Le Crunch

Lille 2011


Sunday,


Arrived late so no change there, NetworkSouth East connections/cancellations blah blah.

Hotel room just south of Paris, a couple next door banging for France and finally the Kettle was broken.(though repaired as many know life without Chai for me is impossible)

so a good start.

Monday,


Introduced to the site by the town planners walked around in our team, impression, windy, cold, exposed, industrial, dusty, brewery odours.

Big site 55 hectares.

Started to scratch out a proposal for Tuesday presentation.



Tuesday,

Our theme was escape from the urban, but we really got bogged down in the intellectual process. All very lastminute.com , but fun.

Wednesday/Thursday,


We all worked hard to resolve and combine the two drawings from the two groups. Yes we argued,but in a very good natured way. Win some, lose some.

The God of Context and the saints of the straight line seemed to be our main stumbling block. The main idea in the end was radical so hats off to every one for going along with Simons idea. Pondering further a very good one.

Personally i felt we conformed on other areas such as housing, but its a case of looking past the rendering/model and thinking about the over all long term vision of 100 years. which was a good proposal, ie water recycling from an old dock, and as technology improves thus efficiency increases.


Friday,


Pin up. Worked late and up early to get it all done. We didn't but 90% on the wall missed annotation of master plan.

Master plan hand rendered pencil and pro marker

By Batiste, Soziem and Elise

Paula and Amile worked on the document and putting drawings together. 5 star hard workers!! As usual Sue pumped out some excellent perspectives , love the happy chicken. Susan for her work on planting and placement

Edith and I, the cross sections, i drew and partially rendered she finished rendering and sky, which i love, swoosh. Jamie said it was very good before realising that it was mostly my work, hilarious seeing him backtrack!!!

Found out today(14th Feb) Paula did a bit of PS to lighten the sky and make them brighter...Nice

Photo's of Lukes awsome model. Edith and i for pics then i done the usual photoshop thing for atmosphere. Annotation in a matter of minutes.

One drawing to come with Simons analysis and proposals, very technical,but full of well thought out process. Sue and I also bodged out a time line of 15 years for initial completion. Edith some conceptual, drawings really deep, and more research work from Susan.

Simon And Edith spoke ,very well with Luke and myself jumping in at the end to clarify a couple of points, managed to insult the main man, but hey ho, he won't forget us!

Over all great team work, no slackers every one gave it their all.


Hurrah for the Water People!

Wigglesworth looks at Robin Hood rescue | News | Building Design

Following suggested links via Christine, toms regular contributor on his not insubstantial ( or is that a double negative, i am trying Joey) web site. I eneded reading about the proposed demolition of Robin Hood Gardens, and as usual got all hot under the collar (saves on heating bills) and 'shared' my thoughts on the subject. Not that anyone will ever take any notice, but its one step better than talking to yourself. Yes that's right, shhhhhh somebody may hear.

Wigglesworth looks at Robin Hood rescue | News | Building Design

Where on earth do they get their prices from? £70-100k pet unit, Coming form the construction industry that really is a load of tosh. This argument is put forward all the time and nobody ever challenges it.

As for what is replacing it, spot the difference? nope neither can I. The lessons from the 60's about not listening to communities and bulldozing on are alive and well by the sounds of it. Its so reassuring having our betters to do the thinking for us, m'Lord.

The core of the subject is people, place people with opportunities to better themselves in a community, you get the Barbican. Take away those opportunities and tell them they will lucky to get a job and if they do they should be satisfied with minimum wage, dump them on an estate, bingo! sink estate! A building is never going to solve how people see the world, opportunity and hope are the way out. As people take pride in themselves, then pride in their surroundings follows. This is were the modernists got it wrong (i love modernist buildings, and i am not an architect) people are not machines. Can we learn from this? Yes but foundations first, and recently the raising of student fee's (and its not only the young who go to University) has in one swoop put us back 40 years, degree's will now be privilege of the wealthy. Politicians hang your heads in shame.

I think the real issue is being brushed under the carpet. So whether Robin Hood stays or goes the issues in that area will remain. What a bloody waste.