Renewable Energy Sources

Rural environments present a great opportunity to mine renewable sources of energy. However, with a variety of options on the table, it’s really a matter of being site specific and applying the most contextual possibility in order to achieve maximum output and performance.

Here’s a proposal for Site B. Sitting pretty on the highest contour of all three sites, it’s the most ideal spot for a wind turbine. Now if we could only convince the locals to cut down a couple of those trees and fashion them into furniture...

Did you know ??

The best insulation is a vacuum and next to that, still air. Penguins somehow manage to maintain a temperature difference of 90 degrees C across a 25mm thick layer of down feathers, the equivalent of 500mm of fiberglass!!! 'Andy Coolding' courtesy of Tom Marsh reaserch

SKETCH PROPOSALS

The project is a feasibility study and so we need to look at what type of building works on the sites and which parts of the site can be sold for funding. Here are a few proposals for site A - the existing hall, looking at the adantages and disadvantags of a proposal on the site.

The flyer has been sent to Foxholes and we are looking forward to our day with the community!

Get with the programme!

So here is our programme for the beginning of our project. All these images/documents are remaining open so that as the live project evolves so too can our documentation!

Time to get out the thinking caps!

Following this initial meeting it was back to the studio to have a good hard think and discuss what we had heard, seen and learnt.

In discussions with Evan Almighty we were able to form a plan of action and create a structure to the project with specific areas that were going to study in order that we could proceed with.

Isn't it sweet.......

Here is the existing hall, an attractive structure that nestles well into the surrounding village. Its just a shame about the condition.

What Does The Future Hold?

So is this the future?.......time will tell. We can dream.

Moving Forces....

So here is how we see the structure at the start of the project as we begin to get under the skin of Foxholes.

3 Sites, 3 Options

In reality we are posed with more than 3 options, there are three potential sites onto which the hall could potentially be located.

The first - the existing hall site. One option being the refurbishment of the existing hall to meet the village's requirements, the second to sell off the hall (or at least the land it sits on) and building on the adjacent grassy plot.

The Second - the selling off of the hall/plot and adjacent grassy site and the possible purchase of a field adjacent the pond and next to the playground on which a brand new hall could be built.

The Third - as the second but the conversion of all/part of the existing church into a new hall and mabe the purchase of an adjacent field sold by the church years ago.

Who's Who?

So this is our starting place. Very little knowledge of the functioning of the village, the people, the requirements or the politics within the community.

Little interaction occurrs between the villagers and the hall due to its decreasing usefulness in its current state and we are well and truely outside the community - As should be in order to perform the required task, certainly at the initial stages of the project.

And so we arrived in the Village on the first Thursday of term with no prior knowledge of the village. There is very little information in books or on the internet about the village itself and other than google earth images we had no idea what to expect from the village. Our first task was a meeting with two members of the Village Hall Committee to discuss what the current situation was within the village and the history of the process to aquire a new hall.

This meeting was highly informative in explaining the history of the current village hall and why the village required such a building. We were also able to discuss:

• What activities used to occur within the hall
• What currently goes on
• and what they should like to attract to a new hall.

in addition to the absence of basic services in the village such as a Post Office, Mobile Phone signal, Bakery, Shop, Bus services, Petrol Station, Doctors, Dentists, Library and more. Some of these are availailable through mobile facilities that visit the village, others only in neighbouring towns that require a car journey to get to.

Dont Move the Cup!

Live Project #4 is based in Foxholes in North Yorkshire, a small remote town situated just North of Driffield and approximately 20miles inland from Bridlington on the East coast. The village has a population of approximately 180-200 people. Residents within the village include children of the newly arrived families, the elderly who have been within the village all/most of their lives.


Existing services within the village are minimal, there is no permanent post office, pub, shop or medical centre - these are provided through mobile units that visit the village on a weekly basis. The mobile signal in the area is minimal to none and there is no gas within the village that is not in a bottle.

The only community building is the Village Hall which is situated at the geographical centre of the village, where most community events are held. This hall is in a very poor state, the roof has holes in it, the walls are single skin brick and the windows, as shown in the picture, are in a poor state, held together in one place by a cup!
Activities which occur in the hall includes pilates, coffee mornings, flu vaccinations, craft group meetings and youth group meetings and much more. As a result of the poor condition of the hall, many of these are moving away to private residences which are warm and clean.