In July, Architecture Centre Network commissioned the Urban Pioneers to document its Discover the Greenway event, and to find out how local people feel about the 2012 games. Listen to their podcast here (to download, ctrl click and 'save target as')

To hear other audio made by the Pioneers, please visit the Podcasts page

Vanessa and I had arranged it so that there was NO WAY Tony could be late!  We got the bus to Shoreditch (Vanessa showed us her bendy bus-riding skills), and arrived on time.
 
We were at the YCN, 72 Rivington Street.  It is a fantastic space - the YCN has recently moved there and the interior has been designed by architect Tomas Klassnik.  His main aim was flexibility, so that the ground floor could be a library, events space and shop, simply by moving the furniture around.  We were all very impressed!
 
We were shown how YCN helps illustrators to work for companies, mostly to do with advertising.  They showed us various projects they have done in the past, and some of the websites they have designed.  Then it was our turn - we were given a brief: to design some kind of 'visual communication' to promote the use of parks.  We had very little time but managed to get some ideas down on paper.

 
Then Tomas Klassnik gaves us a tour of the building, pointing out specific features and problems he'd encountered in creating the office space upstairs and the ground floor.  I was fascinated by how seemingly successful the office space was, and combined with the lovely people we met, I really liked the YCN as an organisation - we all joined their library!

 
Having so enjoyed our time at the YCN, we were almost late for our workshop at PricewaterhouseCoopers!  The aim of the afternoon was to get their advice on how we should stage our event in September.  At the beginning I had no idea about what our event would be like, and at the end we had made a plan.  I can't detail any of it here though, it has to be a surprise!  We wrote down our aims for the event and then focused on ways of achieving them, and on techniques for public speaking.  It was such a helpful workshop and combined with the shortbread biscuits it was a very enjoyable afternoon!

Space Syntax was just mind blowing! they had maps with every road in england, they could work out everything. They use their High-Tech technology to analysis spaces, they are really good at working out possible crime areas, the fastest route, they know where people are most likely to walk even if there is no set path! they also know how to make good use of a space e.g by changing where you have your entrances can change the whole content of the space and the amount of people that use that space will change. Space Syntax are really good at designing, they have worked on a number of projects. They have produced re-designs for Elephant & Castle and Trafalgar square!   

The first day, was the tour. It was a lovely sunny day so Ruby gave us ice cream! =) we went in the More London bulidings,they're so big and fancy and we were lucky enough to go in a (see through) Speed lift!... at first I was afriad, I was petrified. I didn't know I would make it out of that life a live!

But I did, we were so high up I didn't want to stand near the edge of one of the roof tops but then I decided to be brave and go near the edge to take some photos.

It was a really nice evening and I meet so many nice people. And I'm so gald to be able to be an Urban Pioneer XD

quote of the day:

" I will never look at bulidings in the same way."

By Ciarra

The Architecture Foundation is looking for its next team of Pioneers...