Barrow by Design

This paper sets out an initial proposition that Art Gene can be a major partner in defining and delivering Barrow by Design a valuable focus for the future regeneration of Barrow.

We at Art Gene believe that Barrow by Design is a rallying cry that grows directly out of Barrow’s international reputation for innovative and high quality engineering and marine industries and provides an aspirational context for future economic growth. 

We believe that Barrow’s existing regeneration plans are complemented and enhanced by placing them in a Barrow by Design context. After a substantial period of research and project delivery Art Gene wants to introduce Barrow by Design to prospective partners and to work with them on its development. 

The following paper is a brief guide to Art Gene’s thinking and plans in relation to the Barrow by Design concept.  At the centre of Art Gene’s contribution to a Barrow by Design regeneration focus is a belief that through its programme and through partner programmes the town can become known for the quality of its approach to design across all areas of the economy.

Why will it work?

• The term design is not as alienating as art or as specific as architecture. It is inclusive, most people are engaged by it, and design is embedded in the town’s view of itself

• Barrow by Design extends opportunities for its current skills and aesthetics to be reemployed, moving Barrow from technological town to design town
 
• Pioneering, experimental, and contemporary design are aspirational terms that help people feel they are part of a town with a C21 future. Barrow becomes a place where good design is lived, talked about, valued and ‘owned’

• Art Gene already has on-going and planned projects that connect design to art, architecture, housing, urban planning and community development, (See the associated Art Gene  paper entitled Art and Regeneration Statement May 22nd 2008). From its perspective the town can become a ‘living gallery’ exhibiting innovative architectural, industrial and marine design, examples of contemporary urban planning, cutting edge contemporary art, product design and eco-technology suffused within the total built and social environment as a whole not simply placed around it.

Art Gene believes the benefits to partners of adopting and developing the Barrow by Design concept are as follows:

• Provides continuity between the achievements of the past and the aspirations for the future which will be necessary if the town is to retain its home town not clone town feel over the next 20 years of regeneration and development

• Attracts cultural and ‘professional’ visitors all the year round. Through associated programmes of Barrow symposia, guided tours, exhibitions, conferences and workshops.  These visitors stay longer, have more to spend, use a wide range of accommodation, promote Barrow to the rest of the UK and world wide

• Arrivals at the new liner port have a ready reason to stay in Barrow not to pass through it on the way to guided tours of the Lakes.  UK and International visitors to the Lakes have a reason to extend their visit into Barrow 

• The SeaChange programme provides an opportunity to launch Barrow by Design. Art Gene's and Barrow's proposal would include a programme of year round events at new and existing visitor attractions promoted under the clear identity of Barrow by Design. This programme would build on the established art/architectural programme initiated by Art Gene (www.artgene.co.uk). Venues could include the newly upgraded Art Gene Gallery, unique vernacular buildings and other architectural and natural assets around the coast, the ship yard & docks, and other selected venues as they are built which highlight the uniqueness of this coastal town.

• Barrow By Design would focus on green issues including local ecologies, recycling, environmental design and energy saving. Barrow in Furness could be a year-round cultural, and environmental visitor attraction along the ‘Energy Coast’

• Local companies are connected to the opportunities in the architecture, art , design and eco-technology sectors.  An Art Gene example of this potential is Alan Newton a boat builder who has helped  source light engineering companies and is a mine of information on the now dying boat design and building culture (see the display in the first floor of the Dock Museum with the reconstructed boatbuilder's shed) or the copper tun dish for the Astute class: http://orwelco.co.uk/orwelcometalwork.htm

Fitting partner strategies

Hits key buttons in the areas RES and Housing Market Renewal strategies through:

• Approach encourages inward movement of designers, artists, architects, bespoke manufacturers
• Approach helps retain young people through improving the local cultural, skills, employment and business environment
• Design focus helps meet RES objective to make Cumbria the fastest growing economy in England
• Improvements to design and redevelopment of terraces in Barrow improves outdated housing stock – a specific target in both strategies
• Developing practical application of ‘good design’ criteria across the regeneration programme transforms future urban and rural landscapes making Barrow both a pleasant place to live and a magnet for visitors, creative industries and investors
• Skills development with a design focus address identified skills gap in; engineering and technical, customer services, personal skills, IT, basic, job specific
• Design can form the focus for an effective and deliverable education and skills strategy that connects young people to a C21st economy
• outdated housing stock

Directly contributes to RES strategic priorities:

• ‘To provide business development in growth sectors of tourism, digital, cultural and creative industries,  specialist manufacturing (new products, processes, competitiveness, access to new markets)
• ‘To provide improved employment opportunities – new jobs – better paid – reduce reliance on large-scale employers

Supports the development of a wider Cumbrian brand through:

• Attracting people through digital, cultural and creative industries
• a thriving tourism economy
• Explores ways in which terraced housing can be adapted to meet 21st century lifestyles, aspirations, and schemes which convert smaller terraces into larger family homes
• housing - Stimulate high quality design and build

Directly by meeting the aims of the Furness & West Cumbria Housing Renewal Prospectus which identifies seven sustainable target market households that it will seek to attract and retain. the most important of which are young people and highly skilled.  Accordingly by 2020 Furness & West Cumbria Housing Renewal will have:

• diversified economy through attraction of  additional high-tec, knowledge-based and creative industries and tourism
• have more mixed tenure neighbourhoods and reduced obsolete terraced housing reduced by 10%
• provided more quality useable open space -  linkages to countryside harnessed
• supported economic change (right conditions to retain young – careers), right home-right places (better choice, higher quality homes), creating sustainable communities (live work and invest environment)

Existing Regeneration projects that could benefit immediately from the Barrow by Design approach

• ‘Waterfront – Barrow in Furness’ –Marina Village is at centre of    ‘Waterfront’  £3,020,000
• Barrow Urban Core – Urban Park and Home Zones, terraced properties converted updated and refurbished £13, 911,000 – HMR contribution = £7,395.000

Islands of Barrow

Our vision is of a breath-taking natural coastline punctuated with an extraordinary exhibition of exterior contemporary design ‘exhibits’ which link the area’s  internationally designated nature reserves with Barrow’s pioneering industrial past and promotes them as sustainable visitor attraction; the Islands of Barrow Tour.

Our objectives are to contribute to the realisation of Barrow’s wider regeneration objectives as a thriving new-century cultural town with a diverse economy; a Barrow by Design. To work with lead-creatives, international, Barrow-based artists Maddi Nicholson and Stuart Bastik (Art Gene)  to ensure a ‘wow’ factor and to include their Design Café of local people to build in local involvement and local pride in the project. The project will be shared worldwide through Art Gene’s Google Barrow on-line project
 

Project aims:

• Raise the quality of the visitor and tourism offer by investment in the built environment
• Develop and promote an Islands of Barrow  Tour to encourage staying visitors thereby making a contribution to the economy and encouraging entrepreneurship and private sector investment.  The Islands of Barrow Tour will be punctuated by permanent and/or temporary exhibition artworks linked to Barrow’s festival and events programme and to key dates in the Docks development roll-out of completed projects and the Barrow urban design framework.
• Work in conjunction with the Barrow by Design emerging project area which aspires to promote and develop Barrow as an international town for urban design               

The capital project elements are:
           
• The creation of a series of light touch timber Bothie structures punctuating the islands and providing a range of facilities for visitors linked to and enhancing existing key assets.
• Contemporary artist/architect designed, ecological landing stages utilising wind and wave power in their design situated at key locations on ‘Islands of Barrow Tour’
• Temporary and permanent art works as key orientation markers for the ‘Islands of Barrow Tour’.

We plan to capitalise on the underused assets in the ‘Islands of Barrow’ area including; Ship Inn and Bird sanctuaries (SSSI) at the North and South ends of Walney Island, the start of the ‘Walney to Wear’ long distance cycle route, Biggar Bank, Earnse Bay, Roa Island and Roan Head would, with sensitive eco-design led development, function as major eco-tourism and adventure sports destinations within the Islands of Barrow package.  Using the Dock Museum as one of a series of linked hubs for interpretation and starting points for Islands of Barrow tours at which visitors and local people could embark on cycling, walking, and tours by boat. Natterjack toads, sea-life, a seal colony, sand dunes and endless beaches with mountain backdrops are all on offer.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation will be carried out through the STEAM model to assess the economic impact of the programme and to aid calculations to show impact on GVA.  This will link with an NWDA project led by the Tourism Department Research Manager to look at Tourism Satellite Accounts, the STEAM model and impact on GVA.

Googlebarrow

Art Gene’s Google Earth–based project to showcase Barrow on the world stage has recently begun. Over the next three years we will be populating Barrow on Google Earth with a series of 3D Models of hidden or unrecognised assets around Barrow and its islands as a trigger for debate and a stimulus for regeneration.

Unusual assets will be identified and selected by Art Gene, collaborative artists and architects in residence and by local people though a series of events and new projects including Design Café.

“We have been fortunate to be able to kick-start the project with our current collaborative artists-in residence UHC collective who have been working with us intensively to identify and build the first in the series of models to be placed into Google Earth. It has been a steep learning curve but we are looking forward to a lasting programme of work with UHC on what they have called Googlebarrow. Their skill with Google’s free 3D modelling programme Sketch Up will continue to be invaluable as we extend the project.”

 As Jai Redman, Creative Director of UHC recently pointed out:

“There are currently no 3D landmarks in Google Earth from Barrow-in-Furness, in fact there is very little anywhere in the UK beyond major landmarks in major cities. Barrow could get there first, and not only populate with obvious buildings, but focus on the oddments, the gems, the beauty pageant rank outsiders Making 3D buildings in Google Sketchup can be as much fun as a video game, and it has the potential to make Barrow look as exciting as Manhattan”.

Housing Handbook
Terraced Housing Handbook. Production
 
The Housing Handbook is a collaboration between Art Gene's artist/founders and MIKAN with concepts for modifications and the redevelopment  of terraced housing, in Barrow.

The ideas will range from small, additions and adaptations on a budget of £100, all the way up to larger scale redevelopment of housing affecting whole terraces. Simple ideas to visionary concepts. The handbook will be both visually entertaining and informative.
 
Realisable ideas will be provided with a resource list, where to buy and how to install, addresses, costs and information.

This work has developed from the Arts Council International Fellowship, hosted by Art Gene in 2007-08 undertaken by Mikan. The fellowship allowed the four Founder artist-architects of Mikan, (Japan) to undertake a period of research and residence at Art Gene. Through collaboration with Art Gene's artist/founders and engagement with the town the resulting idea for a collaborative handbook developed.

Re-Visioning Utopia
Artist/Architect Charrette

Details to follow.

Creating contemporary Design Champions for the regeneration of the social, natural and built environment from the communities of Barrow and the Furness Peninsula.

Design Café aims to establish a permanent aspirational group, (aged 18 to 30), who are inspired and empowered to take a proactive role as champions for contemporary-design led regeneration within their peer groups and communities. 

The Design Café Group will meet bi-monthly at Art Gene, creating a temporary café sometimes in the recently refurbished Art Gene Gallery amidst artworks, at other times in the studios of Art Gene’s (inter)national residency artists or at other interesting sites where design meets regeneration.

Phase I (yrs 1 - 3)

In year 1 our aim is to create an environment where the group feel empowered  and supported to question, comment and exchange ideas about place making and definitions of high quality design.  In this first year Art Gene and its team of associate (inter)national artists and architects will lead a programme of visual presentations, investigations, discussions and debates.  Art Gene will also lead ‘Go explore’ design trips around the locality and beyond. The group will be encouraged to use a new Design Café discussion forum on our website as a networking space which will help form a collective sense of purpose and identity, facilitate group and ultimately external communication and promotion.

In year 2 our aim is to apply what has been learnt in year 1 to the real world through researching and planning a practical design project in the public realm, (informed by their community contacts), to be delivered in year 3.  This will be the groups’ first project as Community Design Champions.  Group members will continue to benefit from Design Café’s regular programme of talks, debates, discussions and trips building members’ design knowledge and confidence as advocates.

In year 3 the group will realise a design-led project at a site identified and researched during year 2. In year 3 the group will set the brief for, interview and select artists, architects etc to deliver the project.  At this stage we expect the group to be more able to articulate their views about design issues in consultative processes with, for example, Barrow Borough Council and West Lakes Renaissance and crucially amongst their peers. 

Design Café

phase I outcomes

In years 1- 3 we expect Design Café will produce the following outcomes:
• Design Café is a permanent cultural group (for 18-30 year olds) informed and confident about the world of place making and design-led regeneration

• Community Design Champions  have emerged who actively engage in linking  Barrow by Design decision-makers to  local communities

• Increased awareness beyond Barrow  (particularly via website presence) of Design Café and its activities,  promotes to newly qualified professionals (21 to 25 year olds) and aspirational, upwardly mobile 25 to 30 year olds the perception of Barrow as a vibrant, creative and cultural place to live and work

• Regular media and press reports of The Design Café helps build a ‘buzz’ for aspirational 18 to 30 year olds with interested 16 and 17 year olds, ‘sneaking in’ where appropriate

• Some of The Design Café group are more involved with the work of Art Gene, for example; as consultants on projects and as volunteers

Design Café

Phase II and beyond…

Phase I of Design Café lays the foundation for a second (3 year) Phase II as one of its planned outcomes. We expect that the project will realise its full potential in year 12 when some members will have been involved for the maximum 12 years (from age 18 to 30) and the group will operate independently of Art Gene.

Strategic fit

Design Café fits with the LADA by:

• contributing design inputs to the planning and fabrication of high quality residential developments
• providing high quality art and architecture which contributes to an engaging, attractive and distinctive public realm
• facilitating consultation and partnership between local people and public  agencies as part of the regeneration process
• helping people to access and get the most out of educational opportunities
• having positive impacts on people’s psychological health

Design Café fits with the Talented Minds Strategy by:

• improving the cultural offer particularly for target groups; Aspirational and Upwardly Mobile (25-30), Newly Qualified Professionals (21-24) with some impact on the (17 and 18 year old) Pre-Graduation group
• Providing a route for target groups into engagement with the Urban Design Framework
• Building a permanent networking group, involving three of the target groups,  that provide role models across the age range and link them to an aspirational perspective and ladder of  opportunity
• Nurturing, attracting the highly skilled and aspirational to live, work and enjoy Furness and West Cumbria, particularly through it’s development of the Design café website and media coverage of its programme