This large mural was painted on the last survivng wall of the former East Southsea Railway station (1885-1914). The train depicted is taken from the only extant photo of any train at the station. The wall was in need of repair and repainting, but the residents went one step further, did all the research themselves and commissioned a mural when they could have just settled for a faceless blank wall: Good for them.

Funded by SEHCO, First Wessex and Portsmouth City Council.

This fullscreen website is to showcase photography of Portsmouth, taken by residents. A collaboration with Deer Park Alpha and Claire Sambrook of Portsmouth University.

Try some pictorial tourism and visit the website.

Using Surrealism to teach students in Hampshire about urban design and architecture.

The EPP was established to create a teacher focused approach to exploring ways that the designed built environment. As part of the Education Partner Programme, we have been working with Portsmouth College on a project that links urban design and surrealism.  The exhibition, the result of 12 workshops, ran at the Pop-Up Shops in Commercial Road, Portsmouth.

Starting with an exploration of Surrealist art and studying the work of artists such as Salvador Dali and Giorgio. The students then took a ‘virtual’ walk around the model and selected still images of interesting and inspiring viewpoints.  From these, they introduced texture and imagery that expressed the history of the site.  Some artworks are straightforward; some are mysterious; all tell an urban story and express the student’s interpretation of the powerful interplay of place and meaning.

A Deer Park Alpha project.

In a continued relationship with Bay House School in Hampshire we worked with the Geography department to design and run a series of lessons that enabled students to learn about the design of earthquake proof buildings.

We involved staff and students in the initial planning and together produced lessons that enabled the students to discover by themselves the four basic principles and then employ them in the design of an earthquake proof structure. The structures were tested on a seismic shaker and prices given to the team who designed a structure that not only stood up the longest, but was the tallest and the most elegant.

The project was a great success and we are working with the school again this year to roll the lessons out to a wider a group.

“It was a really successful project and this was principally down to your careful planning and superb contributions in the classroom.
I really welcomed your refreshing approach to include pupils in the co construction their learning. Their responses made me realise this is something that we should be doing more of this as a department.
I was also really impressed by the professionalism of your approach. You were always where you said you would be which was really reassuring. Your enthusiasm was deep knowledge of architecture was infectious and feedback from pupils was really positive.”

Moira Duffy,
Head of Geography

A Deer Park Alpha project. We were approached by the Portsmouth City Council to research and design an innovative play space. The playground, incorporating a small building, opened in summer 2010 to rave reviews. The final design is the result of an intensive research and community involvement stage. We visited all the playgrounds in the city and spoke with play-workers about what worked and what did not work. We visited several playgrounds in the UK, Denmark and France. We then carried out a series of workshops across the city that involved children, parents and play-workers.

They were asked to build ‘The best playground in the world’ from a large van full of junk that we provided. We watched and recorded what they did and asked them to draw and write their ideas, many of which were hastily made in junk.

We compiled all our research into a comic book briefing document. This document captured all the ideas and dreams for what was to be Portsmouth’s sixth adventure playground.

Informed by our research and consultation the design gives over most of the site for children and play workers to self-build their own play structures over the coming years. This gives the community ownership and ensures that get the sort of dare-devil features they want. Small hills provide play opportunities, as well as planting beds, sand and water features and more traditional play equipment such as a tyre swing and a Dutch disk.

Photomontage showing the possible transformation of an ugly carpark into something that gives visitors driving into Portsmouth a more positive impression of the city.  The planting would be undertaken by volunteers in a sort of sanctioned ‘guerilla gardening‘ action. A Portsmouth Society project, and a work in progress.

The photo below shows the site pre-transformation:

Mural for ‘Youth Arts Live!’ festival, Poole.
16ft x 8ft

This mural, based on ideas and images from local young people, was painted during the inaugural ‘Youth Arts LIVE!’. You can see a video of the event here. The young people who helped paint really got into it and stayed till it got dark to make sure it was fully finished to their satisfaction!
It was warmly received by others, too:

“A fabulous piece of art, what an achievement. We would like to see it displayed in the actual Reception area and perhaps the Art Studio at the college on North Road?”
Carole

“Fantastic – uplifting. I would like to see this amazing piece of art mounted in CYPIS reception, not only for the benefit of the visitors, but for the wellbeing of the staff.”
Sandi

This mural project was initiated and funded by the Arts Development Project, Borough of Poole.

The design incorporated images supplied by the project participants.

Blocking in the sketched-out design….

….and applying the finishing touches.

This Mural was designed and painted with vulnerable and disadvantaged young people from the Portsmouth Foyer centre . The painting now occupies a really prominent site in Portsmouth and the quality is testament to the pride and effort everyone put in. Well done!

A First Wessex project, supported by Lovell.

Painting in progress…

Detail. In reality 4ft/1.3m high!

An elegant new restaurant and bar design for theatre-goers in Dorset.

A Deer Park Alpha project with architect Carl Leroy-Smith. Built in the 1920′s, Bournemouth Pavilion puts on great shows for its patrons. Sadly the entrance level bar and restaurant did not live up to the same standards.

After analysing the existing building, its proportions, orientation, connections and views we proposed an elegant design inspired by a stage curtain. From the street the curtain-like facade appears closed. From the sea front however, and from within, the facade is open. This presents the magnificent views to diners and patrons, and outwardly glowing during evening performances.