Landscape Visions

A quick experiment to understand the potential size of structures in North Place and the improvements they could make to quality of life for public users and private overlooking properties. Stood on 4-6 storeys high, users would enjoy wonderful connection with the surrounding hills. Indeed structures of this massing would be required. However the shadow effect and on looking public on private residences would need careful design. Designs were based on the rough concept mapping following site analysis. 

Experimenting with the word 'harvest' in order to verbally link the new use of former North Place with its new physical design.  Been thinking about this word for many weeks, and now it seems to fit the brief, social context and Concept One well, particularly if a maker's space was the productive centre of the 'The Harvest'. 

James Corner – Field Operations   Field Operations is a punchy design studio, winning dozens of awards each year across the world, inspiring copycat projects and pulling the direction of landscape architecture. The High Line in New York is exemplary of James Corner and his team’s work, administer urban and social acupuncture inside city sprawl. The infamy and success of which encouraging other national capitals to convert high lines using green infrastructure and public health needs as placemaking mechanisms. The focus of Field Operations is the push their designs to create a novel and elegant synthesis between users and functionalities. This means a design which benefits all social, economic, and environmental layers. Though the High Line measures but 1.5 miles, its impact in both landscape architecture and society is measured with the footsteps of giants spread across the globe.

B + P Mr. Lego man and Mr. Coconut!  a B c d E F g H I j k l m n O P q R S t u v w x Y z

Some more attempts to think through the space of the first concept involving the horse structures.  In my first thoughts the horses were resting, but after the survey and frustration with North Place and an unhealthy Cheltenham town in my opinion, these horses were dead before I even got to them.  It is a gritty design approach which I am not used to. But from death comes life, from dead coral a robust reef, fallen giants of trees to refreshing glades. I hope a new life for Cheltenham. 

Peter Walker continues the minimalist geometric style of his idols such as Andre Le Notre and Dan Kiley, bringing the craft 'up to date' as it were for our modern steel towered landscapes. His manner in reports and interviews seems quite direct and pragmatic, ordered. His landscapes seem to reflect this, using straight forward order, shapes and lines mixed with selected planting to create a subtle complexity and immersive spaces. Most notably is the unexpected additions to the end of straight lines, an irregularly located rectangular hard surface, lines of trees irregularly but intentionally broken to create glades.  His most notable project is the National September 11 Memorial. Walker knows when to allow a place to speak, and adds his design input to allow this to happen. I once watched a video about the person that cleans the two colossal waterfall voids each evening, the atmosphere which he experiences each day is something that I can't really describe. Walker has desig...

F - Painswick Rococo Gardens (again, so many odd natural shapes there)  U - FCH ... Bit unfortunate to find F and U in the same week 😬

A workflow practise from image to sketch to concept sketch overlay to colour render. My brother is redoing his garden, so as (I imagine) a right of passage for all budding landscape architects, I drew up a concept for his garden. The rough brief was 'I don't like plants' so I added subtle elements of garden to compliment the large hard surfaces required for him to work on and move his many engineering projects easily. I'm please with the result but I can see why beginning on A3 and shrinking has it's benefits. The line work would become more crisp and easier to manage in photoshop

  Inspired by site survey work and contexts of Cheltenham, the bodyshape of a lying down horse sits itself very well into the space along the main desire and wayfinding lines, and sun path. The horse's bodyshape hides and empathises the buildings I wish conceal and reveal. There is more to this concept, which I will explore, develop and reveal in other drawings. 

I have become very frustrated with North Place. The way no one cares for the surfacing, the conflict between pedestrians and cars, no regard for the less able traversing the space, the stark rich/poor divide just north of it, art pushed to fringes, car oppression, urban planning, and so many more things. A have a hate for the attitudes towards this place and I've capture this as 'data' with watercolour. I hope to use this 'hate' not as hate ofcourse, but to inform my concepts going forwards.