Fat Architecture, UCL Lectures

These lectures were very interesting and informative

they gave a better picture of the design process and

what can be achieved and created and in the context

of a budget.

The lecture by Fat Acrhitecture was very infomative,

they discussed the history of their practice where its going

and what their style is.

The material and concept of their designs is very out-there

and the thought which goes into the social care of a space

and place is as important as the final look of their designs.

This free series of lectures is very informative and highly

intriguing but packed with helpful design information.

Battle Abbey, Battle Kent

Battle Abbey is a historic site not just for its Abbey
but for the landscape in which a pivotal moment in
British history happened, the battle of 1066.
The landscape now has a guided tour built inplace of where
events happened and illustrated information plaques mark
the to which there is an accompaning sound track.

The way the history has been exploited and the site managed
are both intergral parts of what makes this landcsape stand out
the fact that its pointed out that where you stand history
changed to make the current present and the aids provided to
help visualise this are perfect.
The actual space and battlefields are quite unremarkable and
would have little resonance without the sound and visual props,
but the historic abbeys and ruins do have a eeriness and
personality which create a ancient landscape which shows off its
assets well and most definately cant be replicated .

South Hill Park, Visit

South Hill Park is an old public park set just outside

London in Bracknell. The park has gone through many

changes of use in its lifetime but now finds itself most

at ends as to what its function is.

The park is not in great condition parts have become

delapidated and overgrown, some of the pathways have

been worn very badly and there is a perception of danger

in some parts of the park because of this neglect.

The manor House which sits at the centre of the park is

obscured and neglected but has some charm and it also

hosts many activities for the local community.

The park is now in the process of a conservation management

plan to regenerate this space, but at the moment it really

lacks any desirability to return.

Box Hill, Visit

Box Hill is a site run by the National Trust and is
located in Surrey just outside of London.
The park is an open area of country side of chalk downland
managed to preserve the rare habitats and species which
thrive here.
The space is very beautiful and has many layers to it, such as
the visitors centre with detailed information about the
landscapes history and activities on site.
There are a number of trails clearly marked and recreational
areas for all types of people.
This park space is well managed and maintained with lots of
activities to engage with the space and its natural beauty.

Tate Britain Colour and Line exhibition

This exhibition was very disappointing. There was very

little example of how colour and line had been used

just the explaination of where they came from in history.

The only really interesting part of the exhibition was the

public interaction with the display, this was a series of sketch

books which you could use the coloured pencils provided to

produce an image which symbolised colour and line to you.

The exhibition was not very clear and quite rigid in its

presentation style and not very fun.

Projection exhibition, Serpentine Gallery

The exhibition is quite compact all the though process

and conseptual work is shown in the lobby and summed

up well and the use of projectors in pitch black rooms really

shows off what can be done with a simple projection camera.

The stars of the show were the misty projections which you

couldn't help but want to interact with, these were eerie but fun

at the same time turning most adults into inquisitive school children

who just wanted to explore the shapes which you coould walk through.

This was fun and a really good demonstration of what projection

can be very understated at first and then the fun of the projections

takes place, great stuff.

Diana Memorial fountain

Anyone who comes to this space can only think one

thing, with such attention to detail and quality of material

why the poor tarmac exterior? This is the perfect example

to me of what can happen when people become distracted

with one element of a design and fail to consider the other

aspects.

This design has not considered its use demands and how this

might impact the design, the fountain itself is really quite nice

but I think its a general case of nice concept poor prospect.