Contents

1. Background

2. Aims and objectives

3. Project schedule

4. Who Participated?4.1 About the group4.2 Participation

5. Design evaluations5.1 8 – 12 years old5.2 13 – 18 years old 5.3 Colour testing

6. Created work6.1 Activity 16.2 Activity 26.3 Activity 3 and visit6.4 Activity 4

7. Design inspiration

8. Outcomes of integrated artwork

9. Project evaluations

10. Overview

1. Background to the Project

With encouragement for elected representatives and Glasgow City Council, the residents have set up a legally constituted steering group to work towards the establishment of a new community facility for the area. The Townhead Village Hall Project is intended to provide a focal point and reconnect the community, and in doing so strengthening the identity of the area and its residents.

2. Aims and objectives

Set up a series of arts activity sessions, which will inform plans for an interior fit-out of the Townhead Village Hall Project, to identify sites, materials and methods for incorporating art within the interior design of the new building.

1. Understand the Plans of the building2. Create ideas for the interior fit-out

- for example in treatment of Surfaces LightingLayoutTexturesOrientationColours

3. Visit successful public buildings4. Create own artwork which can be digitally integrated into the process

3. Project Schedule

Sessions: Weekly 3 - 4 hour session, early evening, weekdays or possibly Saturdays to be confirmed on group’s availability.

Week 1: 5 th March Initial meeting with group; discussion about the project; what we’d like to achieve, notes of interest from young people.

Week 2: 12 th March Group to develop initial thought objectives. Gain knowledge and understanding of the project and design process.

Activity 1: Create work abstractly though playing games designed to develop creativity, lateral thinking and leading to understand of 3D based inside 2D framework, public space activity sheet.

Week 3: 19 th March Focused work session, looking at design and materials

Activity 2: Creating ideas and artworks for inclusion in the main build.

Activity 2a: Way finding game, creating your own space, practical interior design games

21st March Visiting venues: Visits to key public spaces, include the Lighthouse and Kelvingrove art gallery and museum.

Activity3: 3D to 2D activity, re-creating the space in design

Week 4: 26 th March Focused work session, looking at design and materials

Activity 4: Creating ideas and artworks for inclusion; suggested ideas and fit out for interior build.

4. Who Participated

4.1 About the groupThe group of young people consist of individuals who live in Townhead and attend the Thursday night youth club at Martyrs Church; the club is split into to segments. The first session from 7 - 8.15pm is for 8 to 12 year olds and the second session runs from 8.30 – 10pm for 13 – 18 year olds.

4..2 Participation* **

No. of individuals Total no. participation8 – 12 year olds 14 2913 – 18 year olds 21 33

Total 35 62

* Participation is recognised as a young person engaging with an activity or responding to a task.

** Figures do not include week 1, which was an introduction to the whole group.

5. Design evaluations

Both groups were asked a series of questions in response to viewing plans, elevations and digitals visualisations of the build. This was in the format of questions pinned to the wall and individual question sheets.

5.1 8 – 12 year old

Response from 10 participants

Q1. What do you want from the Townhead Village Hall?

“a garden full of beautiful flowers”

“to be colourful”

Q2. How does the new building make you feel?

Q3. What things should be included in the new building?

Q4. What do you think of the current design?

5.2 13 - 18 year old

Response from 17 participants

Q1. What do you want from the Townhead Village Hall?

“Should be happy, warm and not boring”

“able to come at anytime and feel happy”

“to be able to go throughout the week or weekend”

“to be able to go into it throughout the week and to keep people off the street”

“a swimming pool”

“a gym”

“youth clubs”

“Good facilities that you can go and do things everyday”

“freedom”

“I don’t like it”

“make me feel happy that it will make me feel safe”

“Happy that it is actually happening”

Q2. How does the new building make you feel?

Q3. What things should be included in the new building?

Q4. What do you think of the current design?

Q5. Anything else you’d like to say?

“Keep glass around the outside of the building to a minimum, people around the area will smash them. Will have to replace glass often.”

“you better make a swimming pool”

“Artwork from Charles Rennie Mackintosh”

“something good for the community and people in it”

“good expect for the bricks sticking out”

5.3 Colour Testing

The group was asked to tell us their two favourite colours.

Response from 19 participants, this applies to the whole group.

6. Create artwork

6.1 Activity 1: In the first session we wanted to open out the idea of space and get the group thinking about laying out a plan.

A few examples of building layouts and colours.

Flower seats and multi coloured furniture

Colour blocked vinyl on all floor areas

Coloured tables and decking

6.2 Activity 2: Inspired by art and design magazines, the group were asked whilst considering the 3D visualisations of the space to create artworks and designs which could be integrated within the space.

Here are a few examples of the raw artwork.

Image 2a

Image 2b

Image2c

Image2d

6.3 Activity 3 : As part of a visit to a public space, the group were asked to look at the 3D space they were in, understand the materials that were being used and draw out a 2D plan of the space; giving them a better understanding of how 3D design is executed and increasing their awareness of the space around them and how it interacts with other rooms.

A few examples of the 2D plans created.

Visit to the Lighthouse

Plan of the Lighthouse Entrance, including the escalator.

Stair lights leading the way in the lower ground floor of Kelvingrove.

Both above: The Lower ground floor of Kelvingrove.

6.4 Activity 4: For the final session, the group were asked to create graphic symbols which could represent different areas of the public building; taking inspiration from the graphic signage at the lighthouse.

A few examples of the raw artwork.

Image 4a

Image 4b

Image 4c

Image 4d

7. Design Inspiration

The group were asked to look through industry design magazines and select images, ideas and styles which they liked.

Magazines referenced were: FX The business of Design; Wallpaper and Design week annuals.

8. Outcomes of integrated artwork

Created artwork integrated within the Architects 3D visualisations

Using images 2b and 2cCafé, internet and social area

Using image 4b and part of 4d, plus altering furniture colour.

Sports Hall

Using images 2a and 2d

Images taken from young peoples work.

Building entrance

Using image 4a

Reception and meeting point

Using images 4c and parts of 4d

9. Project evaluations

Participants were asked to write down whatever they thought of the workshops and sessions.

“Great fun, loved it” (drew a smiley face)

“Was fun,, made me feel young again”

“Had a great time, thanks for taking us on a trip”

“I enjoyed going up the tower at the lighthouse and making my designs”

“I really loved the underground and visiting the museum” (drawing of subway train)

“thank you for helping me learn about architecture” (smiley drawing)

“that was great, felt really involved”

“I loved everything, what we did was very interesting, makes me feel part of the community”

“It was quite good, a lot of work to put in but good”

“It was good, and been able to design what I think, that could be the next townhead centre”

“Good to be able to design to building. Good instructor, nice to be able to have an opinion.”

“Enjoyed it, gives an idea of what townhead will get back. Creative”

10. Overview

One of the core aims of the consultation was to engage the local young community, integrating their work into the interior design plans for the new building; but before I could get to that stage I had to establish what they knew already, give them a better understanding of the Townhead Village Hall project, instil how the building may work and provide a crash course is creativity and 3D design.

The group involved were very keen and positive in reaction to my presence at there club and welcomed the opportunity to take part in something different and an activity which could shape there community. One of the interesting things about this group was the consistency of attendance; these young people pay to go to the Thursday night youth club, a minimal amount but it seems to make all the difference in those young people valuing the time they spend at the club and in my case the time they spent with me working on this project.

Ultimately we had very little actual session time with the groups, down to various reasons, but overall the most exposure any of the young people had to the task was no more than 3 hours 45mins. It is a credit to this group’s willingness to listen and complete tasks that so many new and difficult ideas were taken on board and so much activity was created.

The group grasped the concepts of layout and space, and how important “way finding” was within a space, as with section 7, the group selected images representing interior styles and solutions they liked. One of the first ideas that came on board was frosted glass; it was this inspiration along with the frosted design glass at the Lighthouse that led the group and I to thinking this would be the best and most effective way would to integrate their created art into the final build design; not just using the designs in frosting but also using laminates on walls and integrated vinyl’s on the flooring.

It is this solution which has come to the forefront and at this initial stage the young people involved are most impressed and pleased with its results. And ultimately it is this solution which may be the most feasible and realistic at fulfilling.

END.

Consultation delivered, data collated and written by:

Sha NazirMackintosh Development Officer, Education & LearningThe CRM SocietyMay 2009