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The Four Seasons:


The intention was to explore through creative writing the life latent in our project; using text as a tool for unfolding the relationships and interactions within and around our site; and to reveal through reflection insights that help to concretise aspects of the project and drive its development forward.

Inbetween (Outside) - Spring

The Japanese Magnolia tree is standing in shelter from the wind, getting a few seconds of sunlight while the grey clouds are quickly passing by. The roots are slowly expanding further into the earth, trying to take up as many minerals and water as possible to grow higher and more reliable. The tree trunk has now become so big that it is letting a mature human stand under the crown. Not to mention that the sprouts on the branches are just on their way to bloom, leaving a feeling of joy when soon in full efflorescence. Bees start to fly around the Magnolia, eager to accomplish the pollination. Suddenly, the bees leave when raindrops begin to fall sideways on the tree, making the branches shift to a darker colour that reflects light. When the rainfall has passed, it leaves a fresh smell of petrichor.

 

Nest (Outside) - Summer

Beneath the magnolia is a bench made of softwood, offering seating with various possibilities. The bench is located so that the tree gives shadow during the few sunny summer days, and shelter from the rain when having rainfalls from north-east. The bench is part of a composition of other seatings, giving multiple options to meet neighbours, and of course, also animals that like to hang around in the neighbourhood, like birds, cats and one or two dogs. The benches can invite for rendezvous, unexpected chats, silent reading, observation, a mecca for pluviophiles when rainy days or a nest for nemophilists, who do not have the possibility to visit the forest. The benches are getting patina from being outdoor in the Bergen weather year after year and therefore need some ongoing caretaking. 

     Voice Cover: Jeron Marre

Symbiose (Outside) - Autumn

The stone paving creates patterns on the ground, making it a visual pleasure for the eyes to stroll down the street. The stones are put in place stone by stone, showing that craftsmanship is still valuable today. With a relatively flat ground and non-sticky surface, the stones sometimes make a transition to grass and plants, creating oases of nature and a symbiosis between hard and soft. In the rainy autumn weather, the water will be led to the green areas, making them function as natural drainage. The surface of the in-between space allows a variation of users to take part in it and opens up for different needs. It is, therefore, no obstacle that stops the use of a wheelchair, willy walker, bike, baby carriage or a trolley, to take part of the space, which makes the movement in the area smooth and close to flawless.

Through (Inside) - Winter

The nearly 200 years old brick building is no longer echoing empty but filled with people and activity.  The space of the former school plays an active role in reshaping and developing the quality of the neighbourhood. The activities have widened the “typical” user group of the area, and are not based upon consumption or the size of your pocket. The inside space is transformed and better connected to the outside, providing a spectrum of spaces. There is also an improved interface between the buildings and the former backyard. In connection to the backyard, there is a public space with shelter, where people can spend time outdoors, despite weather conditions. The crown of the trees is also partly working as a shelter from the weather.

Reflection

With the text, we try to describe four major happenings or actions that we can see in front of us. That is the action of bringing back nature to the in-between space and let it grow and once again be an essential part of the landscape, as it historically was. Hopefully, bringing back nature can lead to that other species can find its way back there.

The second action is to open up for greater opportunities to use the space - today it is limited for certain people and for those renting a parking spot for their car. To create public access by adding seatings and possibilities for social gathering, will hopefully give more meaning to the site. It will also create a stronger tension between the built structure and the empty space.

Thirdly, by working with the visual and practical functions of the urban carpet, it can allow a greater spread of users taking part of the space. By not having obstacles on the ground, it makes better futures for the users capacity of benefiting from the space. Also, adding more green could be a natural way of solving the problem of drainage.
Lastly, the intention to work with the empty school buildings remain as they play a vital role in the neighbourhood. Giving the buildings new use, will be a sustainable way to reuse what is there and adapting it to the needs of the future. Furthermore to add public space with shelter from bad weather, which people can use without paying.
As a reflection on the current situation with isolation and social distancing, this also proves that maybe we have to rethink space. Maybe it is not only to make people meet in physical social gatherings that is important, but also how to interact when people need to be in isolation or have the need of being alone, or: is forced to isolation and demand another type of meeting place than a physical one.
By adding nature in the void, it will anyway be more pleasurable for those in isolation, looking outside of their windows and proves the importance of good neighbourhood situations.

Exploring words