Jo- MA Future Design

Little Green Steps Portfolio

2009-09-16T01:40:00.000-07:00

Image submitted for running loop of Made:Amaze

2009-08-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

Development of Visuals

2009-08-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Development of 3d max work

2009-07-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

3D experimentation

2009-07-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

I have begun defining some designs by designing initial sketch proposals and modelling using 3d studio max. I have been experimenting with the ink and paint rendering technique on 3d studio max, at the moment My plan is to use this technique for the exhibition mixed with various digital and hand rendering techniques.

Urban Design Week 15-06-2009 - 19-06-2009

2009-06-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

Middlesbrough Council ran a series of events as part of there Urban Design week. I attended the workshop in Mima where I worked in a group on the development of St Hilda's, Middlesbrough. I knew a bit about the area having worked on the MyPlace initiative which will form part of this new development. It was interesting to work with a group of professionals all with different disciplines including urban planners, building control and a conservation architect. I also attended a session at Middlesbrough College where we were shown around the building and the developed by the Assistant Principle of the building. Having never been there before I was amazed at the facilities it has to offer. I also took the opportunity with Richard Lotter to explore the Boho development and The St Hilda's areas as well as further into the Middlehaven development. This included visiting Middlesbrough Librairy to look at the exhibition about the regeneration of Middlesbrough.

Real Nappies Fashion Show

2009-06-17T03:37:00.000-07:00

Creative Interaction Hand-in

2009-06-17T03:31:00.001-07:00

Learning agreement

2009-06-17T03:23:00.000-07:00

(How would you describe your progress since you completed your last learning agreement?).

My progress has developed significantly since the last learning agreement was submitted, my work has become more focused. Much better progress was made than in the post graduate certificate phase of the MA, due to finding a specific interest which has progressed well. I understand the boundaries and extents of postgraduate study much better and have managed to define my approach. I have also taken part in a much wider variety of research including visiting’s and speaking to the staff of nurseries. Research opportunities have been explored and through this and the realisation of an installation piece my confidence has grown. The aim of the Experimentation and Feasibility module was to work towards a defined brief for the realisation module which was completed successfully and I am now ready to begin the next phase of my project.

My work has moved away from the group philosophy ‘Green doesn’t have to look Green’. This is due to looking at educating young children to live sustainable lives. I have allowed my research to shape the approach of my work which I feel is something I lacked in the PGC stage. This highlights my personal development at this stage.

(How has your understanding of your chosen topic and research questions developed since your initial learning agreement?).

The understanding of my chosen topic developed significantly as my work progressed. My research questions have set out a different approach as I have been looking at design for children. My design and creativity work will develop in the realisation module and will be focused around the research outcomes of the experimentation and feasibility module. My creative work will now be based around the following questions.

• How can designing nurseries encourage sustainable living?

• How can we create an exciting and stimulating space for young children sustainably?

Throughout the module I worked closely alongside 3 peers which has enhanced my creative flair. As this was a successful method I hope to continue this method of working and the theory of co-design will still play a large part in the outcome of the MA.

(Has the method of approach originally envisaged proven to be appropriate or have you developed your original ideas?)

The original approach remains but has been applied to a different topic than first anticipated I feel research I developed has allowed me to produce a fully defined brief for this module.

The realisation module for the MA will design a sustainable nursery based in Marske-by-the-Sea. The underlying approach for my work is very much still green design but has changed to be a visible feature rather than working to an initial group philosophy
‘Green doesn’t have to look green’
The Nursery will be private and provide all the necessary day care facilities for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Security in the nursery will be high, staff will monitor the traffic in and out the building. Visitors will not be able to get into the building without the staff letting them through the locked door. It will be a stimulating environment promoting play, learning and green living. All of this will define the approach to creating an exciting space whilst still providing safety and security for the children.

(Do you still intend the outcomes to be as you originally envisaged, or have they changed? If they have changed, why have you changed your ideas?) What will be the outcomes?

My Original outcomes have changed to designing a nursery, at the start of the previous module I didn’t define a set outcome and allowed my work to flow progressively. My outcomes for this MA will be to produce an individual portfolio which shows off the range of skills I have. I will also spend some of the time on this module tying together my work and designing self-promotion material to make myself more employable upon completion. I hope to produce an exciting exhibition based around the project I have chosen. The possibility of a group outcome remained open at the start of the Experimentation and Feasibility stage but I will be completing an individual project which will sit nearby and will be visibly linked to those of Richard Lotter, Paul Milburn and Chantel Ormerod. We are working towards a group identity which will build upon work done in the professional and enterprise module, it will visually record all the research we have done together and how our ideas have developed through working together.

I will produce a full design project including development and various ideas for a nursery based at Marske-by-the-Sea, it will include all necessary facilities and be fully sustainable. My design will be visualized using a number of methods, the final output of images will be hand rendered and altered digitally using Photoshop techniques. The overall aim of the module is to produce a coherent, professional portfolio. The report for the realisation module will conclude outcomes and achievements on a personal level as well as bringing together final decisions and research to realise the project.

exhibtion ideas

2009-05-31T07:39:00.001-07:00

ReCycle

Reuse

Reduce

Relearn

Relive

Reshop

Redesign

Above is a group concept we are considering working towards, each group will be able to use a specific word for there design piece. This is just an initial idea we are using at the moment for the exhibition and we hope to develop this in the future.

Realisation for Design practice

2009-05-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

Thursday saw the launch of the realisation module, which allowed me to begin to focus my work from the experimentation and feasibility module into a final outcome. Today has been spent with Eco-solutions team brainstorming how we are going to move forward as a group. We have decided to all work on an individual pattern which will form a group identity ready for tomorrow, this will allow our work to link together and show that as a group we have been working together.

A programme has been produced for the module to ensure we are all working to a strict timetable and keeping on top of our studies, AutoCAD plans are currently being prepared to enable detailed design concepts and proposals to be put forward.

Brief for Realisation module

2009-05-17T08:33:00.001-07:00

The realisation module for the MA will design a sustainable nursery based in Marske-by-the-Sea. The building chosen for the nursery is Marske Sports club. It is a single story building with large ground ideal for a nursery. At present the building is being used by all the sports clubs based there and part of it is closed due to it being structurally unstable. Through surveying the building it has allowed me to gain a great deal of knowledge on the building allowing for me to work to a structurally stable design. The Nursery will be private and provide all the necessary day care facilities for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Security in the nursery will be high, staff will monitor the traffic in and out the building. Visitors will not be able to get into the building without the staff letting them through the locked door. It will be a stimulating environment promoting play, learning and green living so will include the following:

• sustainable materials
• energy saving lights
• toilets and water taps
• double glazed windows
• rainwater collection
• edible garden
• composting
• recycling facilities

The nursery will feature a number of different spaces these are:

• An entrance- where staff can monitor visitors/parents coming out of the nursery. It needs to be locked and include a porch.
• Cloakroom space- children need somewhere to store their belongings for the day. The cloakroom also needs to be at a height children can reach it independently.
• Activity spaces
• Toilets/nappy changing facilities
• Sleeping area for babies or young children
• Storage facilities including space for buggies
• Staff/Admin offices
• Staff room
• Outdoor space
• Kitchen
• Recycling area

The nursery will include three activity rooms for different ages, a room for babies aged under 2 which alongside its features will include a space for changing nappies and a quiet sleeping area. The baby’s room will have space for 20 babies. There will be a room for weenies aged 2-3 and a room for pre-school children aged 4+. Each of these spaces will allow for 25 children. Each room will have:
• An eating space
• A messy space
• A learning (numeracy and literacy) space
• Space for crafts
• Quiet time area
• Interactive screens depending on the age group using the room.

Each room will be able to be segregated into different areas to allow control over the children and allow the children to be cared for.

Bright colours and patterns will be used but not overloaded which is something which is usually done in children’s nurseries. This is particularly important in the baby room. Interior windows will be provided where possible so parents can see there children when they come to collect them or to ease the process of leaving them. The outside space should be split into different spaces for the different age groups.

Experimentation and Feasibility

2009-05-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Jo Beech

Experimentation and Feasibility

Stephen Bailey

DES 4014-N

Reflective Report

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my tutors, peers family and friends for their support throughout this module. My thanks go to Geraldine Oliver from the School of Social Sciences and Law and the nurseries I have approached during the research process.

Contents

Abstract Page 4

Introduction Page 5

Methodology Page 7

Results and Findings Page 10

Discussion Page 14

Conclusion and recommendations Page 20

Appendices Page 21

Illustrations Page 26

Bibliography of Additional References Page 27

Abstract

The report states the aims and objectives of the learning agreement and how these have been explored and achieved. Key findings discussed in this report include the techniques used to design nurseries, designing for children and their needs of children particularly focusing on The Early Years Foundation Stage and Early Years settings. It is discussed how the work came to focus on design for children following on from the investigations around housing and sustainability. An Enterprise Opportunity took place with the installation of a backdrop for a Real Nappies fashion show at BBC tees, Middlesbrough.

Introduction

This report reflects on the learning outcomes and progress made in the Experimentation and Feasibility module. It also defines my approaches to the next area of study in the Realisation module. The focus of the learning agreement completed at the start of this module set out some questions and highlighted areas of interest. On first reflection the area that was interested to develop was that of housing with sustainability still defining the theme, it soon became apparent that the theme of housing would not maintain interest and exploration. Ideas developed, the design for children, particularly children’s nurseries was always an interest so work followed in this direction. As the module progressed it became apparent that this was the direction the work was going to take. Sustainable design was still a strong theme in the work and its influence drove the portfolio forward. A key aspect of this was the Eco-build conference attended at Earls Court London on 3rd March 2009. This allowed for advanced research and discussions with design practices and professionals. It furthered interested work in sustainable products. This conference was attended with 3 peers. The objectives of the module were defined at the beginning in the learning plan but were amended as the portfolio progressed. Research and exploration took place in the following areas:
• Housing
• Design for Children
• Recyclable and re-using Materials
• Creative exploration of Nurseries.
• Defining a brief for Feasibility study

This was done by researching, reflecting upon three key questions set out in the learning agreement. These will be reflected upon in this report:

• How is Sustainable living and design developing particularly in today’s industry? Is it a big part of our future?

• How can we design sustainably and does the design necessarily have to look sustainable?

• How can working with others influence my creative output and research opportunities?

The report will analyse progress made in the module and skills developed, it will continue to look at what will progress into the feasibility stage and define the direction of the project.

Methodology

The investigation began by defining an area of study, this was done by reflecting upon the strengths, weaknesses and areas of enjoyment from the previous two modules. Three research questions were set and broken down into sub-questions. It was decided the approach to begin with was to research and explore sustainable design working to the philosophy set out by the Eco-solutions team.

‘Green does not have to look green’

This philosophy was to be carried forward throughout this module and into the rest of the MA. The possibility of attending events or participating in projects was kept open. This awareness led to the group visiting Eco-build 2009 at Earls Court, London and the participation in the Real nappies fashion show at BBC Tees. The Eco-build conference attended had a strong impact on how the project was approached shaping research opportunities and causing work to take a more direct approach. The idea of what exactly sustainability is, was heavily explored alongside examples and case studies of sustainable projects varying from housing to lighting features.

The issues surrounding housing and sustainability were approached at the beginning of the study. Research led into this area particularly focusing on a number of government reports including ‘Homes for the future.’ It was found that building sustainable homes is a priority for the government. At this point it was difficult to not rush ahead with the project as excitement towards this area had been created and feelings towards project work were very positive. It was also difficult to keep focused on the work without rushing ahead but good research and exploration pieces were produced for the portfolio.

In February as a group we were by approached by Alison Johnson, to meet with both herself and Paul Denison to discuss the previous Sustees event. It was an informal meeting which discussed outcomes from the event and how it would affect our work in the future. This was the start of a good relationship with Paul Denison as we were later to be asked to take part in the real nappies fashion show by him at BBC tees allowing contact to be established between BBC tees and Stockton council.

After the development of work on housing and the Eco-build visit the portfolio took a drastic change in direction and began looking at design for children. The development of ideas such as the interactive panels was adapted to fit into a nursery setting. The idea of a sustainable nursery began to develop. It was proposed that educating children young about sustainable design would take place at the nursery. Visiting working nurseries and sure start centres took place alongside other research. A meeting was also arranged with Geraldine Oliver based in School of Social Sciences and Law to discuss her work on the Early childhood studies programme.

The continuation of the blog allowed group interaction to take part throughout the module as did the group email that had been set up previously.

Results and Findings

As previously stated research areas was broken down at the start of the module. A great deal was learnt about the chosen areas of study, in future housing and the design of nurseries, how these spaces work. The Eco-build exhibition showed that there is a great market for sustainable.

Findings show that green housing is a key approach from the government, these homes should be affordable. Eco-towns are currently being developed and will be important to future communities. The government wants all new homes zero carbon by 2016, it was explored how this can be developed.

Figure 1- An example of graphics produced showing how many homes stand empty in the UK.

It has been identified that as a society it is not about building sustainably as this is already been done, but about successfully refurbishing old buildings sustainably. Creative Exploration took place for energy panels with the green development of a standard town house being incorporated.

Figure 2- A piece of creative work produced towards the energy panel for exteriors of buildings.
The idea of developing surfaces from reused materials took place, though this worked as a concept it was not an idea that was feasible to develop further so was left at this stage

Findings led onto Children’s design looking particularly at nurseries. It was found that the exciting, stimulating spaces children need are not being offered by nurseries in the UK. Instead there is a focus on educational spaces which is also of high importance. It was found that bright colours and patterns in children’s spaces are often overdone, the design of this needs to be considered carefully when the design is completed. It was also investigated what colours work successfully in designated spaces. Design of private nurseries and sure start centres were explored alongside key spaces needed in an early years setting and in the early year’s foundation stage. Provisions for children in foreign countries were researched with some interesting projects and case studies being explored. All this allowed creative experimentation as to what a child’s nursery may look like and possible buildings to be investigated. A building was decided to use for the realisation of this concept after discovering other ideas explored were not feasible.

A key finding in this module was the success of how sustainability can be applied to all members of a community. This was concluded in the Real nappies project which ran alongside the main body of work. It was far from a main feature of the work produced but provided an opportunity to gain extra skills. It was learnt how to adapt a brief, manage a project and work towards an outcome quickly and with no budget. Networking opportunities were a key outcome of this work.

An aim was to discover how the influence of others can direct and enhance my ability. It was decided to progress individually with the possibility of a joint outcome in the realisation stage. Each individual focused on their own direction of work, defining their own research prospects. It was decided that we would continue as a working group to support each other but would work towards an individual outcome.

The conclusion of all these findings was the successful development of a project specification and brief for the realisation module.

Discussion

Learning aspects and expected outcomes changed gradually over the course of the module. Overall the project gained progress well, it was more successful than the previous creative interaction and Professional Skills and Enterprise modules. The challenge of allowing my work to develop on its own and following the direction it was going in had been learnt. The technique of postgraduate study was learnt including independence, analytical and research methods allowing for a successful outcome, a deeper understanding and great progress to be made in this module.

The research began by primarily looking at sustainable housing, everyone uses housing so it could be designed to create a sustainable community. The research became repetitive, all the research that took place was about government targets and it was felt this was not a good area to become engrossed in. Housing was taken forward to creative development. During this time group interaction took place, it was decided to go out of the university and look for inspiration and brainstorm ideas together. It became a successful method in generating ideas. A concept suggested at this stage was the installation of interactive panels on the sides of building which would produce energy from raindrops and changes in air pressure from the wind. The idea was discarded, following research it was decided that the panel may use the same amount of energy to run as it generates.

The Eco-build event was significant for me in the direction the module took. Through speaking to professionals and viewing inspirational work the decision was taken to begin researching design for children. A key source of inspiration was the company smile plastics particularly the surface made from recycled wellies.

Figure 4- A covering made from recycled wellies by the company Smile plastics, a key source of research which caused the project to change direction.

The idea was to look at design for children in the portfolio review which took place around this time. It was felt that research into this area would be appropriate. It was decided that creative development should begin to take place alongside research, a model of a nursery was downloaded in sketch up allowing for experimentation to take place with various materials and concepts. The model was not very good which was frustrating so this caused further experimentation in a digital space. This was enjoyable as the portfolio review had spoke about using 3D Max as a possible way of communicating designs. The work that took place was slow progress but 3D Max techniques were learnt. Time was spent using 3D Studio max to try and improve these skills. During this time it was felt that ideas kept changing, it frustrated me and is an area for development. It should be noted that one idea should be developed at a time.

The interim presentation were used as a way of gathering work together and allowed critical analysis to take place on the portfolio so far. Although it was good practice in critiquing my own work it was felt that sitting through all the sessions was not beneficial to my individual development and a lack of confidence was felt at this time.

A meeting was arranged with Geraldine Oliver, senior lecturer in Education from the School of Social Sciences and Law. She lectures on the Early Childhood studies programme at the University. Discussions took place and she was able to suggest a large amount of research to continue with. This was a key meeting in the research and progress of the module, Geraldine’s expertise in this area allowed for in-depth research in The Early Years Foundation Stage, Play England, Free play and Building for Surestart centres. All this allowed research to develop to a deeper level, it made the design be considered from the point of the user and allowed understanding of how children process information and their environment from birth to 5 years.

During the first week of April we was approached by Paul Denison to take part in a live project for The Stockton real nappies initiative , A real nappy fashion show was taking place to celebrate the project expanding across the Tees Valley. A backdrop for this event was required, it proved to be challenging as it was soon discovered that there was a short space of time and no budget to fund this event. Despite this a successful proposal was provided and the work was installed at BBC Tees on the day of the fashion show.

Figure 5- The backdrop designed for the Real Nappies fashion show held at BBC Tees.

This event also allowed networking to take place including discussions with the waste manger of Middlesbrough Council and Kerry Sillet from the BBC. The possibility of Kerry and the BBC becoming involved with the MA show by publicising the event or showcasing work is going to be further investigated.

Exploration took place in deciding a location for a nursery that would be designed for the realisation part of the MA. An idea of developing existing town houses to be incorporated into a nursery was explored but through further experimentation it was decided that this idea was not feasible. A building that had always been considered was that belonging to Marske Sports club, through sketch and spatial development it was decided that using this building as a base for the concept would be feasible.

Interaction of the group was successful due to the use of the group email and interaction throughout the studios, particularly sharing the Eco-build experience. All research collected from Eco-build and outstanding individual work has been shared among the group. It has been a success working alongside each other and sharing work has allowed for knowledge and creative flare to grow. The module confirmed my thoughts that working as a group is not always successful as each member has their own unique style of working and commitments outside of university. It was learnt that it was best to work individually and work closely alongside others in a working group. This is the approach that was developed, we used the time to critically explore each other’s work and ideas. An outcome for this for me on a personal level is the expanding interest in installations and surface patterns due to the work being produced by Chantel Ormorod.

Skills in InDesign were basic at the start of this module, as work on the portfolio of evidence took place these skills became stronger. It was identified as an area for improvement after the last submissions. It is a skill which is gradually becoming stronger by the everyday use of the programme and it is now found enjoyable to use. It was identified that one note would be approached in this module. A decision was taken not use this software and to concentrate my learning on using InDesign a piece of software which would be required in future practice and enhance the CV.

The focus of this project was experimentation and feasibility. It was found that a large part of this was done by the critical analysis and evaluation of work and research produced. Writing skills and confidence in these has improved dramatically over this time. Research ability has also noted a steady improvement throughout the module.

Upon completion of the last module it was felt that time management and organisation had let down my progress so this is something that was tackled at the beginning. A great improvement was noted. From the outset of this module a weekly timetable was produced to ensure that the workload was progressing at the correct speed. All though this has improved dramatically these practices will be carried on into the next module and it will be ensured that strict hours are recorded.

Conclusions and Recommendations

This report has examined the process and work undertaken throughout the Experimentation and Feasibility module. Addressing and discussing the module has allowed the strengths and areas for improvement to be identified to carry forward into the final stage of the MA. The work produced in this module has always been relevant to my ideas at the time of study and has covered a broad range of topics all under the field of spatial design. The research and critical analysis of this has driven along the creative investigation of the module. Good practice of using a reflective diary continued into this module and recorded feelings towards the work being produced. This enabled the project to develop how it did as a number of critical decisions were made while writing down thoughts and feelings. As always difficulties were reached during this project but on the whole it was more successful than the previous modules. The module due to the direction of the research led me to gain extended knowledge of a particular area whilst still gaining inspiration from the whole field of spatial design. This is a significant point that will help further my ability as a designer and it is important to frequently source current practice and exciting designs. The next stage is looked forwarded to with great excitement in the hope that a successful, exciting design can be produced which clearly meets the specification and brief that has been set throughout the experimentation and feasibility module.

Appendices
1. Student Learning Agreement
2. Learning and Personal Development
3. Timetable
4. Weekly Timetables

School of Arts and Media
Programme: MA Art and Design
Academic Session 2008-2009
Module: Experimentation and Feasibility

Student Learning Agreement

Name of Student: Jo Beech
Name of Tutor: Stephen Bailey

Area of Interest

Research Questions

Method of Approach

Outcome

Signed:

Date:
Appendix 2. Learning and Personal Development

The aim of the reflective appendix is to analyse the progress that has been made in this module and how my ability has improved. The work done on housing was found interesting but did not keep interest sustained. This showed that the first idea is not always the best and is it important to thoroughly research all possible areas before making the decision as to what to progress with.

The Eco-build conference was a good opportunity to discover what is going on in the industry it was realised how important designing sustainably is. The buildings and products being designed today are part of our future and it was beneficial to see these being created and this inspired me. This was one of the aims that were set out and Eco-build was a big part in achieving this.

A number of opportunities were provided outside of the University allowing Professional and Key skill development. The main one that took place was the participation in a live project at BBC Tees through the Stockton Real Nappy initiative. This was a success that was built on from the Sustees event as Alison Smith was one of the speakers at the conference. This project allowed a given brief to be developed into a spatial design project with an installation being produced. It also increased confidence as the problem was solved with no funding. We provided Alison with ideas and products which can be used again. This event allowed for further discussions to take place between members of Tees Valley councils with the possibility of collaborative work taking place. The work produced also featured on the BBC Tees website and The Gazette.

The learning agreement set out at the start of the module to look at sustainable design and how it will be a part of the future. This was achieved though once again work was led away from this outcome. Knowledge in sustainable design has been progressed further partly down to my own individual research and that of working alongside others. It has always been the central focus which work has built around. It is important that this follows through to the realisation stage of the MA. The philosophy built on in this module was the group ethos set out in the Professional skills and enterprise module

‘Green doesn’t have to look green’

This was reflected upon once work began on sustainable nurseries and it was decided that this was not the appropriate way to continue. The idea behind the nurseries was to influence children to live sustainable lives, part of the green nursery needed to be visible to them in a way they will understand. Working alongside others was considered a success as it allowed work to develop in co-hearence with ideas, knowledge and resources being shared. It allowed my confidence to be built at a time that it was quite low and hope to be able to continue this working relationship with these peers throughout the Realisation module.
Illustrations
Figure 1- Page 10
An example of graphics produced showing how many homes stand empty in the UK.
Eco-build 2009 Handbook

Figure 2- Page 11
A piece of creative work produced towards the energy panel for the
Exterior of buildings

Figure 3-Page 11
Creative experimentation with Recycled materials

Figure 4-Page 15
A covering made from Recycled wellies by the company smile plastics, a key source of research which caused the project to change direction.

Figure 5-Page 17
The backdrop designed for the Real Nappies fashion show held at BBC Tees.

Bibliography
Communities and Local Government- Housing. Available at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/homesforfuture (Accessed: 25.2/2009).
The Early years foundation stage. Available at: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/eyfs/ (Accessed: 9th April/2009).
Eco-build website including links to further websites. Available at: http://www.ecobuild.co.uk/ (Accessed: 26th February/2009).
Smile Plastics- Recycled materials. Available at: http://www.smile-plastics.co.uk/ (Accessed: 4th March/2009).
Stockton Council Real nappies initiative. Available at: http://www.recycleforstockton.co.uk/realnappies/ (Accessed: 3rd April/2009).
Real Nappies fashion show at BBC Tees (2009). Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/tees/content/image_galleries/real_nappy_fashion_show_gallery.shtml24th April).
Dudek, M. (2001) Building for Young Children. London: National early year’s network.

Regenerating Housing

2009-05-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

I had an idea that as I am looking at sustainability I could develop some of the housing I had been looking at at the start of this module and develop a set off these into a nursery. I identified a good location which I could use for these which is in the town centre of Middlesbrough allowing for parents working in Middlesbrough to use this nursery. Staff/students of the University could also use this facility. The area in the middle of the houses could be used as the outdoor space providing a secure environment for the children to play in as well as protecting the space from vandals on a night time. The end two houses of the set of five will be expanded backwards till they meet in the middle allowing for the enclosed courtyard to be built. This design will be 2 storeys, this idea could be used to create a surestar centre which upstairs would house private rooms for parents to visit or bring their children. It would provide health centre rooms for visiting practinioners aswell as rooms available for the community in different sizes.

Developing A Brief

2009-05-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

As I have been carrying researching for some time now, I have been collecting ideas in my head as to how a design might work. I have identified areas a nursery needs from my research and also areas I am going to produce sketch ideas for in preparation for a set of concepts. I have already done some exploration of ideas earlier on in this module but I hope to find complete more sets of ideas and interests.
The nursery I am going to design needs to be sustainable as this is the underlying theme of my work. This means it needs to include sustainable materials, energy saving lights, toilets and water taps, limited windows which are double glazed, rainwater collection, edible garden and recycling facilities.

I am going to design rooms for different age groups, these age groups and number will be decided once I have a building I am working with each space needs to include eating space, messy space, learning (numeracy and literacy) space, crafts, quiet time and interactive screens depending on the age group using the room. Bright colours and patterns should be used but not overloaded which is something which is usually done in children’s nurseries. This is particularly important in rooms for babies.

The nursery building needs to be all on one level, so the building I am looking for needs to be. The security needs to be high.

Spaces which the nursery needs to have are

• An entrance where staff can monitor visitors/parents coming out of the nursery. It needs to be locked and a porch, entrance would be ideal.
• Cloakroom space- children need somewhere to store their belongings for the day. The cloakroom also needs to be at a high where the children can reach it to promote independence.
• Activity spaces- I will decide on the age range for these rooms and size of them once I have identified a building.
• Toilets/nappy changing facilities
• Sleeping area for babies or young children
• Storage facilities including space for buggies
• Staff/Admin offices
• Staff room
• Outdoor space
• Kitchen
• Recycling area

Finding A Building/Location

I want to use a building as a base for this project and throughout the research process I have remained aware of possibilities I could use. From research I have gathered I have defined some features that the building needs to have. Ideally the building would be on one level, this would allow easy access and prevent wasted space. Children need to have access to outdoor space at all times so it is important that children’s rooms are on the ground floor with access outside. A large outside space is required as this is such an important part of a nursery. The building must be able to be adapted to include sustainable features. It must be able to be split into rooms for different age groups and have enough space for everything listed in the Specification brief. The building must be secure, have the ability to have lowered windows/fittings etc so it is child friendly.

Module aims

2009-04-01T08:11:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we had Interim presentations to present our work and direction so far to the group. From this I decided I needed to re-establish my aims for the modules and define exactly what I wanted to achieve. I spent the afternoon reflecting on my learning agreement and organising my work to find a direction to follow. Aims for the modules are:

• To identify a clear brief for the realisation module
• To thoroughly research into the different kinds of nurseries
• To research into sustainable design and how this can be achieved in a nursery
• Research into educating through design
• Remain aware of the current industry and produce self-promotion materials
• Enhance research and creative skills
• Analyse the outcome of the module and the success of working alongside others

By the end of the module I hope to have a firm base for the final module. I want a specification and brief and also to have identified a building.

Development of an eating/messy space in a nursery

2009-03-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

Thoughts so far and moving forward!

2009-03-23T06:31:00.001-07:00

Over the last few weeks I have been developing different ideas, I do have a habit of thinking these ideas up and doing a small amount of work on them and not carrying on with them. Particularly in this kind of module which has been labelled as one to have fun in and experiment. I am now going to write about and try and define my ideas so I have a focus and some points to work towards. It is also getting nearer to the Interim presentations so I am beginning to look at my work more critically and see what can be shown at this presentation to define the direction my work is taking to others.
I began creative work on this project by looking at housing, mainly around Middlesbrough, there are 1 million homes in the UK stood empty so I decided this would be a good area to focus on. After visiting Eco-build in London I saw how much work there was being done on sustaining homes so I focused on this area further. I looked around some of the estates in Middlesbrough. Student housing has always been a problem in Middlesbrough, with students living amongst the local community sometimes causing nuisance and letting their houses stand empty for many months of the year. From all this I came up with an idea that the area off Garnet street in Middlesbrough (Behind Psyche) Could be developed into a student’s village with landscapes links up to the University. After exploring this a little further I decided that I wasn’t focusing on Interiors which is my specialism so I decided I needed to focus on an Interior of a house. I live in a typical end Victorian terrace which is not very sustainable so I looked into this as a real life case study and what could be done. I had many ideas but found it difficult to get them down on paper. I spent a few weeks just going on thinking about all these ideas to the point my head got confused with all the ideas going round in it. I need to start writing down these ideas producing simple sketches, drawings, models as soon as I have these ideas. I think this will help me from getting confused in the future like I have done in previous modules. One of the main ideas I had to do with housing was that sides of houses or buildings in general could have an interactive panel which produced energy from raindrops and changes in air pressure from the wind. A large panel would be placed on the side of a building or in an appropriate space on the exterior, this would also act as an attraction to a building. I experimented visually with this idea placing different patterns on panels using Photoshop. At the moment I am still contemplating how I could make these visuals interactive to show the idea of the panel and how it creates energy. The panel would not necessarily produce energy for the house or building but could be used to power appliances around the environment such as street and traffic lights. This idea could be progressed further, whilst studying at Undergraduate level I researched into a nightclub in Rotterdam which generates its own energy from the dance floor. After discussing this with my working group it has led Richard Lotter to look at this concept in more detail as he is focusing his work on an eco-friendly bars and nightclubs at present. An idea came from this that part of the urban landscape could generate energy like this. Speed bumps could create energy as a car drives over them, even roads or footpaths could be designed this way so they are producing energy as people go about their everyday lives. Something that would have to be investigated for this is as to whether this would be worthwhile or whether these concepts would require more energy to power them than they are creating. These are all concepts that could happen in the future in an eco-town or city.
After this I began to focus on the Interior of my house and put some proposals forward as to how the interior can be altered to make the house more sustainable. These were all basic ideas, but it is a starting point. To me this just shows living in a sustainable home is not a difficult thing and it is not an option that we have if we want to protect our environment for future generations. These are all ideas down in sketch form but need taking to a more detailed stage.

After researching and exploring some ideas in housing I decided that this is not an area I particularly want to look into any further. This surprised me as I was quite enthusiastic about this at the start of this module, I felt I had a good idea but didn’t have far to take it without experiencing difficulty. As I was not enjoying the exploration of the houses I decided to move on from this and look at something else as I didn’t want to spend the rest of the MA developing a housing concept when my passions lay elsewhere. Another reason for my choice to leave this area was that my colleague Paul Millburn has a strong interest in this area and has done a lot of work previously, even though we spent some time working together and sharing research I feel that he has a lot more knowledge and I wouldn’t be able to pick up enough detail to create a good solution and design at this point of my studies. This could just be my lack of self-confidence but I wanted to return to something I felt more appropriate to my personality.
Following on from this I began looking at design for children particularly young children as I had outlined this as an area I wanted to look at in my learning agreement. In a tutorial with Stephen Bailey I spoke about my progress with housing and how I wanted to look at children’s Nursery’s. As my passion and ‘thing’ is sustainable design I still wanted my work to focus around this, Stephen felt this was a good area to look into as it is something that hasn’t been done before. After considering the Eco-build trip and noting the work currently taking place in today’s industry I decided that Nurseries was a good area to focus on. I downloaded a sketch up file of a nursery and converted this into a 3d studio max file to experiment with interiors of nurseries. I felt it was time for me to do some creative development and wanted to move on from researching and build up a portfolio to use upon completion of the course. I spent time experimenting with these and different surfaces made from sustainable materials. I then began to look in more detail at a company called smile plastics whose stand I had visited at Eco-build. Their work inspired me and immediately after seeing their surface made from wellies I could see how this would fit in my interiors, particularly with focusing on design for children. I was inspired and began looking at other surfaces made from recycled materials and how they fit within interiors including creating my own surfaces to experiment with. These were made from used carrier bags, plastic food wrappings and unwanted materials. The last idea links back to the Sustees conference where Dr Claire Hussey spoke about unwanted clothing and the journey it takes. An idea was that each ‘pattern’ would create a surface in an appropriate space, the surface made from food wrappers could sit on the edges of tills in supermarkets and food shops. The unwanted materials could create wall coverings in clothes shops. The plastic bags were the most successful surface produced and they could go in a number of places or be used to create a number of installations or fixtures such as lighting concepts.
Whilst developing this work I managed to arrange and visit a working nursery, to look at the facilities and spaces they had to offer. This was an extremely worthwhile visit which I have written about earlier on in this sketchbook.

Following on from the surfaces I created I began to develop and experiment with the patterns in my eating area of a nursery I was designing. I also looked at creating lighting fitting from recycled carrier bags.
The aim of writing this was to allow myself to realise what I needed to go back to and complete and to find the ideas which I wanted to progress on with. I have identified some actions to carry on with in the near future. Areas I need to ‘finish’ and concentrate on now for future development are:
• The Interior of a town house- draw up the plan using AutoCAD and make any proposals to the building
• Approach more nursery’s for visits to gain a wider area of research
• Take photographs and show how the surfaces could be used within Interiors
• Develop the lighting idea from the used carrier bags
• Concentrate on creating spaces using sustainable materials
• Begin to research Educating through design and how this can be done. How to make a Nursery more sustainable!
• Research from Journals in the LRC

surfaces so far

2009-03-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Progess so far

2009-03-22T13:31:00.001-07:00

In a week’s time we have an interim presentation, we are starting to gather work towards this presentation by completing work which has begun. I have spent the last few days looking at sustainable surfaces and how these fit into the interiors. I have created some of my own ideas for surfaces from everyday reused materials. I am enjoying looking at Children’s Nursery's and managed to visit one recently. I hope in the next few days to be able to contact some other local nurseries to visit and to develop some of the interiors I have started to look at. Below are images of 2 sustainable surfaces which have really inspired me, they are from stands that I visited at Eco-build at Earl’s court. The first is for recycled wellies, which is how I linked my work with children’s nurseries, the 2nd is made by the same company, smile plastics and is made from shredded food containers. Examples of more materials like these can be found on http://www.smile-plastics.co.uk/dapple.htm
This is a website that has really inspired me and has formed a big part of the work I am researching and developing at the moment.

Children's nursery

2009-03-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

Over this last week I have begun to experiment with Interiors for children working on a children’s nursery. At the heart of this space will be sustainability and how to live sustainable lives. I think that design can educate, children are our future and we need to begin to live more sustainable lives. By designing a children’s nursery I believe that by starting children living good habits young they will go on to live sustainable lives in their future and adult lives. I have a number of ideas for these spaces and have currently returned to using 3D Studio max to experiment with these ideas. I have done this to expand my portfolio as the basis of it at the moment is hand drawing. I am researching into how an interactive panel on a wall may be able to generate energy aswell as provide entertainment for the children. A key interest in my research and experimentation at the moment is based on the works of the company smile plastics http://www.smile-plastics.co.uk/ I visited at the Eco-build conference in London and was inspired by the way that they created finished from recycled wellies, upon returning to Teesside I began researching and found that the company not only does this with wellies but lots of other unwanted products such as mobile phones, cd’s and plastic bottles. I feel this is going to form a basis for my project at present and am going to experiment putting these in my interiors possibly creating my own surfaces from recycled materials. A lot of the materials are bright colours which are ideal for spaces which children will use.

Research for Experimentation and Ecobuild

2009-03-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

Over the last week I have been working individually and alongside my group to the theory of sustainable design. I now feel I have backed up enough knowledge of sustainability and should now move forward to looking at how this affects design. I also had a tutorial with Stephen Bailey, he advised that I produced 3 designs for this part of the MA. I began thinking about what exactly I wanted to gain from the remaining months. After giving this some thought I have decided to look into houses as this allows a large area for research and ideas. I want to look into sustainable living and the sustainable home. As a strong interest of mine is children’s design and I feel I have left this previously at an unfinished point which was beginning to get interesting I would like to return to this area. I am going to look into designing a children’s nursery or something along these lines. The final design took much thought, I think I would like to look into hotels and holiday accommodation as a final idea. I feel at this point it is too early for me to define by work and am going to continue on with my research and developing ideas instead of working towards an outcome at this stage. Whilst researching I found out about a conference named eco build in London 3-5th march 2009, though this is short notice we feel like it is too good an opportunity to miss and feel it could provide us with inspiration and many new ideas in which to build this module around. As a group, at present we plan to go to this conference on Tuesday, sadly due to commitments and the short notice we are only able to go for the day. We have planned exactly what we want to see and information to gather to allow us to gain as much info as possible while we are there. Once we arrive at the conference we will split up to allow us to gain as much knowledge to bring back to Teesside as possible.

Eperimentation and Feesability

2009-02-18T05:49:00.000-08:00

Today was the briefing for the Experimentation and Feasibility module, the next part of the MA. We were put into tutorial groups to and discussed initial ideas. As I had worked previously with the ‘Eco-Solutions’ team I spent the rest of the day following of from this working with them and defining group formats and ideas. An idea has developed to work on urban generation with each member specialising in a different area of this, we are going to continue from where we left off with existing research and see where our direction takes us. Amongst the four of us we have gained a good work ethic and hope this will continue through the module. An exciting opportunity has emerged to discuss the Sustees event with Paul Denison and Alison Johnson next week. We hope to be able to use this as a platform for future work.

The Eco-Solutions Team

2009-02-03T04:19:00.001-08:00

The morning has been spent collating all the group research preparing for presentation and hand in. The photo above shows colleagues who I am working alongside on the use of this blog and throughout the course of my MA. From left to right: Richard Lotter, Chantel Ormorod, (Myself) Jo Beech and Paul Milburn. We share a common passion for green design and plan to reflect this in future work.

Sustees

2009-02-03T02:33:00.000-08:00

The deadline for the professional skills and enterprise module is soon approaching and much time has been spent alongside fellow students, Paul Milburn, Chantel Ormorod and Richard Lotter to develop a business plan for a sustainable company. Inspiration was sought from the sustees event which I found extremely interesting.

The sustees event was very thought provoking as it not just made me think about how sustainability fits in my discipline but in everyday life. A surprising talk was the ‘Real nappy’ Project by the real nappy group. I have to confess upon seeing this session I was hesitant and didn’t feel excited about the project. Upon reflection of the talk i thought it was very thought provoking. It is a fine example as how sustainable living can be achieved by all and how sustainable living can also be cost effective. It was also interesting to learn about sustainable companies and communities. The whole conference inspired me to take more care to design sustainably and encouraged a new found passion for green design and encouraged me to continue working alongside collegues and gain inspiration and knowledge from them.

My new blog

2009-02-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to my new blog spot.
I have created this blog spot to allow me to document and share my findings with those who I am working closely with on my MA Future Design at University of Teesside. I will use this site to upload work, ideas and share research sources and hope it can be used to develop my work. I feel this will benefit us all as I am a great believer in sharing information and resources to expand our knowledge.