So, hello everyone.
I am here with Rob Miller who is a landscape architect and
he is going to be talking to us a little bit about architecture.
So, hi Ron.
>> Hi. >> So, tell us, what is that you do?
What does an architect do and what does a landscape architect do?
>> An architect essentially, primarily designs
buildings, also designs urban areas and
is concerned with the build form of the sort of built world.
The landscape architect more looks at how these buildings interact
with the landscape and how we design the landscape to make it
a good place both to live in and also for
nature to thrive in and for people to enjoy themselves outside.
>> So, and how did you become interested in landscape architecture?
What did you find most interesting and fun about it?
>> I've grown up in the country side, I enjoy the interaction of people and
nature and I feel responsibility to make,
make that experience positive for as many people as possible and
for, and also as a place for wildlife
to thrive, and it's something I feel passionate about.
>> So, in software engineering, we tend to design our code,
design our programs before we go ahead and you know,
actually code them, so is that somehow equivalent to what you do?
What an architect does?
>> Absolutely.
A whole, a big part of the architectural
process is really understanding what that brief is from your client and
understanding the context, the constraints, and
really exploring everything that you want the building to achieve and
the actual design of the building comes right at the end when you understand
all the constraints and opportunities that you need in a building.
>> This brings me very nicely to the topic of, what we call in software engineering
specifying your requirements, which is basically the thing what you described,
the constraints and the, I don't remember the term you used, functionality?
>> Opportunities.
>> The opportunities.
>> And functionality.
So, it sets the project brief, really.
>> And, how do you gather your requirements in that sense?
Who do you talk to and what considerations do you make?
>> It depends on the scale of the project.
>> So, give us an example.
>> Generally we would need to speak to an engineer who would go and
do a site survey.
We need to know if the site is on a hill,
what the access is like to roads, whether we have gas connections,
water connections, whether there's electricity in the area.
We also need to speak to an ecologist who can tell us you need to look out for this
tree, it's got root under the grounds, you can't go dig here because it's protected,
we've also got birds on sites so we need to protect this habitat.
We might also talk to cultural heritage specialists who would tell us if,
if there is any significant
archeological elements on the site that we have to take care of.
I can show you an example.
>> That would be great, yes, yes.
And please guide us through, I mean if there's anything.
>> Right, well this is a housing project for a single house and
this is called a design and access statement,
which shows the whole process of finding out opportunities and
constraints on the site and how we go about designing.
So, here we have a site location, we have ownership and the site boundary
which we send to a consultant and they come back with their information about.
>> Okay. >> What they can find on the site and
in the environment.
And the consultants come back with
analysis on that site so we understand that it's in a conservation area,
it's, it edges on to open country side.
We have certain trees that we need to protect.
In here you can see
a cultural heritage analysis of the buildings within the village, so
we've got different ages of buildings and different styles through, through time.
Let's see here, the analysis breaks down all the different materials which we find
in the conservation area and these are what makes the village
special and I guess it's defining quality.
>> Okay.
>> So, we then try and use these materials or modern equivalent so
that when we design something it fits in with the village,
it complements it as opposed to just being an alien object in the village.
>> Myself I don't know much about architecture and whenever I think about
architecture I think of you know, drawings like the ones you've got here and
then of those 3d models of houses and I don't know, buildings,
so are these useful and for who and how?
>> They are very useful.
If we move on through the report we can see here,
first just stepping back a bit,
this is us looking at different concepts of,
of built houses and from this stage it's a 3d representation but
it allows people who can't imagine.
>> Yeah.
>> What something looks like from a plan to visualize it, which is very important
because then you know that everybody who's looking at this sees the design in
the same way that you do, which is not always the case.
>> Yes. >> So, it's a way of simplifying and
representing things to everyone.
It's a very important process and
it allows us to make further assessment so
when you've, you have,
when you have a picture of it setting and
setting how it would look, this enables the landscape architect to,
do an assessment to see how it will impact on the setting of the country side,
it will also enable the cultural heritage expert to say oh,
yes this accords with the conservation area.
So, enables people to see what it's going to be like,
look like before it's actually built.
>> So, it is a means of communication between the different partners?
>> Definitely, yeah.
>> That's exactly what happens with the prototypes in software engineering
it's just that, you know you have something that you can all see and
agree in what it is you're talking about.
>> Yeah.
It also gives in our case the planning authority,
the confidence that what you are going to build.
>> Yeah.
>> Is okay with them.
>> Brilliant.
And I've seen all the different drawings that you've got there,
it's the same side but viewed as opposed from different viewpoints.
>> Different scales, yes, so
here we can see the location of the site in the wide country side.
Here you can see the site in this immediate context.
>> Yep.
>> We're looking at about 500 meters here.
>> Yep.
>> And that looks at the landscape and then here we've zoomed
right into the actual site and break down the ecological elements.
So, depending on what discipline,
what we're trying to work out we look at it at different levels.
>> That's very interesting, it fits very nicely with what we've learned this week
about abstraction of designs, so choosing the right level of detail and
kind of focusing on the things that matter, so I can see some links there.
>> Okay, good.
>> Well, thanks very much.
>> You're welcome.