MA portfolio

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO BARNABY BAKER BA(Hons)

A portfolio of my most recent projects completed for my landscape MA & in practice.

Fur ther works can be found at http://issuu.com/barnabybaker

DipLA

MLA

CV

BARNABY BAKER BA(Hons)

DipLA

MLA

I am a recent graduate at MA level, and have been working in practice for the past two years, having previously worked in construction at a practical level. My education and experience have given me the reality of working in the industry in commercial and private occupations, the study and process of theoretical and conceptual projects in the UK and abroad, and practical knowledge from my time at work.

QUALIFIC ATIONS

E M P LOY M E N T

M.A landscape architecture

Distinction (graduated 2015)

2016-

PGDip landscape architecture

Distinction (graduated 2015)

BA(Hons) landscape architecture

2:1 (graduated 2013)

Alongside working at Estell Warren, I am currently producing sculptural work for an outdoor art exhibition on the North Norfolk Coast 2013- present -

University education was undertaken at Leeds Beckett University, with the exception of my second year of BA studied at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia.

Assistant landscape architect at Estell Warren, Otley. Projects have included LVIA for large minerals projects, mining and quarry restoration, country park design, and urban public realm.

Much of this work has been purposed for ecology and people.

Previous -

SKILLS

Self employed builder, landscape gardener and labourer on a variety of projects including private garden design and construction, building restoration work and large scale housing estates.

Skilled in:

Experience with:

Alongside:

Autodesk AutoCAD

Adobe Illustrator

Microsoft Office package

Adobe InDesign

CorelDRAW

Adobe Photoshop

Google SketchUp

Competent on Mac and Windows operating systems.

Practical: Drawing & painting. Model making. Landscape construction including planting, maintenance, carpentry & masonry.

C O N TAC T Email: barnabywbaker@live.com Mobile: 07879892613 Portfolios: http://issuu.com/barnabybaker

CONTENTS

1

A Landscape of Stories

M.A.

2

Wild Coast Route

PG Dip

3

Grubbies

PG Dip

4

Cutacre Countr y Park & Logistic Nor th

E s t e l l Wa r r e n

5

Yo r k P o t a s h P r o j e c t

E s t e l l Wa r r e n

6

Bond Court

E s t e l l Wa r r e n

7

Roof Garden

E s t e l l Wa r r e n

8

Threshfield Quarry

E s t e l l Wa r r e n

A L ANDSCAPE OF STORIES AN EXPLORATION OF THE REL ATIONSHIP BET WEEN FOLKLORE & L ANDSCAPE WITHIN THE FENS My influence for this project came from my childhood. I grew up in Norfolk where the tales from this region were told to me and continue to be in my mind. Many of these tales have a direct connection to local places. I was told of shadowy black dogs, accidental summoning of ghosts and other superstitions from the area around me. These stories suited their landscapes and the landscapes suited the stories. This gave me an interest in the way in which the landscape and local folklore are connected.

This project began with an exploration of folklore, stories and poems within a landscape. It is a loop of ideas based around landscape and story, and the cyclical relationship they may have. In response to this study through a process of research, walks, photography and drawing, a design is generated for a site in Kings Lynn.

Images of the fens.

Photomontage response to folklore

Personal photographs of the fen marsh.

FENL AND & FOLKLORE EXPLORATION

The project began by researching local folklore and relating it to local locations within the fens. Images were created in response to this in order to discover conceptual methods of representing the stories endemic to the area.

Fenland & site species collection for comparison purposes

“All the events that have happened in a place, all the geological and historical interactions, are held in the grain of a landscape. They are memories that lurk under the surface of the soil. Where they meet the human mind, they become something new. The Australian Aborigines would call this marriage of mind and land the ‘Dreaming’ of a place. It is not quite conscious. It is never altogether stable. It lies underneath the sunlit, familiar, waking world of the twenty-first century” Hugh Lupton

T H E H I D D E N PAT H

There will be a path hidden within the reeds for people to discover, and tell others about - their own story of a secret path they have found on the site of the old River Nar. The people who decide to walk over this path will be making a short but unknown journey across the tidal land. People will not be able to see the path unless they are on it and will not be able to see exactly where it goes. This journey is intended to evoke memory of the tales of larger journeys across the fens:

•

The legend of Tom Hickathrift tells how he made an uncertain journey making a shortcut whilst delivering beer between Kings Lynn and Wisbech. Tom had been told by his master to avoid the shortcut over the Smeeth for a giant lived there and to take the long way round on the road instead. Tom was a large strong man and after a few weeks of taking the route he was told, Tom decided to make the journey over the Smeeth where he met the giant who blocked the path.

Tom fought the giant all day and won, taring the giants head from his shoulders, freeing the route for the local people.

Tom Hickathrift was made Sir Thomas Hickathrift, and found enough treasure in the giants cave to build Hickathrift Hall; • A less fortunate journey across these uncertain fen lands is

the story of King John and his treasure. The King was making his way between Kings Lynn and Lincoln with his baggage train carrying crown jewels, gold and money whilst fleeing rebellion. The Kings treasure was lost in the salty marshlands when, it is thought, the tide came in causing the train to leave the path. Some stories suggest that the King had no guide as a fen man would not have made this error.

The historically dynamic and mysterious fens held many unknown paths, with uncertain outcomes along them. This has produced a whole range of a stories in connection to these crossings, many of which are still told to this day. The hidden path aims to connect to these tales of mystery in journeys across this landscape.

2.

H I D D E N PAT H D E S I G N

This secret route will take visitors on a journey across and above tidal land, through the reeds to the centre of the site.

1. Model segment of the path amongst the reeds & model of viewing hole to the fen mud below the path, focussing visitors to look to the mud where the stories have come from.

2. Sketch construction images. The path sits just below the height of the reeds, making its destination invisible until you make the journey.

1.

3.

3. Corten steel sheets will be used for the paths surface.

The path passes through green reed, which turn to yellow and brown in the winter. The corten will contrast with and complement these colours respectively.

4. The path will retain a think layer of rain water on the surface, creating a mirror. This will add to the paths mystery: visitors will not see the path until the step on it and break the mirrors surface. As water fills and evaporates on the path people will wonder - is the path full today? - adding a story and thought to the experience.

4.

S I LT TOW E R S

A new presence will be created in the landscape in the form of short towers constructed with silt and woven willow. These stationary objects will play tricks on the eye, watch over people within the site, and observe those passing by. They will one day disappear and leave behind a thin reminder of them, stainless steel poles, the poles will signify the memory and story of where they once stood, for people to tell over time.

The effect of these structures will cause the feeling of being watched.

The tale of Old Shuck takes many forms but in many he is said to follow you from behind if you are out at night. You may feel the strange sensation that someone is watching you, the prickling on the back of your neck. You may even hear a noise as his toes clip along the floor but you cannot turn around as you will be cursed by this phantom dog, you or a close family member will be dead within the year.

These towers do not intend to curse or terrify, as seeing Shuck surely would, but they do intend to maybe give the same prickling feeling on the back of your neck as you pass them by.

S I LT TOW E R D E S I G N

These towers are built to the height how far the fenland has sunk down since the beginnings of land drainage. Using silt dredged from the Ouse to construct these towers signifies where the stories have come from - this is silt has washed from same landscape that has characterised local folklore.

1. Height to width ratio sketches. The width at the waist seemed most appropriate to use for scale and size of the objects. The height of this test model is 2.2m, resulting in a 48cm width , or diameter, rounded to 50cm. This same ratio will be used for the towers of varying heights.

2. Woven willow material example.

3. Elijah Wells, his wife and their eel traps. These eel traps are woven from willow and have been made in the same way for hundreds of years. The same weaving construction will be used in the towers.

1.

2.

4. 1:10 scale model, with 1.8m figure.

5. Working construction sketch of steel pole support and retaining feature.

4.

5.

3.

SITE PLAN

A1

Concept masterplan displaying existing site with proposed features overlaid.

The description below annotates the site as a journey, but the area will be as usable as any other public space or park with the development attracting higher visitor use and public engagement.

A2

A1, 2 & 3. Visitors enter the site through existing routes A1 and A3, both a part of the Nar Valley Way which passes through the site, along the edge of the tidal area. Entrance A3 also provides access from Sustrans Route 1, although these users will also be able to lock their bikes up in Boal Street car park and enter through the proposed staircase to the north (A2).

B

B. The Hidden Path. This secret route will take visitors on a journey across and above the tidal land. Walking at a height with your feet just below the tops of the reeds the path will feel exposed in this flat area. The route will only be visible when on it making a direct route hard to find. Forks, corners and loops cause the path to become maze like, with features along the way.

Viewpoints and a hidden area can be found whilst making this unknown journey. Scattered amongst the reeds a few of the silt towers will be seen whilst walking here.

C

D E

C. At the end of the path a concrete ramp crosses the tidal barrier into the dry centre of the site. As you enter this space the feeling becomes more enclosed, and you are greeted by many silt towers.

D. This large grass area will invite people to maybe stop and sit, or continue walking along - making their own route between the silt structures.

F

E. A long concrete bench cast against the western edge of the tidal barrier provides seating and space for contemplation, with an information panel set into the back explaining the project. This bench will also provide a reference point in the landscape from which the decay and natural processes of decay of the towers can be seen.

F. Corten steel ramp provides wheelchair access up or down the earth embankment along the route of existing informal paths.

A3

N

0m

25m

50m

S

Materials used for the site reflect their purposes: The corten steel path will contrast with the reeds in summer and sit well in their winter colour, the thin profile will maintain a sleek appearance. The natural willow and silt towers will appear unusual in their vertical nature, yet blend with the materials around them - due to their locality. Once these erode, and all remains are the steel poles, they will become light and crisp forms. Steps, ramps and the bench are constructed with concrete in order to appear functional, alongside the concrete tidal barrier and quay-side, this will allow these features to blend into the landscape unobtrusively.

Site from the road, looking west

Entrance to the Hidden Path

A window to the fen mud along the Hidden Path

View of central dry area at installation

View of central dry area, after silt towers have decayed, leaving the steel poles behind.

John Muir Link

John Muir Country Park Berwickshire Coastal Path Dunbar Eyemouth Cocksburnspath

N Berwick-UponTweed

Northumberland Coast Path (section)

S

0

10km

Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve John Muir Country Park

Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve

PROJECT OVERVIEW The Wild Coast Route is a long-term development of a section of coastline running from Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve in England to John Muir Country Park in Scotland. The route will connect these two large SSSIs with a new ecological corridor and improved existing paths. Within this, the project makes connections by linking existing areas of ecological importance and creating new ones - forming islands along the route. These islands will eventually merge to create a continuous corridor. This corridor will be made up of self-willed land.

This project area has been chosen for its perceived natural beauty, its already existing nature reserves, and the popular tourism it attracts. By building on these strong features the Wild Coast Route has high potential for joining existing ‘dots’ of nature and for being in an accessible place for people to use them. The perception of the area’s natural beauty is fundamental to the project, which questions this widespread view through the proposal of a new concept of natural landscape. This will be carried out using the process of rewilding.

This project is long-term. It will take decades of planning, growth and development to implement but will provide a usable wild space for the public to enjoy long into the future.

This 81km route is made up of three long distance paths, the Northumberland Coast Path, the Berwickshire Coastal path and the John Muir Way, these are also part of a larger scheme - The North Sea Trail. The Wild Coast Route will take between four days to a week to walk.

Currently all routes are used by young and old, and are far more popular in the summer months than the winter. Visitors to the area tend to be on holiday and use sections of the routes for day walks, rather than long distance journeys, although there are a number of guided ‘treks’ offered by companies. Most visitors walk the routes, although a few cycle or ride horses.

The Wild Coast Route will connect these three routes and link with the North Sea Trail through improved signage and the development of a homogenous corridor, whilst still maintaining the identity of each section.

The strategic framework (below) illustrates that the vision and the aims and objectives are driven for the people, the ecology and the places along the route. In order to implement the vision 9 key themes have been developed as tools for creation. These themes will need to be able to be implemented in both rural and urban landscapes in order to create the continuous route.

Key Drivers

Key Themes

Implementation areas

Paths of long distance routes

People

Current & new activities Access & secondary paths Campsites

Vision, Aims & Objectives

Rural

Rewilding of species

Ecology Planting & management Interpretation boards & waymarkers Site selection & space

Place Shelter & viewpoints Parking

Urban

Drift fence effect catches dispersing species

DYNAMIC PLANTING SHAPE PRECEDENT The shape below (left) has been developed by landscape ecologist Richard T. T. Forman for as a designed shape to use for planting which will provide high ecological benefits.

Elements of this shape are used for planting design for the project, the layout of new planting will be within patches fitting the landscape and taking influence from Formans patch shape.

Drift fence effect catches dispersing species

Core area

Interaction with adjacent areas

Core area Interaction with adjacent areas Dispersal funnel to distant area

Dispersal funnel to distant area

PLANTING AT ESTABLISHMENT

+5 YEARS

The patches of planted scrub and woodland will take around 5-10 years to reach a established state. Meanwhile areas of heather, heath and grassland will be developing on their own accord without man’s influence.

Around 5 years after establishment the patches will have lost their edges and new clusters of scrub will be colonising the site.

PLANTING & SELF-WILLED LAND

+10 YEARS

+15 YEARS

Patches will be changing shape as some areas are doing better that others and they spread further. The existing heather, heath and grassland will be richer and thicker.

Patches will have developed to new shapes, spreading their seeds across the site. Mans touch on the shape of the planted areas will be unnoticeable and the area will feel wild.

At this point wildlife numbers will have increased greatly with the new habitats created. The shrubs, trees and richer grassland, heath and heather areas will be supporting insects and providing food for birds, lizards amphibians and mammals, in turn supporting other larger species. At this point influential lost species such as the pine marten could be considered for reintroduction if they have not yet re-colonised the area naturally.

VIEWING PLATFORM AT INSTALLATION

+5 YEARS

Simple yet robust viewing platform entices visitors to contemplate the landscape

PLANTING & SELF-WILLED LAND

+20 YEARS

Views take in the immediate landscape (& wildlife) & the Firth of Forth in the distance

A new generation of saplings beginning to emerge

1 in 20 ramp allows wheelchair users to access the hide

Dense vegetation will screen people walking up the slope to the hide. This will also provide cover for wildlife

Sunken shelter to prevent sight and sound of people arriving to the wildlife

View from inside wildlife hide

IMMERSION IN NATURE

IMMERSION IN NATURE

Campsites along the route allow visitors to immerse themselves in nature by sleeping the wilderness at stops along the entire journey. The Dowlaw Farm section of Wild Coast Route has two campsites, the sunset and the sunrise, positioned for views east and west. Each of these campsites has room for approximately 40 campers each.

Currently this section carries 40 people per day so these campsite allow room for all and more. The sunrise campsite will be wheelchair accessible.

These images show impressions of the sunset campsite. This campsite is dense with scrub planting and is constructed on multiple levels in order to provide seclusion and privacy. By separating the campsite in this way visitors can feel truly within nature.

In section, the planting has developed and matured with larger trees and shrubs. As with all areas of the route the vegetation in the campsites will act dynamically.

Sunset campsite at daybreak in midsummer. Campers are woken by the early morning sun and the birds in the shrubs and trees around them. The campfire is still warm enough to make breakfast on.

Save the World, Eat the Insects!

This group project had the brief to produce sustainable food in urban centres. After researching the topic we found farming insects for human consumption to be the most sustainable method of farming animal p r o t e i n . We d eve l o p e d a formula to create closed loop urban insect farms, alongside public space, and informative productive land.

Grubbies at Home is a small scale closed loop insect farm that people can implement at home. Grubbies will produce a leaflet for people to use as a guide for insect farming at home. This will allow people to produce their own readily available sustainable protein source.

To implement these elements we have developed the Grubbies Loop. This is our farming system. This system has been designed to apply at any scale, so it is used in Grubbies Leeds and in Grubbies at Home.

The system runs on six key elements; mealworms for us to eat, the grains the mealworms need, the fruit and vegetables us and the insects need, renewable energy for electricity for us and the insects again, compost for the crops and lastly water to sustain the crops, us and the insects.

Grubbies has currently has two elements to it; Grubbies Leeds and Grubbies at Home.

Grubbies Leeds will uses brownfield sites in Leeds to farm insects (and other crops) in a closed loop system, and sell this food as a product to the public. Alongside the insect farm Grubbies Leeds creates public space and urban farms for the public to visit. We will be able to use this space to educate people on farming this future food in a sustainable way.

These six elements will interlock to produce a closed loop system. This will mimic a natural ecosystem where there are no waste products, just a cycle of use.

All of these elements will be produced on site, reducing food miles down to zero. This will also allow Grubbies to be run carbon neutral, and if other planting is incorporated and surplus renewable energy is produced Grubbies will run carbon negative. Grubbies will be running this system in the urban environment, as to be able to produce food where it is most needed in densely populated areas.

KEY

Site Boundary Farm Boundary Avena sativa (winter oat) Giant Miscanthus Triticum aestivum (wheat).

Permaculture Garden

B

Communal Seating Communal Seating Edible Forest Garden Existing Building renovated to cafe

A

NIGHTTIME- EXCITING-BRIGHT-FUN-GOOD SMELLS-SAFE

DAY TIME-PEACEFUL-RELAXED-PRODUCTIVE

B

A

Grubbies Leeds HQ and cafe

Multifunctional, Temporary space for events

Pop up restaurants in permanent shipping containers.

Main street in food market

Forest garden seating area

E S T E L L WA R R E N

Projects here have largely been minerals related: designing proposed mine mitigation areas, restoring former ones and producing landscape and visual impact assessments for planning permission.

I began work here full after finishing my BA , and continued working part time during my masters.

CUTACRE COUNTRY PARK & LOGISTICS NORTH, BOLTON A 226 hectare country park, built on the site of a former surface mine, alongside a 101 hectare industrial park set within it.

This design involves ecological habitat creation, newt mitigation, viewing points, SuDS and fishing ponds, agricultural space, and footpath and bridleway routes.

Much of the work I undertook on this project involved producing the large CAD drawings for the park, the industrial area, and newt license applications, detailing features such as footpaths and viewing platforms, furniture selection, and working contours around paths, ponds and platforms on this sloped site.

Whilst working on this project I have also been involved on site inspection visits and consultation meetings, and have designed areas of landscaping within the industrial site.

This project construction.

is

currently

under

Viewing Platform Drawings.

Viewing platforms constructed with earthworks and concrete blocks, laid out in the iconic shape of mining spoil heaps. Views point to local heritage sites, and locations all over the world which have ties to the sites industrial history. This was done by plotting locations co-ordinates in AutoCAD and pulling lines back to the viewing platforms.

Detail and Specification.

Example detail drawings and furniture specification for the country park.

YORK POTASH PROJECT, NORTH YORKSHIRE Large minerals project for a deep mine, within the North York Moors National Park. This project compromises of the main mine site just outside Whitby, connected underground by a 37.5km tunnel to a materials handing facility and port at Teeside.

This tunnel also has three sites along its route for transporting spoil to the surface during construction.

Estell Warren’s role in this project was to design the surface of these four sites. The key to this design was the shaping of large volumes of spoil to fit within the national park landscape. These earthworks also had the role of screening the sites from the rest of park.

Ecology and landscape character conservation were also driving forces in this design.

Alongside this we undertook the task of producing LVIA for the whole project involving separate reports and drawings for each site, and as a cumulative study.

Much of my work for this project was in producing drawings for the design and LVIA, producing photomontages in Photoshop of construction and completed views, site visits for assessing impacts from roads and footpaths in the day and night, and elements of earthworks and SuDS design.

This project has recently achieved planning permission and is expected to be built in the near future.

OPPOSITE: Existing features and features removed drawings.

HERE: Restoration drawing.

Existing vegetation and landscape features such as dry stone walls are drawn from surveys and from this the features to be removed in the construction process were calculated. Restoration put the same amount of habitat and vegetation back, plus more. Spoil is designed into naturalistic landforms which will sit well against the North York Moors landscape.

OPPOSITE: Example LVIA drawing of cumulative assessment, showing ZTV mapping of three of the proposed mine sites, alongside ZTV for existing large structures in and around the national park.

HERE: Example photomontage views of minehead in construction and operational stages.

Modelling was done by a colleague whilst I worked on the Photoshop textures.

BOND COURT, LEEDS Design proposal to unify and ‘green’ this city centre space. Working on the design, we proposed to create a Parisian garden influenced square, with clipped hedges providing structure amongst delicate flowers.

ROOF GARDEN, LEEDS Design proposal for an office roof garden for Capitol House. The brief was to create a low maintenance, easy to use space for office breaks and events.

THRESHFIELD QUARRY, YORKSHIRE DALES Design proposal for Threshfield Quarry Development Trust and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Bauman Lyons architects.

This design proposed the natural colonisation of the quarry, opening up culverted streams, creating an employment area and sculpture park.

Visual above shows opened up stream, and the visitor centre / employment area.

Images to the left illustrate the natural colonisation of the upper quarry area. A square of bare bedrock in the centre of this area has been proposed as a part of the deign by land artist, Andy Goldsworthy, to contrast against the developing landscape around.

BARNABY BAKER BA(Hons)

DipLA

MLA