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Images via Urban Sketchers
Nice "3D Sketches" by Gerard Michel from Urban Sketchers.
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Friday, September 25, 2009
The work of JR - 28 millimetres
JR is a French artist and photographer, whose work is based on the creation of large scale portraits that are then exhibited in streets all over the world. His work is a mix of art and activism and touches on the themes of involvement, freedom, identity and limitations.
From 28millimetres.com :
"The Women project wants to underline their pivotal role and to highlight their dignity by shooting them in their daily lives and posting them on the walls of their country."
From 28millimetres.com :
"The Women project wants to underline their pivotal role and to highlight their dignity by shooting them in their daily lives and posting them on the walls of their country."
Image via JR-ArtThis part of the project takes place in Kenya, South-Sudan, Sierre-Leone, Liberia:
"The violence suffered by women there is the extreme expression of discrimination. The ethnic wars in Africa are a source of the worst crimes on women. When meeting them, JR wants to testify of their force, their courage and their noble struggle: first to live, then to exist."
Below is a "making of" video of the project, which really shows the impact the project has on the community.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Poundbury failing?
Photo via the Guardian. Photographer: Tim Graham/Corbis SygmaAn article in the Guardian from last month seems to point to an increasing amount of difficulties at Poundbury in Dorset. Poundbury is the incarnation of Prince Charles’ views on architecture and planning and tries to emulate the traditional English village. It is characterized by its New Urbanist inspirations and traditional architecture.
I visited Poundbury last year and the place really struck a chord with me for some reason, however this article appears to suggest that seven years on from the completion of the first stage, many residents are growing unhappy with their town. Many appear to be unhappy with the building quality of their homes and horror stories of collapsing roofs due to bad insulation and damp and cracked walls surely points to a real problem in the quality of workmanship.
However, this is not the only issue, the article then goes on to describe that the choice of gravel to cover the footpaths is a particular problem: cats use it as toilets, flip flop wearing is now excruciatingly painful, and it is impossible to clear from snow in the winter. Parks and pavements too become smelly if dog owners do not pick up after their pets, flip flops and gravel may not be best suited but come on!; and considering none of the areas intended for heavy car use and snowplows in particular are graveled, most of these issues appear to be nitpicking. The network of alleyways that aims to make the town more pedestrian friendly also seem to be causing problems as can be seen in this quote:
"I find them really scary and dangerous. They're great in the day but at night the kids come and bang on the door and then run off down them. I'm frightened to walk them by myself at night." She darts back into her house as a group of young men with a box of beer walks past on the way to the park.
I don’t consider myself to be menace to society, but I too happen to sometimes walk back from the shops with a box of beer, I am even some times armed with a French stick. May I also suggest that kids knocking on doors and running away, although a pain in the rear may in fact be a sign that these places are actually pretty livable. Perhaps keeping a pretty powerful pump action water pistol by the door would be a solution but I might also suggest that this person tries to get out a bit more.
One important issue that was raised however, was the appearance of a “them and us “ divide between the new residents of Poundbury and the original town of Dorchester. Perhaps this was to be expected with Poundbury attracting an entirely new demographic.
With a survey by the Oxford Brooks University finding that 86% of the residents of Poundbury were glad they moved there, the journalists may have just been trying to justify their trip to Poundbury.
Urban illustrations by Jessie Douglas
Jessie Douglas is a young British illustrator from Plymouth whose work centers a lot on the urban environment. She herself claims a particular interest in "the grunge and grime of the urban environment".
I find the composition of the sketches and her use of mixed media really remarkable. Be sure to check out her blog and website where you can admire her sketchbooks and also order some prints.
Thanks to Jess for letting me use her images on the blog.
Ecological Children Activity and Education Center
If you are ever in the Gulf of Thailand and if you are fortunate enough (read both meanings), you could enjoy a stay at the Soneva Kiri 6 star hotel resort on the Koh Kood Island. I guess the 6 star rating speaks for itself but the resort is magnificent but just as importantly, the aspirations for its buildings were to combine impeccable design with high ecological ambition.
Image via Archdaily
The Children Activity and Learning Centre of the resort is particularly inspiring. It provides an Auditorium and Cinema for lectures, films and play, a library, Art room, music room as well as a fashion Room. The content of the den is designed to stimulate the children’s creativity, as well as educating them on certain ecological and cultural issues. Many of the books in the library look at permaculture and local Tai culture.
Image via Archdaily
The ecological and local approach obviously carries through in the choice of building materials. Both the structure and roof are made form local Thai bamboo and the interior is made form local plantation River Red Gum and rattan structural elements make up the inner domes. The open design helps reduce energy consumption, by allowing natural sunlight and natural airflow to penetrate through the building. The roof also cantilevers up to 8m and provides shade and protection from the heavy rains.
Image via Archdaily
The manta ray shape of the building also seems particularly well suited to its context: a rocky slope facing the sea. It really shows that the design team had a lot of fun with this project and no doubt the children it is designed for will too.