The Space

Within the school they have a large courtyard area which I think is perfect for a big Olympic Legacy Structure and could be greatly enhanced with an injection of colour. The space is a lot larger than I originally expected however I think there is a lot of potential. Having spoken to the site manager at Frederick Gent School it has been agreed that the light will remain where they are and that the structure/sculpture will be built around it. It is worth noting that the final product must allow access to the base of the lighting as this is where the fuses etc need to be changed. This is a vital point to remember throughout any further sketch work as it is essential to fulfil the needs of the space. 

Chatsworth House

Last Monday I visited Chatsworth House to take a look at all the sculptures there. I decided to do this after a few of the students had mentioned a particular tree-like sculpture so as it was quite a cold day I wrapped up warm and headed for the garden.

I have included a few photos of some the most interesting things from throughout my day but more photos can be seen on my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hannahlouisebarker/ .

The most interesting link to the project was a christmas tree inside the house which was made to allow visitors to write and attach personal noted to the tree leaving mementos behind for others to read. Sadly they would not allow me to take a photo of this however it has definitely brought to life the leaving behind of a memory, memento or celebration. The act of attaching the note to the tree was a particularly ceremonious moment and was extremely thought provoking. Re-creating those feelings and emotions of leaving something to be remembered is something that I am excited about implementing in my design and I believe that I have already started to do so in some of my initial sketches.

I loved wandering the gardens with the trees and the sculptures and was very excited to see two woodpeckers which is surprising considering I am definitely not a walker. The inspiration nature creates is exciting though and it was great to get some images of some old trees as well as the sculptures.

Chatsworth House was beautiful particularly on the outside which they are halfway through restoring, inside the Christmas decorations were beautiful perhaps a little over the top for my personal tastes however I would definitely visit it again, especially if it snows.

 

Major or Minor

Several weeks into the project I have decided to change it from my minor project to my major. This will give me more time to spend upon it and also give me the time to see it to the end rather than worrying about it conflicting with my major.

The project is currently in the initial design stage and I will add some of the initial designs up here in my next blog. The potential for this project is enourmous and I am starting to think about makeing my very specific brief which will give an idea of how many people will use the space, number of seats, materials etc.

Understanding the space and how it is used already is essential to the piece and I have therefore had some time to observe the space without students within it and then again with students in it. I have also measured much of the area and will be working to those specifications.

The Brief

‘Get Set’ is the official education programme for 3 – 19 year olds for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games. The programme is used to embed the Olympic values by enhancing both the learning, teaching and the school environment. Having attended a regional Leadership conference year 9 students from the School proposed to design and make a piece of sculpture/landscape art with an Olympic theme as a legacy of the London 2012 games.


Pupils have already generated ideas around the concept of a ‘stylised tree’ with ‘leaves’ bearing names of those that have been recognised as achieving one of the Olympic goals. It will be located in the school’s central courtyard and must enhance the school environment. The structure will be permanent, forming a legacy that can have further names added by the school on later occasions which therefore means that it must be viable for the school to take on it's maintenance and safekeeping. 


As this is a live project it requires communication and extra care when designing. This design has to be made on a large scale by the end of the project and therefore every detail must be covered and carefully planned for. 


I am excited about this project as there is a lot of possibilities and opportunities within the work. 

The start...

I have been working with Frederick Gent School for a few weeks now. They asked whether a Nottingham Trent Design student would be able to help with their thoughts and hopes of creating an Olympic Legacy Structure within the school. I have agreed and therefore have started work upon designing and fulfilling the initial ideas that a few students came up with after going on a 'Get Set' conference. This blog is to keep anyone interested up-to-date and will hopefully be somewhere I can show you my ideas, hopes and expectations for the project. Please feel free to comment and any ideas or thoughts are more than welcome.