Sonneveld House Critique!

This was the project we were given in Rotterdam, I really enjoyed this and was really pleased with the out come and preasentation!
Below shows some of the work I completed.

Final Presentational Plan

Front Section

Side Section

Sustainable Design: Case Study

Sustainable Design: This is something that I feel I really need to look at more and research into. Sustainability is something that is used so much around me and in lectures. And in our design projects I hear other students mention the word 'Sustainable' over and over again. And I sit and think... yeah I know what it means but I don’t feel I know quite enough about it to be comfortable with the subject.

So my in this case study I would like to research and learn about a designer and spaces that have been sustainable and find out why and how they are!
I started my research with CABE and there section on 'sustainability' and they started with this quote... "We embed sustainable design in all our work and encourage sustainable living by helping to create buildings and spaces that fulfil environmental, social and economic needs." http://www.cabe.org.uk/sustainability The main phrase which popped out to me being "the fulfil environment, social and economic needs" Fulfil being the all important word to me! To fulfil something is pretty special and exciting. Something to do, carry out it’s almost a promise. The next quote also summed the meaning of sustainability up pretty well too “Sustainable design and good design are mutually reinforcing. Good design is not just defined by how a building, space or place looks. It is also about whether it is responsive to context, adaptable, uses resources efficiently and delivers value over its whole life.”
Researching some of the Case Studies on Sustainable design, I looked at projects all over the world and one of the first ones to jump out at me was a project in Portland, USA, called green streets. http://www.cabe.org.uk/case-studies/green-streets This city has on average 98 centimetres of rain a year.

They have come up with a solution that uses curb side planters that absorb flash flood water run off, a simple design really but what a great idea! And with these planter full of shrubs and trees they have also 'provide shade, air-cooling and colour to the street. "The street’s pavements were retrofitted with a series of specially designed planters that collect storm water, filter it, divert it away from the usual storm water drain – which runs directly into the Willamette River and instead allow it to be absorbed gradually back into the water table."

Sustainable design has so many different ways to take. It’s the fact that every site as its own needs and individual points that it need to became sustainable yet even with all of that it’s still possible for everywhere to be sustainable.

Walter De Maria - Earthworks Assignment.

Second Assignment for Digital Media Module.. Really quite enjoyed this assignment learnt a lot on the computer software we used and was really inspired by Walter De Maria, my land artist, although he wasn't a true land artist he was most famous for his work

'The Lighting Field'.

I was interested by De Maria mainly by the was all of his work was so organised and run out by numbers and formulas. Similar to me, I like things to be just so and that way being final. He worked with number so everything added up and made sense something simple and thats what i liked. So my final design for admirals park was based around his philosophies more so i also worked with the quote "The aim of creating situations where the landscape, nature, light and weather would become an intense, physical experience.” something that i felt worked well with the park itslef.

My final design was raised mounds that together all equaled a mile long. Another of De Maria's projects. 

            

2 of my final images produced on the computer programs.

Andy Sturgeon

I was researching planting design for my Sonneveld House project and this fitted perfectly. His designs are very contemporary and I feel very 'cool' looking, I've seen numerous of his designs at Chelsea Flower Show over the years, but isn’t until now I’ve really noticed, and his really inspired me to start understanding planting design... until now I’ve kind of been putting it off, I suppose this is really because I’m scared of it, I love plants and I love learning about them but it just scares me in the fact of how many there are.. And yes I know that sounds ridiculous but there’s just so much to get your head around but I’m finally feeling like I’m looking forward to planting design! :)

These images so a few of my favourite Andy Sturgeon designs.

"Andy Sturgeon Landscape and Garden Design has emerged as a leading landscape architecture and design practice earning a reputation for creating stylish modern landscapes that are a fusion of contemporary design and natural materials. Planting often features heavily and ranges from striking architectural schemes through to soft, naturalistic styles. Lighting, sculpture and furniture are frequently integral to the design."
http://www.andysturgeon.com/profile.htm

Christmas and New Year.. Explaining why you can never take a break from this Degree! :)

appy New Year Everyone! So have quite a stressful Christmas and still haven’t done enough work, what with the Sonneveld House project looming and all the others!


But keeping a brave face I had a pretty enjoyable Christmas as well. Catching up with all friends and seeing what there getting up to in there university studies I began to realise, Landscape & Garden design is pretty different to any other degrees in the fact that is so FULL ON, but having all this time to think about it I actually quite like it and I like the fact that my degree is something that completely changes you as a person I see the world in so many different ways now and I think that’s fantastic!
So my Christmas holidays started on the Friday - Snow Day! When I thought it was the prefect day to visit the beach! First Day of Snow a trip to Aldeburgh. And what a lovely little seaside town it is - helps that it has the best fish n chips in a long way. But no on a serious note I do think it’s a quaint place and the buildings are pretty and detailed in such lovely ways as well! I figured this holiday I like the differences! I love the really old and detailed builds and then as well I’m a big fan of the new contemporary designs! Something I kept creeping up on this holiday.

Aldeburgh Beach and a Martello Tower, with Moat.

 

 

 

Christmas was a quiet one spent with family and friends and catching up on what everyone else has been doing with there lives, but my main present was a trip to Edinburgh for new years! How Fantastic! We flew up on the 30th to Prestwick and managed to spend the day on the Isle of Arran (a small island off of Scotland which we caught a ferry across to) the island is 19miles long and 10miles wide and is said to have a very diverse landscape of seascapes mountains, as well having the Brodick Castle which has been occupied as a stronghold since the 15th century. There were some spectacular views from the castle of the shoreline and the whole property was on a hill top which I really like the castle it self had large steps leading up to it which made it look very grand. And although we were visiting out of season the gardens were enjoyable to look round as well and I’d imagine the Rhododendrons’ and other plants would look well in the summer months the ferns were also something that amazed me with the fact the weather was so cold and wet.

 

Brodick Castle.

 

Arran Shoreline.

Interesting house i saw on Arran I found the lead work really exciting!

 

The rest of new years was also spent doing numerous exciting things:

1. Travelling over the Fourth Road Bridge back and forth from Edinburgh.

2. Waiting for the ferry to Arran was spent in the freezing cold of Ardrossan Harbour I was socked at how smart the marina looked compared to the rest of the town.

3. Visiting the Edinburgh botanic - By far the best botanic’s I’ve visited so far! The glass house building looked wonderful in the snow!

The Glass Houses.

The New Information Centre.

4. Drove through Glasgow - was very surprised at how much I liked the architecture.

5. Driving round Loch Lomond. What wonderful scenery - I love the mountains and different lights you get from the sun through the mountains’ in the winter.

6. Walking over a frozen Loch Lomond.

7. And of cause seeing out the New Year in Edinburgh town centre. By far the best way to spend New Year - what an amazing atmosphere!

Not the best photo of the scene, but i susose it gets across the excitment of the evening! Edinburgh Castle looked fantastic all lit up.

So overall a lot to take in really, although a very enjoyable break, and lets just hope 2010 is just as forfilling as 2009 has been!