Site design final submission

Following the crit last week, here is the final submission for the portfolio - for tomorrow!  In response to the crit feedback, the short section is now larger at 1:100, and the sequentials are no longer sitting on a grey back drops. Planting has been resolved and detailed throughout, while the interaction and sensory experience have been emphasized in the final sequential drawings.

So, here we go - less grey, bigger text and hopefully more impact...

Communication..... post crit frustration therapy

I just need to convey my ideas better, I hate the fact weeks of thought process simply wasn't communicated, so here is a quick summary of the concept, with sketches from my sketchbook that I really should have showed yesterday!
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In essence (above), a planted green carpet, laid in a 45 degree matrix stretches from east to west along Weymouth Street.  Planters set at 45 degrees form an intervention at the junction of P. Place and Weymouth St. The intervention is a brash, intense, slash of green shade loving ferns and mosses and is designed as a shocking vista from the westerly view up Weymouth St.  The awkwardness of the location is the core element in my 'bid idea' of 'distorting' the austere, regimented, linear experience that is Portland Place currently.
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A grid cut into Weymouth street to determines the position of planting. The grid is made up of glass bricks that are illuminated at night, emphasizing and expressing the planting and 'distortion'. A single line extents across the street at the junction to connect the space while suggesting that the scheme could continue to spread and evolve over time.
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The scheme develops as 'green wedge' of lush planting.  Planted elements can be added to the grid over time - the scheme therefore develops and is not a static entity (challenging the static, regimented nature of Portland Place).

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The approach from the east of Weymouth street (above). The angles of the grid, and the asymmetry planting visually distort the view, in opposition to the symmetry of Portland Place.
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The scheme is immersive and 4th dimensional (and I need to communicate this better).  The planters are made from materials found on site  - effectively a deconstruction of Portland Place's materiality.  Walking within then planters is sensory both texturally (tooled, and reflective materials), but micro-climatically.

This is the stuff I need to communicate in the portfolio...!!!!

Final crit frustration

So, having replenished with quality sleep, I can reflect on yesterdays final crit for the Portland Place site design with a reasonably sound mind. Initially, I was please with the presentation as a body of work, but I was very disappointed that I failed to communicate the 'big idea' - frankly, due to being knackered (note to self: learn to stop designing and freeze the bloody design)!  My verbal presentation perhaps conveyed a lack of enthusiasm for my scheme, which is far from the truth - in actual fact I have been immersed in the Haring/Portland Place project from day one and was gutted that I couldn't get my passion across yesterday.

So, the overriding emotion is one of frustration. The feedback from J, E and N was on the money really - the sequential drawings didn't really drive home the detailed design elements and didn't convey the interactive and 4D experience - which is particularly annoying as that is an area that I have tried to put at the forefront of my thinking and design development during this term. In actual fact, the experiential stuff is probably one on my strengths, so it really is frustrating... especially as there is loads of that thinking is in my sketchbook! I really need to get this together for the portfolio and convey both the big idea and the 4D experience succinctly and with impact (and no 'old carpet planting', Jamie...!).

With this project I have really enjoyed designing - this perhaps reduced the amount of time I allowed for communication, so a big lesson learned.  Right, time to get it sorted for the portfolio.  Oh, and I need to improve my planting knowledge - definitely! 

Anyhow, here is the work...

 The pin up.

  Model development.

Exploded drawing illustrating materiality.

Section @ 1:200 - need to make them bigger to convey 3 dimensions.

Sequential drawings - need to show interactivity with the scheme, more detail and materiality has to be communicated.

Plan - get rid if the gray, washed out background - more graphic, black lines and definition...  annotation and key!

Further sequential drawings - have to communicate the experience far better... and replace gray images with colour!

In conclusion, having fallen out of love with my design last night, I've kissed and made up - I just need to communicate the big idea and emotional, 4D elements of my landscape in a more seductive, concise way. There was certainly no seduction going on yesterday with my communication... so, that is the task for the portfolio.