Design Ambition for Alney Island

Alney Island Masterplan

Design ambition is a hugely important element within landscape architecture – it helps a designer visualise their goals and influence their work to create the desired outcome.

My design ambition for Alney Island is to create a fun, vibrant space, in the hope of bringing ‘life’ back to the tired landscape bordering the city of Gloucester. My overarching ambition is an ecological one – I want to create a space from which wildlife can flourish in a safe environment. I chose this as, with the present issues of the climate and biodiversity crisis, I feel that ecological conservation should be at the forefront of every design, and the human aspects of a place should work around it. To do this, I have implemented a range of landscapes and habitats, including wetlands, marshland, open water, woodland, wildflower meadows and grassland. This was also reflected within my concept, which portrayed a Willow branch laid out for preservation, inspiring the physical layout of my design.

Following my ecological ambition, I also aspire to create connections between people and their surrounding landscapes. I feel, if we are to start nurturing our planet as we should, people must form these relationships in order to feel a sense of respect and responsibility for the environment. In close proximity to the bustling city, I also want to develop a space in which people can escape from city life and have new adventures, improving their health both physically and mentally. I have done this by utilising a ‘less is more’ approach, in the hopes of creating a ‘blank canvas’ from which people can form their own identity and experience of the site. I have also provided opportunities for a range of activities and spaces to instigate excitement surrounding the landscapes, including a range of recreational opportunities and hidden paths – I hope that this will appeal to children and their desire for adventure and discovery, inspiring fond memories and a love for the environment as they grow up. A range of circular routes provides opportunities for those partaking in exercise, whilst a series of benches, that reflect the concept of the Willow, will offer spaces to sit and reflect within the landscape.

By forming this design ambition at the beginning of the project, I have been able to implement the desired concept and elements throughout the entire site, ranging from the overall layout, all the way to the street furniture.