In a world where resources are scarce, we can no longer afford to waste them. In an ever-growing urban context, where open space is no longer easily attainable, but a privilege, it is unwise to underutilise the space we do have.
We often equate open space to quality space. However, all it takes is to venture away from the city centre into a residential neighbourhood, to realise that there are neglected open spaces which have none of the qualities assumed of parks, but instead create areas to be avoided, disinterested in, and scared of.
This project recognises the importance of neighbourhood parks for the local population, ecology, and wider city. It is a project which seeks to understand why certain parks are more loved than others, and what it is that makes a place “specific”. It aims to apply this knowledge to three physically similar though contextually different settings in Edinburgh, in order to enrich them.
Three parks in different socio-environmental contexts were chosen to show how a use-specific pavilion can help bring life into these previously undervalued spaces. Through long-lasting, sustainable design with a high focus on tangible use, Specific Place aspires to positively transform the places which have the greatest and most immediate impact on the outdoor life of locals.
