Summary of this week's activities - w/c 1 December

Hello everyone

Jenny, Steavie and I had a very productive - if very long - meeting this morning via Skype to work out where we are and what still needs to be done. So please see below. 

Just to quickly sum up what we did today and some decisions we have taken:

We ran through the latest version of the presentation slide by slide, amending order / wording where necessary. We also ran through Lili's slides and worked out what we could use in the final presentation and referred to the email that Tom sent through last week to see what else we have to include.

Presentation - overall:


We have decided that we'll produce a new version of the presentation, which removes the script i.e. the exact words that we will be saying and replace these with much shorter and punchier headings / captions. 

We'll produce a separate document using the words presently in the presentation, which will be our script for the day. I'll do both of the above tonight and then post them on the Skydrive so everyone knows where we're at.


Presenting on the day:


We think it's really important that we all get an opportunity to present in the final presentation. Once I've pulled together the whole script, I'll divide it up into sections. I think it's quickest and easiest if I allocate sections for everyone, but if anyone is unhappy with the section they get then we can definitely juggle. So please let me know if you're unhappy. It's important that everyone is comfortable with their section and everyone's clear about what we want to communicate.

You'll then need to more or less learn the script for that section by heart (i.e. word for word) so that we can be sure that we're saying exactly what we want to say, and importantly, so that we don't run over the 7 minutes.


Creating a bit of drama/theatre on the day(!):

Jenny has had the brainwave that we should look like serious, professional designers when we present, so that we can convincingly play to the role of trying to sell the idea to clients. Therefore, please come dressed in your SMARTEST, BUSINESS SUIT on the day. We need to power-dress! If you don't have a suit then please wear the smartest outfit you would wear to an office... 


Jenny has found the music to The Apprentice, which will accompany our entrance for the presentation. Whilst this is playing we will pull out Simon's brick (dramatically) and each  place some moss around it so that it is transformed from a semi-naked state to one of full green dress. We will then pour some water into the brick. And, that's as theatrical as we're getting. 

If anyone has a brief case they don't mind pulling the brick out of then please let me know. If not I can use my laptop case (and give it a good wash afterwards!)

On Wednesday:

We're going to have to practise running through the presentation several times on Wednesday morning to check we're running to time.

We will also need to insert the music into the presentation as well as cut a clip from our CAD vis film on Wednesday morning to insert.


PLEASE MEET AT 9.00AM IN THE SOUTH STUDIO. Please make sure you arrive on time as we all need to be there to be able to do anything. 


TASKS FOR THIS WEEK:
Please see below for everyone's tasks. Please could you try to complete your tasks and get the new materials to me before close of play Tuesday so that I can insert them into the presentation. 

Simon:
- Cost plan
- Amendments to five element plans, as explained by Tom a couple of weeks ago (at least it'll be the very last time!)
- Modify +300 years model that already made (we thought it would be good to include this as our morphology model, explaining that few changes have been made to the morphology of the site. We don't think we've got time to produce another model at this stage). Perhaps it just needs a new Recreation Dock area (I think I saw you dismantling that area) and anything else you can think of in light of the vision plan. Certainly don't want this to be much work for you and we can use the photos of the first iteration of the model if you'd prefer.
- Sketch design for canals from docks as described in last blog entry - do you have time for this? If not I can just take a photo of my Recreation Dock model which had some canals leading off it.
- We think you produced the Vision Plan with Lili last week? Please could you write the script to accompany it and send it to me to slot into the overall script. I'm happy to write the caption after that, unless you'd like to as you know the main points.

Lili
- + 30 years Vision Plan. (We're assuming the Vision Plan from your presentation is for +300 years but we definitely need one for +30 years also).
- Put green roofs on both Vision Plans (i.e. +30 and +300 years) to clearly illustrate the idea of the 'flowering forest'. Please send your greened Vision Plan for +300 years to Jenny as soon as possible as she'll need this to produce her location slides (see below).
- Include a connecting green bridge from the Greenwich Penninsula (O2) to the Recreation Dock on your 300+ year Vision Plan (we are mentioning this later in the presentation - see Steavie's slide with the train link).
- Ideally, we would also like an existing site plan in the same style as your Vision Plans, but know you're under time pressure this week. Therefore, if you have time please do produce this. If you don't have time, please could you produce a slide for the presentation which simply has the same Google map image that you've got behind your Vision Plan. We can use that.


Jenny:
- Produce one slide per element, using the +300 year Vision Plan as a base to show where each of the interventions are taking place.
- Download Apprentice music.


Steavie:
- Find new images to accompany each of the key 5 opportunities.  You can send these to me once you've selected them and I'll add them to the presentation.
- Habitat plan. This will cover the Ecology Dock, will run through the new residential area south of the Ecology Dock and will cover the area to the Thames and into the Thames.  


Athanase: 
- Redo Sketch Design for the Community Garden. We feel it's important that all the Sketch Designs show our own work, not images that other people have drawn. Otherwise there is no sense that we are re-designing the site. Please could you therefore redo your Sketch Design for the Community Garden. You could take the image that's already in the presentation and copy it if you think that's easiest (please look at the presentation on the Skydrive to see which this is - this was definitely the best of the three images you sent through last week).


Anka: 
- Amend the presentation in light of our discussions today and change the script to captions.
- Slot any new work into the presentation
- Pull the script together and allocate sections. 
- SUDS Sketch Design. 
- Send Steavie list of habitats we used for our habitat plans of the whole area. 
- Send Steavie the original image to illustrate the 'circulation' theme so that the colours can be changed.

 And finally:

- Who has got the greened-up versions of Lili's two plans i.e. the pedestrian corridor (with new green roofs and the water's edge with green roofs. Jenny has coloured all the roofs in, we just need whoever has the new versions to scan them in and send them to me. 


Think that's it. Sorry for such a long blog post. Please be in touch if anything is unclear - we obviously won't have time to clear anything up on Wednesday!


Anka

Summary of this week's activities - w/c 24 November

Hi everyone

I think we're all clear but here are the tasks each of us has offered to take on this week.

Simon: 
1) Masterplans for +30 and +300 years with Lili.
2) Sketch design showing canals running from docks. Perhaps the canals could become irrigation channels leading from the tranquility dock to the commercial urban agriculture site, with on-site reedbeds to clean the water? My SUDS sketch design could then show similar principles, though different techniques used on a smaller, residential scale?

Lili: 
Masterplans for +30 and +300 years with Simon.

Athanase:
1) Sketch design illustrating the theme of urban agriculture in relation to fish-farming in one of the lakes running from the recovered spring-line. This needs to show fish-farming at a commercial scale, rather than individuals fishing (which I'll add to my sketch design for the Recreation Dock).
2) Model of the Thames river edge, showing how access to the Thames has improved and the benefits that this offers i.e. green space running along Thames serving as a shady promenade, viewing platforms offering vistas of the river, housing positioned so that they have good views of the river...
3) Redraw sketch designs for:
a) community garden: I'd suggest including people working together / enjoying the space, as the lack of community spirit is one of the failings we've identified for the site. Perhaps you could include housing that looks similar (e.g. posh social housing) so it's clear that it's people from the same housing complex are using the garden.
b) commercial urban agriculture: Following discussions with Benz I'd suggest that permaculture is shown to be just a small part of the farm, show-casing the latest techniques (so part of the sketch needs to show some animals - Benz suggested chickens as these are small and can easily be accommodated within the limits of an urban space). Perhaps you could include a stall in the sketch, showing how the produce is sold at the farm gate, directly to members of the community. 

Stevie: 
1) Sketch design showing new architectural styles that we would like to introduce. Perhaps you could illustrate both buildings for commercial use and for residential use and how these can be combined within the same building. This will not only cover off both building types but will also back up our argument for mixed-use areas rather than strong zoning of areas in terms of land use.
2) Model illustrating green roofs, green walls, green bridges.

Jenny: 
1) Model and sketch for culverted road and running between the docks and new viewing platform over the docks.
2) Modify some of this week's sketch designs in light of Tom's comments.

Anka: 
1) Habitat plan for Ecology Dock area and borders of Thames. 
2) SUDs sketch design.
3) Re-structure storyboard.

Outstanding tasks:
Cost plan
Plan of existing site

And I hope you all get some well-deserved sleep!

Anka

Bogged down in the Docks - meeting 17/11/10

Hi All,

Another set of challenges today inspired by Tom. 'Expect the unexpected' might be an appropriate phrase.

I'll continue to work on the 5 elements until we have something that Tom is happy with. I'll follow his suggestions 'to the letter' and show and tell to the group. I'll also tweak the storyboard to reflect the comments so far and this can hopefully sit in the background until its needed while we work on other more pressing tasks.

So moving forward everyone should come to the class next week with sketches of the site in 300 years time (and 30 years if you wish) that show the 5 elements of the site - so sketches of riverside use, dockside use, housing, commercial and industrial buildings, greenways, landscape (greenrooves, green bridges, streets, parks, agriculture) and landform. There is plenty of reference material around (see indicative reading in the brief) to inspire.

We can look at these designs next week and discuss the vision plan that Lili is producing for us. All this should help with modelling the site which we can do once we have settled on a final vision plan and designs.

In addition to sketches, there were some specific actions for individuals as follows:

Lili - a vision plan
Simon - 5 elements diagrams, tweak then upload the storyboard to skydrive
Athanase - 2 powerpoint slides on history and some sketches of the site showing its history

If anyone wants to bring additional models that would be very helpful as the brief refers to models at this stage in the program. Also, if anyone has experience of cost plans it would be helpful if they could share this with the group.

Stevie could not make the meeting because he was looking for new accomodation so i'll discuss the work with him ahead of next week.

s.

NEW- 5 MAPS

Hi All,

Hope you will satisfy with above images. this would be the last vision of diagram maps. Let's spend time on view plan, sketch design, and sections etc, lots of works that we have started.

Good Luck

L

Actions following meeting of 10/11/10

Dear all

As discussed we need to provide lots of visual material for next week's powerpoint presentation. He are the tasks that each of us has promised to complete:

Simon - co-ordinating and compiling the powerpoint presentation; 'quick-and-dirty' masterplan

Anka - completing new -300 to +300 year schematic drawings (with Jenny); producing visuals and simple model of Recreation Dock

Jenny - completing new -300 to +300 year schematic drawings (with Anka); producing visuals and simple model of the Conservation Dock; producing visuals (and maybe model) of green bridge

Stevie - providing extra photos (see below)

Athanase - producing a bubble diagram of opportunities; producing visuals and simple model of new green space

Lili - sketches of final proposal - housing (done), greenways, mixed-use buildings, riverside and park network

Please post all your images (jpegs please) to the Storyboard folder on Skydrive. I've already posted the written description of each schematic drawing there to help Jenny and Anka.

Can you all check that the photos mentioned below are on skydrive (if not, upload them now):

Anka - vista picture of Canary Wharf; derelict open spaces; poor quality green spaces; sources of noise pollution - airport, pier road; poor social, economic and ecological conditions; poor architecture

Stevie - people around Excel; photos of school; empty places

Lili - people around Excel

Athanase - poor habitat areas; pollution; dominant road(s)

Does anyone have an image of industrial pollution from the site or can they provide one?

That's all folks

s

Concept Model - a model to explain our idea

Let me know what you think...

The 'frog' of the brick is full of water (like the dock) and the rest of the surface is covered with moss. There would have been more moss all around the brick but I couldnt find anymore. By the way, the London Brick Company went into decline during the 1960s after being a dominant manufacturer.

s