Furnitecture

 

The final design I chose was the one which I felt fitted the location best and was a true representation of Wisley as an establishment and its goals for the future, including educating and engaging visitors of all ages. This piece also fits in well with the existing landscape. 

As there are many different elements to this design I shall discuss them one by one.

The badger print on my design is a raised area surrounded by a layer of glass. I chose this as badgers live underground in burrows, and I wanted to represent their natural habitat in the shape of their footprint. Initially, I considered a soil/mud pit sunken into the ground that visitors could walk over. However, I then thought it would be more interesting if it was raised with a glass surrounding so that visitors could take a horizontal perspective.

The second area is the crow's foot. Crows choose to live in sparse woodland, which is why I have chosen to have this area be very similar to that of a natural habitat of a crow. Hopefully this will attract a whole new array of birdlife to the Wisley landscape. Within this area I would also place a small bird hide, fitted with binoculars, so that visitors are able to watch the inhabitants of the trees close up without disturbing them.

In terms of my intentions for the duck foot, it would be a deep lake sunk into the ground, I would look to introduce ducks to this area of the landscape so that they were able to establish a home there. They would then also have access to the surrounding landscapes if they wish. As is evident by the species I have chosen, I designed this with the natural wildlife of the UK in mind, as a means to encourage a wider diversity of species at this location.

The frog foot in this design is a raised water system that will include pumps to circulate the water from toes of the feet (which are lower) back up to the raised area of the heel of the foot, thus creating a continual current in the water. This area will include a wide range of aquatic plant species such as lilies. I would also place large fish such as koi carp to help balance the aquatic ecosystem. Because of the fish species that would be present I have chosen to make this a raised area with glass surrounding the entire outside, so that visitors are able to see the underwater life as well as the top of the water system.

Next to this is a rabbit's foot. This area will include very tall grasses and this will make it difficult for visitors to view species from the pathway. Therefore I would install raised domes made with one-way glass in the landscape. Visitors could also walk under the area and view species without them being disturbed. This would allow for a very interesting and rare viewing experience and would encourage more timid species into the ecosystem.

Lastly is the deer foot. Given the size of my landscape and the fact that Wisley is a busy place I wouldn’t expect to see deer on this plot of land. However, I have designed it with their species in mind, as deer have been spotted in the surrounding area. The deer foot will not be maintained or manicured, but left for any species to grow as it pleases. This leaves room for wildflowers to grow in this area, thus attracting bee species which are needed to pollinate many other plants in the gardens. The two halves of the deer print can be joined by a tunnel for visitors.

My choice of materials have been discussed within the design explanation. However, they are also presented in my photoshop rendering to give a further visual representation.