Gaze
1st Year
BRIEF:
Create a pilgrimage experience starting from the Head Post Office, through Porter Brook Valley, finishing at the entrance to Whiteley Woods. Re-purpose a shipping container to place at the end of the walk where the user can relax and reflect.
Throughout my walk the users will pass multiple book shops, where they will be encouraged to stop and browse, after the hour long walk they will be greeted with two re-appropriated 40ft shipping containers, designed by me.
My aim is to create a calming place for regeneration and mental wellbeing. No more than 5 people are to use this space at one time as I don’t want the rooms to be over crowded or to have people blocking the views for others. The user will be taken on a journey by first entering a darkened room, lit only by a small window. They will then pass behind the partician wall to pick something to read and go up stairs where they will be greeted by a floor to ceiling window consequently making the user recognise the beautiful land scape in front of them.
Below shows images I have taken on the walk to my site.
Site Analysis
My site is located on the Porter Brook Trail just after the roundabout on Rustlings and Oakbrook Road, I chose this site because it is surrounded by beautiful nature with the view in front and the river running directly behind. The landscape includes a variety of trees set on a hill as well as bushes which will flower in the warmer months, consequently the view from my container will change throughout the year giving off multiple sceneries throughout.
Here I have used Digimaps to complete an ordnance survey, with a rough outline of my container, showing the surrounding area.
development drawings
First I drew three initial design ideas each one is different however they all aim to achieve the same thing, connecting humans with nature. I then developed my favourite design by drawing a to scale image at 1:50.
I want to take the user on a journey; this being to inform us of the lack of attention we pay to nature. Downstairs there will be no furniture, apart from one large bookcase, as it is designed to be walked through as an ‘introduction’ before going upstairs, consequently on the first floor there will be a range of comfortable seating available encouraging you to spend time there. The user will then have to go back into the dark room and exit the same way they came in, making them reflect. The main focus of my project is mental wellbeing, I want it to be a space where people can go to relax / recharge whilst also appreciating what is infront of them.
final design
Here I have completed a to scale drawing of my final design using Vectorworks.
I used digimaps (ordnance survey) to download the data of my site. This shows all the roads, buildings and rivers e.t.c around my chosen location consequently making it easier to imagine the finished development. I also added in where the windows and doors would be placed making it seem more realistic. I am happy with how the drawing has come out as it helps to visualise the finished project.