Cayetana Anderson

Pedal Up

Landscape Architecture - MA

Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA)

cayetanaanderson@gmail.com

Digital Portfolio

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Project description

Pedal Up proposes a playful and active transformation to the West Hendon Playing Fields in the London Borough of Barnet by expanding on its existing sporting history and reclaiming surrounding areas of warehouses and woodland to create a cycle track circulating the entire park. The implementation of the cycle track creates a focus on how play can become a tool for regeneration throughout the park creating points of play along and away from the cycle track itself.

The cycle track entails ground-level and tree-top views throughout the site with considerations for different types of tree planting implemented alongside existing Broadleaf and Willow Carr species in order to create different cycling and walking experiences across the site. Three groups of tree planting have been proposed with different focuses which are: ground interest species, tree top species, and specimen trees. These three groups aim to create contrast with more open areas that contrast the denser woodland spaces.

The improved and proposed play points around the track that are accessible for children and adults of all abilities and disabilities have been categorised into physical, sensory, destination, exploratory and pause play spaces. The cycle track, therefore, serves as an initial attraction to the site which can then be explored by travelling along the whole track or through smaller sections. The proposal will develop over a 40 year period with the initial track implementation in year 1 and the tree planting, play development and woodlands sequentially following this stage over the following years.

01| Pedal Up: Site Masterplan

The proposal for the site masterplan explores the implementation of the cycle track and how this initial destination point can serve as a tool to regenerate existing and newly proposed areas of play. The varied proposals aim to create spaces that offer inclusive play with opportunities for accessible play and spaces that create quiet spaces away from the busier park. The key areas are the adventure playground, the sensory play area, the woodland play area and the plaza and water play spaces which include the existing boat clubs on the reservoir itself.

Masterplan of the West Hendon Playing Fields

02| Site Analysis

A series of diagrams were produced to analyse the site. These explore a range of site implementations which include cycle track typologies, topography, play and planting groups and the cycle track height. The key play groups are exploratory play, physical play, sensory play, pause play points and destination play points. The planting is grouped into existing species which include the Willow Carr habitat and the broadleaf Woodland Habitat. In addition to these, I have designed using trees to create a tree-top species group, a ground-level tree group and a specimen tree group.

Diagrammatic drawing of entire site. (From left to right: Cycle track typologies, existing topography lines, proposed topography lines, cycle track heights, planting types and play types).

03| Seasonal Visual Proposals for West Hendon

As part of the initial stages of the project, I produced a series of visuals to explore a variety of ideas and play types around the site. These ideas were explored following site research about existing users of the site, the knowledge of the existing sport's history of the West Hendon Playing Fields and research into accessible play throughout my dissertation.

Cycle track passes over the top of the multi use games area with children playing various sports throughout winter, autumn and summer.

Allotment perspective throned summer spring and winter. Children and adults gardening in allotments to the right and people walking and cycling along a dirt track to the left.

Perspective digital drawing of a cycle track in the treetops split into three sections showing spring, summer and autumnal seasonal change. Adults and children are exploring and playing on natural play provisions including swings or logs.

seasonal digital visual showing summer, spring and autumn with children playing in an adventure playground with natural play provisions including a sandpit and climbing frame. l

04| West Hendon Park Proposal

Further development of West Hendon Park has been explored and in particular looking at how the various types of play can be Implemented in further detail along with several tree planting group species. This area of the park is predominantly made up of the Willow Carr habitat that lies along the reservoir water edge as well as some well-established specimen trees which include Oak, London Plane, Cherry, Maple and Walnut to name a few. Throughout this space, I have included all five types of play which include destination play and sensory play at the entrance through Goldsmiths Avenue, physical play at the tennis courts and pause and exploratory play at the reservoir lookout, outdoor nursery and water play area. The design also ensures accessible elements such as changing places facilities are implemented for better access to play spaces and the park itself.

A detailed plan of the northern side of the site showing a sensory play area, tennis courts, car park, reservoir viewpoint and water play area

reservoir curved lookout seating point perspective integrated with the cycle track and seating areas

Reservoir Lookout

Visual of people entering the site with sign hung on the cycle track which forms an underpass entrance way saying 'West Hendon Park'.

Site Entrance through Goldsmiths Avenue

visual perspective showing people along cycle track at the highest point in the site. Views behind pan to West Hendon and the 360 degree viewpoint

Viewpoint from the highest point on the cycle track

Sensory planting and accessible play visual

Sensory Planting and Accessible Play Area

05| Designing Beyond the Track

As well as creating places of play along the cycle track, it was vital to explore how the cycle track could create change around the rest of the park. I have developed five axonometric illustrations showing examples of spaces that do this each either building on existing features of the park or bringing new ideas to enhance the space.

Axonometric of cycle track leading to adventure playground. The cycle track has large steps and climbing areas for people to sit on.

Axonometric of Cycle Track Leading to the Adventure Playground

Axonometric of allotment plaza with structures for people to sell their produce. Cycle track cuts through the allotments.

Axonometric of Cycle Track Leading to the Allotment Plaza where people can sell their produce and socialise.

Axonometric of the cycle track along the edge of the football pitch which has a seating area feeding off the cycle track looking over football pitches as a place to sit and watch.

Axonometric of Football Pitch Viewpoint along the cycle track

Axonometric of a treetop cycle track curving round a bend that leads to an outdoor nursery.

Axonometric of cycle track leading to Outdoor Nursery

Axonometric of existing cycling overpass that feeds over to the cycle track. Woodland has been cleared to make way for a new entrance.

Axonometric of Entrance Point connecting the cycle track to an existing overpass

06| Modelling

Model making formed a significant part of the development of the cycle track. I first explored three proposals at a 1:100 scale for different cycle tracks and footpaths built with the existing and changed topography. The first (Left) looked at designing the track with proposed topographic changes to reveal the site at a lower ground level. The second (middle) looked at the cycle track and footpath being built at split heights to create different experiences for pedestrians and cyclists and finally the third (right) explored the cycle track and footpath at the same level designed with existing topography. I then applied these three cycle track types to a larger portion of the site to show how they would all work together at a larger scale of 1:500.