
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy, restful holiday season.

Address

1 Orgreave Close
Sheffield
S139NP

Telephone

+441142889111

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