Designed by Robert Thrussell....Inspired by Kim Wilkie

So......continuing on from my previous blog, my project and aim was to try to get inside Kim Wilkie's mind to create something myself which followed Kim's philosophy, process, thought and design principles. The Site to be designed is Admirals Park, Chelmsford, Essex England. There were some moments that were difficult due to the lack of information about Kim.  

Admiral Park is located in Chelmsford, Essex England. The park is actually connected with Tower Gardens and West Park. The parks are used for a range of different activities such as football, cricket, bowls, tennis, BMF fitness (outdoor exercise classes), fishing, and also other annual events. Situated on Admirals Park are 2 football pitches and a playground.

 The First Visit....

Visiting the site for the first time, it was difficult to take it all in and also get a feel for the site. The site to be redesigned is a triangular shape, which is a large majority of Admirals Park. The topography of the area was fairly flat apart from a steep slope as you neared the river which run along the bottom of the site The view of the river was blocked by hedging which i guess acts as a safety measure although wouldn’t stop any adventurous kid.  The expanse of land had 2 football pitches on it, where the ground had been churned from the studs of boots; and there was also a large playground at the bottom of it which was at the current time being unused. It was hard to get a full feel for the site, due to the time of year we were visiting and not getting to see the area in full use when in summer it may be booming with people wanting to be outside. Straight away i saw the football pitches and playground could possibly be relocated to the other side of the park, as there are other football pitches near-by and plentiful space for a playground. A pipe running across one side of the river to another was sectioned off with metal fencing which didn’t look attractive at all, and could be seen as more dangerous than not having it there. From walking around the site, it definitely felt like it had potential and needed a fresh look so people would be attracted to visit here all year round. It offered a view over a large area across the river, which could be opened up more. I just wasn’t sure for what reason and how it would be designed to fit in to the current area. More visits were needed at different times to get a deeper feel for the site.

A Brief History of Admirals Park...

The park is named after Rear Admiral John Faithful Fortescue who lived in Writtle Lodge. The house was built in 1712, and lived in by John Faithful Fortescue and his wife and son until the death of the Admiral in 1819. It was then passed on, eventaully into the hands of the Admirals nephew. The Lodge was then demolished sometime before 1848, by the owner of Hylands House, John Attwood. This was because he was trying to clear all the large obstructions ruining the view from his grounds. The Lodge was located just across the river from the site to be redesigned as you can see on the map below.

Kim Wilkie’s Inspiration...

From the use of the inspiration i took from Kim’s work, i tried to imagine how he would design the park through a series of sketches, rough plans, visits, and photographs. First of all i wanted to try and see the full picture of the site, connecting man and the land. I was thinking how the place told its story, from its history. I very much focused on Writtle Lodge and as if it was still there; and as if Kim Wilkie was to design the land about 300 years ago; what he would have done with it? The idea of his natural grass terraces, for example from his Heveningham Hall design mentioned in the last blog, gave me the idea to frame the area where the house would have sat, creating a natural amphitheatre to that specific space and echoing them throughout the park. I did this in the Fibonacci spiral sequence as this is almost like a signature of Kim Wilkie’s work. Obviously the house isn’t still standing but i wanted to give the impression that the grass terraces were there when the house was, and the lines of the grass terraces fading in and out of the land as if they’re disappearing or they have been excavated. On Admirals Park this creates a series of grass terraces, which can be used as seating or for different activities as they range in size. People can sit and stare out at the view, which is in the direction of where the house would have sat.

Chelmsford Borough Council has actually just recently had the project to research the history of the park and educate people of this by placing information boards around the park. They have also replanted many oak trees to reconstruct the avenue of oaks which would have stood there when the house was standing, and may have been planted by the Admiral himself. I have redesigned the avenue of oaks myself to stretch the full length of the path from 2 of the entrances to the bridge, and may have included more oaks than what the council planned for. I then mirrored the line of oak trees to run down the other side of the site, to not only create a secluded area but to screen noise pollution from nearby traffic.

 

I also decided to include a sculpture of a 1:1 scaled man sitting on one of the grass steps staring out to the view across the countryside and sat in a thoughtful pose. This is suggestive in many ways, as it invites people to sit with him all year round; it gives a sense of direction for people to look; and also it adds to the story of the place....as if you’re wondering what the man is looking at. Is it the view? Or something else?... And who is he? Is he the Admiral looking down upon where his house once sat? Or is it Kim Wilkie looking at the land for the first time? Or is it myself? Or is it you? This was inspired from one of Kim’s designs for a private client in Hampshire where he used a sculpture of a man again mentioned in my previous blog.

My aims for the Park, was to continue the stories, and memories that has connected man and the land in this area for many years; and to continue with how that has shaped this area specifically. As inspired from a quote on Kim Wilkie associates website 'All must be adapted to the Genius and the Use of the Place, and the Beauties not forced into it, but resulting from it' (Alexander Pope to Burlington - Epistle IV, 1731). I want people to know the history of the site, but also give them a place they would want to be with pleasant surroundings.

My work for this design was produced in ways Kim Wilkie likes to work. Sketches and presentational drawings were drawn and brushed with water colours to bring them to life. Plans were produced in CAD for crisp and cleanness, printed out, and again brushed with water colours just to give character and not a give a dull boring approach. To the client (class), i presented my presentation for the project along with a model and water coloured plans and sketches.

Kim Wilkie Inspiration...

Looking at the man himself....Kim Wilkie, he straight away starts off with a fascinating life, being brought up in the Malaysian jungle and also the Iraqi desert before being sent to the south of England where he started school. Due to some lack of information about Kim, i wasn’t able to find out much about how he grew up which may have helped in establishing some link between him and his love for landscape architecture. Kim studied History at Oxford University, and then Environmental Design at Berkeley (University of California); where he now also teaches occasionally. In 1989, he set up his own studio in Richmond Upon Thames, London; which today is Kim Wilkie associates.

Kim’s past and present development of projects is outstanding, ranging from private gardens for houses, to his current 100 year development project for the River Thames. Some of his works include Borough at London Bridge, a master plan for Hyde Park corner, new square in Greenwich, V&A museum garden, River Thames strategy (Hampton to Kew), restoration plan for Villa La Pietra estate belonging to Sir Harold Acton (with New York University).

 

Kim Wilkie’s philosophy very much focuses on the link between man and land. When designing a site, he doesn’t just look at the site itself and see’s how he can change it to suit his style; but he researches it. He looks at the history, and tries to connect with the memories of the site, which gives him a sense of place and imagination to understand how and why the site is how it is today. Kim’s first impression and representation of the place is most important, as to capture that first insight. As he said to me in an email “First impressions have a very important freshness that you must capture.” So when it comes to visiting a site for the first time, make sure you have a clear head and ready to allow a lot in. With this he can develop his designs and ideas to continue the story of the site.....connecting man and land in their natural systems and flows. On the ‘Kim Wilkie associates’ website, their page on their philosophy is full with quotes from people which shows they’re inspired by literature throughout history. One of my favourites, and one I did use for guidance, and also i think its one Kim uses himself is...

'All must be adapted to the Genius and the Use of the Place, and the Beauties not forced into it, but resulting from it' (Alexander Pope to Burlington - Epistle IV, 1731).

This piece of literature suggests that the natural beauty of a place comes from its natural form which has been adapted and shaped over time from itself and its surroundings, and the ways in which man and land connect with one another and use that space. Beauty cannot be forced into something just to be beautiful; it must have a purpose and reason. Kim Wilkie in his email to me “You need to persuade hard to present the solution that you believe is right for the place and, if you are pressed to design something that you cannot believe in, walk away!” I believe solely in this, as you can’t be forced to design something you don’t believe in, otherwise you won’t be able to design to your full potential, and also the place’s full potential.

Kim Wilkie’s process is a little cloudy, due to the lack of information available to me. From what i can make sense of, Kim obviously starts with a site visit, which he does without researching it before hand. As i said earlier, the first visit is the most important as it gives you that freshness. He does this to capture the sense of place, giving him a feel for the site. Once he’s done this, he then researches the history, location, topography, soils, maps, literature, paintings and photos. After this he may visit the site several more times, to make sense of how the site has changed and make connections between man and land. Then obviously the client’s requirements, local community aspirations, political and economic issues, and planning considerations come into it. As he said to me in his email, “As a landscape architect you are a true mediator between all of these and the land itself.” From research and planning to put his ideas onto paper, Kim loves to sketch and also use trace. He then likes to convert his ideas into CAD. To the client(s), he presents models of the site and drawings brushed with watercolours.

I looked at most of Kim’s designs for inspiration, and found he has some fundamental ideas plus some odd design motives which stand out. Some of his well known designs are inspired by Britain’s tradition for earth sculpting, and moving large amounts of soil to create almost natural looking landforms which can be considered works of art. One which most took my attention was Heveningham Hall in Suffolk. He creates a fan of grass terraces around the house that arch in the Fibonacci spiral and which rise with the natural form of the land. Although the terraces still give the house room to breathe at the bottom, which gives the feel of a natural amphitheatre with the house being the centre of attention.

His idea for the large scale grass terraces can also be seen in some other of his works such as Orpheus at Boughton in Northamptonshire, Great Fosters in Surrey, another private house in Hampshire, and Claremont in Esher.

Other works that inspired me was a sculpture that he placed in one of his designs, which almost seemed out of the blue. This was at a design for a private house in Hampshire. As you can see in the picture below, it is of a man to scale who is facing out towards the body of water and the surrounding landscape. The reason for the sculpture was that with some other features in the design, it created a distinct boundary for the garden. I saw it personally as a suggestive boundary, which sits on the edge of the garden boundary; and also suggests where he would want you to stand, face and look for the best view. This gave me the inspiration to use sculptures and other works of art to be suggestive to its surroundings and its visitors.