I N D U S T R I A L & I N T E R I O R D E S I G N
In the observation, we noticed a mixed diversity of people and purposes for the park.
We chose our location due to the comparison between the main roads – market areas – people being busy – a purpose to be somewhere compared to the calmness and serenity of the park – people with time on their hands – wanting to relax and enjoy natural surroundings. We felt a different approach towards ‘consuming’ time…
An observation we noticed was the path in which people chose when walking round the park. Naturally due to the concrete paths put into place circling around a field of grass people choose to follow this route. As a reaction we started to think how we could introduce an unfamiliar breakup in routine for regular users of the park. Using only natural found materials, we improvised and created a new path, that added an unfamiliar route and at the same time introduced an element of fun.
Making the path was a playful process, we saw it as a physical ‘pointless’ performance: making an endless path by picking up leaves and dropping them elsewhere… Repetitive physical act, really being in touch with nature: smell-touch… emptying your head.
Synopsis
Hack the city
[Community
calming]
(LONDON · ENGLAND · 2016)
(CRITICAL INTERROGATION PRACTICE])
Working Method
We visited our area, Queens Park – Kilburn, 3 times in total. Our first experience involved walking around the area with the strategy of each identifying certain areas of interest. Whether that be details in architecture, how busy certain streets were, patterns in nature, different cultures and diversity within inhabitants of the area. Afterwards we shared our first impressions and ideas on Facebook. The second time we focused purely on Queens Park. We experienced it for ourselves and then observed people’s behavior. The intention was to go there as a new born child, as someone who is completely unaware of the place. We consciously decided to not to use our mobile phones. we realised that in reality it is very difficult to suppress norms and expectations. because we all have a way of living, a pattern which we follow, and they exist to protect us, and help us to survive.
How we imagined project would work. Who is the audience ?
Why do they need this experience ? Emotional quality of intervention.
The intervention was aimed at regular park users from within the community, all ages and cultures. The idea was that anyone could freely join us in building the new path and the direction It could go and then afterwards choose to use/approach/photograph the new path however they may want.
Emotional qualities for us was to play, mentally switch off and produce something that was instant whilst working through the challenges of functioning in a team with new people.
For the users it was more a playful, fun distraction that allowed them to interact in a more direct method with nature and their everyday environment.
We have learnt from this experience that the best way to produce a successful intervention was to instantly make and play as opposed to brainstorming and thinking about the process before fully submerging ourselves within in the area.
