Community Consequences [Oxo Tower]
Idea of practice relates to "Fantastic Pragmatic" being as creative and as out there as possible but ensuring that ideas can become a reality. Heart of the practice involves community questioning and collaborating with the public and those involved in being the user of the project.
Each projects has an architectural story - the use of material and colour is selected upon these principles and involves the process of illustrating design problems and solutions, creating juxtaposed or layered narratives and model making to "think through making" and to understand the concept and structure away from the computer. There was a real Alsop feel to their approach through model making and the running theme within many of projects being "fun". projects that involve the community and end user become critical with focus groups becoming part of the deign process, allowing to obtain and collect knowledge and ideas from a range of users that helps inform the final design.
[It made me question how critical people could be of the final result being it was partially designed by the people, for the people]
Community dialogue: having a discussion with the community so that the building or interior relays this conversation.
Project 1: "Everyone loves a cuppa tea"
Beach Hut competition that explore the architectural narrative of what a beach hut is used for. The use of diagrammatic questioning led to the answer of any given scenario equating to the end user needing to make a cup of tea. A smart detail within the project was the use of wind turbine that generated enough power to boil a kettle - the rougher the weather - the more power generated - the more cups of tea you could make "fantastic pragmatic".
Project 2: "Mad Love"
Collaborative project with an artist who worked with the studio to redesign the interior of a mental health ward. A series of spatial explanations and spaces were created that again evolved out of a community "user" based discussion. These thoughts and ideas were illustrated and constructed as a kit of parts that supported elements of mental health. The final interior was the completed with this "kit of parts" being accumulated and spatially organised within the existing space.
[This project has extended with the studio being given more spaces to redesign].
Project 3: "Bedlam" [Welcome Collection]
What does good mental health look like? the design and hypothetical construction of a mental health landscape. [An extension of the "Madlove" project]
Project 4: "Flying Colours" RIBA shop window competition
[Project with UNICO] in collaboration with Jack Burk
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