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.