As can be seen, the tower will sit amongst two primary trees, with several surrounding ones nearby.
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I have spent some time creating a detailed 1:2500 site map of the Arboretum. Using Digimaps as a base layer I have built up various details on top of the site map using Photoshop to produce reference for a multitude of information relevant to my client.
I went back to visit the Arboretum for a third time in order to explore my chosen location further. The Chosen Location
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 LocationIn 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.
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. 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
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. Gallery Of Photos From The Site VisitTo 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... http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk
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. I decided to return to the Arboretum to get some more photos and explore the site a bit more. I wanted to engage with it on a more personal level to try and work out where in the park I would like to select as my location for the observation tower. I did this at a different time and on a different day, a Tuesday as opposed to a Friday like last time. This allowed me to further understand how the site is interacted with throughout the week. Research has revealed a more general, yearly insight to how the sight is used, for example higher volume and more activity in Summer, but it is interesting to view changes on a more regular time scale.
More after the break, please click 'Read More' to the right...
I have produced an inspiration panel based off the precedence studies which I undertook. It consists of the things which I have found to be most inspiring and that I believe can or do bare relevance to the site. To get a good feel for the Arboretum, the class went on a site visit to learn about the park and explore it.The got the chance to circulate around the park, following the trails and exploring the space. Whilst there I took many photos on my phone of what we did and where we went. There are some amazing views of and from the Arboretum of both the nature within and the city outside.
I took lots of photos of the Arboretum. There are many varieties of trees and plants in a constantly changing topography. I have tried to capture this, along with some of the views out of the park, in the photos found in the gallery below. I will, however, be returning with proper equipment to get better photos of the park and sketches too. Gallery:More after break, please click read more to the right...
The project states that we must choose from one of three target audiences for our design. They are: Watching birds and park wildlife. Or... Observing surrounding context and consequently enhancing the security of the park overall. Or... Connecting to the immediate site physically as well as to the wider environment by for views for enjoyment of the landscape. I have chosen the last option, to connect to the site and the wider environment. As such I will be planning my designs around the specific requirements which come with this option. I must also select a location within the park which suits the client and provides options for a suitable design response to them. When working with this clientele I need to bare in mind that it is likely they are going to be in the park for social reasons. Therefore it is reasonable to suggest that the majority will follow the paths of the park and approach it's existing attractions. There are also large open spaces in the as well which are used in the Summer as places for lying down and relaxing, sun bathing or eating and playing games. The Arboretum is located close to the centre of the city as so is conveniently accessible for many local people. Further to this point, the city campus of Nottingham Trent University is located immediately next to the park. There is also plenty of student accommodation surrounding it. These two factors provide the park with a high number of student visitors, especially during Summer. I find this especially interesting as most students coming to Nottingham from elsewhere will
The Arboretumhttp://www.nwscnotts.com http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/article/22178/Wollaton-Hall-and-Park http://www.attenboroughnaturecentre.co.uk/about/attenborough-nature-reserve/ http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/article/21111/Nottingham-Arboretum
The Arboretum is located in the City Centre of Nottingham. It was the first public park opened in the city following the Nottingham Inclosure Act of 1845. This act saw Nottingham aiming to be provide more natural, green areas around the expanding city to allow for clean air and space for relaxation. It was opened in front of 30,000 people in 1852, on the 11th of May, by Mayor of the time, Mr W Felkin, and the Sheriff of the Borough, Mr Ball. The Arboretum was to be more than just a place of nature in a city though. It was designed with walkways and spaces to socialise, it was designed for people as well as nature. This still stands true today as people from all over the city still utilise the park for exactly that purpose. In the Summer it is not uncommon for the park to be full of people socialising and sunbathing. The Arboretum is now Grade II listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Furthermore, it contains no fewer than 9 Grade II Listed structures within it. The park has also been presented the Green Flag award as of 2012/13. It also hosts events throughout the year and has a bandstand, Chinese bell tower and aviary amongst it's grounds. Access to the Arboretum is easy with trams passing right by it and several roads with on street parking surrounding it. However due to it's convenient location within the city, it is only a short walk before you arrive at it. The park is located very close to Nottingham Trent University, as well as several lots of students accommodation. As such it is popular with the local students as well as the residents and may be the only piece of natural Nottingham that they experience whilst studying there. These facts will most certainly be worth baring in mind throughout the project. I will be visiting the site on multiple occasions to experience it, survey it, and see how it changes throughout the day and week. http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/article/21111/Nottingham-Arboretum
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