Eco-Build 2011 - ExCel London

''The Future of design, construction and the built Environment''

Ecobuild is the future of design, construction and the environment, with the latest developments for architectural and landscape, with newest products from around the world, comes all under one roof once a year. With thousands of people visiting Ecobuild from around the world the atmosphere was great. 

Topics and Subjects within Ecobuil:

• Sustainability
• Construction
• Materials - Exterior, Interior, Renewable
• Water Wise
• Cityscape's
• Architecture
• Landscape Architecture

I was quite disappointed from my visit to Ecobuild, at first I was really looking forward to the visit and exploring and learning new things about subjects and widen my skills in construction methods and what's out there on offer for. There was more showcases and stand based on Architectural Designs then Landscape. Landscape lectures/seminars and stands were pretty limited, but there was a great range of topics and seminars taking place. 

Within my visit one of the topics I was interested in Living Walls, and Roofs and really wanted to understand the method, construction, maintenance and management goes in to designing and constructing an Living Walls or Roofs. 

One of the lectures I attended during my visit at ExCell - Ecobuild was Frosts Vertiscapes:

Drainage: Green Roofs are a component of sustainable drainage systems, typically intercepting 50% of the rainfall that falls on them. This helps to reduce urban surface water flooding and pressure on overworked drains and sewers.

Urban Heat Island: Cities are hotter than surrounding areas. Green Roofs reflect sunlight and provide and produce evapo-transpirative cooling, providing relief from the heat in dense inner busy city areas.

Energy Conservation: Green Roofs keep interior of a building cooler in summer periods and the opposite during the winter, keeping the interior warmer, making significant savings in bills and carbon.

Biodiversity: Bu using native species and plants with proven value to attract wildlife, green roofs attract a wide range of wildlife , and this increases biodiversity in even the most urban areas.

Extending the Life of the Roof: A green roof can protect waterproofing from IV lights, and  very hot summer and cold winter temperatures, potentially extending its life bu decades. 

Design Museum - The Brit Insurance Designs Awards 2011

Great Designs, Inspiring, Creative, Simple but Genius, Wooow, Hmmmm - Great few hours spent in the Design Museum today viewing all the designs for the Brit Insurance Designs Awards, wondering which one will be the Design of the Year. From designs that made me say, that's such a ''clever idea'', to designs that made me say ''hmmm nice''

There was variety of designs from graphics, to transport, furniture to fashion on display from small scales to bigger displays. The designs were creative, some were simple, all designed for the future with beneficial aspects, and imaginative. 

Ladakh Commonealth Peace Pavilion and Classroom Initiative 

 UK Pavilion Shanghan Expo 2010

One piece that caught my eye and I did question if it was possible, but did see it was possible and has been built in a 1:1 scale in real life, I was pretty amazed of the material choose and the strength of the material. Would have loved to experience this in person especially the inside of the structure

Tape Installations - Architecture: Austria - Crostia

The continuous wrapping of the tape links to result in complex amorphous shapes reminiscent of growing organic forms developed. Up to 45km of tape went in to creating some parts of this structure, which can be experienced from inside a well as from out side. 

Fiat 500 MultiAir Engine

Sayl Task Chair

There was many designs to be viewed and to be inspired by. And also educational wise great way to learn new techniques, model structures - material uses, scale and colour use. Wish only there was more to view.. :)

AND THE WINNER OF... 

Brit Insurance Design of the Year 2011

is...

PLUMEN LIGHTBLUB by Samuel Wilkinson 

It's amazing after viewing so many of the designs, and having few on mind that I believed will be the winner, I was pretty amazed the Plumen Light Bulb was the winner. To be really honest I didn't even think it would. This design was the last one I viewed within the exhibition on the day of my visit,. The light bulb does the same job of an normal light saving bulb, with using 80% lesser of it's energy and also durable for eight times more than an luminous light bulb.

'' Stephen Bayley, 2011 Jury Chair said of the winning entry ‘The Plumen light bulb is a good example of the ordinary thing done extraordinarily well, bringing a small measure of delight to an everyday product.’'

http://www.designsoftheyear.com/2011/03/15/plumen-lightbulb-wins-brit-insurance-design-of-the-year-2011/

I guess this shows that a design does not have to be over the top, or exaggerated an simple idea that has a twist and style with benefits can be a masterpiece. Relating this back to my own studies design simple, bold but clever designs that relates to the concept can be a success. But I guess that's always the case you will always start of with the simplest drawings and then later develop those simple design ideas adding more to it, but will always go back to the first drawing you have done and will go forward with that design idea with slight developments added to it. So always trust your first instinct, the first design idea that comes to your mind the minute you finish reading the brief/or design concept and be confident.

Part 1 - Christian Spencer Davies - AModels

''What is Landscape''

AModels is not like any other model making firms, the reason why AModel stands out from the rest is because they have they own way of producing abstract,transcendent, creative inspired models. The inspiration of the models can be of absolute anything that can inspire the model maker to produce an unique, exclusive model to represent the concept of the brief at it's high standard. 

AModels are against models which are fully white, bland models, or un-realistic models, they are dedicated, devotedly model makers who believe in producing models that will engage with it's viewers. Their work does not have boundaries or limitations with scale, materials or imagination, it's all about creating something that is unique and bringing the architectural design, landscape design etc to live. 

One of the things that has stood out for me while listening to Christian was the respectful, trustworthy relationship he has with his clients. His clients wouldn't have much say in how they want the model, Christian prefers to approach the brief in his own artistic way and suitable way, and the best way the model will engage with the views.

Christian has gave me the interest in model making again, he has bought back my interest I had in secondary school. I took on Resident Materials as my technology topic and always loved experimenting with different types of wood, metals, and plastic, I enjoyed every brief we got. I always gave a lot of attention to detail, and finishes, but moving on to college I dis-continued with the topic and moved on from model making. I did wish I continued in pursuing in developing my model making skills, and developed them from first year of my study in Landscape Architecture. 

One of the advantages in model making for myself is that I am not verbally good in explaining myself due to nervous every time, so my model use to always speak for it self. This should have been one of the first skills I developed from the start of Landscape Architecture. But it's never to late thanks to Christian who has inspired me :)

 

Santiago Calatrava

''No Matter how significant mathematics and the science of engineering are in the work of Santiago Calatrava, it is art and emotion that drive him to creat works that far surpass the mundane calculation of forces.'' 

                                                                                                          Philip Jodidio

Santiago Calatrava is an artist, architect, and an engineer who has the ability to bring his paintings to live in large scales of structural sculptured architectural buildings. His works from figure paintings and drawings and become a inspirational architectural buildings. He believes Art gives the freedom in expressing feelings and been creative comparing it just alone architecture with less freedom and more boundaries to adjust to, and he just uses his engineering ability to bring his inspiring art and sculptural work to a real life form that functions.

Turning Torse - Malmo Sweden

The above drawing of the ''Turning Torse'' is completion of his strong attraction and interest in sculpture, an art he often treats as study in statics. At first Calatrava created and designed a sculpture in which seven cubes are set around a steel supported structure in order to create a spiral structure, which comparing it to his inspiration to the human body sculptural drawing features the twisting human spine. 

Satiago Calatrava defines the relationship between the sculptural human body drawing to the tower:

''In the Turning Torso building, the spiralling tower is composed of nine box units, each of five floors. The equivalent in the tower of the sculpture's steel support is the nucleus of internal elevators and stairs, through which the box units communicate.''

Since my art and design course in college I always found Calatrava's works are breath taking, his master mind behind his creativity and imagination he collaborates into his art drawings, then turns them in to architectural designs is very inspiring. His passion within his works are un-questionable, his background knowledge  within his work in architecture, art and engineering leads him into an successful architect.
I guess it is important to have a field, or some kind of a topic that your passionate about as your inspiration in order to create and combine it with landscape designsin order to have a stronger concept and design. It's like having some sort of precedent work that you can relate your design ideas back to, but rather than relating it to someone elses work, you can relate back to your own.

 

Westfield Shopping Centre

Location: West London

Architects: US Architects Michael Gabellini and Kimberly Sheppard

Landscape Architects: AECOM Design & Planning

Outline Brief: Creation of a feature which would provide an uplifting, intriguing and vibrant setting for Westfield shopping centre's outdoor cafés and restaurants. And integrate the shopping centre within its urban context, while making a significant contribution to the quality of environment.

Size: 150,000m² (1.615m ft²)

Floors: 5 
Stores: 270 (High street Brands to Designer Brands)

Parking Space: 4500Cost: £1.7billion

Westfield Shopping Centre is the third biggest shopping centre within the United Kingdom with an space comparable to about 30 football pitches, which. Exterior of the shopping centre is huge as well has the interior, an architectural building which does stand out, with an bold architectural design from the outside which may not be as attractive as it’s interior which has glass roof which covers 43-acre space of the mega mall, lights the interior with natural daylight, does give the impression of an open roof top bringing the sky view inside. With a massive entrance hall of a size of a football pitch surely does amaze visitors of the space it has. Westfield is a shopping centre which does make shopping even more pleasant and comfortable, with 270 stores, up to 60 restaurants and a 14-screen cinema all under one roof is surely a great place to shop during horrible weather. 

Transport is not a problem at all to reach the shopping centre, with the underground just minutes away, with also up to 4500 car parking and not been that expensive does makes life easier for shoppers. 

To my opinion I personally think it’s a great design that has been through out very well with the space been used to its best potential. It’s a design which has been thought out well for its users. 

As well as the architectural context, the landscape design just outside the shopping centre is also a design that fits perfectly well with the architecture.  At the southern terrace, western entrance of the shopping centre is the 170 metre long and four metres tall living wall with native woodland plants planted mainly, which finishes of with a full length water feature adds to the character of the living wall. One of the benefits of the living wall is that it also benefits wildlife habitats. The living wall provides the feel of urban environment, by having an great advantage during summer times by cooling the area, and reducing the traffic noise at its surrounding.

Plant’s that is mainly used within the Living Wall is:

• Ivy
• Moss 
• Sedum Tiles
• Ferns

Up to 200,000 plants are used within the wall, with a mixture use of 5,000 modules. The living wall were grown and installed by ANS Groupe Europe.

The landscape design has a simple and clean finish, it is not overly crowed, and it has the feeling of space connecting to the interior of the shopping centre.  The design has a focal point which is the living wall, which is amazing during night with the lighting and the sound of the water feature gives the feeling of peace. With a great atmosphere and view from the restaurants on the other side.