Inspirational surroundings

The company i've just started working for have relocated to a new office in the Ashdown Forest right by A.A.Milne's Pooh Corner (Hartfield). we're now in a converted stable block with great scenery quiet surroundings and no mobile signal. But it's really great to work here as, for me its inducive to creativity.

Gorgeous isn't it?

One of two beautiful sister churches in East Sussex in the heart of Ashdown Forest where I work. This one is being considered to be made redundant, and in true Grand Designs style, I can't help but dream of a home conversion. What a fabulous house this would make and great garden space for me to play with too. Ah well, we dream!

Materiality

I recently spent the day in the fair town of Lewes, that well known medieval humdrum on a hill. Here I was able to delight my heart in documenting key elements of one of my favourite areas: the South Downs. This area is soon to become a national park that is proposed to include Lewes as one of its key towns, exhibiting the past faces of this hill country in a very picturesque manner (http://www.lewes.gov.uk/environment/3548.htm). What I spent my time doing was putting together a material and colour pallete that is typical of this area of the South Downs at its best. I really loved spending my time this way - not only was I able to learn more about hard landscaping detail, but I was able to see how the detailing has changed over time and the patterns that these changes have made.

The tides of change

This summer I have begun working for a new company, EXCITING STUFF! On starting, I was immediatley thrown into a scintillating project that was still in its early stages. My job was primarily research but this quickly progressed into extensive survey and mapping work. This has really been a challenge as it involved translating information from a series of 300-400 year old maps among other tasks. One of the most fascinating elements of this work is the apparent degradation in the art of map making since then. It is a privelege to work with the beauty of a large hand drawn map which is quite literally a peice of someone's artwork. Contrast this to the 'High Quality' of an OS map from today... well, see the difference for yourself...