Planting palette - sea defence

Planting precedents

Pulling together my planting palettes for Eastbourne and have decided to make each planted space a conceptual area related to the overall concept. Themes are:

defence/survival/architectural - related to the sea defence

waves/ripples/swathes - reflecting the sea

Movement and light - reflecting the sea

Rhythm/repitition/sequence/grid - related to the sea defences

My concept 'sea defence' is about abstracting the rhythm and repetition of the groynes and the chaos and randomness of the granite boulders.

1:200

Quick dash to get this on paper, I feel very behind. Most things are resolved in my sketch book or notes but need to get on to paper and I haven't had a chance to do this. Hopefully this A1 will be enough to get me through tomorrow's workshop.

Model at 1:500

iso/aerial

From the East

Work in progress, oops there's the kitchen knife, don't tell Hubby

starting from plan

Model finished, the levels are there in the majority but irritatingly the card warped by a few mm, which in 1:500 is like a ski slope..

Advanced Rep - Inspired by a lamp...

Yesterday, I started the curate the world project and spent some time thinking about why I like my lamp. It appears I am sentimentally attached to it, I never knew I felt this way before...

Here's the objective stuff on the lamp, the subjective is far too personal to share with my blog. I love my lamp.

The lamp
The lamp has a wide base which curves into a long slim stem and mimics an elegant vase. It tapers in the middle to be balanced out by the large rounded shade at the top. If the shade were any bigger, it would seem top heavy but the length of the base stem counteracts this. The lamp is taller than most other table lamps and this gives it a strong presence and a larger scale, exacerbated by the long slim stem and width of the shade.
The base is ceramic with a glossy red paint overlay which gives off a sleek shine and a smooth look. The shade is woven acrylic with a plastic backing and a slim acrylic trim around the top and the bottom. The woven nature of the material of the shade adds a softer contrast to the shiny, harshness of the base and the trim adds a finishing line at the top and bottom of the shade.
Its function is that of providing light(!). Light is filtered through the red shade to create an amber red glow on a cream wall which projects in thick shapes and creates impact with its shadows. The lamp is from Habitat and is not rare or expensive (although it is now out of stock so I cannot get hold of another) but is an example of how good design can be mass produced and available to all.

Knole Exhibition

Getting ready now for the exhibition at Knole. I have redone my A1 to include some more detailed text. My ideas are a bit 'off the wall' for general consumption I think so more annotation was required to explain them. The A1 Historical layers have been signed off by the National Trust which is an exciting conclusion; no more editing!

Exhibition opening times: Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 March, 11am – 4pm, Wednesday 10 March to Sunday 1 April, 10.30am – 5pm (closed Monday and Tuesday) and Tuesday 3 April – Sunday 15 April, 10.30 am – 5pm (closed Monday except 9 April). Please note that Lord Sackville’s private garden opens to the public, Tuesdays only, from April 3, 11am – 4pm.

Press Release for Knole Exhibition

Garden Design Students’ ideas on display at Knole
University of Greenwich students are putting on an exhibition of design, conservation and management ideas for the park and garden of Knole in Sevenoaks, Kent. The historic Grade I listed house has been owned by the National Trust since 1946. Its 1000-acre great medieval deer park is 90 per cent owned and managed by the Sackville-West family, and 10 per cent by the National Trust.
Lord Sackville says: "When I was first approached by the Garden Design students at the University of Greenwich, I had no idea what to expect. But I'm sure that you'll be as impressed and inspired by their work as I was. They have come up with some beautiful ideas that respect the history and spirit of Knole, while at the same time adding a contemporary twist."
The possible ideas come from 17 final year BA (Hons) Garden Design degree course students and one studying MA in Garden History that undertook the work as a historic garden conservation project on behalf of the Sackville-West family, who live in the house. The ideas are a mixture of modern designs and the restoration of some historic ones from previous centuries.
The exhibition will feature the student’s conservation plans, plus scale models of their work. They have looked at planting and management within the garden and park, and at some areas owned by the National Trust and open to visitors, such as the Brewhouse Tearoom courtyard, Green Court, and the car park.
Marian Boswall, Lecturer in garden design at Greenwich, says: "These are theoretical ideas for Lord Sackville and the National Trust to enjoy or employ as they wish. The student’s drawings and models show individual conservation, management and design ideas. Group projects explain and illustrate the history, geography and social life of the park and garden."
Designs for the Park and Garden at Knole, a free exhibition which begins in March, will take place in the 200-year-old Orangery, which was opened to the public in 2010. It is on the south side of the house, looking on to Lord Sackville’s private garden.
Exhibition opening times: Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 March, 11am – 4pm, Wednesday 10 March to Sunday 1 April, 10.30am – 5pm (closed Monday and Tuesday) and Tuesday 3 April – Sunday 15 April, 10.30 am – 5pm (closed Monday except 9 April). Please note that Lord Sackville’s private garden opens to the public, Tuesdays only, from April 3, 11am – 4pm.
Picture: A design by Harriet Farlam, 3rd year BA garden design student, to turn the current cafe yard into a covered dining area with a transparent dome.
Notes for editors:
Knole was built by the Archbishops of Canterbury in the 15th century. It was annexed by Henry VIII and a remodelled in the 17th century by the Sackville family. It is one of the country’s most important and most complete historic houses, containing collections of unique upholstered furniture, silver, paintings and tapestries. The house, set in a great medieval deer park, has inspired writers, artists and visitors for centuries. Knole was the birthplace and childhood home of Vita Sackville-West, who went on to create the gardens at Sissinghurst. Knole was also the setting for Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando. Recently it was a location for the film The Other Boleyn Girl.
Find out more about Knole: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/knole/
For information about studying BA Hons Garden Design at the University of Greenwich: http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/courses/ug/land/k311

Lille presentation day

all happy at the pub!

presenting

Ready with the model, A0s and A3, the groups presented the work to press and politicians. A tough q&a session afterwards made sure that the ideas were fully expressed. Our group's ideas were well received. The main concept was that of weaving, a concept drawn from Lille's textile industry. Restored canal routes weaved together the north and south side of the river. An ecology zone weaved through the site on the lines of the old forifications. Waterfront sustainable housing made live/work areas and the road was removed and redirected and replaced with a tram service. Afterwards, we headed to the pub.....

Lille stage 2

Tired people

A3 document

The final masterplan

Photographing the model at 7am

Team working hard

Conceptual diagrams

The groups merged on day 3 and so did the concepts to create different layers in the design. A working schedule was drawn up with different tasks asigned to each group member. We produced the following:

A0 of conceptual diagrams

A0 of precedents/moods

A0 plan

A0 sections

A0 model photos

sketches

A model and an A3 document

The group work was tough at this stage with many differing opinions and a difference of approach from the English and French schools. By Thursday night, the working environment was high paced and by Friday morning, the teams pulled together to make (what seemed impossible) an array of fantastic models and presentations. My job was pulling together the a3 document and other indesign related things.

Lille: The site and the brief and stage 1

The masterplan The road throught the site

The wier and main canal

Old Lille

Split into groups of 4 and 5 mixed Greenwich and Lille students brainstormed a concept for an area just north of Lille, between the Citadelle and the industrial lands north of the river.

The site was characterised by park and woodland, canals, a dominant road network, heavy river industry and the historic Citadelle.

The brief was to design a space that would draw family living back into the centre, unite the old town with the suburbs and improve the reputation of the waterways. Be audacious with your ideas.

Day 2, our small group presented our ideas. We had picked up the old lines of the fortifications, re-instated ancient canals, created a tiered amenity area, added a community arts centre. The emphasis was on ecology and sustainable living. Creating a new quarter for lille that linked with Euratechnology, sante and Lille.

Lille

The project: working with students from Lille architectural school, 5 groups pulled together a proposal for a site just north of the town centre in 5 days.

Very tough but intensely rewarding, the workshop was a success, details to follow in further blogs...

The group work that formed this workshop was intense and often ugly with opinions clashing and ideas being discussed over and over again. I thought I might not last the week at one point but pushed myself to make a come back and managed to make a niche for myself within the team where I could add value. Pinning up the work on the last day was exciting and the feeling of euphoria after completion totally outweighed the stress of the previous 4 days.

What did I learn from this experience?

That my role within a team environment will not always be the same, it will depend on the team dynamic but not to take this personally and always try to find a niche where I can bring something.

That I am not a quitter and that the end result is worth it

That I can pull together good work quickly

That I lack confidence in putting forward my ideas - not sure how I can counter this. Practice?

That I do not want to be a landscape architect - garden design for me (this is a positive)

I won't be intimidated by a big project, site or group work again. If I can survive this week, I can survive anything!

Knole

Visit to Knole this week to arrange the exhibition was a success. Lord Sackville liked our ideas and thought we had captured the spirit of Knole. Exhibition to be held in March, details to follow...!

Greenwich

Last night's snowfall created a winter wonderland today with fluffy bits dropping from the trees on the way to school. The tree lined drive near Bromley was so enchanting, I had to get out and photograph it, inspired I think by my recent trip to the David Hockney exhibition. London looked majestic in the winter light at Greenwich. The views from Greenwich Park over the city make me think there is no better place to live than London.

Masterplan 1:200

1:200

Granite defences at +7

Played around with things today. My grid has distorted with the photocopying so have made a new one with some areas 5m2 as the spaces seem so much bigger at 1:200. Some additional bits; a glass floored (I think) platform over the granite rocks so you can walk over them and 2 grids of trees, Quercus ilex and Pinus nigra. Still needs some refining but I have my levels for tomorrow. Levels baffle me generally but this is no excuse to keep the site flat, steps and ramps added now over the sea defences. Circulation still needs addressing.

Printing woes

There I was Friday, confidently finished the A3 document ready to print in the digital studio, thinking oooh maybe a relaxed weekend. Start printing - no paper, Phil's gone home and the tray's locked. Never mind, I can take it to the printers in Greenwich tomorrow. Get to printers Saturday - sorry love the binders not here today and its 80p a sheet. Right never mind, I can print at school tomorrow (Sunday), errr snowed in. Hmmm they did warn us about print queues but surely this is just taking the ....... Anyway on with the 1:200 which is where it gets exciting I think.