This concept was developed in response to the possible relocation of Vic Skatepark further down Beaumont Street towards New World. This design focussed on providing a range of different environments to cater for Skateboarding, BMX and other associated activities. Ideas to incorporate skateboarding facilities into the wider context was proposed but seems to have not been followed through into the overall landscape plan.
The skatepark includes a street plaza area that runs along the edge of Beaumont street that connects with the vert bowl, snakerun and trail area. These in turn lead into the flow bowl and BMX bowl that are further back in the skatepark. To accomodate a sense of place into the design a sail like transition positioned towards the harbour is proposed linking to the 'City of Sails' feel of Auckland City. Volcanic like obstacles and transitions have also been proposed to connect with this feeling. As the Aotea Square Fountain Sculture was embraced by skateboarders of Auckland City a cantilevered bank mimicking the northern facing side of the fountain has been incorporated at the southern end of the plaza area. A variety of moveable objects including concrete bench seats or the nostalgic recycle bin were included to allow for on-going possibilities with what has been proposed.
The Sensory Garden at Mt Richmond Special School featured on Asia DownUnder in April this year. Asia Downunder is made for TV ONE by Asia Vision Ltd with New Zealand On Air funding. The story looks at how a horticulture teacher (Fazley Imandin) is helping special needs and disabled children appreciate nature through gardening.
This Concept is an addition to the existing concrete pad that sits just off Logan Street, Dargaville. The design was broken into various strips and areas to create long lines and movement through the park while utilising the existing concrete slab and tree plantings. The design incorporated a 'river' like meandering path with wave structure, ship and wharf obstacle with a specially designed wood stack creating a connection to Dargaville's kauri gum and timber trading days. 'Kumara' shaped objects will also be created on the lower platform in conjunction with a variety of obstacles. A bowl with shade and seating will be developed off the top platform area. Being the gateway to the mighty Waipoua forest a number of kauri trees will be incorporated, planted in formalised lines to work with sight lines into and within the park. A natively planted drainage swale will run alongside the lowest platform to collect runoff from the park and drainage strips.
A few clips have appeared on youtube from "Overground Broadcasting" directed by Takahiro Morita from the Far East Skate Network (http://www.fareastskatenetwork.com/). This clip put up recently is from the ending scene in the video creating a simularity/ relationship between billiards and skateboarding.
To be situated at the Rangitaiki Reserve off College Road in Edgecumbe, the design intended to pull in the history and natural phenomena of the area where achieveable. Mountains, islands and the patchwork of farming paddocks all had an effect in this design. The earthquake of 1987 also lended its hand in the conceptualisation of the design through the 7km faultline that opened up in the Rangitaiki plains and through the damage that occured in the area.
The design consists of a top platform bowl area that orientates two long strips that intersect each other along the roadside. An axillary path also flows from the main hubba and steps to the furtherest end of the roadside strip. One strip has been patterned to illustrate the patchwork of farming paddocks in the area with one side seemingly braking away from the landform creating a depression (and drainage swale) immulating the earthquake faultline. Some semi circle manual pads (fallen silo tanks from dairy factory) and bent rails (railway tracks) are also included in this area. Along the roadside strip are a variety of obstacles including a large 'punched ticket' (cantilevered bank with cut outs) at one end and a hollowed volcanoe (White Island) and wave structure with plaque at the other. In some respects the peanut bowl could be considered as Mount Edgecumbe likened to Maori legend http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Edgecumbe/Putauaki, if you feel the inclination.
The axillary path has a variety of rail jams with a tight carve wall to help with circulation. There are a few other obstacles spread throughout the skatepark that are best observed in the following images and video.
