Edinburgh old town interactive model by Alexander Farr

EDINBURGH OLD TOWN INTERACTIVE MODEL Alexander Farr Lucy Greaves Matt Pearson Mei Ping

a how-to guide on interacting with the model

CONTENTS /04

introduction to the themes

/06

types of tile

/08

tile categories

/10

blank cards

/10

wild cards

/13

speculative functions

/14

wheel tool

/16

examples of use

INTRODUCTION TO THE THEMES this manual is a guideline, intended to give advice to the use of the accompanying model without restricting participants to a single stringent rule. the model, as a visual represention of the networks connecting old town to its context, in Edinburgh and globally, is a tool for designers of the built environment to, via an analogue and hands-on approach, explore the myriad connections present in the region. the model attempts to explore the web of networks that defines contemporary society, from micro (district) scale, through to the macro (global) scale, the model aims to explore the interwoven matrix of inter-dependance in the current climate. drawing inspiration from MVRDVĘźs Regionmaker, this tool aims to present a simpler and more fun exploration of the networks, and encourages playfulness and repeated exploratory visits to investigate possible futures and is infinitely expandable and updatable.

within the model scope, there are multiple types of tile, which, aside from the category restrictions detailed in the following section, have no constraints imposed on their usage. these are: quantitative. these cards are distinguished by their use of data within their information. these cards represent the complex information web that both defines the old town district, and brings to light that which keeps the region operating as it does. all information on these cards has been collected from public-domain sources, including but not limited to census data and government statistics.

clashach

edinburgh

cullalo dunmore plean

darney hailes binny hermand

corsehill grange gatelawbridge corncockle locharbriggs

Quarries supplying Stone lg =\afZmj_` k Zmad\af_k

-16

5 16

0 17

Binny Clashach Corncockle Corsehill Cragg Cullalo

right: example of quantitative card stone quarries.

Darney Dunmore Gatelawbridge Grange Hailes Hermand Locharbriggs Plean Quarries in Edinburgh

Craigleith Craigmillar Newbigging Ravelston

5 17

0 18

5 18

0 19

5 19

qualitative. these cards are distinguished by their minimal text and image aesthetic, and represent various events and moods, personal and public that have defined and shaped the regions across the eras. wild.

these cards are distinguished by, again, minimal text and images, and can be identified by the title ĘťWildĘź on the reverse. these are discussed on a later page.

blank.

as said on the tin, these cards are deliberately left blank and, again, are discussed later in the booklet.

TYPES OF TILE

tiles are distinguished into different categories, as follows: - date cards - 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001, 2011, 2020, 20XX, title. - ʻwildʼ cards - x10. - ʻblankʼ cards - x5. - politics - 1980, 2011. - material - steel, quarries, whiskey. - development - designation areas, future plans. - event - x10. - migration - travel times - population - public attractions - transport futures - 2030 plans, transport plans. - tourism

TILE CATEGORIES

tiles can be connected to one another in any combination permitted, which is defined by the colour at any slot on the card. cards must be connected in a way that the colour in the slot matches that on the new card. rgh nbu ort i d E nsp tra 2010 n t tow men d l p o elo dev

Edi

20 tram 12 line

airp 202 5 or t exp ans io

nbu 2016 r Hi-S gh-Gla pee s d lin gow k

s ard egu saf s t p u o st bo e nda d tram ang rou se rch po nte i pro t or p s n tra

WILD CARDS the other type of extra cards are the Wild cards, indicated by the ʻWILDʼ and an image on reverse sides. these cards can be played at any point after at least 10 other cards have been played and function as speculative futures, indicating what could happen in old townʼs future.

following their play, the model can be reacted to show how the network, and the matrix of connections responds to the new scenario in unforeseen ways. this is where the blank cards can come in as essential, so save them!

the set comes with a selection of blank tiles, and these cards can be utilised in different ways. for example, once Wild cards have been introduced to play, the blank cards can be written on and form Outcome cards, that can be slotted into the network to represent the conclusion of a specific speculation. other uses include using the card as an expansion card, to slot between an existing network to create a new and unforeseen conclusion.

BLANK CARDS

WILD WH

AT I F?

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tlan

d be

AT IF

cam

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dep

end

WIL WH

AT IF

lob

al w arm

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the main role of the game, besides being a fun way to enable visualisation of complex relationships in a data-led global network, is to provide, through an enjoyable analogue interface, the ability to speculate on future events. WILD and BLANK cards are especially useful here, allowing the visualisation of one possible future. Effects can be traced back through the web and extended out past the wild event (or blank unforeseen) to render the changes on the network nodes.

SPECULATIVE FUNCTIONS

THE WHEEL

together with the set of cards, the interactive network game comes with a wall mounted wheel of data that gives context to the entire piece. when placed in a suitable location, the wheel can be referred to by the players during the game assembly. the additional reference data provided by the wheel enables players to make more considered and thought out network design choices.

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ion

wa s

intr od

uce

model being assembled into one possible combination by the design team during the interactive segment of the review

set up of the entire model in a sample combination of data networking possibilities

aftermath of the interactive aspect of the review. wild and blank cards were used to present scenarios unthought of by the design team

a how to guide for designers, and students of architecture and the built environement to utilise and explore the Edinburgh Old Town Interactive Model. this manual explores the role of each card in the game and how to explore the possibilites of the network web. additionally, space is given to the explanation of the extra categories of card, their role, and how to explore the possiblities they offer. this tool is meant as a fun way to visualise and explore the myriad conenctions in the web of contemporary global networks.