Galashiels Academy : Landscape Connections Project

galashiels

academy

lan ds c ape c o n n e ctions project phase 1

|

June - September 2012

e x i s t in g s i te pl an

sit e p la n,

a n n o t at e d

n at u re

w o rk sho p

s u r v e y i n g + m appin g

l a n d use s

w o rk sho p

s u r v e y i n g + m appin g

b o u nda ri es | r outes

w o rk sho p

s u r v e y i n g + m appin g

m at e ri a l s

w o rk sho p

s u r v e y i n g + m appin g

su mma rising o u r

fin din gs

su mma rising o u r

fin din gs

p ro p o sa ls fro m

w o rks h o ps

p ro p o sa ls gra p hic

visual br i ef

a strategy, spots

an d

s pac e s

a

strategy

a streetscape environment and a landscape setting a long-term strategy suggesting how the school might forge a stronger relationship with Scott Park, and open this space up to the students of the Academy.

There was a strong desire from the students to have links through the space, to improve the perception of the school and the external space on offer. there is an opportunity to link with the other education / community centre facilities to the north, by improving the layout and configuration of the existing path routes and the nearby streetscape environment. It is suggested that some of the paths in Scott Park are re-surfaced and re-configured to remove bottlenecks and provide more generous space for movement where required. within Scott Park, a programme of activity is suggested. These are planned with the three main user groups in mind: 1. teenagers, 2. the elderly, and 3. local children. kick about space adventure play taking advantage of the woodland setting and existing mature trees. orchard to provide a setting to the Waverley elderly care centre, a buffer to the more active park uses. earthworks around the mound to the south west, to create an alternative form of seating.

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t he st ra t egy i n par ts :

t h e ro u t e s po t s s pac e s

t h e ro u t e

s po t s

ima ge ide as :

s po t s

a

spot

a pin-point intervention

existing entrance to Galashiels Academy: the Drive is dark and narrow, there is minimal signage or orientation, and the gates / fences are redundant.

individual improvements to make a big impact: located within the school grounds, we can identify a series of mini-projects which will give the students achieveable targets and rewarding outcomes Currently the ‘front doors’ at the end of The Drive and the back gate from the swimming pool building are under valued and poorly laid out: - the entrance space is narrow, which makes for an intimidating place - the school campus is difficult for visitors to find - this lack of ‘address’ is linked to the perceived lack of pride.

This proposal is for improvements to the entrance spaces, using simple landscape elements such as signage, planting, alterations to the existing gates, and the possibility of installing a feature dry stone wall.

fences removed, new wall features (could be built by children), new signage, and new planting.

s pac e s

a

space

entrance widened / reconfigured

a space in the school new gap in railings / low wall steps widened

the existing playground space offers little to the students at Galashiels Academy: it is a featureless open surfaced space. There is no differentiation in provision for the different year groups and even the basic outdoor furniture which would help this space be more positively used is lacking. the design proposal is for a provision of seating, bins and shelter as an opportunity to the students to use this space creatively both within organised learning time and during break times. Robust block concrete benches, coloured bright colouors in keeping with the colours of the entrance signage (taken from the School’s logo) are scattered liberally around the Playground space. They form natural groupings where benches overlap, but the layout aims to discourage the over-formalisation of groups or ‘cliques’. the plan suggests links into Scott Park. These could be established at any stage in the programme of improvements to the external space at the Academy.

ima ge idea s: a

s pac e

the pr ojects ...

a stra teg y . . .

... o f s p o t s a n d s pac e s .