Christine Souter
Work at the Fundación focused on an urban planning model, H2O_Cities, which aims to identify - then optimise the use of - amenities within an integrated urban framework, including topography and transport considerations.
Adopting a site outwith Spain, I chose the East End of Glasgow - following a route from the Cathedral to the Clyde, which features landmark buildings but still shows scars from 19th century industrialisation and subsequent slum clearance. Currently the focus of redevelopment before the 2014 Commonwealth Games, an H2O_Cities planning model has potential to act in this area as a catalyst for regeneration.
This linked into my own project - looking at urban green spaces and regeneration, using Patrick Geddes’ ‘conservative surgery’ approach and its potential benefits in cities.
Living within a compact Andalucian city was fascinating - seeing layers of history from Roman times to the present day and degrees of permeability from public routes to private patios. The city’s layout, interspersed with fountains, patios and public spaces, helps moderate climate during the hot summer months and its built features, such as miradors, are both functional and aesthetic. My photographs, sketches and prints show aspects of southern Spanish cities which I observed and enjoyed – their layers, reflections, details, finishes and street life.
