Railway Sleeper Measurements & Dimensions within Design Thinking.

Digital Isometric Sketch 1:10 @ A3 by Karl Barrett (2013)

I have studied the Industrial Trafford Park for the academic year; it has given me a great insight into how a landscape architect can intervene within this post-industrial urban fabric.  Due to the changes in manufacturing demand and importing from overseas, and changing technologies over the last 100 years,  many materials have been left on site that are now defunct.  There are many old railways running through Trafford Park that lack functionality; predominately this is because they are no longer used as transport links / networks.  In a world where renewable sources are of key importance, the railway sleepers are an invaluable commodity, offering character from their weathered appearance to set the scene in a re-invented landscape.

While researching railway sleepers, both on site and as part of my desktop studies, I found the web site ‘Railway sleepers – what size and weight are they?’   This is where I have my measurement and dimensions from, reflecting my on site survey measurements.  There are some Railway Sleepers I would choose to leave where they are, especially down the main roads in Trafford Park, however there are many areas that are not used to the same extent; so these could be recycled and re imagined within an urban reinvention…

Disused Railway Track.  Satellite Image adapted from Google Earth (2013)

Construction Time Again. Urban Tree Grill

Isometric and Plan Drawing by Karl Barrett (2013)

Sometimes you don’t have to venture far to find precedents that influence your design thinking. Here is a tree grill in my local neighbourhood that I like. I decided to do a very similar drawing to scale to add into my scheme that reflects the wider landscape character of my chosen site.

Photo by Karl Barrett (2013)

Pet Shop Boys – Axis

Great new sound from the Pet Shop Boys, the new album Electric comes out just in time for my graduation too!  I am  loving the retro high NRG sound with razor-sharp electro.  After four years of full-time study looking forward to a summer of live music and me time!

I Wear My Sunglasses at Night

Urban Lighting 3D Digital Sketch Karl Barrett (2013)

Lighted Ballards

Looks like sprayed aluminium

Lovely Lighting Scheme

The shadows cascade about 4m from the light poles

Strong architectural lines as a composition

Construction Detail/Scheme Precedents.

The above pictures were taken tonight as a precedent for my landscape scheme and for some construction details.  I hear mixed reviews about this scheme which is part of the University campus but the more I have walked through it the more I like it.  The scheme is very minimal in terms of its landscape architecture yet the experience is quite dynamic.  during the day time the natural light casts interesting shadows through the lamp posts and this dances with the other forms such as the ballads, building facades and the gigantic cuboid pillars and chunky granite seating.  At night the LED lighting casts an X shaped shadow that connect as a lit walkway and I find this beautiful how the landscape architects and lighting designers have worked with clean lines to create a lot of movement and purpose as a light cooridoor within the space.  I wish to use a similar design to the above lighting sketch but to change its materiality into something more rustic, perhaps corton steel or treated timber to support the industrial dialogue running throughout my site. The thing I love most about some of the materials I will most likely use in my design is that they age so beautifully with weather and change according to the site conditions.