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 :)