Just a perfect day!

That's for everyone who is not doing Master planning over the festive period. Tried to do lots to day. Achievement even less than yesterday. One crap sketch, abit more typing and alot of head scratching.
Got a scaled plan now, but have realised that I need to go back to Hadlow to get more info and photos. Trouble is if there is still an inch of snow here there will be about 2 feet at Hadlow (whoops I mean 25mm v 600mm). Still it will make for one interesting masterplan :-









Good, eh?








PS. The key got covered in snow too!!

Christmas is over, and Kim is getting fat!

Well that's the Christmas festivities over and done with. The turkey (8.6kg for 3 people) is half gone and the tree is dropping pine needles like there's no tomorrow (so much for rooted?).
Not quite a white Christmas, although it is now looking rather festive outside!!



Anyway, just the drunken New Year parties to cope with and then fully back to the grind.
The problem I am having is eating to relieve the boredom and frustration but I never get my fat bum out of the seat (well only to reach the fridge!)
Anyway my New Years resolution is to either quit college and get a job, quit eating or start smoking!
I've made a start on the Masterplan document, but am just trawling through stuff that's been done before. Have sent an enquiring email to Mr Liversedge, and while I await a response, I am going to crack on with my proposals...blah, blah, backed up of course by quick thumbnail sketches.
Right, no time to blog, I've got work to do.
TTFN

Exciting for twitchers!

Whilst on my recent visit to Scotland? (see previous blog) I visited the nearby nature reserve, Rainton Meadows, and much to the delight of the local bird watchers saw a display of two short-eared owls. Unfortunately as I had the big lens on, I could only catch one as they did their red arrows fly-by display.

Do you think this one is used to posing for the camera?

Just been up Norf!

Just back from a very pleasant little interlude from visiting family in the North East of England. I know you Souverners think that anything norf of Watford Gap is Scotland, and that Sunderland (home of the failing premiership football team but fantastic stadium) is all flat caps and whippets!! You may be pleasantly surprised?
Popped up to Gateshead to see how the quayside is developing and took a look round the newly opened Sage building, home to three auditoriums. The design is really innovative and although locally known as the armadillo sits really well on the banks of the Tyne, inbetween the Tyne bridge and the Millenium bridge (which, unlike London's didn't wobble when first constructed and doesn't todate!!!!!) It does however move to let passing ships through by tilting on its axis. Unfortunately there were no passing ships during this visit, although I have seen it in action once before.

Photo taken through blue glass screen outside the Sage.

Progress to date!

Today I am still struggling with ideas for a combined campus and garden festival site.

I am currently working on a pattern idea which came from one of the spider diagrams based on the context of Hadlow
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I found a couple of interesting images from 'Design with Nature'.

The star-like one is Platinum atoms which I think will fit into the Hadlow site, with alot of manipulation. The other is molecules and looks rather like the patchwork countryside of Kent.





So all I have to do now is make it work!
Here's hoping.

Chaumont or Chau-king?

Will a garden festival site be a blot on the Hadlow landscape?

Its Christmas!

Well at last we are FINISHED!
The final Monday for this year and yet again, a double presentation, but the last ever for TT, and the beginning of the masterplan.

I have decided in my infinite wisdom to do the garden festival site. It seemed a good idea at the time, but as usual, when I get home my head becomes full of empty thoughts and lacking ideas.














Whilst pondering the problem I raised a question or two:
Is Hadlow the right site for a garden festival? Perhaps not a Winter festival?
Will you actually be able to see any of the gardens?




Let's hope they are bold and full of bright colours!!



For the start of the masterplan we had to appraise the site and do three overlays;
expanded educational campus,
sustainable community,
educational campus and garden festival site.

My site appraisal, although very busy and full of information, still did not contain the trees, heights, condition, girth.....
lighting, building heights...basically everything important, but it did look rather colourful!

Anyway I have been having a bit of trouble with my three overlaid options, in their completeness! I appear to have become a complete minimalist, although the time spent on said work does not portray that?!?!

Anyway they will be added at a later date.

That's it for now, for contrary to the beliefs of a Greenwich University lecturer I DO HAVE A LIFE....which might be why I am part time!

Merry Christmas everybody!

Life after Sketch Design!

Having written two blog entries and saving to draft since Monday, I have decided that they are too depressing to post. So here's a happier one!
There was some lovely, sorry NICE work pinned up on Monday. I think everyone seems to be getting the hang of it now.

It will be interesting to get feed back on my own work. I feel I may have edited it too much this time. Just can't seem to find the balance.
Perhaps alot of spoon feeding is required?

Anyway I've been spending my time on Tom Turner's Illustrative Notebook this week, before we officially launch into the Master Plan. Its such a massive project and extremely hard to edit - just 500 word per topic is totally impossible!

Had a good day yesterday thrashing the jacket off a tennis ball (it's all of this pent-up energy!) And today being the first day of Advent, I am going to bake my Christmas cake (had the fruit soaking in brandy for a few days now, so those sultanas and cherries should be well drunk by now (I mean plump!)

Looks good enough to eat!