PORTFOLIO MA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ANTONIO CASTILHO
CONTENTS I. PICTHFORD HALL - RECONNECTING WITH NATURE
Hello, I am Antonio and welcome to my three year-long journey in the Master’s of Landscape Architecture at BCU. BACKGROUND I was born and lived most of my life in Porto, Portugal. In 2014, after graduating in civil engineering, moved to Accra, Ghana, to start my career as site engineer on residential developments. The two and half years spent in a different environment were a great opportunity to understand and experience new cultures and ways of thinking and living. In 2016 moved back to Portugal to continue my carreer as site engineer. In 2018, following a strong willing to explore a new career path, moved to Birmingham to start studying landscape architecture. WORK and EDUCATION
II. PORT LOOP - REIMAGINING THE GARDEN CITY
III. ENVISIONING A NEW CITY PARK FOR BIRMINGHAM
Site engineer, Dualarte Construction Ltd, Portugal (2017-2018) Site engineer, Acticon Engineering and Construction, Accra (2014-2016) Master´s Civil Enginnering, University of Porto, (2009-2014) CONTACT mail: antoniojose.soarescastilho@mail.bcu.ac.uk Linkedin.com/in/castilhoantonio LINKS https://issuu.com/antonio.j.castilho/docs/portfolio_praxis_antoniocastilho.
IV. FAST FOOD, SLOW FEEDING VISION
I. PICTHFORD HALL - RECONNECTING WITH NATURE
MASTERPLAN
FLOATING HOUSE
Hand drawings and photoshop rendering
Module: Designed Ecologies, Year 1 Brief: Explore the role of designed ecology as a process driven philosophy to create new landscape experiences and enhance the asset value of the environment. The project is set on the idyllic scenario of Picthford Hall Estate, with its imponent victorian country house, woodland, ponds and great views over the Malvern Hills. The proposal consists in designing spaces that proportionate a bonding with nature, where one learns and becomes aware of the natural processes and in return is gifted with the unique benefits of being sorrounding by trees, plants, water. To this end the proposal covers a therapy center, a house by the lake, woodland routes, a meditation space, green houses, among other features.
WOODLAND ROUTES
THERAPY CENTER
II. PORT LOOP - REIMAGINING THE GARDEN CITY
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Module: Designed Geographies, Year 1
PERMEABILITY
PORT LOOP MASTERPLAN
Brief: Rethinking news ways of living in cities. This exercise concerns the development of the derelict area of Port Loop (Birmingham), considering the principles of the garden city, idealized by Ebenezer Howard. Framed by the concept “Togetherness”, the main key of the project is the building layout which creates generous and diverse spaces for public use at ground level, and the roof tops for use of the residential community, linked by a series of roof bridges.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
INTEGRATED NEIGHBORHOOD
Togetherness Designing literal and metaphorical connections
DIVERSITY
SECTION A-B Flats
A
Commercial use Local character architecture
Roof gardens and social areas
Roof bridge
The Square
Explorative perspective of roof tops
B
Urban Farm Cycle lane Towpath
PORT LOOP SPACES
THE MAIN SQUARE
A WALK THROUGH THE SITE Designed in Sketch up and rendered in Enscape.
THE NEW ROTTON STREET PARK
PANORAMIC BRIDGE
Animation videos can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfnaYebUsyV8DYL2D6jgCFQ?
III. ENVISIONING A NEW CITY PARK FOR BIRMINGHAM
EXPERIENCE RATIONALE Arriving at the future HS2 station, a landmark invites for a stroll through Digbeth.
Module: Design Theory and Practice, Year 2 Brief: Reinventing a new urban park for Birmingham’s Digbeth area, under the overarching concept of the West Midlands National Park.
LANDSCAPE OF CONTRASTS The idea of PRESSURE vs RELEASE experiences at the landscape level... DENSE VS DISPERSED movement patterns
The interpretation of an abstract painting was the starting point to imagine and explore the idea of reviving Digbeth’s pastoral past, when the river Rea was a key feature, aiming to create an immersive journey of rediscover of this iconic landscape that will attract both city dwellers and visitors.
HIGH vs LOW land
SPATIAL PRINCIPLES INTERPRETATION
ENCLOSED VS OPEN spaces
STEEP vs FLAT land
BARRIERS vs VIEWS
CONCEPT EXPLORATION A sequence of contrasting enclosed and open spaces guide the visitor, with occasional unexpected views over key site landmarks.
The end of the journey reveals the site’s character and history. The building up of pressure/suspense is balanced with the expanding views over the site.
EXPLORING THE SENSE OF PLACE
MASTERPLAN - REDISCOVERING DIGBETH’S PASTORAL LANDSCAPE An interplay between enclosed and open spaces shape the journey of rediscovery of Digbeth’s forgotten landscape.
NATURE MERGING WITH THE URBAN
Fragmented views and a semi-enclosed pathway
IV. FAST FOOD, SLOW FEEDING VISION Module: Design Thesis, Year 3 Brief: Exploring contemporary and speculative visions for a sustainable agroecological system for Birmingham. This project aims to improve Birmingham’s food habits by proposing a reconnection between the urban population and the food growing systems. I look at the current paradigm of fast food consumption and reimagine a new reality, where nutritious, healthy, local-sourced food is readily available at everyone’s step door, with an holistic impact on the overall human well-being by encouraging a slower lifestyle.
Engaging with food growing at different levels
FROM REGION TO SITE
SCALE 1:60000
SCALE 1:5000
A CONTINUOUS PRODUCTIVE LANDSCAPE FOR BALSALL HEATH SCALE 1:1250
MASTERPLAN - A SLOW, EDIBLE WALK
VISUAL 4 - VIEW FROM THE ORCHARD TOWARDS FIELDS, MEADOW AND WOODLAND
THE ALL-SEASON, MULTICULTURAL FOOD HUB
B
THE SOCIAL ORCHARD
GREEN HOUSES
Located in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, the park displays different food growing systems within a changing context, transitional experience, from an urban to a naturalistic one: the versatile green houses; the formal orchard and raised beds; the accessible pick-your-own fields; the communal vegetable gardens; the wild fields; the meadow and woodland; and the cafe and community kitchen.
A
V1
ROOF TOP FIELD AND RAISED BEDS
SUNKEN PLAZA
V2
ORCHARD
RAISED BEDS
PICK-YOUR-OWN MARKETS V4
109
TRIM TRAIL PICK-YOUR-OWN FIELDS
CAFE AND KITCHEN
V3
110
AMPHITHEATER
COMMUNITY VEGETABLE GARDENS
THE CITY'S BACKGARDEN
SEATING AREA WILD FIELDS
VISUAL 1 - GREENHOUSE AND ORCHARD TRANSITION
MEADOW
HERBACEOUS FRINGES
NATURE AS THE DESIGNER B’ POND WOODLAND 111
Section B-B’
112
SEEING THE BIG PICTURE
113
B
114
B’ 115
Green Houses 0
10
20 Scale 1:500
Sunken plaza 30
40m
Orchard
PYO field
Mound
Wild fields
A’
Meadow/woodland transition
0
10
20 Scale 1:500
116 117
30
40m
PLANTING DESIGN CHARACTER PLAN
Malus domestica
Prunus avium
Orchard trees, domestic and wild species, edible ornamental flowers, herbaceous corridors, ranging from brighter to softer tones and increasingly taller, ‘prairie-like’ meadow and a productive woodland, made of walnut and sweet chestnut trees, create a journey where one’s senses are increasingly engaged with the surrounding natural systems, therefore leading to a slower, peaceful state of mind.
THE WILD MEADOW AND PRODUCTIVE WOODLAND
DETAILED PLAN - THE WILD MEADOW AND PRODUCTIVE WOODLAND
PLANTING SCHEDULE Meadow Base plant layer
Planting mix ‘Indian Summer’ (HHOF)
Grasses (mix, 4 un/m2)
H (m) 1.5-2.0
Festuca gigantea Pennisetum ‘Tall Tails’ Pyrus communis
Hemerocallis
Prunus domestica
Foeniculum vulgare
1.5-2.0
Perennials (mix, 5 un/m2)
Knautia macedonica Baptisia alba Chenopodium bonus-henricus Malva sylvestris
Shrubs
H (m) 1.5-2.0 1.5-2.0
Rubus idaeus Ribes nigrum
H (m) 0.5-1.5 0.8-1.5 0.5-1.2 0.5-1.2 Un 10 9
LEGEND Anthriscus sylvestris Festuca gigantea
Meadow Base layer Knautia macedonica
Grasses & perennials Woodland Ground cover
Shrubs
Rubus idaeus
(mix, 5 un/m2) Dryopteris spp. Galium odoratum Pachysandra terminalis Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Baptisia alba
Ribes nigrum
ni Ribes nigrum
Woodland Ground cover Small shrub layer
Small shrub layer (mix, 1.5 un/m2) Fragaria vesca Rubus fruticosus
Medium shrub layer
H (m) 0.1-0.5 0.5-1.0
Corylus avellana
Crataegus monogyna
Medium shrub layer H (m) Un Corylus avellana Crataegus monogyna Cr Ilex aquifolium Buxus sempervirens
Crataegus monogyna Castanea sativa
Trees
Prunus avium Malus sylvestris Pyrus pyraster s Castanea sativa Juglans regia Juglans regia
3-4 3-4 3-4 3-4
H (m) 4-6 4-6 4-6 10-15 10-15
39 64 19 14 Un 12 12 13 21 23
Ilex aquifolium Il Buxus sempervirens
Trees
Prunus avium Malus sylvestris Pyrus pyraster Castanea sativa Juglans regia
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS PYO FIELD, MOUND AND VEGETABLE GARDENS SCALE 1:100
WATER RETENTION POOL DETAIL SCALE 1:10
MATERIALS LEGEND PAV 1
PAV 2
PAV 3
PAV 4
PAV 5
Location - Areas around fields Material - Resin bound gravel, Sureset Finish - Natural aggregate Colour - Winter gold
Location – field paths Material – Concrete slabs Finish – Smooth Colour - light grey Laying – Laid loose on top of mulch layer Location – fields Material – Mulch Laying – 70mm thick
Location – fields Material – improved local soil Laying – 500mm thick
Location – main circulation paths Material – Concrete block, Marshalls Size – 160x120x80mm Finish - Riven, textured Colour - Silver grey Laying – 45º herringbone pattern
PAV 6
Location – mound steps Material – concrete blocks Finish – textured Colour - light grey
PAV 7
Location – playground Material – rubber gravel mix Colour – Red, brown, yellow Laying - 40mm thick
PAV 8
PAV 9
PAV 10
Location – seating area Material – composite wood deck, Millboard Size – 176x32mm board Finish – Enhanced grain Colour - Limed oak Location – paths in naturalistic areas Material – self-binding gravel, Breedon Size – 12mm to fines Colour - Golden amber Laying – 50mm thick Location – steps, water edges, etc Material – natural stone, Arche granite, Marshalls Finish – Flamed Colour - Grey
MAT 1
Location – benches, field areas Material – composite wood, Millboard Finish - enhanced grain Colour - limed oak
MAT 2
Location – benches, community plots area Material – concrete Finish – smooth Colour - light grey
MAT 3 MAT 4 MAT 5 PL 01 PL 02 PL 03 PL 04 PL 05
Location – roofing shelter Material – metal sheets
Location – storage compartments, field areas Material – metal Colour - light grey Location –pole base plate, field areas Material – metal
Ornamental planting Herbaceous planting Lawn Grasses Edge planting
TYPICAL PICK-YOUR-OWN SECTION SCALE 1:50
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