Onwards to the end

Well we all survived the final crit this week and personally I think I came off quite lightly. Our tutors have been a great support this year  and I have to say that I haven't experienced what I was expecting. Each year is probably quite different from the previous but I don't think any of us have felt humiliated, undermined or ridiculed as we were warned. I would say they are hard but fair and during the crits we have come to expect honest feedback which can feel harsh from the receiving end. But we are all in this to learn and 'soft and fluffy around the edges' was never on the menu.

I received plenty of fodder for thought, but I believe 'the panel' liked my concept and my delivery. They did like my 1:200 plan but didn't like my 1:50 plan much - and that was one of my favourites so I'm obviously not quite tuned in to the bullseye yet. I need to turn my Panicum Cloud Nine into something more green with a bit more occasional fluff and my Molinia Poul Petersen could do with being another colour as grey/white apparently looks unfinished. It 'lacks coherence in rendering of the planting' and 'looks slightly out of focus in the planted areas, eg. shadows should be crisp'.

Here's some more comments: my sections show an incorrect view of the background which is rising up into the air and shouldn't exist; My 1:2000 is slightly boring; My berm in sections is too hilly; Nobody liked my high bridge.

So I now have a dwindling four weeks to improve everything - plus we have the construction drawing workshops and construction drawings themselves to tackle.

I have been busy planting up my garden that I designed in the 'real world' and already feel way behind where I would like to be.

However, I have taken the bull by the horns and decided to act (at last) on the negative comments regarding my bridges. Having fought to keep them because they are the only strong visual representation of the main concept of plaited paths, I am embarking on 'option 2' and turning the High Bridge into a tunnel. The Discovery Tunnel will have a portion above the pool and the rest beneath the ground where it shows the soil profile and a few fossils. It is attached to Path Soulful so will fit in nicely with the theme.

Onwards my friends. We are all totally obsessed with this degree so we may as well see it through to the end with the same dogged determination. Anyone that thought they might get a little break now is completely bonkers.

Here's the final crit pic. I think of myself as aged about 20 - it's going to be a bit of a shock when I can't claim to be a student any more and have to become a grown up. Fortunately the photo is a little too distant to show the dark circles under the eyes...none of us are getting much sleep nowadays.