VISITORS

Thought everyone would like to know we have had 1000 unique visitors in less than 4 months! Big thanks for the input... email me if you would like to have something posted.

READING: RECOVERING LANDSCAPE

This is a collection of essays discussing around the subject of landscape and urban development. James Corner is an internationally known landscape designer and theorist, in particular for the book, Taking Measures Across the American Landscape.

HERE IS A LINK FOR TAKING MEASURES
HERE IS A LINK TO RECOVERING
HERE IS A LINK TO FIELD OPERATIONS

READING: HOME WORK

This book is a good resource book as it describes and illustrates how to build with natural materials. Hands on contemporary vernacular building.

CHECK OUT THE LIMITED PREVIEW HERE

READING: GOOD LIFE

This book is a useful and comprehensive discussion about houses. Examining the different typologies of the domestic and the utopian. It is in the library so take a look.

HERE'S A LINK TO AMAZON
HERE IS A LINK TO THE ARCHITECTS WEBSITE

MAPPING WORKSHOP

group workshop mapping both existing and propositional schemes on site... a garbage chute across town... a bus race track with fast food pit stop... drainage infrastructure in the meadow... mobile trash depository...

360 PANORAMIC

Thought these looked interesting - giant micro landscapes.
Not sure how they are made - perhaps this is a question for Toby in the digital lecture next friday!

HERE'S A FLICKR LINK

PLANNED DECAY

Thought this article was interesting - as we have discussed landscape design as a part of the proposal.

Here Piet Oudolf, a great plantsman, discusses his ideas of planned decay - "For Mr. Oudolf, the real test of a well-composed garden is not how nicely it blooms but how beautifully it decomposes."

HERE'S THE ARTICLE
AND SOME IMAGES
AND HERE IS A LINK FOR THE NYC HIGH-LINE HE COLLABORATED ON

REPRESENTATION: FINAL REVIEWS

Diller & Scofidio
OMA / Rem Koolhaas
Will Alsop

IBSTOCK BRICK FACTORY VISIT: BIRMINGHAM AND WALSALL

We visited the Ibstock brick factory in Staffordshire where blue bricks are made. These bricks are also called engineering bricks as they have a very hard surface and a high crushing strength. The bricks are made from the local red clay to which a small amount of Manganese (Mn) is added. When fired in the long "drive-through" kiln at about 1120 degrees C in a low-oxygen atmosphere (induced by adding carbon monoxide) they turn into deep blue coloured bricks.

IBSTOCK BRICKS WEBSITE
WALSALL ART GALLERY WEBSITE

IBSTOCK BRICK FACTORY VISIT: LEICESTER AND COVENTRY

Our visit to the Ibstock brick factory, Leicester included a tour of the factory, the CAD drawing office and a visit to the test laboratory to watch bricks being crushed . We saw the mass production of standard bricks and also hand made specials and were able to experience the journey of the material from quarry to finished brick.

The next stop was Coventry Cathedral by Basil Spence: a repository for works by artists such as Graham Sutherland, John Piper, Jacob Epstein and Elizabeth Frinck.

IBSTOCK BRICKS WEBSITE
COVENTRY CATHEDRAL WEBSITE

BERLIN, CHRISTMAS 2007

I went to Berlin for 4 days during Christmas and it was amazing.
The Coldweather matched the mood and atmosphere of Berlin.
The sky was always grey so the buildings were highlighted even
more then usual. Out of all Renzo Piano, Daniel Libeskind,
Foster, Grimshaw, Mies van de Rohe, Zaha Hadid, Santiago
Calatrava, Grunten/Erst Architects, Murphy/Jahn, Peter
Eisenmann, and others my favourite design of space was Frank
Gehry's DG Bank building on Pariser Platz. It was full of energy
and Movement. It was an awesome trip.

Tommy Pniewski

BUILDING FOR FEBRUARY

Museum of Modern Art, Cologne
BD ARTICLE
0lll GALLERY WEBSITE
ARCHITECT PROFILE
Please note Peter Zumthor and Atelier Zumthor does not have a website!

IBSTOCK BRICK FACTORY VISIT: BRISTOL

Units 3 + 4 visited the Ibstock Brick Factory in Almondsbury near Bristol. Upon arrival Chris, Mia and Jason from Ibstock warmly welcomed us to the factory. First we were given a presentation about inspirational brick building techniques that was then followed by a tour of the factory itself.

The tour took in the brick processing areas (pictured) as well as the furnace monitoring room, a rare glimpse inside the furnace, selection area and hand made specials. We also found out that this factory is unique, as its location sits about three geological seams enabling the production of a variety of brick finishes!

The group then went on to the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol - a refurbishment of an old tea warehouse undertaken by David Chipperfield Architects. The exhibition spaces were being prepared for their next opening so we had a good wonder around the bookshop and circulation routes that led to the other community used spaces. This was followed by a walk around the new regeneration area, taking in the boats and other eccentric architectures of the dockside.

IBSTOCK BRICKS WEBSITE
ARNOLFINI GALLERY
DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS