Volcan Works Scale of Community

The Melville Street project in the centre of Perth establishes a desired relationships/community between the resident and the buildings users, whilst also developing wanted/unwanted relationships with the residents of surrounding accommodation. The Courtyard boundary is very unclear and provides the potential for the Volcan Works to lay claim to the 'no mans land' pushing social boundaries and forcing a dialogue between resident and neighbour.

Thinking Machine No.1

Thinking Machine No.1

The Doorn Manifesto

1. It is useless to consider the house except as a part of a community owing to the inter-action of these on each other.

2. We should not waste our time codifying the elements of the house until the other relationship has been crystallized.

3. 'Habitat' is concerned with the particular house in the particular type of community.

4. Communities are the same everywhere.

(1) Detached house-farm.

(2) Village.

(3) Towns of various sorts (industrial/admin./special).

(4) Cities (multi-functional).

5. They can be shown in relationship to their environment (habitat) in the Geddes valley section. (see image)

6. Any community must be internally convenient-have ease of circulation; in consequence, whatever type of transport is available, density must increase as population Increases, i.e. (1) is least dense, (4) is most dense.

7. We must therefore study the dwelling and the groupings that are necessary to produce convenient communities at various points on the valley section.

8. The appropriateness of any solution may lie in the field of architectural invention rather than social anthropology.

Extract from the Team 10 website, http://www.team10online.org/team10/text/doorn-manifesto.htm

Outlook Tower: Civic Observatory - Social Laboratory

Sketch of the Outlook Tower courtesy of the Geddes Archive, Strathclyde University.

Outlook: n. a person's point of view or attitude to life; a view; the prospect for the future.

The Outlook Tower in Edinburgh encapsulates the Geddesian concept of learning through acts as opposed to learning from facts. Geddes described the tower as a "social observatory" from which the city, with its complex relationships and systems could be viewed, explained and analysed. Similarly to how a biologist might use a microscope to examine organisms, cells and their systems, Geddes used the Outlook Tower to analyse the city.

The sketch above shows how exhibitions on the tower were curated by Geddes. He dealt with the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, the English speaking world, Europe and the World in a series of exhibits. These exhibits expanded geographically descending down the tower and thus contextualised Edinburgh on many levels.

From the tower one can view the city on many levels at once. From micro to macro levels, the geographical, historical and social forces which act upon the city can be examined. Geddes would have explained how the geology of Edinburgh, with its craggy terrain has influenced the development of the city. How certain historic events such as the Jacobite invasion subsequently affected the city and its people. This understanding of the city was then related to Scotland, the Commonwealth, Europe and the World.

George Bizet, in an article written in the Leith Observer in 1898, saw the tower as "an essay towards exhibiting things in their mutual relationships". Importantly, it was a visual essay rather than a written one and thus accessible to all. Bizet rejoiced at the prospect of the tower ushering in a new direction in education.

Geddes Archive Material

Images from the Geddes Archive at Strathclyde University.

Below are excerpts from notes taken at the Geddes archive.

“I have rambled through many cities and have found no better site for an Outlook Tower than here in Edinburgh” - P. Geddes.

“The Tower is a civic observatory” - P. Geddes.

Quotations from a brochure advertising Edinburgh’s Outlook Tower – publish date unknown.

“The Outlook Tower may be defined as an attempt at an encyclopaedia arranged not in alphabetical order but in rational order.”

“...tower is an essay towards exhibiting things in their mutual relationships, not in printed but in graphic form.”

“And we who have suffered somewhat from the cast iron rigidity of codes rejoice at the dawn of a new era in education.”

Quotations from an article by George Bizet in the Leith Observer of 25/9/1898.

“Here may ye see infinite riches in a little room.” - P. Geddes

“The spirit creative is liberated in flight but too timidly and on dissevered quests. It is time for a clearer understanding, deeper unison between all men, women of good will and high endeavour. So may be prepared definitely planned campaigns of the making and maintenance of worthy homes, smiling villages and noble cities.” - P. Geddes

Quotations from advertising booklet on the Outlook Tower – publish date unknown.

12. Ramsay Gardens

Ramsay Gardens

The now iconic apartments at the top of Edinburgh’s Royal mile are another example of Geddes’ effort to bring his biological studies in reciprocal accommodation to a human environment. In this complex Geddes set up a flat for himself and flats for many other families as well as creating a Town and Gown hall of residence.

11. Castlehill School

Castlehill School

Geddes used the school to implement his innovative ideas of early learning and he often took the children out of class in the afternoon to work on his many garden projects throughout Edinburgh Old Town.

11. Mylne's Court

Mylne’s Court

In 1892 Geddes converted the two buildings to the north and south of the court in to Edinburgh’s very first self-governed student accommodation. Geddes’ vision for the accommodation was to create ‘a community of co-operative living for learning and intellectual interaction’. Anon, www.patrickgeddestrust.co.uk

10. Burn's Land

Burn’s Land

Unheard of at the time, Geddes collaborated with Henbest Capper to establish accommodation for the University of Edinburgh’s first female students.

9. James Court

James Court

Once married in 1886 Geddes took his new wife to live in a second floor flat of James Court. At the time the Old Town was widely considered a slum and a very bleak place to live. However carrying from Geddes’ early studies in reciprocal accommodation Geddes felt it was possible to create a pleasant residence in difficult situations. Geddes quickly convinced his neighbours to help improve their surroundings by painting, cleaning and planting.

8. Blackie House

Blackie House

As a part of the urban renewal program in 1894 Geddes created a new court, now called Wardrop’s court. To get air and light into the ‘slum’ like tenements Geddes had to smaller closes removed to achieve this and develop a better standard of living for the residents. Geddes converted the house to the north of the court in to morte self-governing student accommodation.

7. Riddle's Court

Riddle’s Court

Yet another example of a concerted effort to retain rather than demolish Geddes renovated two houses of the court and created a self-governing accommodation for students. Student housing was relatively uncommon at the time with only Oxford and Cambridge offering accommodation of any sort for students. Geddes’ influence is given pride of place in the court with his life motto, ‘Vivendo Discimus’ (By living we learn) inscribed on the round stione arch.

6. Lady Stair's Close

Lady Stair’s Close

In one of his earliest conservation efforts, Geddes persuaded the Fifth Earl of Rosebery to purchase the house and with the help of George S Aitken, a colleague of Geddes, they restored the dilapidated house.

5. Old Assembly Close

Old Assembly Close

As a town planner Geddes thought that vehicles shouldn’t govern the spaces within cities and towns and he decided that ‘pedestrian precincts’ should be established across cities. With the help of the City Engineer’s Department, Geddes created two squares within the tenement blocks of Old Assembly Close between the royal mile and the Cowgate. Again the two squares were intended to stimulate a sense of community. This effort to create ‘pedestrian precincts’ was later recognised by the Old Town Conservation and Renewal Trust with the creation of Hunter Square where traffic was previously a problem.

4. Chessel's Court

Chessel’s Court

Patrick Geddes improved the buildings of Chessel’s court as well as creating a series of garden spaces and children’s play areas in the communal land between the buildings.

3. Moray House

Moray House

Geddes also believed that where worthy, buildings should be preserved and Moray House is one of many examples of Geddes’ conservation work. Towards the end of the 19^th century the building was in very poor condition and Geddes rescued it, giving it a new life as a Centre for Learning and Education.

2. Huntly House

Huntly House

In 1932 before Geddes’ death he and Frank Mears transformed three 16^th century houses in the Canongate into a City Museum, a place for the public to learn about the city in which they lived and its history. The City Museum was devised to complement the Outlook Tower.

1. Dunbar's Close Garden

Dunbar’s Close Gardens

During Patrick Geddes’ time spent on Edinburgh’s Royal mile in the late 19^th century he attempted to create spaces, which would stimulate a sense of community. The Garden is located in the Canongate area, which previously would have been densely populated with tenement buildings, housing for the local factory workers. Many of the tenements were demolished due to their neglected state and Geddes without waiting for government action created the Garden in their place. Although the Garden was recreated in the 1970’s the tranquil garden remains, hidden in behind the close away from the endless throbbing of Edinburgh’s Royal mile.

A Geddesian Journey to the Outlook Tower

Map of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile marking each of Geddes known projects from bottom to top:

1. Dunbar’s Close Garden 2. Huntly House 3. Moray House4. Chessel’s Court 5. Old Assembly Close 6. Lady Stair’s Close 7. Riddles Court 8. Blackie House 9. James Court 10. Mylnes Court 11. Castle Hill School 12. The Outlook Tower 13. Ramsay Gardens