DESIGN NAME: Rings
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Residential Garden
INSPIRATION: Our client's desire to immortalize their love story, inspired by the myth of Ulysses and Penelope, was done with an organic design, hidden mathematics, handcrafted natural materials and lush flora, culminating in an enriched design of exuberant palm trees, cypresses, vivacious and climbing olives. Bringing forth the connection between universal love on earth and within the universe, connecting the cosmos, constellations and worldly elements, such as water and earth.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The guiding thread behind this creation is an earthly feeling that grows and culminates in a pure universal love. A place full of beauty that is expressed through allegorical forms, shells, animals and mythological beings transcending into a surreal landscape. Its layout responds to a mathematical synchrony: the garden's golden point weaves a relationship between the Cosmos and a firmament of constellations set into the ground. The braided wicker work and handmade clay-brick floor stand out as a tie between our earthly and universal experiences.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: A 360º landscape design. We approached the garden from an integral perspective. Taking into account the clients needs and the geographical point it stood at. The transformation took place when we incorporated art work into the garden and elevated the energy level to another dimension. By taking into account and implementing hidden mathematics throughout the whole garden this enabled every part to fit together, just like the swaying waves on the ground. We designed different layers which would bring together the client's love story, fantasy world and earthly experiences by creating a common thread, this being the golden point of the garden. Energy radiates from this focal point and the design unfolded in order to incorporate the aquatic world of shells and waves within the clay bricks and pergolas, the cosmos and milky way throughout the garden with LED Lights, as well as including main elements from nature: water flowing within the pool, fountain and mylar threads, as well as being portrayed on the flooring and the earth is recreated under the flora and within the clay bricks. The breeze lushes gently at the figures portraying the greek mythological love story, by resembling the client's own love story and the fires is evoked through the dragon statue emanating from the facade. The use of light and sound unfolds a ripple effect amongst the plants and art, which embarks any person on a journey into a deeper and inner fantasy world, in order to provide serenity. Consequently, this challenging experience took us on a nerve-wracking and exhilarating journey where ancient traditions and modern techniques went hand in hand in a unique landscaping creation.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: This project started in November 2021 and finished the 1st of September 2022, in the town of Ucles (Cuenca), Spain.
|
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: From an integral perspective: original facades, the fountain and the gate were restored, Milky Way patterned-lights were embedded into the paving, handwoven fibonnaci sequence shell-like wicker pergolas integrating misting systems and domotic technology. The pool bottom is covered in mother-of-pearl tile, a blue heart hides a mobile floor capable of emerging as a stage. Innovative domotic technology set in the clay-brick floor, wicker lights and implementing music throughout the garden in order to uplift the scenery and ambience. These products were made by local specialised artisans who integrated their traditional inherited knowledge of weaving wicker or hand made clay bricks with ultimate innovative technology.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: The garden has a total of 268 meters squared. It has a depth of 15 cm and is approximately 15x20 meters (further detail in portfolio). The flora which is integrated in the garden is: Olea frangivento (cipressino), olive bonsai, verbena boreanensis, cornus alba, hakonecloa sp, canna generalis, trachelospermum jasminoides (jazmin star), green and purple heuchera, clemantis, erigeron karvinskianus, carez oshimensis, vivaces, trachicarpus fortunei (palm trees) and grass. Regarding other material which were used: 12-24 mm of chamota, 60-120 mm of rose toulousse, hand-made red clay bricks and hand-made blue clay brick, round granite paving, water (pool and fountain), pebbles (small and medium size) and gresite tile. For the furniture we used wicker, steel, aluminium and cotton fabric.
TAGS: Garden, landscaping, Abstract art, Fibbonacci sequence, LED lights, movable pool floor, milky way, Gamma number, functional garden, cosmos, sensitivity, surreal world, waves, handmade clay bricks, cypress olive trees, perennials, hidden mathematics, fountain, , Details, Palm trees, lush vegetation, Love story, allegorical forms,
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: After the client contacted us we clearly understood their desire to immortalize their love story by materializing it within the walls of their garden. However, they wanted their 268 meters squared garden to become a utopia of love and tradition. We then decided to do further research into the local traditions and materials. It is a residential castillian town, enveloped in an enriching historical facade, evoking various vital historical moments, such as the order of the knights of santiago and the path of santiago. Therefore, we focused on including all these key aspects, as well as the mythological figures which were already present in the garden, for instance, the myth of love between Ulysses and Penelope narrated in The Odyssey. From there, we contacted different art restoration companies, since some of the art in the garden was in a deteriorating state. Based on the local materials: clay, wicker, local flora and the idea of the garden being recognized as a surreal aquatic world where there is no room for human beings or for judgments. A place filled with beauty expressed through allegorical forms, animals, shells and mythological beings. In order to portray the Milky Way and cosmos we used an innovative LED Lights system engraved within each of the hand-made clay bricks and walls. We had to contact a specialist who could design a complex system of lighting and sound, in order to create that fantasy world the clients were expecting. We also had to take into account the effects of the lighting within the wicker columns which went hand in hand with the palm trees. The different flora was meticulously chosen in order to establish the tradition of local vegetation as well as bring in more exotic and fantasy experiences. We also contacted another company where they designed the movable pool floor, thus personalising a small pool and making it more functional for our clients. They could use it as a pool or stage for different family or business events.
Since, this garden had a detailed simbiosis between beauty , abstract art and hidden mathematics, it has been a demanding proyect because we have innovated in many landscaping traditions. Consequently, we have brought to life a fantasy design and thus had to make use of the latest technology as well as utilize traditional materials in order to connect the past (traditions), present (love story) and future (fantasy). Therefore, as an innovative and original design we worked in many occasions with trial and error and have had to focus a lot of our time on finding solutions in order to reach our goal. An example would be when designing the cosmos from floor to ceiling and how this would be functional for the client. However, the final results have been breathtaking. We added many details, to the final product, including a short story inspired by the clients love story, location and garden. We also designed a fully detailed coin to be put in the golden point of the garden, in order to highlight the center of it all. The garden’s name, Rings (in Spanish el Jardin de las Alianzas) was set to commemorate the client’s true love and their wedding bands. Lastly, there was a documentary which was recorded. It lasts approximately 40 minutes and takes the viewer on a journey throughout the first encounter with the client, research and historical investigation, design process, action plan and execution.
CHALLENGE: The hardest part of the design was to clearly unite an abstract and fantasy world to an earthly experience. The client had envisioned a garden which would transport him to a land of fantasy and tranquility. A true tribute to the love he felt towards his wife, and the path they had gone about together. Therefore, we had to be particularly focused on integrating mythological and traditional, exotic and aquatic features, whilst we stayed focused on capturing and portraying their love story. The garden is full of complexity but at the same time it had to be functional and family orientated as well as include different collector's items which had to have a protagonism of their own, thus needed to be included within the whirlwind of fantasy and realism. Historical factors were engraved within the design and are portrayed in different works of art as well as the actual ground and walls of the garden.
ADDED DATE: 2023-02-10 09:19:20
TEAM MEMBERS (2) : Fernando Pozuelo and
IMAGE CREDITS: Luis Benolier
Jorge Gil
Variopinto productions
PATENTS/COPYRIGHTS: Copyrights belong to Fernando Pozuelo
|