The Lady Victoria Colliery has left numerous material and immaterial traces across the post-industrial landscape of Newtongrange, with coal mining having a detrimental impact on the human body. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is aggravated by coal dust, leaving those affected with an enduring tangible trace of Newtongrange’s industrial past. Exploration into COPD, among other respiratory diseases has uncovered the untapped potential of landscape to aid patients.
Despites it’s outlandish introduction, the proposition of growing a forest of Eucalyptus trees, growing to heights that rival the Colliery’s chimney stack, seeks to use the valued commodity because of its essential oils and timber as a commodity that can revitalise Newtongrange’s economy in a symbiotic manner. This commodity would require several functions like woodsman, forest management etc. to upkeep this industry, however this project concentrates on two key buildings that exists parasitically to the Eucalyptus forest. Despite the manner in which this forest exists is speculatively unknown, the project does presuppose that the research centre extracts valued essential oils from the leaves of the giant trees through steam distillation. Alongside the growth of Eucalyptus trees and other important plants, the support centre will offer practical, emotional and social assistance to patient with respiratory problems.
Through utilization of various thresholds that transverse scales, alongside measures such as Corten steel, this project’s setting / situation provides a productive measure of the landscape it inhabits. Concurrent with the building’s program this project will reformulate the previously exploitative situation into an alternative process of symbiosis, where landscape and man fuse to address respiratory diseases. Because of its celebrated unknown existence, the Eucalyptus tree can also be used in parallel with the utilisation of Galanthus Nivalis in the group’s exploration of Newtongrange, as a measure. Therefore, this project uses the tree to provide an explanation of the project’s situation, in relation to its cultivated landscape, and how to enter the project, literally and thematically.
E U C A L Y P T U S
( Eucalyptus Globulus)
G A L A N T H U S N I V A L I S
Eucalyptus Globulus is the individual continuation of the project Galanthus Nivalis, a group exploration of Newtongrange. Click here for link to project page.
E S A L A D E G R E E S H O W 2 018
Personal work exhibited in the ESALA Degree Show '18, from June 2th to June 10th. Click here for link to photos from the exhibition.
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