This amazing house in Nara, Japan has made clever use of an inspiring weaving technique.
The architects have also supplied several orthographic drawings and details or the house and it's construction which are fascinating to examine. The image below is perhaps the most interesting of the supplied drawings, it shows how the weave is constructed. It is a clever, but yet simple construction which relies of slotting together. It is interesting to see that in actual fact this weave system is an illusion. It is not actually a weave, so much as several smaller components interlocked. This allows for a number of different configurations which can be adapted to vary in size vastly, ranging from small, thin lines, to huge, whole walls. This house has inspired me to experiment with this technique in my own design and think about this could be implemented. It is actually a very relevant idea to my design concepts and indeed to the personal briefs which I have set myself, for example I wish to block sight into the surrounding houses from the tower but do not wish to create too much of an obtrusive structure for people looking into the park. This idea of weaving walls may very well be the solution to this.http://www.dezeen.com/2011/06/24/wood-block-house-by-tadashi-yoshimura-architects/
With my tower design having a focus on the top of trees and having a different view/ perspective of the park, I thought it interesting to look at 'tree top walks'.
The perspectives from these tree top walks are incredible and inspiring. They have encouraged me further to explore utilising this kind of experience in my design. http://www.illawarrafly.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IllawarraFlyTower-from-bottom_BANNER_2.jpghttp://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/09/28/article-1216669-069D924D000005DC-286_468x286.jpg
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Travel/Pix/pictures/2013/7/25/1374755854959/A-tree-top-walk-in-the-Sa-010.jpg I feel it is important to know about the type of trees which I am focusing on around my design. The primary tree is very tall, and this will be one of the main interactive features of the structure.
Below: A picture of me underneath the tree for reference. Knowing my own height, I was able to estimate the tree's height by counting how many of me fitted into the height of the tree and multiplying it by my height. http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/garden-attractions-A-Z/false-acacia.htm
http://eol.org/pages/583072/details http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/business/climatechange/2columnsubpage/267332.html http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/arboretums-parks-gardens/arboretum-nottingham-1.asp http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/british-natural-history/urban-tree-survey/identify-trees/tree-factsheets/f-to-j/false-acacia/index.html I have created a 1:200 scale site map showing where the observation tower will be amongst the trees. It can be seen below:As can be seen, the tower will sit amongst two primary trees, with several surrounding ones nearby.
|
The image opposite shows the location which I have chosen for my design. My current plan is to have the tower sit amongst the cluster of trees on the right hand side, allowing it wrap amongst them and interact with them all at different heights. It sits right next to the central pathway which runs through the Arboretum, it is also located just in front of the tunnel which runs under the road to the other side. This tunnel is an entrance/ exit to the park, therefore it both generates and receives a good amount of pedestrian flow. |
Furthermore, there is another entrance/ exit via the adjacent road which leads down to the site. The woodland walk, a popular attraction of the park, also leads out by the site, further adding to the amount of pedestrian flow. Finally there is a big expanse of of open space located in front the site, which is an attraction for groups of people visiting the park for leisure. Almost every path in the park converges at this point, which is a nice place for people to be able to stop, rest and look back at where they have been.
Benefits Of The Chosen Location
In addition to the maximised pedestrian flow, there are also several other benefits to this location. I made notes of my experience and thoughts about the location whilst I was there. I have also done some research on the park and the location too.
The wind direction heads directly for the location. It was a windy day but despite the open space in front of the location, there not much more than a breeze hitting me. The trees in the distance were likely blocking the majority of the wind. This is good, I am interested in encouraging interaction with nature and allowing a breeze to hit the tower would be a good part of this, especially as the wind was not strong enough to be uncomfortable. It is worth noting though that the higher up the tower, the windier it is likely to be. Therefore it may be worth considering a form of barrier against the wind at higher levels.
The wind direction heads directly for the location. It was a windy day but despite the open space in front of the location, there not much more than a breeze hitting me. The trees in the distance were likely blocking the majority of the wind. This is good, I am interested in encouraging interaction with nature and allowing a breeze to hit the tower would be a good part of this, especially as the wind was not strong enough to be uncomfortable. It is worth noting though that the higher up the tower, the windier it is likely to be. Therefore it may be worth considering a form of barrier against the wind at higher levels.
Another advantage of the location is that the Sun hits it at almost all times of the day, throughout the year. I deem this a good thing, but due to this it will be worth considering forms of shielding again the sun to allow people some shade. Overhangs may be able to aid help with this, as well as aiding with rain protection too. The location is high up enough (at ground level it is approximately 69m above sea level) that the Sun is rarely blocked by anything around. When it is blocked, it is only a partial obstruction. This ground height, along with an estimated height of 20.5m for the tallest tree in the location, places the height of the observation tower at around 89.5m above sea level. |
Considering that the lowest part of the park (to the South, in the direction viewed by the tower) is 19m lower than the ground level here, the top of the tower would have a remarkable view of the rest of the park, and indeed the city in the distance (which is lower still) with ease.
There are residential areas behind the location which could be a potential concern, but these are quite easily addressed. It is worth baring in mind that these houses are present for two main reasons. Firstly, it is important that the observation tower doesn't look into their homes and/ or gardens, thereby compromising the privacy of the occupants. Secondly, the tower should keep any obstruction to the views of the park and city to a minimum, so that the residents can continue to have the same view as before where possible. On the other hand, I would like the tower to be noticeable from the outside of the park too, in order to draw people in. Perhaps some form of barrier may be necessary. This will be a delicate balance, the design should be noticeable but unobtrusive.
There are residential areas behind the location which could be a potential concern, but these are quite easily addressed. It is worth baring in mind that these houses are present for two main reasons. Firstly, it is important that the observation tower doesn't look into their homes and/ or gardens, thereby compromising the privacy of the occupants. Secondly, the tower should keep any obstruction to the views of the park and city to a minimum, so that the residents can continue to have the same view as before where possible. On the other hand, I would like the tower to be noticeable from the outside of the park too, in order to draw people in. Perhaps some form of barrier may be necessary. This will be a delicate balance, the design should be noticeable but unobtrusive.
The barrier for the back of the design will also be useful for insulating against any noise from the road behind. It is not too noisy but in order engage the users with nature as much as possible, it would be best to minimise the noise from the road. There are also multiple schools and a nursery close by too, which will be providing noise during the day. Fortunately, the trees should help shield from this, but any additional barriers could be added too.
Reasons For Rejecting The Alternative Location
The other location which I had in mind was towards the front of the park, by the aviary. My initial reason for choosing location as a possibility was because of the tall trees which provided a good height for an observation tower to be based around. It is also close to a primary entrance for the park and has the added bonus of being right next to the aviary and pond, which are popular areas of the park. As such, there would be a good amount of pedestrian flow in the area. However, there are a few problems with this site, and many areas in which the chosen location betters it. |
First of all, this area is quite noisy, it is located next to a road which has regular trams running it. These trams are fairly loud and can be disruptive, something which I noticed during my time spent around the location. I also noticed that, despite their height, the trees sit on considerably lower ground and could potentially provide less of a view of the city than with the other location. Along with this, what did appear to be visible were the areas closer to the park instead of the distant cityscape. This mean that the views of some the smaller housing and roads were visible, along with perhaps the clearest view, the graveyard opposite. Compared with the views provided by the new location, these ones did not feel as inspiring.
Finally, I considered one of my main aims, to draw people into the park to use the tower and engage with nature. If I were to place my tower amongst these trees, I do not feel like it would be as obvious to people. Whereas I am to looking to design something which stands out with disrespect to the park, I would like it to be noticeable. Perhaps it is because of the existing buildings and the shadows of the trees, but I do not feel that the tower would be noticeable to people. Even more so, I do not feel like many people would feel encouraged to enter the tower.
Perhaps this location is better suited to the security brief as opposed to the connection brief.
Finally, I considered one of my main aims, to draw people into the park to use the tower and engage with nature. If I were to place my tower amongst these trees, I do not feel like it would be as obvious to people. Whereas I am to looking to design something which stands out with disrespect to the park, I would like it to be noticeable. Perhaps it is because of the existing buildings and the shadows of the trees, but I do not feel that the tower would be noticeable to people. Even more so, I do not feel like many people would feel encouraged to enter the tower.
Perhaps this location is better suited to the security brief as opposed to the connection brief.
Gallery Of Photos From The Site Visit
To view more, click on Read More to the right.
The Nottingham City Council have provided two maps of incredible relevance to this project. The first is a Tree Trail, which lists all of the different types of trees in the park and where they are located, as well as information about them. The second is a heritage trail, which provides information about the park itself, along with some of it's history too.
Both can be found below...
Both can be found below...
http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk
http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/article/21111/Nottingham-Arboretum
http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/article/21111/Nottingham-Arboretum
I asked a few people on my course a question. I wanted to know if, since they had started living in Nottingham, had they been into any natural areas in Nottingham? This excluded the trip to the Arboretum with the university.
The results were along the lines of what I had expected, but actually more drastic than I thought. The result of my survey revealed that 100% of people asked had not left the city centre since living in Nottingham. This means that the only real side of Nottingham that they have witnessed has been the busy city lifestyle.
Having lived in Nottingham all my life, I know that there is more to the area than just the city. There are many areas of natural beauty in Nottingham, amongst all the greenery of parks and fields. I think it is a shame that people may not always get to see this side of Nottingham and I would love to be able to provide them with a sense of nature through this project.
The results of this survey have further encouraged my idea for getting people to interact with nature and be drawn into the park. I recognise that students living in the city centre are not always able to get to the natural parts of Nottingham, in fact they may not even know about them. Therefore, I feel that it is important to maximise any experience with nature that they get. The Arboretum, located right in the city centre, is the ideal place to achieve this goal.
This survey may have confirmed my suspicions, but more importantly it has further inspired me to proceed with this idea.
Having lived in Nottingham all my life, I know that there is more to the area than just the city. There are many areas of natural beauty in Nottingham, amongst all the greenery of parks and fields. I think it is a shame that people may not always get to see this side of Nottingham and I would love to be able to provide them with a sense of nature through this project.
The results of this survey have further encouraged my idea for getting people to interact with nature and be drawn into the park. I recognise that students living in the city centre are not always able to get to the natural parts of Nottingham, in fact they may not even know about them. Therefore, I feel that it is important to maximise any experience with nature that they get. The Arboretum, located right in the city centre, is the ideal place to achieve this goal.
This survey may have confirmed my suspicions, but more importantly it has further inspired me to proceed with this idea.