Design diary

I have always had difficulty finding the exact textures or plants I would like when creating visualisations and masterplans, so I have been experimenting with AI software to create different textures. I first tried to create different trees from above; obviously, the main issue is that the trees aren't real, which can cause textures that aren't really there to be created, but for the purpose of a masterplan for the general public I feel like this could be a really useful and quick tool to use.                                                          

  This week I tried watercolour markers; I've tried using them like alcohol markers by just colouring in layers and trying to blend that way. However I quickly learnt, they really don't work like that! I'm going to try adding water to them to combine them next time and see if I can get a better effect than just block colour.

 Claude Cormier's work is simplistic but usually filled to the brim with nature! After looking at his work, I really appreciate the subtlety of the colours within the sites he designs, especially in Love Park that he has designed. The park has a small lake in the centre, which is the site's focal point. The part that really drew me to this site and was a huge inspiration is the red within the lake, which draws the eye in. The paths are wide, which is indicative of a park designed to host people in small groups, especially couples who want to walk side by side. Claude's work is an excellent example of how you can use existing space to create a still and tranquil area within the rush of the urban environment. His work often encourages people to walk through the site as he uses desire lines to connect two places, making them more appealing to the users.

 My first thought, when given the prompt of chiaroscuro, was that it reminded me of my trip to Switzerland, where it was clear that they use lighting in areas to show the significance of specific landmarks. I have changed some of the lightings on these photos to show how drastic the lighting can look at CERN if it is later in the night.                                This is the UN building; the lighting shows how significant the building is as it has lights leading up to the front; this highlights just how important this building is, which is indicative of the chiaroscuro style.

 One of the best uses I've found for Alchohol based markers is using them for block colour. Historically I've used them as the background for line art, which is then the focus of the drawing rather than the underlying colour. Taking this property, I have looked at the lighting within Bo Burnham's film: Inside, which looks at his (and the audience's) feelings during covid and turns them into songs.  His use of lighting is phenomenal throughout the special and conveys how difficult the time was and how simple things like calling your mum were the one ray of light during an incredibly dark time. During his song "facetime with my mom  (tonight)", he is singing about the annoyances of face timing your mom. However, the lighting goes from dark blue to light blue (surrounded by black) when she inevitably calls, and in hanging up, the lighting goes back to darkness, showing how the simple things in life can really brighten up someone's day, even if it is for a bri...

One of the most interesting Landscape Architects I've seen is the first-ever Landscape mathematician. Yafreisy Carrero uses maths to analyse Landscapes and create designs for other areas. She has written a short paper about using Euclid's Elements to develop a courthouse square. The plan was inspired by nature, mathematics and astronomy as it mimics the movement of the death around the sun and then the moon around the earth, using Euclid's Elements. These show the sites next to Euclid's elements, which shows how this mathematical theory around geometry and the solar system's movement can be used to make cohesive designs. This is another analysis Yafreisy has done, which focuses more on giving value to different parts of a tree, in which real branches are -1, imaginary are i^2 (which is equal to -1 as the shape is still complete but not in the same way), and the spaces are given values of either 1 or -1 depending on the number size and position of branches. Using the...