George Clarke's Amazing Spaces, BBC

My second piece of research and inspiration arose from watching the BBC series George Clarke's amazing spaces. The series involves Clarke traveling around the country to discover and interview the owners/ makers of some of the most inventive uses of space in Britain. The style of documentary is fairly similar to that of any other BBC documentary, very informative, but not necessarily as creatively shot as it could have been. In comparison to "We the tiny House people", the BBC documentary does not have the same home made feel or raw, stripped back look of the Documentary by Kirsten Dirksen which she achieves by using a camera of less of a high quality than that of the BBC, her own home made theme tune and the absence of unnecessary editing. Dirksen's documentary appeals to me because  of it's honesty and authenticity, she hasn't worried about cutting shots of her interviewees out where they hesitate or maybe say something wrong. She leaves the whole conversation in so you really get to know the people and their spaces. 

In George Clarke's series I picked up on a few spaces which i thought were the most original, and relevant for my documentary project. I have picked examples which highlight my interests in sustainability and use of materials which I hope to focus on during the project at Brighton.

Firstly, I was particularly interested in the Tree Tents at the Red Kite reserve in Wales. Living above ground, suspended in the air is something that we may have to adopt more of in the future if crisis like over population, or the risk of natural disasters such as flooding, or tsunamis become a significant threat to us and the way we live. The tent is shaped like sphere, giving it symmetry to distribute the weight and pull of the ropes suspending it, as well as a very attractive exterior.  

The materials chosen to construct the foundations include an aluminum frame, light weight therefore easy to suspend in mid air and 100% recyclable. The perfect  dome shape was created using steam bent green ash, which being relatively flexible allowed it to bend more easily than say a hard wood such as walnut, very dense and also more expensive. The covering is made from 100% cotton canvas which unlike blended cotton and synthetic fabrics is less susceptible to UV radiation, reducing weathering and ultimately lasting longer. The interior is lined with wool, a natural material that can trap huge amount of heat, insulating the tent without the need for electric heating. 

The second space I thought very inreguing was a converted former fire service truck. It is designed for two as a B and B styled living space with a double bed, small stove and cooking space. It's name is the "Beer Moth" designed by a man called Walter. The interior is all made from salvaged goods such as original Oak flooring saved from a Tudor mansion, a snooker table, a fire escape to make the staircase. It is somwhat excentric, with a huge Victorian bed and stuffed animals are skattered about the place adding character and a very appealing sense of antique. This character of the truck comes from using things that have been used before, adding a sense of history which may or not be the case in Duncan's house. It will be interesting to see if Duncan manages to give character to his house made from waste and if so how he achieves it with the materials he chooses use. 

Finally, The Village Underground is the last space I have chosen to look at, it's aims of generating art and cmmunity similar to the plans for Duncan's Space. The village is a non profit centre designed from jumble of spaces including old tube trains, shipping containers and a converted warehouse in East London. It is focused around bringing artists, musicians and creatives together the tubes and shipping containers acting like offices and the warehouse as a preformance centre. 

I love how not only does it focus on communal values  but also environmental ones. The tube carriages are powered by solar panels making them carbon neutral and generating enough power for lighting and office equiptment. The warehouse has a living roof, with plants that act as insulation, a dampener for concert noise and absorb carbon emissions from the city. By combining this sustainability with creative practice it encourages people that green is good and we should all make the effort to be as green as we can. Duncan's house will be used in a similar way, acting as a bubble for creativity, with school children, sports groups, and different local communities using the space.