2002
Holiday space
2002 UNL Diploma Unit 3 East
A field, in Essex, sits quietly close to the River Blackwater, near the sea. It was sold as a grassy grid of caravan sized private plots to a range of owners in the 1970’s. Promises that accompanied the sale of the land told of growing land values, changes in planning policy to allow development, and freedom to use the land as soon as contracts were exchanged. The idea of somewhere to go away to; an other place to expand the experience of living, was anticipated with excitement.
30 years later little has changed; the field is still grassy. The potential to bring new purpose to Drinkwater Farm has been stifled by planning policies aimed at protecting the conceptual role of the green belt. The unit programme will explored the opportunities for the Drinkwater Farm site to realise its potential for a community of holidaymakers held at bay for 30 years, and to consider how this and other other places within the green belt can become counterparts to everyday experience.
Two outputs were sought:
A. Scenarios for change at the site with buildings, infrastructure, and other spaces designed and developed in detail.
B. Ideas presented as arguments to take to the local planning authority to convince them of the proposals. An understanding of current issues and policies relating to the site and to the green belt will be needed to provide these outputs, and ensure that realism sharpens the imagination.