the big draw | starts tomorrow

I know that I am a day early and I mentioned it last year, but thought the big draw worthy of another mention this year.

the ninth big draw runs from 1 to 31 October 2008, with a special focus on saturday 11 october.

locally (to me I mean) this might be worth a visit

Venue: ACD&C Architecture Centre Devon and Cornwall @ The University of Plymouth
Address: Crosspoint / Atrium, University of Plymouth, Roland Levinsky Building Plymouth, Devon PL1 2JYTel: 07791 138012
Event title: A Creative Urban Landscape
Description: The Architecture Centre Devon and Cornwall in collaboration with The University of Plymouth, will host this years Big Draw at the 2008 RIBA award winning Roland Levinsky Building in the heart of the city. Be inspired by the building that features so prominently in Plymouth and help us make a giant creative landscape. Materials will be provided.
Audience: All ages
Date/Time: 11 October, 10.30am - 4pm
Cost: No admission charge
Event: Free

its building this time >> poundbury & more

I was having a look at new building/architecture thinking particularly about the strange concept of poundbury in dorset. I have an interest in that area as various family members both close and distant have lived, some living in and around the dorchester area for the last few hundred years, and probably even further back than that.

I often stop in poundbury when driving between my home in cornwall and my parents home in sussex. I used to like the idea of poundbury but recently it has become rather different as it grows, changing rather awkwardly in to any new town but still appears to pretend to be something much better almost like a film set, (just my opinion).
check poundbury tv.

however for some reason whilst looking at poundbury I clicked a link that took be to the blog 'housebuilders update'. a blog run by housebuilder's bible author mark brinkley, author and planning permission expert Ken Dijksman, & green building specialist Tim Pullen. housebuilder's update is a free service designed to provide information for housebuilders and self-builders.

I particularly liked their post on terminal 5 at heathrow airport, good stuff.

just in case you thought I had put the cheesy effects on the pictures. I didn't it was how there were on the poundbury web site.

skate >> it is more important that you think

image courtesy of skullskates
more to read Skateboarding, Space and the City: Architecture and the Body & this.

800 million pound railway station >> architects

it is unusual for me to comment on a TV programme but I have just watched the first of a series of six half hour films about the the final two years work/modernisation of st pancras railway station, london.
bbc 2 @10pm each day this week timed to coincide with the opening of a faster rail link to continental europe. link found via davidthedesigner. (check out french week over on dthed)

alastair lansley, the projects chief architect is someone I admire greatly. even after only watching the first programme I feel humbled by his attention to detail and real care about the way good design works. so many of the things we do are driven by targets and budgets, whether design and now even education. it is so refreshing to see that there are still people out in the real world who care as much.
I look forward to the rest of the series.

more architecture >> liking the guardian

just a short one today, but no small feat some excellent work from the guardian newspaper this week some excellent architecture stuff especially for the arm chair architecture fan like me.

I am really enjoying the series of blue prints it was the pompidou centre, yesterday a personal favourite the guggenheim bilbao.

something to look at >> yes

I know that 'nothing to see here' the website/blog has been around for a few years now. but I have just spent over an hour reading about all sorts of things on the site from architecture to food and all if it interesting.
I just had mention it as it had provided me with so much information. have a look I am sure you will find something to read.

beauty of technology >> architecture

I had a few moments today when I had the chance to just play on the internet for a while so I looked at the pentagram blog, which led me to the glass house. which then led me on to looking at arts & architecture.

I have always thought that I was a architect that never happened probably because I was never quite ready to try or because the lure of the textile/fashion world in the 80's was too strong but it never happened.

however for a long time I have referred in my design work as far as thinking and imagery to architecture especial from the 40's to the 60's. I am sure for some of you this is nothing new but to be able to simply open a .pdf file and have in front of me drawings from a magazine in this case (arts & architecture) as I have included below. It is still a novelty to me.


even though I spend all my working time on front of a screen so often I can't see the most obvious things any way I thought I would share some of it.

millau bridge >> montpellier >> architecture

I know always bore people with stuff whenever I go off on my visits work or otherwise. this time I hopefully be short enough with the words to not be so boring.
just have a look at these pictures (not fantastic quality they were taken on a mobile phone). I was travelling up to calais from narbonne plage, having spent a short time in montpellier.

my thinking is that the mad dog english often get things a wrong. It was about 2 in the afternoon and the place was empty (having a sleep probably) good for me just pasing through looking at the archictecture. the first is taken in montpellier walking along the river, (when I got home and showed ben. he said that looked nothing like gotham city of batman) I thought it did, no matter I liked it.

as to the millau bridge well I already new it was the highest in the world designed by norman foster one of my heroes. though I had never actually seen it. I think it is something very special indeed when you cross it and look back. well worth finding if you are in the south of france.


sorry there will be more about france as I am off back there for a holiday (rather than work which the ardeche/narbonne one was) in about 3 weeks!

I like this blog >> dan lockton

I am not really sure how I found my self looking at this blog/website today but I must have spent 30-40 minutes just finding more and more to read.
dan lockton an industrial designer, engineer and writer with a special interest in consumer products, transportation and mobility, and the relationship between technology and society, especially architectures of control.
dan seems to have got things sorted as far as the thinking, looking and doing, so I will be sure to check again.

after a couple of days >> thoughts about hospitals

I didn't think it would be easy to stay away from this blog for a couple of days good but I did. it was so good to receive positive messages whilst I was away. so regards to paula hope you had some good waves this past weekend. troy thank you for your comments. special mention goes to andrew for checking that I really do have a problem with the way things are arranged, and also feistyred for making me think even more about how children can draw and enjoy drawing without being self conscious.
any way enough catching up and to the reason for today's blog.

I as usual always try to have a look at stuff wherever I go. today I went of the main city hospital as carol had an outpatients appointment (she is well it was a positive appointment). as usual I was looking up and almost enjoying the new section of the building shown in the picture below.

the shapes and shadows of the design of this building I thought were quite pleasing. this is a view out of a waiting room where I seemed to spend a long time. as long as I looked out of the window it was ok.

if only the same amount of time and money where spent on the interior. I pitched for a job designing textiles (curtains, etc.) for a health authority but we didn't agree on some stuff so it never really got going further that initial design drawings.


I wish that some one had been employed to design the interior of this hospital. I fully understand that the work of a hospital is not the same as a 'design studio' and there are more important things to consider as far as live saving. however there is no possible doubt that people recover better and even quicker if their environment is conducive to well being.
the chairs are so depressing (even though I like the colour!) it was the wipe clean plastic covers that I didn't like. as well as the combination of pale pigment less colour scheme. the new section of the build would have been specified, and though about with a chance to change the ever lasting corridors that really do my head in. I am sure that the is a better way of using the space even making the corridors perhaps not as straight, while keeping them accessible to all the emergency needs and wide enough to make it possible to visit without compromising the privacy of an inpatient.

by the time I left the hospital I felt like the last picture (this is the entrance/exit) that of course I have played about it a bit and I hadn't even seen anyone for anything wrong with me! perhaps that is why I spent so much time looking about.

I haven't given up

just in case some of you had thought that I had stopped blogging far from it. I have however a whole heap of work to get done this week, so I haven't been able to research stuff and write much. I do have these pictures taken on monday for you, should be back to normal blogging by the end of the week.

what a day >> designing for mobile communities

what a day, I really have to mention carol, first she left early this morning to drive to an interview, probably the most important in her working life to date. then she is back home after lunch when she received a call to say that she didn't get the job. next she called me very disappointed and I promised to get home as soon as I could which I did.
next early evening they were on the phone again offering her the job, quite rightly in my opinion she excepted, and got a good deal.
and there I was thinking the design/academic world was fickle.

I spent some valuable time on designs for 'the hub' today which is coming together a bit better than last week. I did take some pictures very quickly before I had to get home, but in my haste I had the camera set on macro which obviously meant that whilst the pictures are interesting they do not mean anything, I will try to get more pictures on tomorrow.

whilst looking at more stuff on the internet I again was drawn to cati's blog because I remembered a link to jeff axup who finished his thesis on 'methods of understanding and designing for mobile communities'. it sounds a bit heavy but I took it upon myself to read a large part of it. I am famous for not really liking reading a huge amount of text on screen. so as bad as it is if I have to consider an examination criteria for a new exam course I will be teaching I print it off to read it in a quiet corner somewhere at home, usually because the text has not been specifically designed for reading on screen so doesn't work.

however looking at jeff's thesis or the sections of it that I have considered and read, make it different and easier to see on screen.
the understanding of the first user seems to have been thought through in a way that suits me at least.

It would be silly of me to try and explain all that jeff axup has considered and written about but I will show a couple of screen shots and explain a little of way I think it works. obviously splitting the thesis up for download is nothing new, (the complete thesis can also be downloaded).
I like the way jeff has done this because for me anyway it makes the most important part the subject matter easier an clear to grasp.

I would be very interested to see what you think.

(NID) neo-nomad id / a digital bedouin >> & another meeting

I as I normally do check who has been looking at this blog then log on to twitter while checking the BBC news site at the same time as drinking a coffee. it's the usual way I spend a part of most evenings I was I bit late tonight as I had a meeting but still.
while in the blog land I was checking one of my favourite blogs cati vaucelle (love the jacques tati poster from monday, cati) on her blog she mention NID or neo-nomad id, intrigued by the term I looked further she had also added a link to the bbc and an article by bill thompson and all became clear.
seems yasmine abbas invented the term or certainly first used the terms (NID) neo-nomad id / a digital bedouin in a blog.
her blog in search if the neo-nomad explains. another great post from yasmine abbas is my body is a hypertext not just for a great visual/picture/text impact but as a very well observed piece of humour.
as I had a meeting tonight i thought how long would it be before I will be able to do my joawhile sitting in starbucks or another coffee shop or from the beach will I ever be working in that way I find it hard to see but even 10 years ago I had no idea I would be doing this.
I like to think I will except, embrace and use change (for the better not just as so often for changes sake) in anything/everything I do.

well to the meeting again and an illustration (left) by Andrew Saeger found on the blog/website seattlepi I like the illustration as it shows the frustration of so many meetings I have had to attend and continue to attend. I have had some very good meetings but they tend more in the form of constructive conversations. rather than meeting for the sake of convention.
often I am left thinking what was the real idea of that and what the point of was! not just me it seems I typed into google to find hundreds of links to all sorts of stuff related to meetings and how to waste time at work? surely if you think like that you are in the wrong job...

'the hub' >> a working title

I am rather absorbed in thought at the moment I have been doing a lot of thinking and looking over the last few days. sort of hinted at it in yesterdays blog, but I am try to plan a layout for an educational space that is very different from the usual. I have a whole lot of work to do as I want to be able to present some complex (interesting/exciting) plans for 'the hub'. this is a working title as I would like to treat it as a hub of fact finding, learning and communication.

the main aspect of the design is a central 'hub' of the work space is an interconnected bank of five stations/computers all equipped with, well I will explain that at a later date as I am not sure of the spec yet. all I have is a head full of ideas I can almost see it in there but I need to be able to explain it that needs some more work. all I have so far is the first scribble (left).

I have obviously looked at and visited a whole bunch of places, along with my experience of both working in design studios and in schools and colleges I hope to be able to draw the many different elements together to produce a 'zone' of enjoyment and learning that is a great place to be as well as a great place to learn.

I have added some of the research I have been doing to this blog. looking through other schools with amazing buildings but tending to conform to the use of the inside space as in the picture (left). as you can see the desks and chairs are formally positioned. , chumleigh community college, classroom of the future, chulmleigh, devon. devon property, county hall, exter, devon. riba awards 2005. I want to move away from the formality of rows of tables and chairs.


absolute designs a design company based in falmouth, cornwall, uk have produced some design solutions, showing an inspiring use of interior space. you can see a couple of projects they have worked on. pictures (left) of falmouth college of arts and cornwall centre for professional development (right). for a better view have a look at their website its quite an amalgam of design from interiors to branding, packaging, design for print and more.

I still have plenty of planning and more thinking to do yet but a sensible proposal will hopefully come, whether anything will actioned is another thing completely. as a designer/ideas person you kind of get used to that. whatever happens the creative side of problem solving is often enough to fuel me to move on to the next project.

in a rush >> waiting >> store design/layout

how many times have you rushed to get somewhere got there exactly on time only to be kept waiting and waiting! well that happened to me today I had to go into work two hours teaching then into a meeting then rush to see the consultant (about my shoulder) but ended up waiting for 2 hours 20 minutes. now I know that there are always people worse off and I realise that my need is not as great as others but it was a clinic I had an appointment time! I just had to wait quietly.

I don't want to use this blog to complain about stuff that has nothing to do with what the blog was started for so I'll stop.

I did however have a chance afterwards to go for a surprisingly nice coffee, (I chose not to have it black as would usually in case it was not very nice) at a very large retailer, as I was enjoying my coffee and carrot cake. I got set to thinking if this retailer take £1 of every £8 spent in the the UK, how does this reflect on the design/layout of the shop.



I also remembered that in the early 90's I was responsible for designing the floor layouts for a very large menswear retailer when they opened their flagship shop on oxford street, london and across the country the group where then bought up by eventually (arcadia). the design/layout of a shop obviously makes an enormous difference on how much money it makes I then realised why I had stopped doing it!

I have added a few pictures I took while I was there. I can't say I found any of it inspiring in any sense. though is so successful perhaps i need to think why, it can't just be price can it?


love the jars of octopus, I am sure not all the shops in this group sell them, so regional tastes must be catered for.

a walk to the shop >> then I noticed the signs

it is funny that I genuinely have no idea what i am going to add to this blog for day to day.
today I was at home with my 8 year old son ben it was a lovely sunny day in cornwall. ben decided it would be nice to go out for a walk in the sun, good idea.
we walked along the road, very near where we live the road I drive out of every working day. strange that you notice different things when you walk, as soon as I saw the first sign a real cast metal sign (top left) that is probably older than me I thought of davidthedesigner he would have approved.
we went to the shop and bought some lunch and ice cream I even had a milk shake as it was buy 1 get 1 free (won't be doing that again) at least ben loved his strawberry milky thing.
we left the shop to be met by the second photo (top right). already i was thinking again of david and also ben of noisy decent graphics.
when we turned into the road we live in another sign greeted us (bottom left) I was amazed that I have driven, sometimes walked by these signs nearly every day and not really noticed them before (& I consider my self visually aware!). at least as I walked towards my home I was reassured that my chimney that I really like (bottom right) I know many in the area don't like delabole slate used in this way and regard it as is ugly, but ugly or not the craftsmen that made it as the craftsmen who made the first sign actually cared. the same can't be said of the other signs.

just having a look round >>

it is strange that it is so easy to become stuck in your own blog world and look at the really good blogs/websites that you usually look at. I had some time this afternoon an exam was going on in my teaching room so I had an hour of complete silence to browse around looking at as many different sites as I wanted.
I am normally either too tired or too busy to have this opportunity and the themes for each days blog just come to me while I am teaching or driving or talking.
I very rarely get time to just look. here are just a few blogs amongst many that I found interesting enough to want to share.

notes by cati vaucelle
yasmine abbas
the landscape blog
design observer
society of illustrators of los angeles



these are just five to have a look at whether they are to your taste or not I like them, I have also been looking at some french blogs. it seems that there is some great design and text driven stuff.

looking up >>

in addition to the post below we went to see our nearest and favourite professional rugby team play on saturday and it was really good as they won and are through to the semi finals, great weather, great atmosphere. but I do sometimes think people might consider me a little odd as I try and look up at the skyline as much as possible even at a sporting event looking for shapes and colours. I have a whole load of these kind of pictures taken over the last 25 years .


when I say skylines it is perhaps more where the sky meets the buildings I was doing this on the very short walk from the car park to the rugby ground as well as in the stadium. when I noticed this to my mind beautiful building in amongst newer occupied flats. I have walked the areas before and never seen it doing this you really do see the most amazing things each time something new.


I love walking round places slowly and looking up. in the last two years I have spent time in Nimes in southern France and that really is a place to look up in. having said that I keep finding new parts of my city that inspire me and show me that you don't always have to go far to see, moreover it's about how you look. some of the architecture and ornamentation across our local city is so beautiful is just largely unseen.

couple of things >> yesterday & tomorrow

carol and ben went in to the pictures today and out of interest (mine) I asked if they well carol could get a picture of the interior of the McDonalds with the green outside from yesterday. as you can see upstairs where this was taken, makes no reference to McDonalds at all. not that it was a question but the place that I went to yesterday with the nice coffee was M&S.

looking through the surf sites as I do I found that London will soon be getting its own wave. an huge indoor surf park boasting machine-generated waves is being planned. called the Surfdome, the first of its kind in Europe, will feature a 75m long pool recreating perfect surfing waves. apparently able to create breaking waves up to 8ft high. I have been to a few places in europe with an artificial wave machines and they have been a bit rubbish. lets hope that this one is good as it will keep the London hordes away from cornwall! (joke) as a full time resident of cornwall it can get a bit crowded in the water with summer surfers. they should come down this weekend with the waves we have currently 8ft and some, water temperature is 10C and air temperature about the same. I am not really a cornish independence protester but I was reminded of the cost of living down here when the water bill came this morning, the highest water bills in the UK by far!

late again >> dress it up >> coffee >> colour

I have been giving myself a deadline to get this blog finished by 12 o'clock midnight each day as I have my surf forecast site to do and other work stuff as well. I am writing this is for Thursday so I missed it once again, hey just checked the clock and I made it.
nice day if a bit long, no real work done whatsoever another day in the city (with ben and carol). as you can see I have not been using a real camera just the mobile. do you believe the quality is in the photographer or the photographer and the camera? I think I need all the help I can get so I will try to use a better camera when ever possible. I have been looking up and walking slowly as usual and noticing that is matters so much how things are dressed up. maybe it's country wide I am not a McDonald's fan but the branding / I-D for one of the branches has changed / changing it's not my area if specialty so I might be way out of date. I think it is still selling the same stuff, I didn't go in but it looks nice especially the chairs. Starbucks has a better image and is a comfortable environment very soft sofas even space to work sometimes, sells fair trade coffee and usually my coffee stop of choice. however today I took a risk and tried a different (coffee) cafe. not somewhere I would like to think to be aimed at people like me but I found out the coffee was really very good indeed, can you guess the cafe just from the colours outside (the last picture) hardly difficult but still. after so many years of looking (up) at colours shapes and stuff, working in the industry, even currently teaching business and enterprise trying to get students interested in the importance of colour in selling an image, product or service is not easy. unless you are one of us many people don't seem to realise or care what is happening to them every day.