ayr converses
Adaptation : invitation/outline
Monday 22 October 2012 : 6pm–8pm:
University of the West of Scotland, Ayr Campus
You are
warmly invited to the third presentation/conversation in which we focus on
adaptation in creating spaces & places: adaptation that is driven by a
vision of creating buildings and spaces that are meaningful to communities.
Community empowerment and engagement is central to this vision of place making.
We are delighted that the presentation will be led by award-winning architects
Andy McAvoy and Ann Nisbet of Edo Architecture. Andy’s work will be familiar to
many from the sustainable pods he designed for the BBC reality programme
“Castaway”, which he redesigned for use at Cove Park. Ann works not only as an
architect but as a designer & visual artist. This innovative Glasgow-based
practice has a wealth of expertise and an unique vision to share. Their love of
George Wyllie the artist led to our meeting. We dedicate the evening to George Wyllie whose ‘Paper Boat’ famously sailed
into Ayr harbour.
Chris
Fremantle of eco/art/scotland and co-founder of ayr converses
will chair the Q&A & participate with Andy & Ann in the wrap-up
session.
Andy &
Ann have set out their thoughts for the presentation:
“We will set an international
context for modern place making. We will show how we and our work have had to
adapt and how we anticipate having to adapt further. We would show slides of
two completed projects & introduce two live projects from a community
empowerment perspective: Govan’s Water Row and Pollokshield’s Garden Mile.”
Andy McAvoy &
Ann Nisbet, Edo
Architecture + Ann Nisbet
The
presentation will help us to focus on the adaptation we all need to make in our
thinking and practice if our approach to regenerating Ayr town centre and key
derelict land & stalled spaces in Ayr is to succeed. We will consider (in
outline & more fully at a later presentation/conversation) how the Scottish
Government’s commitment to community empowerment could lead to a changed
landscape in public participation in Ayr, and beyond with creative civic dialogue
seen as the way forward.
Andy & Ann’s collaborative way of working
with communities & clients alike is a model of engagement and empowerment.
Their focus is on listening, engaging, drawing, redrawing, listening and
drawing again until the shared vision is realised. Their work in Govan –
including ghosting lost communities – is both inspiring and empowering. Chris
Fremantle will make the connection to Ayr in setting out how eco/art/scotland
plans to develop work around stalled spaces, with reference to Plot 9 & the
Affleck’s site by way of modelling, drawing, cultural mapping & community
gardening.
The
presentation follows on from the inspiring first two events in this series that
were led by Malcolm Fraser, the award-winning architect who has continued to
maintain an involvement in developments in Ayr.
The shape of the evening follows our
1st two sessions: the presentation opens the evening, followed by a Q&A
session. There is then an opportunity to converse over a glass of wine and canapés, before returning for a wrap-up session that looks forward to actions and future
presentation/conversations. A note of the evening will be made and circulated
with agreed actions for the future.
ayr converses is an ideas bank + soundboard for Ayr,
strengthening community ties and furthering arts and culture-led economic
regeneration.
A small collection will be made
towards the costs involved in the venue and refreshments.
