Will this become the new Aotea Square..??

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Mt Richmond Sensory Garden, Otahuhu

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.

Dargaville Skatepark Concept

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.

From Dargaville Skatepark Concept

From Dargaville Skatepark Concept

From Dargaville Skatepark Concept

From Dargaville Skatepark Concept

From Dargaville Skatepark Concept

From Dargaville Skatepark Concept

From Dargaville Skatepark Concept

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.

Peter Vlad's...

This is a interesting video if you haven't stumbled across it already

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6089315470536518414

Edgecumbe Skatepark Concept

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.

From Edgecumbe Skate Park Concept

From Edgecumbe Skate Park Concept

From Edgecumbe Skate Park Concept

From Edgecumbe Skate Park Concept

From Edgecumbe Skate Park Concept

From Edgecumbe Skate Park Concept

From Edgecumbe Skate Park Concept

From Edgecumbe Skate Park Concept

From Edgecumbe Skate Park Concept

Invercargill Skatepark Concept

This design has been proposed to replace the existing skate park between Elles Road and Ness Street. Existing phenomena and vegetation was taken into account when developing the layout for this design. A line of cherry trees (?) from Elles Road was retained to create an avenue effect in the design. A banked strip with associated obstacles and the main entrance was placed on the southern side with a boxed area and axillary entrance on the other. Due to the amount of available space the widths were kept to a minimum. Vegetated swales cut through both strips from the Cherry tree (?) planting strip into bioretention areas.

These areas flow into a central area with a range of skateable features and flow banks that then steps up to a snake run and spine bowl on the top platform. At the furtherest end of the bowl a skateboarding strip leads to the Ness Street entrance.

The design was generally focused around working in with the existing vegetation and banked areas on the opposite side of the railway tracks with some reference to local features. This includes the rocking coastline areas of the bluff and the Tuatara sanctuary at the Southland mueseum and art gallery. Eventually the gardens surrounding the skate park will connect with planting schemes in the local area. With more interaction with the community this area of the design can be developed further.

From Invercargill Skate Park Concept

From Invercargill Skate Park Concept

From Invercargill Skate Park Concept

From Invercargill Skate Park Concept

From Invercargill Skate Park Concept

From Invercargill Skate Park Concept

From Invercargill Skate Park Concept

The Gonniemaster

Paeroa Skatepark Concepts

Been working on a design for Paeroa that will be around 300m2 in size. Here is a flow of the designs conceptualised before the final one was selected. Things have been kept to a minimum to keep within the budget...

Idea 1

From Paeroa Skate Park Concepts

Idea 2

From Paeroa Skate Park Concepts

Idea 3 - Selected Design

From Paeroa Skate Park Concepts

From Paeroa Skate Park Concepts

From Paeroa Skate Park Concepts

From Paeroa Skate Park Concepts

And an animation of the final design

Samuel Torres

I stumbled across this last year while looking for some original skateboarding.

Cameron King

This is a video from a dvd I put together for Cam's 21st bday. Cam had a bit of a shin dig last weekend, when I arrived there was a dazed feel lingering in the air...

Owairaka Skatepark, Mt Albert

Owairaka is now complete

From Owairaka Skatepark, Auckland

A few designs were put forward over the years

From Owairaka Skatepark, Auckland

From Owairaka Skatepark, Auckland

From Owairaka Skatepark, Auckland

From Owairaka Skatepark, Auckland

Mangawhai Skatepark Concept

From Mangawhai Skatepark Concept 2305/09

Leading on from my past visit to Mangawhai I've been working on a skatepark design within a recreational reserve in the area. Heres a bit of a blurb on the design ideas with some images...

The Mangawhai Skatepark concept has been designed to integrate a SENSE OF PLACE while being modern in its objectivity and form.

To achieve this SENSE OF PLACE we have looked at connecting the design to its local environment through its history, existing phenomenon and materials.
Areas taken into consideration include:

Importance of the area to Maori for portage between the Mangawhai Harbour and Kaipara Harbour

Early settlement being dependant on the harbour as a point of access.

The typography of Mangawhai from the harbour into the surrounding landform

Materials and textures of the local environment.

Attractions in the Mangawhai area

The design will not be limited to these areas as it can develop through further input and involvement with the local community.

From Mangawhai Skatepark Concept 2305/09

From Mangawhai Skatepark Concept 2305/09

From Mangawhai Skatepark Concept 2305/09

From Mangawhai Skatepark Concept 2305/09

From Mangawhai Skatepark Concept 2305/09

From Mangawhai Skatepark Concept 2305/09

Kahawai on the Brasier with Jeremy Bartlett

Took a trip over to Waiheke to see Jeremy, always some good times to be had

Mangawhai

Got out last weekend for a little looksy around Mangawhai. Interesting enough, I gathered some bits and bobs off the beach and learnt a little something about the area to pull together a sense of space.

From Mangawhai 05/09

A couple other things of interest:
There is a wildlife refuge and nesting area along the sand spit, south to Te Arai Point
Maori portage route from Mangawhai harbour to the Kaipara Harbour in early times.
Area decimated during intertribal warfare, many old pas and middens identified in archaeological surveys
Locals battled nature and bureaucracy to reopen a closed harbour entrance

Just a few blah blahs, the full story is here:

http://www.mangawhai-museum.org.nz/Our-Story/

From Mangawhai 05/09

From Mangawhai 05/09

From Mangawhai 05/09

From Mangawhai 05/09

From Mangawhai 05/09

From Mangawhai 05/09

Mt Richmond Sensory Garden - May 09

From Mt Richmond Sensory Garden

From Mt Richmond Sensory Garden

This is a project that I have completed recently with Mt Richmond Special School. The first design was completed in 2004 with development in 2008 and completion by the end of March 2009.

Here is a little blurb put together to sum up the design:

The purpose of the sensory garden at Mt Richmond Special School was to provide another area for students with more severe disabilities to be stimulated from their environment and to learn, as well as creating an opportunity for the more able to be generous to the less able of our students, through their regular maintenance of the garden . In achieving this, a range of stimuli that change constantly have been provided through the garden in all its dimensions. The sensory garden also illustrates a story entitled ‘fruits from the earth’. Through this ‘open minded’ environment students can feel comfortable with their immediate surroundings and develop from the stimulus that is provided and changing over time.

The original design was developed with the intention to provide a continuum range elaborated by Paul Pagliano in his book called Multisensory Environments (1999). He indicated that students react to various forms of stimulus differently, from becoming actively involved to being largely non-conforming. In considering this range, a wide variety of stimulus would need to be provided for the students so they can engage and respond no matter what their early stimulus threshold may be.

Using Pagliano’s design theory the space was developed to lead from a more calming area on one side of the continuum, to one that is more active, on the other side. The flow of the design was implemented through a Koru shape depicting the cultural background of the school. When the site was designed a range of phenomena would be implemented immediately, though the interactive possibilities created through the features of the garden. Over time further stimulation will be added by students and teachers adding different plants and structures to create a sense of change and ownership. From this we can see that this sensory garden has moved away from earlier ‘single-minded’ environments (being one that only provided for students with disabilities), to one that is ‘open minded’ and incorporates a multifunctional approach in terms of leisure, therapy and education so that everyone can participate.

The story about fruits from the earth came in more recent times in consultation with the teachers of Mt Richmond School. The ‘fruits of the earth’ theme was one of those moments of creative genius that is rarely possible to plan for. It was quite simply, a moment when it all seemed to come together and make sense. In retrospect a number of things took place.

The first was inspiration from nature in a favored landscape photo. It was a distant beach scene that offered multiple layers of colour and texture. Each element was given a place within the design scheme. The detail was, at that point, deliberately vague. It was an act of selfless leadership on behalf of the landscape designer to present the concept without taking ownership of it. Staff and students were immediately drawn to the design, and were able to interpret it for themselves. In a sense the baton had been passed on.

It was in this second ‘willingness to engage’, that things became possible. During the investigative/research phase of the project, considerable consultation took place with staff and students. Students, teachers, physiotherapists, caretakers and all, had a ‘single minded’ view of what might represent a ‘perfect garden’. Requests were made for sandpits and hanging chairs, water features and benches, handrails and mosaics.

Independently, funding had been secured from the Ministry of Health. They were keen to support the view of an edible garden. One in which the plants would subtly suggest healthy living. Students would be able to gather the “fruits of the earth” and prepare food to share with others.

In the end it was the synergy of like-minded people that brought the sum of all these things together. At one particular design meeting staff walked themselves through the garden plan from island to sea, beach to forest, up the mountain and down the stream that flows through the dirt beds. It was in that instant that the connection was made. The earth was complete and offering up its fruits.

This connection offered direction and clarity of purpose. It was clear that the design phase was complete and realization could begin. The fevered action that followed was perhaps another ‘fruit of the earth’. This garden allows for continuous change through the planting and gathering from annual crops to seasonal fruits that can be not only eaten but preserved for the future, as well as native plants traditionally provided food for Maori, thus teaching our students the simple concepts of planning for the future, an understanding that food can be found in the natural environment, and the visual changes in the garden as the environment moves through the four seasons of the year.

Staff and students will collaborate and plan together for the replenishment of the garden each year. Through this collaboration the garden provides stimulation and opportunities for all those who are involved and benefit from its existence. It provides an area suited for a wide range of users including our more able students and staff. In addition it appears to have inspired those who see it as an area for a raft of creative endeavours like sculptures, wind chimes, music and kinetic art. The emphasis of the sensory aspect in the design of this environment, means students with severe and profound disabilities in the sensory world described by Pagliano, can more easily achieve their early stimulus threshold levels that are essential for them to increase their cohesion with their immediate environment and thus allows them to interpret future situations without difficulty and with confidence. This garden allows those students with very high needs to be stimulated by their environment through a new form of educational medium that adds to the opportunities that the school can provide to motivate their learning.

The development of this part of the school grounds has added another space away from the even more intensely active environment of the playing fields, large sandpit and adventure and covered playgrounds. We have created another contrast in the continuum of recreation areas located across the school. This has provided the school with environments to cater for different student groups and to make them feel comfortable, relaxed, active and happy. To be stimulated, to socialise with others while working together as a team in the garden, or to enjoy peace and solitude if they wish.

Mt Richmond Sensory Garden Team, 2009

Richard Smith B.L.A Landscape Architect

Kathy Dooley Principal

Steve MacKay Teacher

Faz Imandin Teacher

Cheryl Fleming Teacher

John McCauley Woodwork Teacher

From Mt Richmond Sensory Garden

From Mt Richmond Sensory Garden

From Mt Richmond Sensory Garden

From Mt Richmond Sensory Garden