Initial Research

As a class we went to different public spaces in Dundee to see how they were being used and what we as designers could do to make the space more interactive and interesting. My group visited St Mary’s Church next to the Overgate centre, one thing we noticed was how we were able to walk the whole way around the church. We also noticed that not many people seemed to take notice of the building despite it being bang in the middle of the street and right next to the shopping centre.

The only interaction we saw between the public and the building was people taking pictures with the penguin statues on the wall.

All in all we came to the conclusion that even though it was a Monday morning the space around the church could be used in some way to engage the public and encourage interaction.

Further Research

I did some research into the RRS Discovery and originally planned on creating a space around that, my idea was to create a tunnel leading into the discovery centre where the public could see the history of the boat, I also considered putting arctic animals in the walls of the tunnel to show visitors the animals the boat may have encountered.

 

However, this was then overshadowed after a browse on Pinterest sparked an idea. Spinning Tops by Hector Esrawe. The colours, shapes and patterns of the spinning tops really inspired me, I like how they have created a hub of activity both for kids and adults.

The spinning tops got me thinking about Dudhope Park and how it could be turned into a hive of activity and colour. I decided to create a climbing frame, similar to the spiderweb frames seen in play parks, with hammocks around the outside for people to sit in.

I started off my model with a thick piece of foam as it made a base which was easy to stick the wire into for the frame of the climbing frame, i then used pieces of string to convey the climbing area of the frame.

As you can see my initial model is a bit squint and looks very unfinished and thrown together – which it kind of was.

For my final model i decided to hot glue the wires to a wooden base, this made them more secure than with the foam, I then hot glued the wires into a dome shape to create the main frame of the climbing frame. Like in the initial model I used string to convey the spiderweb climbing area inside the frame.

As you can see from the last 2 images the scale of my model is huge in comparison to my figure. I decided instead of remaking my model I would remake my figure to more accurately represent the scale of the climbing frame.

After making my model I started to think how else it could be used by the public. I came to the conclusion that it could be used in many ways (especially at night), from a place for the homeless to sleep to a refuge for late night drinkers. During the day it can be used for its primary purpose of a climbing frame and outdoor seating as well as a place for people to interact with others and to get some fresh air away from the hussle and bussle of the city centre.

Overall this project was fun to do however, I struggled to come up with creative ways to use the space and how to promote interaction. Despite this though I am happy with my idea, I could have taken more time in the making of the model and making it accurately to scale but at the end of the day we were not asked to create a finished model, therefore I am satisfied with my attempt.

What I Learnt

• Dundee has so many potential public spaces that with a bit of TLC could be very beneficial and rewarding for the city
• The size of your figure can totally alter the size of the model
• Researching your surroundings can give a lot of inspirataion

*Edit*

I had a bit of time before i had to hand in my model so decided to make a smaller more accurate model of my feature, i used some artificial grass to create a bit more realism to  my model.

I am much happier with my second model as it is more life like and the use of netting instead of string makes it look a lot neater.