BS c A rc h U ni t 7
MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES 'We are drawn by desire — a chance at good living, yet we are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world is suffering for our success. Our dependence on nature to provide the materials for our consumption and our concern for the health of our planet sets us into an uneasy contradiction.' Edward Burtynsky
Scott Grady & Tomas Stokke [Haptic Architects]
Unit 7's work explores the artificial landscapes that exist in modern civilisations, their relationships to urban communities and the natural environment. Often paradoxical in nature, they fulfil human need but have substantial impact on the land. From shipyards to stone quarries, oil fields to super-highways, these are the world’s manufactured landscapes. The processes and spaces are often epic in scale, but rich in detail — layering, colour, texture, stains, scars, smells, light and shade. This detail, scale and un-natural environment raises questions about culture, context, beauty, reuse, waste, ecology, inter-dependency, architecture … The theme of manufactured landscapes was explored in two, very different contexts; the Lea Valley area of London, and in Mumbai, India, one of the most populated urban regions in the world, home to Bollywood and Slumdog Millionaire. With Mumbai’s rich cultural, architectural and historical context, each project had to relate to a complex set of physical and nonphysical issues. Sites and briefs were p. 6 0
developed in tandem, where projects tackled real-life issues: educational projects next to Mumbai’s largest slum (Angela Lo), a spice garden and floating market in Southern Mumbai to reinvigorate the spice trade (Yin Hui Chung), and a speculation on the remanifestation of the world-famous Dbobi Ghat (Augustine Ong Wing), to name but a few … Year 2: Yin Chung, Ivie Egonmwan, Emma Kitley, Tsz Lau, Carmen Lee, Jamie Lilley, Anna Mcsweeney, Rachel Pickford, Sophie Richards, Kate Slattery Year 3:Yuan Gao, Stanley Siu Lun Ho, Angela Lo, Augustine Ong Wing, Samson Simberg, Alexander Sutton, Jaymar Vitangcol, Glenn Wooldridge