Public Landscape- Rotterdam Visit

After complesion of the Lee Valley Project for Public Landscapes we were set the next project.

This project was set at Rotterdam, Holland.

We went on a site visit in November 2011 to see the city and the the surrounding area and give a context to the site.

We travelled via the Channal tunell through France and Beligium into Hollond.

The changes in landscape though out the journey were clear. The topography of the land changed greatly between England and Holland. England is famous for it's rolling hills and beautiful valleys, while holland has very few natural changes in tography; the ones it doesn have are designed to manage the risk of flooding due the mojority of the country being below sea level.

The lay out of the fields in Holland is also very formal with very few curved or diaganol lines.

This is reflected in the Architectural layout through the city.

The city also showed how different materials have been used since the war to rebuild the city. The use of concrete, glass, plastic and copper within the city has been used to creat intresting and inertive designs for buildings and bridges.  Rotterdam does still have a few older buildings which survices the war and these showed us examples of expert brick work and stone masionary. The mixure of the old, the nw and the rebuild make the city feel new and open and provide a good architectural mixture from it's users.

Landscape Planning and Law- Seminor

Morning,

As part of my Landscape Planning and Law moduel I have with a group written a paper on the National Parks within the Uk and their importants and affectivness in planning laws.

The second part of this assignment is to give a 50 minitue seminor about our paper. This seminor will give us the opertunity to discuss any issues with weren't covered in our paper and to give a better insite into the issues arised in the paper also.

Public Landscape- Presentation Development

Afternoon,

As part of of my presentation I have made two models which have helped my to monitor my design and help the viewer realise the spaces which have designed.

The final three photos are of the pully system which I have designed to help people move across the site. It works by poeple pulling themselfs across the river to the over site, thus createing circular link around the site.

Public Landscape- Presentation Development

Afternoon,

Today was the day of our presentations for the Lee Valley Park site.

In surpport of my project there a few key points which I researched as part of my presentation.

1st is the important of knowing a few key plants which could be used in my grassland habitat. the 5 which I felt would be worth pointing out are;

Papaver rhoeas whihc will attract bees ans hoverflies,

Fritillaria meleagris- which provides nector for butterflies,

Colchicum autumnale- for bubblebees and butterflies,

Primula veris- for butterflies

and Veronica filiformis- again for butterflies

By introducing these varity and over flowering plants to the grassland habitat it will encourage more mammals and birds.

Public Landscape- Form Development

Evening,

Following on from the earlier post I have continued to develope the idea of having different structures which engage with the landscape and used by the all users to the site.

This design would not have suited the landscape very well and the form and flow of the build would have interupted the landscape rather than fitting in to it.

I desided that this structure would not be feasble as the cost ans impoact on the enviroment would be un fesable for the site. The park authority have stated that the have a very low budget avalible for any work done on the site.

Public Landscape- Form Development

Afternoon,

The forms within my design have developed from the exsiting paths and lines from the Lee Valley park,
When using the contiuned path deisng is that on the selected design site the paths are all made from the hard wearing material that are made to be long lasting and allow water to pass though.

The site I am designing is liable to flood as its a acting a flood plain for the  flood relief channal which runs down the side of the site. The materials which i choice for the paths will be very important as it may have to cope with being submerged aswwll as being hard wearing and long lasting.

This is an image of the exsiting path material thoughout the site.

After further research into the esciting material I have found that the selected material would be hard wearing enough to carry thoguhout the designed site.

Public Landscape- Design Process

Afternoon,

As part of my form development I have been looking at different ways that users of the site could interact and view the landscape.

One structual idea i have had to fit this purpose is the idea of having  sunken bird hide or look out area.

The two above skecthes show how the bird hide could sit on the land and th path could go above the hide. this would give the users a higher lookout over the surroundings fields.

From this image i ahve been trying to show what the hide would look out from the inside. it shows the idea of have bettle channals on the inside of the glass to allow people to see nesting insects like bees, wasps and dragon flies.