Portfolio- Online Now!

After many phone calls and much pulling out of hair I am pleased to say that my online portfolio is now viewable online (rather than just on my laptop!).
Visit www.jamesstearn.co.uk too see for yourself.
There may still be a few teething troubles, but these should be resolved over the coming days.
The website allows you to get an overview of some of my projects, as well as being able to download some of the documents in PDF format.

Decode at the V & A

'Decode- Digital Design Sensations' is a series of digital installations currently on show at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

Digital technology is increasingly being recognised as a design or artistic tool, with this exhibition aiming to showcase examples of work under the titles of 'Code', 'Interactivity' and 'Network'. The installations range from those which process data to create a visual outcome to those which require full audience participation.

I personally unconvinced by many of the digital applications on show at Decode- I see very little value in a screen displaying a number of dots while making occasional squeaking noises- this apparently being an interpretation of random data. This does nothing to aid my understanding of this data, or to engage me.

However it is easy to see that the digital technology has clearly got an appeal. Even the briefest look around the exhibition room revealed that, on a Friday afternoon, it was positively busy. People were clearly drawn in by this exhibition more so than others in the museum- despite the entry fee. Maybe this was in due in part by the fact that people moved more slowly- taking time to understand the exhibits- or maybe it was just more interesting. Where the exhibition really began to interest me was in the second half, where the interactive installations were to be found. I do believe that interactive elements in design, when they work well, can be very effective at engaging an audience, and also promoting connections. The works at Decode certainly seemed to be achieving this. People were happy to interact with the pieces, however it made them look- and began to talk to other users also. This for me is how technology could influence my design. I have no interest in a 'computer graphic statue' or an image pieced together from incomprehensible data- but if there is a way to use technology to inspire people, and attract them, surely this is the use we should be looking for within design.

Elements and Values

A day's project using the Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank as a base.
Two (roughly 60 second) films produced on the theme of 'Elements and Values'.

Unedited film.


Edited film.

Reflections on the year

Looking back at the past year makes me feel positive about the way in which this blog has developed. Without doubt there has been an improvement to both the standard and content of the blog over that time, and during the year I have aimed to widen the horizons which I explore. It is imperative that within the discipline of Landscape Architecture we do not become narrow minded which merely looking at other completed projects could do. After all, where is the innovation in looking at what is already being done? I have enjoyed expanding the scope of this blog into a wider area of design and hope you have enjoyed the increased content. The amount of projects ongoing at any one time is almost overwhelming and with so much out there to provide inspiration it has been difficult at times to decide what to divert my attention to.
Over the next year I hope to continue to look at Landscape Architecture in an even broader sense which will benefit designs even further.
One of my other focus objectives listed in January was to increase my exploration of different varieties of digital media to express design. Although there is no evidence on this blog this is something I have been investing time in successfully- I hope over the summer to complete a website showcasing my online portfolio which will feature many of these new skills.

Digital Cities at New London Architecture

During a first sights visit to London I went to view the latest exhibition at New London Architecture- 'Digital Cities'. The exhibition looks at the way in which digital media is now influencing planning and building within cities. The computer age has built up a huge resource of e-materials and data. The exhibition includes data that has been used to create large scale models of areas of the City of London. Also displayed are maps showing pollution data movements of people and traffic.
Also displayed were several proposals for working cities displayed in new and inovative ways through the field of digital media.
The exhibit which interested me most was the 'London City Model' by GMJ Design (http://www.gmj.net/) which has built a comprehensive model of 40km of the city. This model can be used to test the contexts and locations of new archtectural projects throught London. In particular large buildings can be tested for sight lines and modifications can then be proposed easily.
The exhibition finishes on the 17th January (so you don't have a lot of time left to visit). Details of it and future exhibitions can be found at http://www.newlondonarchitecture.org/exhibitions.php.

Digital Media in Presentation

This post may seem slightly unusual in that it does not relate directly to any site with significant landscape architecture. However when working in this field one of the most important decisions to get right is how to present a project- and the correct media to use. The expectation seems to have moved dramatically over a short period from the majority of work being done by hand to a majority instead being digitalised.
These changes can be reflected in much of the work I do. I am far more likely to turn to my copy of Adobe Photoshop than to pick up a pen and start sketching. Of course there is a balance and one must not become complement with computers, however some of the recent work I have produced does show what an impact they can have.
One project recently involved building a short animation series using Adobe Flash. While this programme is initially very difficult to master it does, once the basic commands are understood, become a simple case of matching the correct codes with the correct functions in the files. After a lot of hard work I had an interactive document which I was very pleased with, and which will be far more accessible to a client or indeed anyone with an interest than the paper copies I tried to present previously.

Brentford Biopsy

On the 8th May a visit was arranged to the Watermans Art Centre in Brentford to take part in a workshop related to the 'Brentford Biopsy' project on display. The group was already familiar with the area due to our work with the nearby Watermans Park where we had been developing Landscape proposals.
The Brentford Biopsy exhibiton, created by artist Christian Nold relates to peoples feelings and perceptions of Brentford and includes some unusual mapping and analysis techniques. The group was split into two with each conducting a different excercise. One group was split into pairs, with one person blindfolded and earplugged there perceptions of the area were recoreded using the remaning senses of smell and touch. Meanwhile other members of the group were dispatched into the town wired up to a sensor and GPS handset. The purpose of this kit was to record feelings and reactions towards the experiences people had while in Brentford and then to use the GPS system to create a map of the route they had taken, picking out the emotional responces which were felt along the way. Both analysis methods held some interesting results which we had not considered at the beginning of the day. The activity certinally has the potential to enrich future landscape analysis.
Further details about the Brentford Biopsy exhibition are available at http://www.watermans.org.uk/take_part/brentford_biopsy/

Landscape Animation

Part of my work for the Rotterdam project involved creating a short animation which would be suitable for uploading to a competition by the Student Landscape Institute Council (SLIC) http://slic.info/. I experimented with various techniques to put the animation together, including Adobe Photoshop before settling on Adobe Flash. The short animation features sections using photographs, moving plans and finally some models which I had made for the project. Once I had created the animated files I then stitched the scenes together in Adobe Premier.

EDCO Design- First Sights Profile Practise
Having spent some time looking for an appropriate landscape architecture practise to look into I discovered London based EDCO Design. Originally I had looked at several practises, including David Jarvis Associates http://www.davidjarvis.biz/, but found the available resources on their website limiting, and I could not find enough information to locate any of their projects in the London area. Having decided that local projects I could visit myself would be an important part of my practise profile I searched for landscape architecture projects within London, and hence found EDCO Design.

The company's website http://www.edcodesign.com/ instantly gave me a good first impression of the practise. It has a simple, yet pleasing layout setting out clearly the contents of the website, giving an overview of the company and displaying a slide show of photographs from some of their successful projects. Reading the company overview I appreciated many of the company values already. The company states they are 'dedicated to landscape and urban design' and made it clear that they are interested in both creative solutions, their implementation and the following maintenance they would require.
The company is lead by two directors- Tony Edwards and David Coombes, who are said to take a personal approach to leading each project the company undertakes. Their credentials also appealed with the pair collectively having attained qualifications in landscape design, architecture and geography. In line with most landscape architects the company pride itself on the positive moves they are making towards sustainable environments and social well being.
The company usefully has a large number of its projects based in London and around the London area, as well as having it's offices in Raynes Park.
Some of this practises projects I am most interested in include:

• Regents Place Masterplan (under construction), London
• Fairlands Valley Park (under construction), Stevenage
• Ramsgate Seafront, Kent
• Triton Square, Regents Place, London
• Longford Square, London
• Greenwich Riverfront (under construction), London
• Merchant Square, Paddington Basin, London
• Heart of Slough (planning stage), Berkshire
• Euston Circus (planning stage), London

Files in PDF format are available to download from the website with further details on most of the projects the company is involved with.

Site visit- Triton Square

While in London I made a site visit to Triton Square, part of the Regents Place development along the Euston Road. This is a fantastic area to visit for anyone interested in this practise as along with Triton Square itself- which was my reason for visiting, Longford Square, and Euston Circus (a future project for EDCO) are both within a few minutes walk. I entered the site through Longford Square- where I was quickly picked up on by the security personnel for taking photographs. Having ascertained that I needed permission to take photographs, and that they were 'not about to give permission having just turned up' and that I would actually need to write to them, explaining exactly who I was, why I wanted photographs and exactly what of... I was released back into the site. I shall complain further about the security of these supposedly 'public' sites on another occasion. Having progressed underneath one of the modern office buildings on the development (managed by The British Land Company Plc) I entered Triton Square. The square is a very interesting contemporary space- which won a 2004 Civic Trust award. It is dominated on three sides by modern office developments, and on the fourth by the Euston Road. EDCO Design have kept a largely angular approach to the main aspects of the site, including continuing the lines of the buildings by using LED lighting set into the floor. One particularly interesting feature is a raised planer containing trees. This is raised significantly above the square and looks quite surreal. As well as the harsh angles of much of the site, curves are introduced with an interesting sinuous grass structure along the border with the Euston Road. Lighting is a key element of this site- which was beginning to really show at the time of my visit, as the days light was slowly fading from the sky. A selection of different lighting methods have been used, including a stunning elevated lit artwork, adorned to the side of one of the buildings. EDCO Design describe the square as 'a high voltage space' which 'buzzes with interaction between users and the built environment'. I would certainly agree that these statements are correct as the space did seem to be well used by a range of people, and the lighting does certainly add interest. I would anticipate the site takes on rather a different atmosphere during the day, when I intend to re-visit in the future [perhaps with permission to take photographs?!].

Gardenvisit- The Garden Landscape Guide comment that 'The square is visually dramatic. It opens to the sun and the south but it is engulfed by noise from the Euston Road and battered by gusting winds generated by the high buildings.' Other than the inescapable noise from the Euston Road, the sunlight and wind factors were not ones which I considered on my own visit due to the nature of the weather. I would certainly agree about the dramatic nature of the space.

It is clearly a testament to this space that EDCO design have the contract to produce the Regents Place Masterplan, expanding Triton square and it's themes into the growing surrounding office development. It will be interesting to see how this, and other schemes of this forward thinking company develop.

Before leaving the site there was just time to take a few more photographs (from the public pavement of Euston Road- where I was untouchable to the sites security!).