MUBIDARC-DESIGN: February 2013

BOOK REVIEW

SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN, SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, FAUNA, FLORA, GREEN ROOF, ROOF GARDEN, CONTEXT THEORY

(By Lambert M. Surhone, Miriam T. Timpledon, Susan F. Marseken)

(http://www.buchoffizin.de/produkt/9786130485542.html?tx_crondavcommerce_pi%5Btabclass%5D=singleview&tx_crondavcommerce_pi%5Btabid%5D=1&cHash=de7e14dde7)

· This book is a high quality collection of Wikipedia articles prepared by experts in the field and collated by the authors. The articles are centred on elements of landscape architecture and general issues relating to sustainability and landscapes.

· The articles cover various aspects of sustainability and environmental awareness in general, however, there are a few which can positively influence any urban intervention such as that of broad marsh shopping centre area in Nottingham. They are:

1. Sustainable urban drainage systems

The basic idea behind the Sustainable Urban drainage systems (SUDS) is the procedure of collecting surface water such as storm water run offs, purifying it before releasing it back to the water courses in order to avoid pollution, floods, contamination etc.

The article has pointed out about five SUDS techniques which are:

“- source control

- Permeable paving such as pervious concrete

- Storm water detention

- Storm water infiltration

- Evapo-transpiration (eg. From a green roof)”

2. Green transport

Wind powered vehicle
http://ecofriend.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/windpowered-car_KXfzm_5965.jpg

The book looks at the normal system of transport and how much negative impact it has on the environment form a social and economic perspective. From a social perspective in the sense that non-green transport systems such as cars cause things like air pollution, noise and inactivity from high traffic and economic in the sense that there is sometimes insufficient balance between cost and time efficiency. A green or sustainable transport system would be one that considers sustainability from an economic, social and environmental point of view. According to the book, the main forms of green transport are:

- Walking or Ambulation

- Bicycling or cycling

- Green vehicles (Low carbon emission vehicles,

- Solar vehicles or Wind powered electric vehicles.

BOOK REVIEW

A PATTERN LANGUAGE

TOWNS. BUILDINGS. CONSTRUCRTION (By Christoper Alexander)

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e6/A_Pattern_Language.jpg/250px-A_Pattern_Language.jpg)

· This book is the third of three volumes namely “The timeless way of building”, “An Oregon experiment” and this one, “A pattern language”.

· The three volumes were prepared in order to create an appropriate response to design and planning issues and also to create a suitable and highly beneficial approach to the same issues.

· In, the first volume, the author made emphasis on ‘language’ and how choosing the best type of language to interpret and communicate ideas and solutions to problems could help in the design and construction of buildings.

· The proposed means of approaching design in any kind of project be it a small or large scale project, a furniture design, an urban design, a renovation was described in this book as ‘patterns’.

· These book has made mention of about 250 different patterns that could be regarded as different approaches towards different projects and these patterns are designed by the author (after a lot of research of course) in such a way that there would be room for the development of more patterns emanating from the original 250 patterns.

· The overall idea of the implementing a pattern language in projects is described by the author as a way of designing or planning an area in relation with its wider context especially natural and social contexts, how they connect. It could also be seen as a ‘sustainable’ way of approaching projects because considerations are more and focused towards not just the end product but what happens after the end product.

· This book in my own opinion tried to focus on the non-apparent, psychological connection between human beings and their environment and their unconscious responses to the changes in the environment.

· This book is very intriguing as it continues to make the readers curious to find out how any of the patterns can help with their project issues.

VERTICAL STUDIO

These models were made during the development stage of Vertical Studio I project for M.arch Architecture course at Nottingham Trent University. The purpose of the project was to explore, research and reflect with insight the complex social, economic, political characteristics of the site which was the city of Bradford, United Kingdom. This was done in groups at first thruogh a site analysis that seeked to analyse both the apparent and non-apparent physical, cultural and social attributes of bradford.

After the analysis, one out of a few observations stood out; this was the Bradford beck which used to exist to help in the production of wool during the industrial revolution, the time Bradford was known as the wool capital of the world. As a result of polllution, the beck was not used anymore and had been closed up and is presently a network of tunnels with water flowing beneath the city centre from the Town Hall, Centenary square to the presently derelict Odeon cinema. The group saw this as a hidden history as many people walk by, above these tunnels without knowing its history or where the water comes from.

This later advanced in the individual part of the project to become a principle of design which is to link the people 'back to the beck'. The proposed project is a heritage centre and the models below illustrate the progression and developments of the principle during the the design period of the project up until the last moment of producing a final scheme that represents the architectural response to the site.