Chaumont Garden Festival

In September I went on holiday to Normandy and the Loire, and I went and checked out the show Gardens at Chaumont-sur-Loire. This years theme was 'Gardens of the Memory'. It was really interesting to see how diverse the designs that stemmed from this theme were. The following are photos of some of the design elements I liked in the gardens showcased this year.


The Show is situated
in the grounds of
this amazing Chateau




Mass planted ferns contrast well with the metal structure








This was a garden designed by
textile students. The design was
not brilliant, but I did like how the
fabric highlights the qualities
of this plant (achillea?)








This was a garden of recycled materials.
I like this as a use of aggregate in a concrete wall.





Nice pale stone
in the gabions






The following photos are of the two gardens that I thought were the most successful. The 'boxes' you see in this first picture were made of concrete, cor-ten or plywood and were of varying shapes and sizes, placed around the space. Each box represented memories of different stages in our lives. The materials deteriorated (or not) at different rates, symbolising how our grasp on our memories changes over time. The idea was very well conceived, and the spaces within the garden were very successful. The planting reinforced the concept.



The next 3 photos are of my favorite garden at the show. The design was based on two infinite loops, like mobius strips which never interconnect. Now that I come to think of it, this idea was never really linked to the 'memory theme' very successfully, although I am sure it could be. However it was the most successful garden in terms of structure, planting, circulation and materials (in my humble opinion)









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London Open House Week

In September I went and checked out some Architecture during London Open House Week. This is a fantastic event, and if you have never been I highly recommend you go next year. You get inside Londons most interesting buildings. This year, two of the buildings I visited stuck out. Here are some photos of them.

This first image is of Fawood Childrens Centre in Harlesden. Designed by Will Alsop. The budget was tiny, and the centre is built in the middle of one of the worst estates in London. He cleverly used shipping containers for classrooms, and made the place bright and colourful and inspiring. The whole building is enclosed in a kind of steel grill, so the kids get loads of fresh air, but are safe within it's confines. Will Alsop should be commissioned to do something in Hastings.



The next images are of Chiswick business Park. Architect Richard Rogers and Landscape Architects West 8. This is an on going project and is in phase two. The buildings get built as they are needed, preventing empty offices. The landscaping was inspiring, as you really felt you were no longer in London. The park is open to everyone, but I don't think people are aware of this yet. So if you get a chance, go! The only thing I didn't like about the landscaping was some of the plants they had chosen. There were quite a few Acer palmatum on their last legs as they were very exposed. They used plenty of Cypress, I think they were going for a bit of a zen feel, for all those stressed out office workers!






The detailing on the decking was fantastic, I don't even think Jamie would have criticized it!

Frieze Art Fair

Went to the Frieze Art Fair in Regents Park yesterday, scammed a VIP pass and all (free coffee, shame I don't drink it) I love contemporary art (most of it), and find it completely inspiring. I also wish I had some serious dough so I could own some of it. The video work wasn't as good as last year, but there was some amazing photography, and this year quite a lot of the artists had used collage.
This year, I looked at the artwork from a different perspective than I usually do. I tried to think about how I could take something from them and apply it to Garden design. Some inspired more than others, so here's a few photos of things I found wonderful.


I love how the 'windows' within the curves of this sculpture frame the illuminated background. It changed from every angle


This effect of a serigraph on copper sheeting, could be applied to different materials. This piece has a feeling of 'trompe l'oeil' about it


This amazing collage, shows what an effective medium it can be


This deconstructed image was one of my favorites(photo does not do it justice) A photo of an every day object, altered within itself, like a jigsaw being put back the wrong way


I liked this piece, in terms of the possibilities of the material. Cold stainless steel sheeting made to look delicate and fragile. Laser cutting is definitely something I want to explore

There was so much more, and the ideas were endless.............my head hurts..bye,

Raina

Blog Guinea Pig

Well my first opinions about this Blogging malarky, are that it was all a bit confusing about all the different names and titles they want you to come up with. They don't really tell you what is going where and it was a bit confusing.
Checked out a few random blogs that were appearing on the home page....ended up checking out some (accidently I may add) well, not so wholesome blogging, which put me off my breakfast! It would appear that there are all sorts of reasons people Blog!
I am actually quite looking forward to this, even if it may prove time consuming to begin. I am not someone who is protective or private about my work, and I would love to see more of other peoples ideas and processes. Over and out...