shelter from the sun

Design 5: Land Art. Year three.

This was the first project that I did in Brisbane and it was so totally different from anything I have ever done before. First of all working with a place that we couldn’t visit and also the fact that the brief was that from a real competition. The project was about creating a piece of land art in the desert outside of Dubai and the land art itself was supposed to be some sort of renewable energy. The groups were told to be bold and almost vulgar since the surroundings of the growing city of Dubai is so extreme in every way we had to match that and make something to fit into the context.

Our group focused on shadows on the sand and shelter from the harsh winds and strong sun. Dubai’s wealth is created on oil so we had this idea to imitate oil cisterns but with a more modern and sharp edges as a thought and a provocation to the oil industry with its renewable energy built into the shapes. Put in the landscape they look like they have been sunken into the sand and they themselves create a skyline by themselves almost like the one of the big city.

We had a good dynamic in our group and were able to divide the tasks but also help each other out when someone was stuck. It was a stressful couple of weeks before the handing but it was a fun project to make. On request from our tutor we let him send our project in to the competition. So fun, both to send something away to a real competition and also to have that gratification from our tutors that they really believed in our project and us.

Feedback from Ian Weir:
Interesting philosophical standpoint. We get a strong sense of the built landscape and ideas behind the scheme in the presentation. You have created a somewhat apocalyptic yet intriguing landscape. The design seems to have stopped too soon. Energy story is quite secondary regarding the comments in your text: not having direct physical experience with a site does not preclude site-specificity. Many international competitions and commissions
been won by designers who have never been to the site. The key is to uncover from the available information qualities that are particular to a place/brief (its all just information)
Very good graphics - though 'sameish' - eg it is a little too reliant on the one digital model - from which you generate most of your views. You don’t make it clear enough that the red crystaline roofs are the solar PV panels. Good idea to include your design process graphics on the bottom - some explanatory text on these might help judges.

Grade:
7 out of 7.

"and all that i can see is just another lemon tree"

Design, Space & Function. Year One.


I look back at this project with great joy. It was the first real big project we had. I remember struggling at first on how I was supposed to get information on the site as it was so far away from Edinburgh. And what information that I found would actually be of importance to the project? The site itself had been an orchard and it was from there I took my inspiration. My project focused on the symbols of trees, and I reserched the mythology and the history of the symbol. In art it is a commonly used subject and that fell quite well in with the fact that the building on the site was a proposed art centre.
The idea of the design was that the tree structure of the paths and the planting would only be noticable from above and as you moved through the woodland different clearings with video art and sculptures would appear. One of the ideas with the choise of video art on the site was to get people out exploring even after hours of darkness, portable chairs would be up for lend in the art shop, an idea to keep the clearings as natural as possible without to many built structures.

Feedback from Ross Mclean:
The proposal has many strengths in particular the use of a central and clear motif to generate the rest of the design. This is carried through the site well, with varied application from functional structures of the car park, the singular tree specimen in contrast to dense planting. It's good to use a bit of poetic touch in design to appeal more directly to why people and users are moved by landscape. The use of moveable chairs also creates a good interactive idea.
The notion of a forest on such a small site needs to be explored ans demonstrated. At present it doesn't have the impact of a forest and is too clustered in one area, while it could be applied more comprehensively through the site. It is also not clear what effect the dogwood would have? And how this transition between planting and outer border spaces works. The decking also creates an interesting experience, but seems somewhat isolated from the tree planting.
Graphically your proposal is described well, with good use of sections, diagrams and montages that portray your proposals. The index of materials also is effective at describing what elements make up the proposal.
Overall the use of technology and the manipulation of natural elements create compelling encounters. The arrangement of these elements could have better effect and create more comprehensive site coverage and connection between various elements. Try to rationalize and itensify your ideas a bit more. There is some good thinking here, so be more confident and apply things more boldly.

Wow, reading this again makes me proud of this project, it was fun and I enjoyed every bit from the research to the final presentation. The thing that strikes me the most is Ross' last sentence. If I had a penny for every time a tutor have told me to be more bold I wouldn't have to take a student loan anymore. Funny that though, that I've noticed that the more I hear that the more freaked out and nervous I am going in to the next project. In first year I felt like I had quite a strong theme behind most of my projects, something I hope I still have, although I know I've dropped it a bit. I don't know if I have moved away from poetry, history and thematic importance to become more commercial and fit in. Or have I become uninspired and tired or is it all just me being extremely harsh about my own work? I don't know. Funny how this process is supposed to answer the how and why but I just end up dwelling up on it more.
I know at least that this project made me a bit more confident and it was also a great practice when it came to designing hardscape in a better way. I think it was here I for the first time started using planting as a way to solve the issues of pollution and it was here my love for sustainable and ecological design started. I remember reading about Sedum in books and on the internet and I couldn't stop! Overall, I'm proud of this project and I think it gave me a lot more than I can really comprehend.

Grades:
Site Exploration: B
Evaluation: B
Design Exploration: C
Presentation: B