National Trust
2004 ASD Diploma Unit 3 East

The National Trust is an organisation that epitomises values of conservation and restoration. When you visit a National Trust location, one has a feeling of the place being cared for on your behalf; it is safe and (subject to a fee) accessible. Are these values and benefits achievable in other ways? Could the model of the National Trust be applied to areas that need to harness change to the public benefit of those who live there and those who visit? How does one decide where conservation is essential and where rude change is desirable?

To date, the Thames Gateway has remained undescribed, misunderstood, unvisited, and annexed from London. Because of this, the new transport connections and housing proposed in these areas will bring a deep cultural shift in the perception and use of this place and of London as a whole. What happens when you plough a new tram route through them, or bring new train stations, or build a new bridge across the river?

Truffles ­ Drawing - Frills
The unit started by studying four publicly-owned buildings that date from a time when the countryside was still within sight of the heart of the city and are now within or close to the Zones 5 and 6 of the Zones of Change in the Thames Gateway. These were used as steppingstones to work in the wider context of the urban landscapes. Why have these buildings been preserved? What is it about them that fascinates people? Students were asked to design a frill (something that takes up more space than necessary, is an addition to something that is unnecessary, though it may enhance its appearance, interest, or value) with the aim of enhancing accessibility and pleasure of these places.

Catalysts ­ Walking - Mapping
A host of infrastructural improvements will radically change the Thames Gateway, especially Zones 5 and 6: Crossrail, Greenwich Waterfront Transit/Rapid Transit, Thames Gateway Bridge, Thames Paths and Parks. While strategic decisions for the routing of these projects have been taken pragmatically, there is currently little thought on the ideas and communication of the projects, and their implications on the ground. Students explored the wider settings of the first projects by walking along the future routes and imagining likely and desirable change. How are ideas made real?

Myths ­ Making ­ All of a piece
In the last of a series of set exercises students developed an architectural response to the inevitable growth and change in an area where for some reason space is regarded an unlimited resource. Students have been asked to develop their own vision for a trust that pairs seemingly opposed or disjointed stakeholders to mutual benefit, thus supporting an all of a piece infrastructure, landscape, and architecture.