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Personal Design Statement

I am a thoughtful person who enjoys the thrill of creating vibrant enjoyable spaces that people can take great pleasure from interacting with. I feel as though all too often people feel unhappy with the outdoor spaces which they inhabit, something which I aim to rectify. I take great care in considering how the user will feel when using the space.

Planting plays a large part in my designs. I seek to create functional planting schemes that add to the intended feel the design is looking to give. This may be lively and architectural or perhaps quite modest, but will always add an additional layer of controlled unpredictability to the space which stops it becoming flat and lacklustre.

I have a life long appreciation of nature and the world outside your window. I like to study nature, explore how different animals use a space and discover what their needs, wants and desires are as well as fulfilling the requirements of the human users of the site. The fusion of nature and man is something I find very interesting.

I take pleasure from going to a site and determining a new use for it that will give it a fresh lease of life, creating innovative designs that push boundaries where necessary. I aim to continue to achieve designs that deviate from the norm that are sometimes necessary to reinvigorate a space. I feel I am able to accomplish this.   

Burns+Nice - Barking Broadway Theatre Public Realm

This project was one of the four pilot projects that were developed in 2005 in connection with the Barking Code. It illustrates how to implement the Code and creates a distinctive local character for Barking.

The Broadway Theatre Public Realm Scheme has created a multi-purpose all-year round space that will stimulate informal meetings and events outside the Theatre and links Abbey Green, the historic open space within Barking Town Centre to the new Town Square developed to the east of the Town Hall.

The public space was designed as an ellipse with an axis linking the Broadway Theatre entrance to the Curfew Tower and St Margarets Church within Abbey Green. Semi-mature alder tree planting along Clockhouse Avenue and Axe Street frame the Theatre and a lawn in front of the Theatre provides a visual link with the main Abbey Green open space to the west of Broadway.

Randle Siddeley Associates - Greenwich Millenium Village Square

Randle Siddeley Associates are the Landscape Architects for the public realm of the Greenwich Millenium Village.

High quality landscape and open space is a key feature of the vision for this new district, a new urban village on the Greenwich Peninsula. Development is on a formerly contaminated industrial site to the south of the Millenium Dome now the O2 centre.

Making the site pedestrian friendly is an important aspect of the ‘sustainable urban design’ ethos of the masterplan, to encourage journeys on foot and public transport use.

The principle aim in the design of the square is to create a vibrant public space which becomes the heart and focus of the village.

The concept is to continue themes established in early stages of the design on the peninsula. Strong axial geometry provides a framework within which there is native planting, for identity and ecology.

The village square has a southerly aspect which is ideal in creating a space that can function throughout the year.

The space is intended as a place that can provide opportunities for events as well as day to day informal use, forming a space that will be at the heart of the new community.

http://www.openbuildings.com/buildings/greenwich-millenium-village-square-profile-4985.html

Gwanggyo City Centre

When searching the internet i came across this design on 'Conceptualist' designed by MVRDV based in Rotterdam, Holland. the company won a competion to redign Gwanggyo City Centre in South Korea with this amazing design consisting of a series of overgrown, hill like structures.

Via Contemporist: "To facilitate this all elements are designed as rings. By pushing these rings outwards, every part of the program receives a terrace for outdoor life. Plantations around the terraces with a floor to floor circulation system store water and irrigate the plants. The roofs of these hills and the terraces are planted with box hedges creating a strong, recognizable, cohesive park. This vertical park will improve the climate and ventilation, reduce energy and water usage. As a result a series of overgrown green ‘hills’ appear in the landscape."

I would be interested to find out if this would/could ever work.

Rain shelter feedback

I have just recieved feedback about my rain shelter project and the feeling that came through was that this is a work in progress and would need more work. the theory is in place to create a really interesting and dynamic structure that could really engage people with the falling rain. looking at it now i do agree with what my lecturers have said and i feel that a combination of this design and a number of the other designs that i created to get to this point could make something quite special. i may continue to devolop this design and see if i can intergrate it into my design for promenade park.

Rain shelter project complete!

After a lot of thinking and experimenting, i have designed a rain shelter that fits the brief that we were given and i am very happy with the results.  i set out to create a rain shelter that keeps you dry and protected from the elements, but also gives you the magical experience a waterfall offers. below is a model of what the shelter would look like.

Model of rain shelter

the shelter is really quite large, but this is intentional. i needed to create a structure that had a large surface area on roof to catch as much water as possible to then channel into the waterfall which falls from the lowest point of the roof. i have tried to make the materials in the model as close to what they would be if the structure were to be made. the roof would be created from thin and lightweight sheets of steel. in the model i have used foil to show this which is a bit shiney for my liking and the steel would have a more tarnished look about it. the rest of the structure would be made from wood.

Rain shelter in context

i have situated the rain shelter very close to the bridge and directly next to the path. this is so that it is easy to access and also so it doesn't feel like you are going out of your way to get to it. this should make it feel more inviting. i have also situated it here as it is in a great spot to channel the water from the waterfall back into the river. 

View from within the shelter

 the experience from within should be special and will hopefully make people look forward to the rain. you never know.....