The workshop started with my talk ‘Model as a Vehicle for Design’. In the presentation I discussed the role of making is a thinking tool. In particular, attention was paid to choosing materials suitable for a given theme/project title, recording one’s own creative process with photographs and physically representing notions that are in themselves not physical.
Following a presentation to the wider year group, I was working with students specifically focusing on a Royal Docks site to the east of London City Airport. In the 1980s the local community created a plan for the Docks. Today, the students are exploring new visions, drawing on the present day initiatives and struggles of the area. The specific site for this project stage is a small square along Pier Road. The square is fronted by retail units and the North Woolwich Library entrance.
Some projects looked at play spaces for children and for adults. Others considered sustainable initiatives, such as an anaerobic digestor for public use. Much attention was dedicated to platforms for discussing issues, such as a theatre, speakers corner or a pirate radio station. Some projects revolved around immersive theatre experience, plumbing, and boat building. To mitigate violent crime, some of the schemes offered boxing clubs, parkour spaces and basketball courts.
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