100 lessons learnt from studying Landscape Architecture

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Thanks Alick

Model oh model, please can I have my home back.

Clean Monday

Today was clean Monday, a Greek celebration which marks the end of eating meat for Lent. There's a little more to it than that, but you know. I only realised after returning from another 14 hour 160 mile uni Monday to see my friend Theo and his mates in full swing. I then did what any good mate does and dropped in for a quick one.

Today was also our last interim before Easter and a day beyond all others in my 3 and a half year short academic career that I REALLY REALLY didn't want to go into uni. I'd done about 20% of the work expected for the crit and that was pretty rubbish too. I'd had tears this weekend, I'd had tantrums and I'd not managed to get a fraction of my work done. Not to mention the fact that it was the last class before Easter. I could so easily just not go in and then work like grease lightening during the holidays. However I've not missed a lecture yet and don't intend for this to happen if I can possibly avoid it.

I pinned up (it didn't take long) and then I was the first to present, typical. Jamie and Julia gave me my crit which included the expected slap of the legs and the 'you're not going to get through this degree unless you empty your head into your sketchbook, design freeze and get it onto your A1's'. They are absolutely right. You see I expect people to know what I'm designing in my head by telepathy, that ain't ever going to happen and will always end in tears.

Their feedback was far more constructive this crit and I've left feeling more encouraged than disheartened and suitably booted up the arse, which is good because I have 3 weeks ahead in which I need to kick my projects derrière - starting with a rendering style.

I love watching the Greeks celebrating, Clean Monday was no exception. The Greeks are (generally) united by music, food, drink and celebration. However they are also a hugely Patriarchic society and the Greeks have dramas in a way that the East Enders cast can only look on and admire. Drama is a Greek word. Part of the reason I'm so blocked with producing work for uni is that I can't find a rendering style. Maybe it's a bit like my beloved Greeks, It's perfect in some ways and so broken in others but you just get on with it.

Stop stop stop

I really must stop designing and start producing, otherwise I'll never get anywhere

Strong concept and language

What a week

How is it that a week ago I blogged a beautiful spring day and then this!  At uni yesterday there was barely any snow so when I had a quick snoop on facebook I was quite surprised to see Brighton under a good heap of snow.  My mates advised that it would be 'quite unwise'. Luckily I have beautiful friends in Meopham. Four and a half hours to do a 20 minute journey and I arrive. I'm blogging in Becky's pj's and Daniel's old dressing gown! Snow really does hanker being a long distance student!

Hopefully I'll get home today.......

A cracking day at work

Every now and again you get a day at work that you just don't want to end. I love this time of year, as a fellow gardener once said 'All anticipation and no disappointment'.

Clever use of an empty premises

Lighting

Having spent my Saturday night wandering the streets of Brighton looking at how it's illuminated there are two things that strike me. Firstly there are a lot less street lights than I though.  On a lot of  the streets the street lights were spaced 20 meters apart.  The second thing I noticed is that less is most definitely more. Please excuse the quality of the photos, night photography is not my cameras forte.

A lot of the pubs and clubs were lit in quite a gaudy way and maybe keeping it simpler might be better.

Why blue?

Why Green

Why so bright?

Keeping the lighting softer offers a far greater feeling of intimacy.

I feel the area around the Pavilion is really effectively lit. The lighting through the timber slats accentuates the linear seating

The pathway through the park makes it a safe cut through from the Old Steine to the Theatre Royal as well as highlighting the architecture.

 The catenary lighting from the lampposts on the seafront is really effective and highlights one of my favourite aspects of living in Brighton. The seagulls having their underneaths illuminated as they fly over.

 The grand demonstrates how 5 strong up lights can flood a building of it's size but it does feel quite glaring.

I feel the lighting on the bandstand is really effective. 

Quick drainage observation while I was there!














http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCgV-FnEcGQ !

It's Saturday Night

My friends are hitting the Green Door Store tonight, another mate is off to a fancy dress birthday party in Lewes.

photo courtesy of http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk

But no, I will be walking round Brighton and Hove seeing how it's lit.

Lighting and drainage plans at 1:200 due in on Monday!