Alney Island Sketching


A compilation of initial design responses for the development of Alney Island in the first term of our final year at university. Strategic location of key buildings, circulatory routes and access points help to open up the site to the people of Gloucester. My first response was to split the site up into different sections as it gets further away from Gloucester, allowing for a more (seemingly) natural feel to the landscape as the visitor moves outwards. However I wanted to ensure that a large portion of the site remained accessible in times of flooding and so I created an axial walkway route that stretches northwards from the arts and cultural venue by the A430 all the way up to Lower Parting, attached to this was a prominent walkway that linked the wetlands to the Western edge of Gloucester.

These initial ideas culminated in a large plan (Right) which roughly mapped out the key areas. At the bottom of the page is a few small visuals created using photoshop to give an idea of the sites potential. 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Alney Island Masterplan

Image
 Design approaches that guided Alney Island Design: 1. Water Management - The management of the River Severn and the fairly consistent flooding that occurs on site was a key driver in the development of this site. The river bursts its banks in the Eastern channel and the water moves across the island to the Western channel. The site was designed using culverts, drainage channels and large retention ponds which all act as flood management but also as varied habitat for local wildlife. 2. Ecological Sustainability - An important aspect that influenced the design, the opening up of the site for visitors and wildlife was important for both groups, the provision of varied habitat was also important, fluctuation in water levels ensure that many different types of habitat are created suitable for all sorts of species including migratory and wading birds, small mammals and also an array of native invertebrates and pollinators. 3. Connection of Spaces - The connection of Alney Island to the...
Read more

Final Alney Island Masterplan

Image
This is my final masterplan for a second term project near Gloucester. It is a more detailed (1:500) scale plan with a added visual at the bottom. The key part of this design was the "furnitecture" element which we added as part of the second term brief. My idea was a bench/walkway that appears to enter and exit the ground at different points, similar to Thomas Heatherwicks "Blue Carpet", strands of steel and iron then come out of these benches, capturing the movement and flow of the Severn Bore. Additional features include the hanging art and sculptures from these "helical" strands. I think the masterplan is quite successful, Especially in meeting the brief points, but also in creating an iconic space that can be used throughout the year by everyone. One thing that I would have changed however are some of the vegetation graphics, for example I would have added greater clarity between mixed deciduous woodland and shrub planting.   
Read more