Past, Present and Future Projects
Railton Road Renovation 🍂🎋
Having been on furlough since moving to London late 2020 - another project was calling. Over the last few weeks, I've considered the materials already present within the garden and decided to revamp the flower bed using the dismembered collection of bamboo. Next? sorting out the loose stone terrain around the massive rocks...
FYI, yes, that's a tree (see: Minecraft). Small bowl: concept fire pit. And, I've added some wooden decking in place of the muddy shingle area. Just an idea for now.
Given this still isn't my garden, I've had to find ways for visualising my ideas in the best way possible. Enter... CAD!
Update Summer '21: Planters have been created and filled with soil. No sign of plants just yet!
Recovering Scotland
🐮🌿
Some view, eh?
North east Scotland (which features quite a bit on this site) is home to a farm I've worked at on/off since I was just a wee bairn (child). However over the last 6 years or so we - my uncle, aunty (owners of the farm) and I - noticed a number of problems concerning the land e.g. low soil nutrition, distinct lack of native birds (Lapwings, Curlews, Oystercatchers etc.), and others to name few. After consultations with the Soil Association and other environment leaders, a decision needed to be made to restore the ecosystem to its once fruitful self.
This is a big job. (Notice the ongoingness of the 'is'.)
Brave decisions had to be made in regards to the future of the farm and the landscape surrounding but these decisions were based on the holy trinity: Environment, Economic and Social. To document a few of the more profound changes:
- The commercial livestock needed an enormous re-think. The Simmental cattle (a very large, high yield beast) were sold and replaced with smaller native breeds such as Ling, Blue Grey, Highland and Galloway. These native breeds rely far less on winter nourishment in sheds significantly reducing bedding and feeding costs whilst grazing the rough ground they were designed to graze. The consistent grazing schedule then brought new growth to hill plant species and improved the water run off through the fields. The very same was done to the more commercial Mule ewes which were replaced by native Black Faced and Swaledale ewes allowing for a reduction in silage production thus reducing the need for non-recyclable silage bale plastic.
- After a few chemical analysis programmes were ran on the soil around the farm, a distinct deficiency in Nitrogen was observed. Since this discovery, we have increased the ratio of clover to grass in the fields. By increasing the clover concentration up to around 15-20% of the acreage, we have seen a stark improvement of the biodiversity of the ground. This has also improved the richness of grass yield providing more substantial feed for grazing livestock.
- In alliance with the local government green restoration schemes, a vast number fo Blackthorn hedges were planted around the more exposed fields. These new planting measures coupled with the restoration of wetland areas has been a huge boost for native bird species and naturally helps to decrease the acidity of the soil too.
These moves signify monumental shifts in comparison to how other local farms operate. The fact that these changes were even considered in the first place was an achievement in itself. The next step is to continue creating a commercially viable farm whilst aiming for a zero waste process. If we can achieve a day to day running of a commercially viable farm with these methods, the results should eventually speak for themselves and influence neighbouring farms to heed the same warning signs and make positive collaborative change.
Your Streets. Your Way. 🌱🌳
Lambeth Council Design Competition
This April, I thought I'd give this a go.
I occasionally commute through this walkway leading to Loughborough Junction and beyond and its fair to say the site has had better days.
My flatmate suddenly handed me a flyer showing there is a competition to redesign the site where the winner would receive a cash prize and have the design actually built. The only drawback - the deadline was in a week!
With more time, I'd have likely gone to the lengths of creating a CAD drawing but a couple one-point perspective hand drawings would have to do.
And if you haven't yet peaked your interest, feel free to read my explanation of my proposals. Enjoy.
Certification of participation >
Update September '21: So, I didn't win but my ideas certainly weren't a million miles away... Here's the winner's proposal ⬇️
Back in Scotland...
Another restoration project, this one a little more conventional but no less hands on. This small cottage situated on the same farm has been derelict since the early 1990's. The previous owner passed away allowing the property to be auctioned. So, this lovely place is now property of my uncle.
I write this in April 2021 after acquiring in 2016 and no, its definitely still not liveable just yet... stay tuned.
Thain House, Glenlivet 🏡
GreenPower ⚡️
Two years of my school-life was dedication to the GreenPower team where a small bunch of us were required to build a car that ran on an electric motor and was then raced around Donnington Park Circuit. The body was crafted from ash and shaped using a very large vacuum bag press. This was my very first foray into the realms of sustainable conception, design and development.
Nash Mk1 et al. 🚜
During my farmhand work in Scotland there was no shortage of projects big or small. This tractor is a 1961-1966 B414 International towing a 1970s turnip spreader. Both were bought from a local farm auction for next to nothing, however, they were in a sorry condition. We spent a month or so replacing and moderately renovating various parts and got them both going relatively smoothly.
Along with this 1954 Austin Champ, there's always something to undergo restoration. However, this old Champ was beyond our expertise and has since been scrapped/recycled.
International Harvester 1985. Recovering and repair job, this one. Split in half, we needed access to the clutch plates and for us to conduct a thorough service on the tractor. On service, it was discovered that the 4 wheel drive was ineffectual. Another purchase has been made since for a functioning model.
Muay Thai Prototype 💥
Whilst living it up (and occasionally working) in New Zealand, I was approached at my local gym by someone who was incredibly passionate about high-intensity rehabilitation training regimes. I mentioned that I can use 3D design software and he unloaded an idea for a product that would specifically aid the user in rehab after a long injury that he had been harbouring for a couple of years.
Given it was the first time I had ever come across somebody that requested my relatively novice CAD skills for a private project. After agreeing my fee of a number of personal training sessions, I constructed these prototypes. In retrospect, I don't think the chap quite understood what he was hoping the product would look like so I was just glad to provide him a foundation for his ideas moving forward.
