Using landscape and context to inform the design process, how can we create a harmonious environment for people to work and live with, instead of in?

During the investigation of Glasgow, I chose the Clay Pits Nature Reserve to investigate and research. I found it a very historic and exciting site that has been at the heart of Glasgow for most of its development.

The history of the Clay Pits site is a unique one. However, recently, it has started being developed into an accessible park for those to walk through. The Glasgow Canal Project is driving the transformation of North Glasgow – a partnership between Glasgow City Council, Scottish Canals and Bigg Regeneration. The Clay Pits started as a quarry used to extract clay to build the canal that runs through the site. This clay was then packed into the canal walls to provide an impermeable layer to prevent water from escaping.

I am proposing a boat building workshop to be put in place to teach those around the local area how to construct crafts of Glasgow’s past and provide a hand made experience to those wanting to purchase a ship from the workshop. The staff would be primarily individuals who have experienced a difficult life in the area and would be provided training, education and housing to those who sought it. These interventions would allow for less homeless activity on the waterway and increase the personal connection to the site’s past through training and community support.

This design is informed both aesthetically and technically by the site and Glasgow’s industrial, historical and environmental context.