BIOPHILIC WAY FINDING

"Routing with roots."

As soon as the Tolworth brief was shown I was instantly drawn to the idea of bringing more nature to Tolworth due to the monumental amount of old, mouldy concrete dominating your visual experience when visiting.

This brief revolves around the need for the community to be more aware of their surroundings and to use the facilities, nature and heritage that is secretly encompassed within the area. Through primary and secondary research we have targeted a few of the important heritage sites that need to be involved with our routing. For example The Toby Juggs pub which hosted David Bowie and Led Zeppelin in the early stage of their career and the Nature reserve which is on the outskirts of the Tolworth Broadway, which is home to many birds of pray as well as the rare white marble butterfly. These two have huge history for the surrounding area and the for the UK as a whole - David Bowie and Led Zeppelin are huge artists and Nature Reserves are growing in importance due to increased in pollution and development in housing. However, this has been completely forgotten about by the Tolworth and the Toby Jugg's has been demolished and will be replaced by new house as well the Nature Reserve has been completely forgotten about with the sign being knocked down, mouldy and in a bush. This sums up the attitude towards Tolworth and we are hoping to change this through design and investment in the right areas which increase community collaboration and interaction with businesses and nature alike.

(Read my blog on biophilic design for broader information)) As I have stated the benefits of using nature in cities are huge, especially in Tolworth where the buildings and facilities are not only boring and old but they are surrounded by huge A roads which are noisy, smelly and dangerous.

composite image Ollie Hills 2020

"First impressions count."

The bridge that crosses the A Road when you come into Tolworth from Kingston is basically a big concrete slab that hasn't aged well at all. As a first point of when you enter Tolworth this instantly creates an image of what is to come. I feel it is extremely vital for us to change this and make sure the bridge impresses the people who are coming into Tolworth. To start with, the big bold moss panelling breaks up the boring concrete and replaces it with an impactful piece of nature that is not only beautiful but helps with air pollution and this being one of the busiest part of the road, help from nature is definitely needed. Due to the congestion coming into Tolworth from this road there are many traffic jams that come to a stand still, this leads to frustration and anger. From this the idea that we can create a space where, if the car is stopping around this bridge area, they can enjoy looking at the flowers as well as the art exhibited to the left or right of them. Creating a place for artists to showcase their art is important for social development, so having the walls covered up by nature and having designated areas for the pieces to go is beneficial for everyone involved.

CREDIT - MINE

composite image Ollie Hills 2020

"Walking to a destination should be as enjoyable as the

destination itself."

Our route is due to link the main green parts of Tolworth as well as the Heritage sites (and some independent coffee shops and pubs) but we want to make sure our paths are distinguishable from any other in Tolworth. We are going to do this by using our stable moss panels which offer great benefits to the public from health to being able to take a picture of incredible beauty all while walking to an even nicer destination. As well as this we are going to be using copper signage to indicate to people where they are going, if they have arrived and extra information that we think are important. The use of the copper structures here is to deliberately block the foreground out of the view of site for the person sitting on the bench and for them to be able to look at the wall feature without still cars blocking the view. As well as this we are wanting to use more rustic pavement designs to indicate the walker is on the green route, this and the use of wild meadow flowering on the boarders will give a feeling of being submerged in a natural environment and escaping the busy city scape.

CREDIT - MINE

composite image Ollie Hills 2020

"An overgrown aesthetic to combat the neglect."

As I have mentioned before, Tolworth is overall quite run down and it shows. Year old paint is peeling, damp walls are moulding and that is just the start of the problem. This lack of care has eaten into the residents care for the area. The idea of 'If the council doesn't care then why should we' is a social issue that resinates in many areas of the UK and the globe so we are really trying to bring the community together through a joint effort to look after and care for the area they live in. Gardening is an excellent way of doing this especially as it is in the main points of interest. Using the station where residents or visitors alike will come and enter Tolworth through is a great starting point for this. The use of our moss panels will create the aesthetic and coming from this the use of wall climbing plants that look nice anyway, but with care and attention can flourish and grow - Just like the community. We want the wall plants to entice the viewers to A) The start of our green route and B) Down into the station to view the art work that will be on the walls throughout the train station.

CREDIT - MINE

composite image Ollie Hills 2020

"The community will create their new heritage."

We are wanting to fundamentally create new heritage from the old so in this instance we are using the train station as a gallery for artists within the local community so they can show and express their talents. The train station has been here for a long time and has seen many changes, so this makes sense. Using our nature routing to entice the public to explore the space will go hand in hand with a gallery type feel. The station is again one of the first points which the public will see so it is vital that it creates the right impression instantly. Tolworth is a blank canvas and I believe our green route will not only showcase what Tolworth has to offer in regards to its natural beauty and heritage but will also bring life to places that have been forgotten about for so long. With the help of the community it could become something incredible.

CREDIT - MINE

composite image Ollie Hills 2020

"A natural space for a gallery"

Using the other means of getting around Tolworth is important as well. Subways underneath the A roads and busy streets create a space that is quite intermit which makes it perfect a 'rural escape', walking through the tunnel with wall climbing plants and flowers surrounding you while you take a moment to appreciate the art as well as the tranquility that one has found themselves in. As The Observatory can host artists and photographers, we can then use their artwork or photographer in these spaces which means they are now a great functional way of getting around Tolworth but now also a hidden nature gallery... Imagine that!

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