Comments on: Jean Nouvel Serpentine Pavilion and Garden 2010

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 14:54:46 +0000

All the work is done, so far as I know, but publishers sometimes have reasons for being slow and sometimes do it from habit.

By: Grant

Grant — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 13:38:19 +0000

Tom, when is the book due? Sound like a book to have on ones shelf.

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 04:54:40 +0000

You are right about Robert Holden – and he has co-authored an excellent book on landscape construction design (which has not been published yet).

By: Christine

Christine — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 03:08:45 +0000

It is great to see Robert Holden is involved in a number of organisations promoting landscape architecture including the European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools [ http://www.www.eclas.org/ ] and the Le Notre Thematic Network in Landscape Architecture [ http://www.le-notre.org/ ].

They both look like amazing organisational resources for students and the profession!

Grant, Robert Holden sounds as if he deserves your admiration (red socks or not).

By: Grant

Grant — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 07:50:01 +0000

Its South London slang for a person who goes the extra mile for others for no personal gain.

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 06:22:55 +0000

Wiki has info on Robert Holden.

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:53:54 +0000

Who is the Robert Holden you are referring to Grant. Is he a landscape ‘STARchitect’?

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:02:17 +0000

I am sorry to hear about plumber’s pay and guess the figures at the back of my mind relate to funded research students rather than teachers.
‘Spare time’ is something I had a lot of until I was about 25 – which is when I last did one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done: sculpture evening classes.

By: Grant

Grant — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 10:58:01 +0000

Christine, very funny. I am sure Robert Holden has a few pairs! That man is a star.

As a friend of mine say’s “the victory is so much sweeter, when your the underdog”

Tom,

The plumbers wage is a bit of an Urban myth, its more about running a plumbing agency i.e. Pimlico Plumbers. But if you do the hours and face up to the fact that you get out what you put in , no passengers. Like the Construction Industries in general, self employed , no holiday pay, no sickness, no redundancy, no cancellation fee’s. The initial rates seem good but when you take in account the other losses compared to PAYE, its a bit wild west. But you get used to it. And you do have some control over your destiny!

Lateral, read out with the fairies in my case. Like the sculpture idea, i was offered an apprenticeship at Canterbury Cathedral, but decided it was to specific as a trade/skill, and in hindsight i think (for me at least) i was right. Note brickwork is a structural trade so we learn/do surveying, materiality, setting out, drainage (pre plastic) all of these where perfect for my venturing into Gardens.

What is this Spare time you speak of?

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 05:32:16 +0000

Well Grant, thankyou for the pictures, all I say about all that is I am very very disappointed that there are no pictures of people wearing red socks to be had.

So here is one to inspire students when visiting interesting pavillions to adopt appropriate dress… [ http://www.fashionisingpictures.net/photoshoots/streetstylesocks.jpg ]

I had trouble finding a good male example…but there is hope for the next generation!
[ http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4878544196_eafc956622.jpg ]

It would great to think that everyone is free to choose what they want to do ‘when they grow up’ but I guess that is still far from always the situation.