Settlers Hill Primary School
“Hills ” is the natural name that came out of my idea for the seating element. You will notice straight away the importance of the curves and the “horizontality” I had wished to retain initially in my expression of interest, the horizontality being created by the one level houses of the Settlers Hills community embracing the “hilly-curvy” quality of the site.
As I was brainstorming, I kept in mind all of the playfulness, dynamism and native landscaping I was keen to include in the seating element.
The playful quality comes from the reference to “construction” toys that kids assemble to create their own shapes and imaginative realms. “Hills’ ” shapes are actually nothing like legos aside from their obvious protruding knobs.... Legos are never curved; they are always square or rectangle. “Hills’ ” elements are soft in their curves and colours, inviting one to sit with the expectation of a different experience and approach. The knobs themselves are quite playful as they offer a challenge to the sitting. It does not conform to the body but kids like to be challenged rather than told to sit. The structure offers different levels and positions to take its weight.
The dynamism comes from the shapes of each element. It creates a curving flow with no specific rhythm. The children will enjoy touching, stepping, sitting, leaning and standing on it. If they come to sit as a group no one will be on the same level and, from my experience with children, they like a bit of chaos when it is gentle and breaks the stiffness of their life regimented around adults’ schedules.
The faithfulness to the existing native surrounding is translated in the choice of colours for each element which composes the sitting artwork. These elements will bear the colours of the earth, the sky and the water, the green of the bush, but also the beige of the material used in the teaching blocks. Concrete has this incredible ability to be coloured and yet it gives a softness to the colour chosen; blue can not be electric, green can not have a “plastic” effect; Concrete has an earthy quality to it that is unequalled by any other material. Only the rocks used in the mixture can bring a soul to the material. You will see a sample (page x) of the red concrete using local rounded rock that in its overall effect strangely reminds one of dot aboriginal paintings.
The “brick” reference of the elements which composes the artwork is also intended to stay in tune with the teaching blocks and the identity of Settlers Hills' housing.
In collaboration with teachers, I would like to organise workshops with children. During these workshops, we will discuss their living experience at the Settlers Hills Community, how they feel about the extraordinary environment of their country and their region, and from these reflection sessions they will choose to create little objects that will be cast in resin and added to the artwork in place of some knobs. These can be little birds in plasticine or collages/montage of leaves, gumnuts, spring flowers or bark that they will collect themselves. The casts will become crystal clear resin medallions, witnessing the presence of the students during the creation of their sitting element which will give the children a sense of ownership to the project.
“Hills” is simple and effective with attractive materials, which keep in mind the safety issues that a Primary School requires. The artwork has a function; it allows the children to sit in a “cosy”, social and familiar environment.
As I was brainstorming, I kept in mind all of the playfulness, dynamism and native landscaping I was keen to include in the seating element.
The playful quality comes from the reference to “construction” toys that kids assemble to create their own shapes and imaginative realms. “Hills’ ” shapes are actually nothing like legos aside from their obvious protruding knobs.... Legos are never curved; they are always square or rectangle. “Hills’ ” elements are soft in their curves and colours, inviting one to sit with the expectation of a different experience and approach. The knobs themselves are quite playful as they offer a challenge to the sitting. It does not conform to the body but kids like to be challenged rather than told to sit. The structure offers different levels and positions to take its weight.
The dynamism comes from the shapes of each element. It creates a curving flow with no specific rhythm. The children will enjoy touching, stepping, sitting, leaning and standing on it. If they come to sit as a group no one will be on the same level and, from my experience with children, they like a bit of chaos when it is gentle and breaks the stiffness of their life regimented around adults’ schedules.
The faithfulness to the existing native surrounding is translated in the choice of colours for each element which composes the sitting artwork. These elements will bear the colours of the earth, the sky and the water, the green of the bush, but also the beige of the material used in the teaching blocks. Concrete has this incredible ability to be coloured and yet it gives a softness to the colour chosen; blue can not be electric, green can not have a “plastic” effect; Concrete has an earthy quality to it that is unequalled by any other material. Only the rocks used in the mixture can bring a soul to the material. You will see a sample (page x) of the red concrete using local rounded rock that in its overall effect strangely reminds one of dot aboriginal paintings.
The “brick” reference of the elements which composes the artwork is also intended to stay in tune with the teaching blocks and the identity of Settlers Hills' housing.
In collaboration with teachers, I would like to organise workshops with children. During these workshops, we will discuss their living experience at the Settlers Hills Community, how they feel about the extraordinary environment of their country and their region, and from these reflection sessions they will choose to create little objects that will be cast in resin and added to the artwork in place of some knobs. These can be little birds in plasticine or collages/montage of leaves, gumnuts, spring flowers or bark that they will collect themselves. The casts will become crystal clear resin medallions, witnessing the presence of the students during the creation of their sitting element which will give the children a sense of ownership to the project.
“Hills” is simple and effective with attractive materials, which keep in mind the safety issues that a Primary School requires. The artwork has a function; it allows the children to sit in a “cosy”, social and familiar environment.
