Thats All Folks!!!

A quick note


I will not be adding to this blog for a while as it will clog it up for those present 3 rd years BA's (good luck to all) who maybe having a look around to see were we got up to in the storm that is the last 5 months of the Degree.


If any of you are the slightest bit interested here is a link to my final work that was pinned up (spelling mistakes and all).


http://parklifetw.blogspot.co.uk

Also continuing (must be raving mad) to study on the MA see 'Felix in a Hat' on the side. Sequential's are slowly improving, determined not to lose that touch that so many before me seem to lose from graduation to finishing the MA. Time will tell.


Any questions etc, feel free to ask, just put a comment on this post. And remember 'it ain't over till the ...... guy sings' (bless him, you won't find a better teacher).

Trees in photoshop

Photoshop CS5 Tutorial.

Ok it was late and thus a bit monotone, and a few errors for you to spot!


The idea is to show you how to create a simple tree from above with shadow. Its a starter for you guys to build upon so the detail is basic for that reason. A foundation if you like.


It took a long time to work it all out so it has some value to me (at least). So i will share it with Greenwich Students LA and Garden Design, to give you guys something to work with. Really appreciate if you don't publish this video, download it by all means as it won't be up forever.


 Come back for updates.

Original Vid below.(Update May 2014)




Photoshop CS5 Graphic Trees from Grant Beerling on Vimeo.

Boys Stuff

If it has an Engine

Thats it really, love looking at any old vehicle, everything has been designed by somebody and thus its quite fun trying to work out their inspiration.

Robby the Robot

If robby drove or built a tractor (and as we all know Robby could build any thing, especially good at Whisky as the story goes, 'Forbidden Planet') i suspect it would look like this.

Kent Show 2011

Hadlow Show Garden


I went along to see the Show Garden that my good friend Whitney designed for Hadlow College.


Outstanding design and followed the brief to perfection. A 'Top Gold' (read best in show) was awarded, and rightly so....


So why was it so good? 


Well these are just my humble observations


1) Balance, the ratio between soft/hard/water and the building was perfect


2) No Full stops, meaning that the viewer tended to look at the whole picture rather than just hot spots of design. Thus leading them in to explore further and notice the detail.


3) Journeys, plenty of them each leading to a destination, very hard to do in a small space.


4) Space, or the use of in the sense that the seating tended to be in the furthest corner thus back to the wall and more impression of space.


5) Tones, of the planting flowed interspersed with neutral whites to lift the strong orange/burnt yellows out.


6) Humour and idea's, well we are British and we love a quirky idea.

Design and Whits blog

http://reinventrecreaterenew.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

A few photo's


As usual got a bit involved trying to do the art picture and forgot to take any overall pictures, hopefully Whit will put some up on her blog about the process of the site

Well done Whitney!

Work.....

A small update on a Garden (alas no funds to do the lot)


Always difficult matching your own work with other, in this case a builders 'attempt' and some DIY, so tried to match and improve, but with one eye on the future ie more updates so a bit of a balancing act.


Materials and issues


Every space throws up issues, in this case small, all grass removed, gradient falling towards the house, sleepers everywhere.


The main solution was to provide a new soak away (new crate system wrapped in geotextile felt). Volume .5m cubed (100m2 =1m cubed for well drained soils) for 25m2 area. Slit gully for ascetics, with an adapted 'p' trap gully to trap any fines and access for cleaning. All falls 1-80/100. Normal type one compacted/6 to 1 sharp sand mix for slabs, pointed with buff resin system (which if you pay for the proper German stuff is brilliant and quick, sorry Jamie i disagree with you on this one, now i'll go and dive for cover).


Planting


Worked on yellow and ochre as colours to reflect the colours of the slabs plus to give a warm feel to the whole area. Worked with perennials for the best display albeit for the summer only, a case of a good display for the height of the outdoor season or compromise with spots of colour through out the year... no brainer as far as i am concerned in this situation.
Contrasting shapes with and narrow colour range to keep the effect.

Who are the 'Green Engineers'?

That is the Question.


Two days of green engineering and i thought i would be ready to go back to my Neanderthal ways, being a cynic, unless its proven in my mind (in my few years on the planet i have seen  a lot trends promoted and used for ill gain, so its always good to question and not just accept because 'billy big bollocks ' says so) then its hot air blather which is no use for beast or man.


But i can so see the logic in proceeding down this route, not the sandals and sack cloth,but the high and low tech solutions to everyday needs, in particular, waste.
As in not wasting resources moving products around the planet, saving and reusing local resources first before going further a field. Lastly, efficient buildings whose creation is mainly due to the landscape, not the other way round. 


The idea that LA's are 'engineers' from our lesson on SUDS was an inspiration. I knew a bit about swales and suds (or at least i thought i did) but never joined the dots. A really fantastic lesson. The fact that this was backed up with evidence and the interest from Governments from around the world proved even more that what we are now entering is an age of proactive green policy rather than chest beating 'i don't own a car and am a vegan' macho talk.


So 'if' i and the rest of us make it, then we have a duty to not to be shrinking violets, otherwise the holistic big picture of building as part of the landscape will be lost amongst the desire for engineered infrastructure that engineers love so much. Forgetting the impact on the world, rather than the often the simple solutions of using what the landscape has used for millions of years. Very inspired even if we did not make it to China!

Taking green technology to the limit, The new hospital (completion 2014) in Bermuda

A lot of thinking and re-evaluating to be done.

All in a Knot

An Attempt at a Knot Garden


Well just an idea for a semi circular spot in a drive for a Georgian House, with a twist of some water and marginals continuing the line.






A start lot more to do 

Can't see the wood for the Tree's

Focussed on the point.


A bizarre saying, never really understood it for years, but at the moment its crystal clear and i am sure for most of us it has a chime of truth. 
Looking at your own work for hours/days/months, doubt creeps in until you have no idea whether its good, inspirational and ground breaking or tired, predictable and safe.
Then the trap of adding more 'stuff' and losing the less is more simplicity ,which we all know is so hard to achieve. It comes back to the would i like to spend a day in the Park? As an 8 year old or 70?


This so has to become a 'place' again. It must become a point of reference to what a park could and should be the local and wider community. Otherwise leave it as it is and spend the money else were, were it would be beneficial.


Enough rambling,


Drawings 


Sunday Morning, this is were i am at

1:200 plan. Updated and tightened the annotation. Added trees to correspond to planting plan. Lightened the South bank. Cross section markers. Reduced the size of the scale bar. I am sure i have missed stuff

Boy, did i spend some time on this little puppy. There can never be enough information for a contractor. So site visits would still have to happen though the idea of leaving a drawing that the informed contractor could refer to and not be phoning up every five minutes is the challenge.

Flattened the textures for the different materials to reduce any confusion. Though i am sure a specification book could go with each drawing, as i seem to have a lot of questions for the designer, oh shit thats me!

I can easily see how a year of designing as a team with hundreds of drawings and specification documents could easily happen , and then have a major F/Up

because somebody has missed the 'bleedin obvious'!

Sunday have loads to still do, given up on getting the model done, but you never know!!!

Dark Satanic Mills

Ozzy the Victorian Man

While i was designing some Victorian/Gothic style fencing, had some music on for a change (tend to work in silence as the old grey matter tends to 'get in the groove' alas the wrong groove).

Itunes Genius playlist, What could better than a bit of Black Sabbath playing a delightful tune from their ever popular long player 'Master of Reality' called 'Into the Void' a real throat slitter, perfect for a Gothic Fence design.

A quick sketch of the front entrance

Gothic Arch theme. The slits and holes for a bit of decoration

A bit more 'Adams Family' with diamond shapes.

All out of Oak,it will cost a fortune but last 40+years without any treatment, the beauty of hard wood.

All made at Hever Saw Mills , hopefully.

A tree for all seasons

Plants


Well first attempt at the tree planting schedule. I have not put sizes as i need some guidance from others on the pot/girth dimensions.


Really tried to visualise the effect the tree's would have in the surroundings, ie some restricted space other area's much more open. Also the effect on noise from dampening to echo down the ravine. Thought about enclosure for the visitors as well as seasonal colour and scent . Put some specimens in to cause special visitations when in bloom (in particular the Handkerchief and Foxglove trees)

Materials

Really just a quick template ,a lot more research as i have yet to get excited about anything. I know what i want but can't seem to find the materials to match the vision....Compromise?

Made Me Smile

The Red Swing Project

Its about People...........Stupid

I have been going on (ie boring the pants off every one) about this study along with a book titled 'A Visual Approach To Park Design' by Albert J Rutledge. For the web, Chicago city started an organisation called 'Project for Public spaces' which was inspired by Fred Kent one of Whyte's assistants on the project below.  A massive resource of idea's that i wished i looked into further before doing the document ( i skimmed the edges as lack of TIME like all of us). If i have a passion its making places that effect peoples lifes for the better on a daily basis. Which i realise Parks are one of them. Can you imagine Calverley becoming 'A Place' again? Sod the fancy stuff, get the basics right.....See below.

About PPS « Project for Public Spaces - Placemaking for Communities

So here is the video in question. Made in 1979 (when most of you less than a twinkling in somebody's eye) but still relevant, like good music if the quality is there then its timeless. Thus this research video. An hour long, but totally fascinating. Applies to both parks, the low traffic flow of TW thus need to attract, and the high traffic of Jubilee, need to retain.

I would be interested on your thoughts.

For me, it was the answer to the big question, Why should anybody visit my park, or to put it another way, how do I make my park 'A Place' rather than a field?
https://archive.org/details/SmallUrbanSpaces

On the third viewing (...sad I know) the point of ratio of human space. Too wide and the distance will not be to scale, and narrowness in not necessarily a deterrent. To finish, a quote from the great man himself,

“I end then in praise of small spaces. The multiplier effect is tremendous. It is not just the number of people using them, but the larger number who pass by and enjoy them vicariously, or even the larger number who feel better about the city center for knowledge of them. For a city, such places are priceless, whatever the cost. They are built of a set of basics and they are right in front of our noses. If we will look.” 'William H.(Holly) Whyte (1917-1999)'

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, Washington, D.C.: The Conservation Foundation, 1980.

Back to the Coalface

Well had to get back to work and actually earn some filthy money.

Bit of a shock physically, slept like a dead man.

Sketch blow up


Good exercise in thinking about what you have to resolve. My main points to resolve before thinking about anything were spot levels, gradients and differentials as in water height to island height for example.

A lot going on in the chosen area. I can visualise in my head what is going on, which is no help to the viewer so more perspective sketches needed, even the two minute cross section type.

Then i can start to nail down materials and planting styles along with irrigation, lighting, etc.

Reading an interesting book called, 'The Dynamic Landscape'. the outline of the book is about bio diverse planting in parks as the education of the public to understand and appreciate the beauty of naturalistic planting rather than the municipal planting of the 19th century that is still the core of most local authorities , 'we have always done it this way' philosophy.

If the park can demonstrate the example of the naturalistic style with the slightly more formal prairie style then this can help the local authority to use this style as the public will have seen this in the park. Complaints can be referred to the park as an example. A case of re education. Use this style for roadside verges and cut down on the present high maintenance amenity grass that is the norm

A picture from http://www.pictorialmeadows.co.uk/local_authorities

A company providing flowering grasses specifically for local authorities...Nice

No Oscar nominations for this one

Its is easier with a vid to explain anything on computers, but then 'Peter and Jane 5' is more my level of reading.


Just a point of getting it accurate.

A final point that i missed is the printer even if you have the exact A1 size) always seem to scale down to app 97% there is a box on 'Properties' to put change to 'Actual Size'


I would say enjoy, but when has an instructional video been fun, (unless its about making CAKES! obviously)

Very tired when doing this so a bit of brain freeze, croaky voice and general malaise.




photoshop blowing up an area to scale from Grant Beerling on Vimeo.

What makes a great space?

Or what makes a space were people want to meet. Found this worth a look, as at the end of the day if one forgets about people during the bustle of trying to create a cool design then it will be an empty space and the first place were local councils will reduce budgets when times are tough. 

Though to be fair, we seem to have covered most of the words with our brain storming.

Spent a lot of time thinking (and commenting on other peoples sites) instead of working (paid work). Now have three days to put something down on paper.

So need to do some sketching. So do it!!!

Psychology of the Crowd

Talking to Joey yesterday about, yep you guessed it, politics. Reminded me of a series that was shown on the BBC a few years ago called 'The Century of the Self'.

It goes into the black art of Public Relations or its proper title Propaganda. And how successive governments and corporations have used this line of mass control to get us to purchase product not out of need, but desire. (Episodes on Google video really worth viewing alas low quality stream, but its about the content).

So how does this relate to our Projects? Well if you can understand the aspirations (desires conscious or subconscious) of the end users then there is more of a chance of the park being 'adopted' by said people. In the marketing of the park(s) at the beginning and end, always keeping our eyes on the end user. If you feel that they won't get 'it', then its about communication/education/marketing and ultimately changing their viewpoint/desire. You could link it to the change and acceptance of abstract art in our everyday life. There was a point when it was laughed out of town as  fraud, but now as a group we accept it. Education/manipulation/fashion who knows, but we want to be associated with it, and therefore our association with it we assume it will make us seem more cultured/intelligent to others, which could be seen as an advantage amongst our piers. This proves the point that 'new' need not necessarily be bad, its about 'viewpoint' and what benefit is it to the force that is 'self interest'

Self interest, what or how can it benefit 'me' as an end user, because if they (as groups of individuals) don't see a benefit to themselves we will have an abandoned space, again. With little maintenance and thus the snow balling effect of decline will run its course, again. It all rests on adoption/love of the people for the parks. Think, Angel of the North, adopted and loved, by the local community. Who want to be associated with it as its considered to represent them as a sophisticated community, Manipulation? who knows, but they feel good about themselves, when we visit and say how wonderful it is.

Big Picture, not the ego of the designer (or as Tom would put it Nester rather than Hunter).

Its not really about Fraud, but about Edward Bernays the father of the Public Relations movement, really frightening how easy it is,if you know how.


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6111922724894802811#docid=6718420906413643126

Edward Bernays

Off my soap box for another few days, Back to work!

Original idea?...nah don't exist!

Had an idea a for Calverley Grounds whizzing round my head for three weeks, then Jamie blurts it out!!!! DOH!!! I think i will still use it as one of my idea's, but as the saying goes 'nothing new under the sun'.

This next section does sound daunting, proper big school, no hiding behind the comfort of Hadlow College now.

What have i learnt this week? I am an internationalist by nature and my fear of nationalism also makes me suspicious of localism, thus (if) i have a design style then it would be along the lines of an international style, with a hint of local, but outward looking rather than inward, future looking rather than too much to the past as we should celebrate the now and not be downtrodden by the past and its design statements. That does not mean that we don't learn from the past, just don't mimic it. Confidence not timidity. High quality and grades of materials. Skilled tradesmen to construct with management systems that help not hinder.
And a high budget for ongoing maintenance, after all we all know that Park Citroen could be sooooo much better with some TLC.

Conclusion: we are all driven by our baggage ,not necessarily a bad thing, but worth being aware of nonetheless.

Babble over, Photojobo sent these photo's through, Will never see curry in quite the same way. A case of 'small is more'. Click on them to get the full effect.

Spilt milk

Post Adobe anger managment

Well what a day. Worked like the proverbial dog (as all of us) and bloody Adobe (or my ignorance in fairness) and image quality. So have sussed it (thanks to Jamie, as usual), well at least I think so, i will steam into it tomorrow.
Talking to Isabelle about music and in particular Classical and my personal struggle with pre mid 19th century classical music, i always see the issues of the time and thus judge the music by the issues as i see them.
I was recommended this album by a classical musician in a very high end hi-fi shop (appointment only, those were the days when i had money) when asked were should i start with Classical music, with no hesitation, Faure Requiem. Purchased that day and at first struggled with the pace, but as with any good music (or wine) it matures and gets into your Soul.
So when ever it all gets to much, this is the album that puts it all into perspective. A definite 'Desert island Disc'.
Calverley park designed with this as a theme, i can so see the Tunbridge Wells Choral Society loving this.You don't have to be an intellectual understand something that hits your soul. I was 24 at the time, so its not necessarily about age either (just in case you were thinking, old git).

http://listen.grooveshark.com

Then copy and paste in the search box

Faure: Requiem;Op48

If i had to rescue one track on my desert island as the other seven were washed out to sea,then it would be 'In Paradisum'

As for Jazz the place to start 'Kind of Blue' (Miles Davis). After many years of jazz, this album still holds its own.

Can you design around a musical theme?

The Garden Design Course started on an autoCAD theme (sorry a bit of me, me, me, going on here) to design for a bench for Hadlow college. My effort was around the context (in my opinion) of a 60's building, cool students (or so we think), a quick break in the area next to the canteen and to represent Hadlow College.

Dave Brubeck's, 'Take 5' (as in a 5 min break between lectures) a classic jazz standard from the sixtes.

So as a further tool for design idea's and spring boards?

How about 'God save the Queen' by the Sex Pistols for Jubilee Gardens?Connection Queens Silver Jubilee 1977.
After all its a 'fascist regime' apparently according to the late Mr Rotten.

Google it if you are not familiar, after the watershed though!

Happy Editing all!

Grant

Todays fashion is tomorrows disaster?

As i have been glued to buildings and materials this past couple of weeks (and most of my life building them), it struck me how fickle tastes are. Love the Tunbridge Wells Town Hall, and actually like the Axa Building opposite (along with the much maligned 'Barbican'). So why? I think time has an effect on softening our views and maybe understanding what the original concept was before it got lost amongst all the clatter of the baying 'heritage' mob.
I suppose its a case of the present mood, the optimism of the post war years for a fresh start gave us brash and bold design, not really thinking about the consequences when people had to actually live and work amongst these bold statements for new living. The point i think i am winding my way to is that a desire to create timeless pieces that are adopted by people. The Gherkin building in London for example is now an accepted part of the skyline.
How is it done? Who knows, but Faith and conviction play a major part along with a thick skin!
And with our present Tutors i am sure we are all developing a leather like shell.

Talking of a thick skin, a man who knew his brick bonds and would quite happily talk for hours about brickwork, Not sure Cameron would understand the joys of actually building rather than tearing down.

The Greatest Bricklayer of them all Winston Churchill, on a nice bit of 18" (450mm) brickwork.

Mystic Meg visits car park

When leaving late one evening from Avery Hill, noticed how a bit cold of mist can effect the haze of lighting. Very spooky, but enclosed by the darkness of the sky in contrast to the effective downlighting (to avoid light pollution) of the white lights (high pressure sodium i believe), compared to the orange (low pressure sodium, more efficient for luminosity to power consumed than the high pressure ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_efficacy). 

The white is more up lifting and 'safer' in a car park situation, but putting that aside for the moment, the white just looks better due to ability to bring out the green (ie white spectrum compared to orange) in the planting. Thoughts for both parks. I know blue works well with humans in low light as it works well with our non colour sensors (what ever they are called) in the back of our eyes. Which i believe are there for low light (ie the less light the more grey and white landscape we see) or is my school boy memory playing tricks again? Normal back of post card please.

Getting 'A back to the Future' flash back, expecting a Delorian to come screaming out of know were doing 80mph+ with maybe a long haired version of Tom Turner at the wheel after an adventure in some Renaissance carriage park (or should that be stable yard), he would so love that.