Regenerating Blackpool

Blackpool is well established as one of the UK's most popular beach resorts, though for a number of years it has been beginning to look a little tired. Now a multi-million pound project to rejuvenate the sea wall area is breathing new life and investment into the town.

The project which began in 2005 will see the entire length of the sea wall re-built with increased access to the sea through a 3km section of 'Spanish steps'. Sloped access will also be provided for the less able and for Blackpool's famous donkeys.

The quality of the work which has already been carried out is very high, with very positive local reactions to the scheme. Investment in Blackpool is not limited to the sea wall either, the famous tram system (the last of the original tram networks in the UK) is also receiving a long overdue upgrade which will see the system fit for the future with a new fleet of fully accessible vehicles. Fortunately many of the heritage tram cars will also be modified to work on the upgraded system.

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.

Barcelona- Cross Section

Barcelonetta Cross Section

Section drawn at 1:200 scale

Barcelona- Public Spaces

The scope of public space in Barcelona is huge. There are literally hundreds of parks dotted around the city, most of which ooze a sense of quality. Here I shall present a small selection of photographs from some of the spaces I enjoyed most during my visit to Barcelona.

Ramblas Del Mar Barcelonetta Parc de Josep Maria Serra i Marti Parc Central du Nou Barris Parc dels Auditoris Barcelona Forum

Barcelona- EMBT

One of the most interesting landscape and architectural practises that have been working in Barcelona in recent years is EMBT (Enric Miralles- Benedetta Tagliabue). During my time in the city I visited their huge 'Parc Diagonal Mar' as well as taking in some of their other their architectural work at one of the cities historic markets and at the futuristic headquarters of Gas Natural.


St Caterina Market Building
Gas Natural HeadquartersPark Diagonal Mar/Lungomare Bench Park Diagonal Mar Parc Diagonal Mar

Barcelona- Architecture

Barcelona is famous for it's architecture- especially that of Antoni Gaudi who designed several exquisitely finished buildings in the city, including the epic unfinished Cathedral 'La Segrada Familia'. Gaudi is also responsible for the fabulous 'Park Guell'.

Barcelona does contain other noteworthy architecture- particularly the reconstructed 'Barcelona Pavilion' by Mies Van De Rohe, often referred to as one of the most beautiful modernist structures.

La Segrada Familia

La Pedera

Park GuellBarcelona Pavilion

Barcelona- Overview

This years Landscape study trip was to the vibrant Spanish city of Barcelona.
During our week in November we enjoyed beautiful weather- perfect for exploring the city.
Barcelona is a city with almost every element one could wish for- a historic city centre with narrow streets, a well planned urban area, the Mediterranean Ocean and rolling mountains beyond. Added to this is a good public transport system, clean streets, fabulous architecture- not to mention a plentiful supply of well planned public spaces!
One can easily wander the streets pleasantly discovering interesting features while every now and again stumbling across a great park, or maybe even one of the buildings by the famous Gaudi.

Milton Keynes- A Brief Visit

I made a preliminary visit to the 1967 new town of Milton Keynes in November ahead of plans to write about planning of this new city for my extended essay module.

Milton Keynes is almost alone in the UK for following a 'grid road' system which informs the layout of the city. The city was designed at a time when the car was seen as the future answer to transport needs, and segregated paths for pedestrians and cyclists exist away from the roads. As well as the futuristic road layout the city also incorporated many radical new architectural designs into it's buildings, including the city's original shopping centre which is still flourishing today. Incorporated within this is a large indoor public space which was currently housing Christmas amusements.

Knollmead Permaculture Centre

Knollmead Permaculture Centre occupies a small site adjoining an allotment site on the banks of the Hogsmill River in Tolworth. Here a small group of enthusiasts practise gardening through the permaculture movement.

Permaculture is defined as 'a system of cultivation intended to maintain permanent agriculture or horticulture by relying on renewable resources and a self sustaining eco-system.' (definition from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/permaculture?qsrc=2446). This theory means that plants should only be grown in substances placed upon the soil, rather than the ground being disturbed, dug up or ploughed. To fertilize the soil, for example, leaves and manure will be left on the surface to leech into the ground rather than being dug through.

On this small site there are a variety of projects ongoing. As well as fruit and vegetable production there is also an active willow coppicing scheme where the material is used to make furniture and sculptures. Also there are areas where the group are growing mushrooms and producing honey- there is even a sustainable composting toilet!

As well as the sustainable attitude the volunteers here area put an emphasis on the idea of community- everybody comes together on Sunday working days to improve the site while there are less regular social meetings for the members.

Thanks to Michael Herrmann for organising the trip, and to members of the Knollmead Permaculture Centre.

Camley Street Natural Park

As part of a focus week study visit I went to the Camley Street Natural Park site. This small park is located on the southern bank of the Regents Canal at Kings Cross. Initially the site feels like an urban oasis, between the Midland and East Coast railways and opposite the huge Kings Cross development site. The ethos of the Camley Street site is to encourage and introduce nature back into the urban area of London. Information is available on some of the species which have been found on this former brownfield area. A range of activities engaging members of the public and local schools are run throughout the year and the area provides a perfect escape from the bustle of the Euston road just minutes away. The park attempts to be as sustainable as possible and makes use of processes such as composting and recycling to reduce it's waste.

Over the years the site has grown in popularity and is now looking for ways to expand further into the community through it's volunteering schemes and possibly with links across the canal to the Kings Cross development site.

Parc Andre Citroen

During my stay in France there was little time to visit landscape projects, however I did make some exceptions, one being a visit to Parc Andre Citroen. This is a contemporary park on the banks of the River Seine by Alain Provost and Gilles Clement and one which I remember visiting some years ago on a family holiday to the city.

The two large greenhouses at the northern end of the sight were the feature I remembered best, and these still provided an obvious and beautiful focal point to the site. Other features however were somewhat less impressive- the many many water features for example, of which almost all had clearly been out of use for some time. Even the greenhouses provided disappointment on closer inspection- they were locked out of use and one of the two was completely empty.

Despite these disappointments the park has a lot to offer and appears to be well used. The large central lawn area is a wonderful space (with or without the giant helium balloon which currently occupies it and offers visitors birds eye views of the city). There are also a series of tranquil themed gardens.
It is such a shame that the park has been subject to a lack of maintenance- maybe the design was too ambitions and contained too much water initially which has made costs spiral. Either way there must surely be some cost effective solutions to bring this park back up to the standard it should be. These issues have contributed to my decision to look at this park in detail as part of my Management Plans module at University this year.

Giverny- Claude Monet's Garden

Less than a week after my return from Canada I found myself driving towards Paris with three of my student colleagues. We were on our way to Versailles to take part in a weeks Landscape workshop- more on that later...

It occurred to us that a natural place to stop on the journey was at Claude Monet's garden, Giverny, on the outskirts of Paris. Despite a slow drive giving us less than an hour to enjoy the spectacle of this site it agreed that it was all well worth the effort.

These gardens are spectacularly maintained despite the huge number of visitors who flock here. The gardens are arranged either side of the main road through the town of Giverny, on one side are the formal gardens, while the other side of the road are the more famous 'water Lilly ponds'.

For me personally the formal gardens had to be the highlight of the visit, particularly with the huge blooms sunflowers which dominated the garden. The combinations of vibrant colours, all of which were meticulously placed, made this sea of beautiful flowers quite special.

Toronto Wavedecks

In 2006 West8 and DTAH won the competition to redesign Toronto's waterfront. The key aim of the project was to reconnect the Canadian city with Lake Ontario, an area of the city which had seen many years of neglect and had been cut off by the railway and the monstrous two-story Gardener Expressway.

The first project was to reinvigorate some of the former dock areas by creating a series of Wavedecks along dockfronts. The first three Wavedecks at Simcoe, Spadina and Rees have now been completed, and while in the city I took some time to explore them.

The first Wavedeck I discovered was Spadina, a rolling surface with a peak in the middle which dips at each side. It was clear to see that the structure was very solid and of great quality, however it did not seem to attract peoples use by being somewhat isolated from the adjacent land by not finishing with a level interface with the dockside.

The next Wavedeck heading east is at Rees. Here the edges to meet up with the adjacent harbourside land, making the foot traffic much higher. The shape of the Wavedeck too is more interesting while retaining the quality feel. Along the waterfront is a long bench (though not quite as long as the one West8 produced at the Scheuburgplein in Rotterdam!), allowing people to connect with water.

The final Wavedeck to be opened is Simcoe, and it is the most dynamic of them all. This deck features two very large peaks creating a very playful and exciting undulating surface. Access again is good which allows people to alter their journey to cross the wavedeck. Cyclists alter their path to take in the gentle hills of the lower section, adding interest to their journey. Also skateboarders, skaters, walkers and runners all choose new paths across the deck. Children are encouraged to play on the area providing great free entertainment. I would say that I have never seen an area interacted with in so many ways in such a short time than on this small area of Simcoe Wavedeck.

The Toronto Waterfront project has clearly got off to a good start- it will be exciting to see how it develops.

The Walled Garden at Scampston

While on a break in Yorkshire the opportunity was taken to visit the contemporary walled garden at Scampston Hall, near Malton. The gardens here were designed by Piet Oudolf in 1999 and present quite a contrast to the surrounding landscape which was created by 'Capability' Brown some centuries earlier. As soon as one steps through the 18th century walls it is clear that this garden is something quite different. There are tall grasses and groups of vibrant foliage clumped together into both curvaceous and geometric shapes. Even the garden furniture is to a very sophisticated contemporary design. Plans are used here which would never have been found when these gardens were originally planted, many are chosen for their striking foliage or shape rather than the quality of their flowers.

Not all traditional elements have been forgotten however, there are still a number of vistas through the various 'rooms' of the garden as well the beautifully restored traditional greenhouse.The gardens are not cheap to visit- however they are certainly something quite different which are really worth making the effort to see.

Allen & Ovary Roof Gardens

In 2005 Law firm Allen & Ovary moved into their new headquarters at Spitalfields. The building, designed by Foster and Partners also incorporated three roof terraces which were designed by Townshend Landscape Architects.

Roof gardens are becoming an ever more important aspect of landscape and the built environment, yet because they are almost always part of private buildings it is difficult for the public to experience them. Fortunately I was able to arrange a special visit to one of the roof terraces of the Allen & Ovary building.

Perhaps the most striking thing about the gardens here is the view- looking down over Old Spitalfields market and the low rise buildings of London's East End and also towards the city with it's iconic structures such as the Swiss Rae Building (The Gherkin). The gardens themselves offer some tranquility from the office environment and flow out from a cafe on the 6th floor. The space has numerous tables and chairs and also features parasoles enabling the space to be used more flexibly. Planting is fairly basic (there are limitations on the types of plans suitable for use on roof gardens) and watering is carried out by an automatic system. Light weight paving material is used which is similar in design and quality to that used elsewear in the area.

The Cut- Waterloo

The architecture of streets can often be very mundane, but simple projects such as that performed on The Cut, near Waterloo show how simple improvements can make a huge difference to the visual quality of the streetscape.

Many of the improvements here have been subtle- replacing sections of the paving with stone slaps in place of concrete gives the feeling of a quaility finish across the street. Examining street furniture can also be a useful tool to 'clean up' the street environment. Here unnecessary signs and railings have been removed to be replaced by necessary and functional equipment. Designated crossing ares have been highlighted and in places the road has been narrowed to make it more pedestrian friendly. Other features include the planting of trees- never to be underrated in their visual ability to change the environment. Additionally areas of seating and functional bicycle storage have been provided to make the street more usable for residents.

Altogether a simple but very effective scheme which leaves this road with a finish high above others in the area.

A flying visit to T5

The new Terminal 5 building at Heathrow has received a lot of press since it was opened last year- some for it's structure and design, much more about it's functionality (or lack of to begin with), but very little about it's landscape architecture.

While the terminal and masterplan were designed by Richard Rodgers Architects the landscape architecture was in the hands of Hyland Edgar Driver. One of the main areas to be treated is the space between the terminal car park and main entrance. A number of different techniques have been used here to create a high quality space. Central to the area is a large plaza of fountains which provide motion, sound, interest and by night, lighting. Spanning out from this on either side is a planted grid of Platanus hispanica (London Plane) trees set amongst quality paving. Finally on each end is a series of stone seating surrounding planting beds featuring further trees.

What this site possesses in quality it lacks in function. Although the centrally located fountains do turn heads it is only in passing- there is nowhere to sit anywhere near this area, or amongst the trees. The only possible function here is for people to pass through the plaza on the short journey from the car park to the terminal building. Original plans are believed to have included cafes sprawling from the terminal into the space- thus injecting a life into the area which is not apparent here.

In conclusion it seems that BAA have something of a missed opportunity here. A great space, but one which is not fully integrated into the terminal and therefore is not visited.

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.

Tree Walk- Kew Gardens

A cold, dull and misty winters day is perhaps not the ideal weather to explore the new 'Tree Walk' erected this year at Kew Gardens. Yet despite the grim weather there is something rather beautiful about this structure. MarksBarfield Architects have created a structure within the breathtaking setting of Kew Gardens that seems to sit just right. The materials have a resounding feel of quality and fit in with the landscape beautifully. The pylons in their 'weathered' finish do not look at all out of place amongst the tree trunks in this area. The walkway structure itself plays homage to nature being constructed with reference to the Fibonacci sequence which supports many natural growth patterns.

By winter the structure is fully revealed, while by summer tree branches will reach out over and onto the walkway giving the treetop experience it was intended for.

While the installation could perhaps be longer it is certainly fit for purpose and well worth a visit.

Chiswick Buisiness Park

Chiswick Buisiness Park is an intersting new development in south west London. The philosophy of the site is to increase workers productivity by producing a pleasant environment in which to work and thus making office workers enjoy work. The site represents a major landscape architecture project as the 12 office buildings are set amongst a newly landscaped park complete with a major water feature. This site is open to the public as a park although there is little encoragement for the public to actually cross the security threshold into the site itself. Although the park has been aranged to be a tranquil retreat from the working day- and does indeed have many well thought out features- it seems very much a 'false' environment. For example the scale of the waterfall would be quite unheard of in this part of the country. That said the finish of materials appears very high and I am sure this space represents a vast improvement over the traditional office environment and is well used by those who work there. However the very buisiness nature of the site together with the high security prescense must hugely limit it's use as a public ameinity. It is also worth noteing that very little information is given about the site as a park on the website- despite it's heavy appearance in photographs.
Chiswick Park Website