Tag: design

Popping up on The Mound …

Winning design

Edinburgh-based Konishi Gaffney Architects is the winner of a competition to design a temporary pavilion as Edinburgh’s entry to the Pop-Up Cities Expo, a headline event for the Festival of Architecture and part of the Year of Innovation Architecture and Design, being held at the Mound this summer.

The competition was organised by the City of Edinburgh Council in conjunction with the Edinburgh Architectural Association (EAA). The winning pavilion is engineered by TALL engineers; it is being fabricated locally by artist and maker Johannes Sailer and is supported by several Scottish timber companies.

The architects’ brief was for a pavilion intended to be an aspirational ‘snapshot’ of Edinburgh, inspiring future generations of architects to come.

Entrants were asked to prepare proposals that would represent Edinburgh on a world stage, showcase the city including its World Heritage status, and reflect the location of the pavilion at the Mound.

Cllr Ian Perry, Convener of the Planning Committee, said: “Edinburgh is well known internationally for its iconic skyline and architecture. We are immensely proud of our World Heritage Status and this competition is a great example of how we can continue to raise our game and inspire local architects of the future. I would like to congratulate Konishi Gaffney on their well deserved win as they are a shining example of the quality of architects we have in the city.”

Kieran Gaffney of Konishi Gaffney Architects, said: “We are delighted to have won this competition and to represent Edinburgh at the Pop-Up Cities Expo. Our idea is based on a folded origami form developed from thinking about the brief for a pop-up pavilion. The form is made from two pyramids laid back to back with three openings pulled out: one for the door, one for a fixed window and one for an opening window for ventilation.  The proposal is innovative in its design and minimised the use of materials.  Using locally sourced timber means a small carbon footprint and the pavilion is intended for re-use at other events and functions. The proposal has an interesting, decorative structure and the simple form is materially and structurally efficient. We think the construction system should be quick and easy to install.”

Donald Canavan, President of the EAA, said: “The Edinburgh Architectural Association is delighted to be involved in facilitating this exciting competition, and was greatly impressed by the quality of the entries. Although such pavilions are temporary, the winning entry, by Konishi Gaffney, was agreed as a gem, offering a splendid tribute to Edinburgh, and to the architectural profession within the chapter area. We greatly look forward to the Expo and are sure the story told by the Edinburgh pavilion and its exhibits will be intriguing and memorable.”

ORIGAMI

 

Hut’s the way to do it!

THE IDEAL HUT SHOW

Botanics until Mon 30 May, 10am – 5.45 pm. Free.

hut

An open-air installation consisting of twenty off-the-shelf garden sheds reinvented by architects and designers from home and abroad.

In partnership with the Festival of Architecture (part of Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design)

A year to celebrate

Saltire Society unveils 80th anniversary programme

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A £50,000 ‘Inspiring Scotland’ funding programme for emerging Scottish talent and Scotland’s first ever online literary festival are just two of the eye-catching initiatives revealed today as part of a busy programme of activities to mark the Saltire Society’s 80th anniversary year. Continue reading A year to celebrate

Out of character, out of touch

Johnstone questions Marketing chief’s ‘patronising’ comments

old rhs

Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, has questioned comments by John Donnelly, chief executive of Marketing Edinburgh, in which he supported plans to turn the Royal High School into a luxury hotel and the controversial redevelopment of the St James Centre. Continue reading Out of character, out of touch

Trust us: students design branding for new charity building

Edinburgh College students produce logo for Gorebridge Beacon

External for exhibition board panel 2 - high resolution (2000x1333)

One of Scotland’s newest and most striking buildings has taken the latest step from drawing board to a reality with the help of two young trainee graphic designers from Edinburgh College.

The Gorebridge Community Development Trust, a volunteer-led charity that supports local economic and social regeneration, is creating a new £2.2m centre (above) and enlisted students Rhys McGeary and Liam Henderson to create its new brand identity.

The designers took the name suggested through a competition, the Gorebridge Beacon, and worked it up into a new logo that symbolises the point of the new centre, which opens next year (below). The new centre will provide affordable, subsidised business space for rental with meeting rooms, flexible conferencing and learning space, a community cafe, a Sure Start nursery and a youth space, giving the town of Gorebridge a major boost.

Logo for web

Stephanie Walker, co-chair of the Gorebridge Community Development Trust, said: “The Gorebridge Beacon is all about giving people a new start and making their lives better. Graphic design is a fiercely competitive career and getting started on your career can be extremely challenging. By working together, we’ve got a really professional product and the two designers have got something really solid and impressive in their portfolios which will hopefully give them a head start in establishing themselves as excellent creative designers.”

The designers, Rhys and Liam, both from Musselburgh, volunteered to help the trust through their course tutor Chris Hughes at Edinburgh College, where they are in the final year of the HND Visual Communication: Graphic Design course.

Rhys, Liam and the trust narrowed four approaches down to one final design, and this brand identity will now be used across the centre’s website, social media presence, signage and promotional material.  It reflects the aspirations of the trust for the contribution the new complex will make in terms of improving lives in the community. The centre has to pay its own way in terms of attracting tenants for the centre’s office spaces and ensuring as many people as possible come in to use the centre’s cafe, performance spaces, youth rooms, nursery and meeting rooms.

Chris Hughes said: “This partnership worked really well for everyone – the development trust got access to highly skilled design professionals and our students got the chance to work on live commissions and see their work being put into place in a real world commercial setting.”

Rhys said: “The client brief was really interesting but challenging. In terms of the people the centre has to attract, because it offers so many different things – from the cafe to conference venues and offices for hire – the audiences are all ages, from school pupils, to teenagers right up to older people, from charities to professional businesses.

“The trust were also clear that they wanted something that reflected both the building, its name, and its ambitious social purpose.”

Liam said: “Getting a design right involves a lot of discussion while ensuring that the end product has purpose and meaning. It will help the client achieve their purpose such as summarising quickly the point of something  to helping people get more familiar with the centre and more likely to use it.”

Stephanie Walker added: “Given all the Trust is doing, making this centre work is and continues to be a challenge for our small volunteer-led trust and that won’t get any easier when we open our doors as we will have difficult targets to reach.  That’s where a good brand identity and excellent promotional work will pay off and we’ve been grateful to our supporters for their assistance, in particular Midlothian Council which has seconded Stephen Fraser to us part-time.”

“Stephen brought Edinburgh College in and we’re really grateful for their help. Rhys and Liam have listened carefully to our views and worked with board members to come up with a logo and other materials that neatly summarises our hopes for what the centre will provide for Gorebridge when it opens.”

The actual building of the £2.2m centre, known as capital development, has been funded from grants provided by the Big Lottery Fund, Social Investment Scotland and Midlothian Council, with the trust having to repay a loan once the centre is up and running, making it vital that the development is embraced by the Gorebridge community and used fully.