What an amazing day!! its crazy just how much we managed to discuss and experience in todays session, I will work it out though. So Wednesday was the day for the presentation of Our group module Applied Research and Enquiry so below are the re-counts of the group efforts. Then at the bottom a little bit about Jo Harris and her lecture from Wednesday afternoon.

Group1- Unfoldad- this was our group, Five people from various disciplines working together on advertising campaigns to promote 1) Ourselves as Unfoldad 2) BHS Huddersfield’s 20% off event day 3) The Factory LIghting Shop. The presentation went well and as with our campaigns we gave out lots of tokens and props to keep people attentive and engaged. I will wait with baited breath for the results.

Group2- Pink- A Visual response to the Problems associated with Domestic Violence. The idea was to create a book which provided royalty free photographs that could be used for any purpose but which gave publicity and awareness to domestic violence. The images in the book were all centred around the colour pink- obviously a colour more normally associated with pretty girly things and at stark contrast to the hard-hitting facts which the book presented alongside the imagery. I thought the book was beautiful and engaging but I had a fundamental problem with the book appearing to be biased and substantially feminist, a point which the group admitted- it was written from a strongly feminist viewpoint. maybe the book wouldn’t have had the same impact but as a man it seemed fairly derogatory. The title of the book was one in four a statistic from the book. You can see and buy the book HERE, all profits form the sale of the book go to the charity Refuge who have supported the book.

Group3 -Green Designers- I thought the concept of this project had alot to offer, I was intrigued by the idea of a new shopping trolley design with green credentials and the possibility of spin- off products that would make life easier for shopping and also to help protect the environment. I know that this was only a concept but I could see some negatives in the product, one of them being that the trolley wouldn’t stack as they normally do. You can see the groups website HERE.

Group4- Tryst- well well what an experience Tryst had for us, with a focus on arts in the community and the myths and legends of the local area, the group came up with designs for ‘pods’ that could be sited in the locality of the myths of huddersfield. To show us how the pods would work, the group gave us a tour of one of the potential ‘pod’ sites which just happened to be a derelict asylum -Storthes hall. Whilst marvelling at what was once a beautiful building and what actually is now still- even in its crumbling state- an eerily attractive and aesthetically pleasing structure. I have to admit to being slightly un-nerved by the place, not because of its current state or any supernatural experience but simply the thought of the people that were held there and some of the torturous treatments that asylums are famed for. I was intrigued enough to try and find out more about the place any way and I will post an update with anything I find.

Afternoon lecture- Jo Harris on Indigo, Shibori and working in Japan.
Whilst being aware that Jo had worked in Japan (and admittedly being jealous of anyone who has had the pleasure of that country!) I was amazed at the work and experiences whilst she had been there. stories of strict apprenticeships and a passion for Indigo and the ancient process which creates it made for an interesting afternoon. I was pleased that I managed to take away one fairly significant point of research from the talk and that was the NOREN. I have been exploring the idea of entranceways and corridors and how they are significant in the transitional phase of interior and exterior, but also the way that a softened textile entrance could make for a more amiable and comfortable experience in the entirety of the interior. I must research this Noren idea further but this ties in nicely with the work of Rosemarie Trockel in my earlier Kvadrat post.

This post is a bit messy I was just writing things as I watched the video of Daniel Libeskind talking. Wow engaged from the first word, Liebeskind speaks enigmatically about the creation of space. Liebeskind explains his fascination for creating a space which never existed before, that nobody has experienced before, except for in our minds. Architecture is about wonder and is a story about the efforts against impossibility told through materials. Expressive Vs Neutral architecture, the expression may disturb us but is a reflection of real life. The rawness of an undecorated space which moves ahead and becomes part of the vocabulary of our lives and architectural experience. Go HERE to see the video.