First Impressions

It is like a glass bunker in the middle of the enormous green field, surrounded by large green planes and trees that seem to act as a barrier from the concrete jungle we live in everyday.. Some of the buildings beyond the green space seem to rise from the top of the trees.. this bunker makes you feel like you are in a city, in a rising city above the field that is growing from the inside of the earth.. leaving you with the feeling that it is an entrance to a subterranean world... 


The infamous architect, John Nash said that buildings should be "ornaments in the landscape." David Morleys design is highly sympathetic to this and was made part of the "Open London" exhibition this year. 




Views on the hub:

The first time we visited the construction, i thought it looked like a mushroom growing up from a hill. As i got closer, you can see a little bit more and realize it is mostly a glass building. Inside is a cafe, the large roof structure was what stood out the most to me. 

While inside the hub in the centre there's a spiral staircase, at the bottom this part is allocated to the sports facilities that the hub cater for.All this is hidden underneath the raised part of the green. At this point it is very clear that the hill is un-natural and has two functions. I did not at first understand or relate with the building much during the first two visits, however the more research completed the more interesting the space will become and the more I will understand about the space and the desired affect it has on me (as a user). 

WAYS OF ESTABLASHING FACTS - INTERVIEWING:
We recorded conversations with the two members of staff at the hub: 

Interview with Anna

• How do you feel, when you are in The Hub. and what do you think about this place ??

It Is a unique environment that brings me challenges.. it has a potential that is only beginning to be realized, some people just walk and cross this place, without idea that's more than just a café..  we can feel ignored sometimes, but ignoring can also be nice here! 'cause that just bring us tranquillity and space for our work. The building is a small part of a big project or process; it’s like a freckle in the body. In this case the field is the body and the café is the freckle. Sometimes I feel apart or far from people, because we are "underground", most people just know the outside of the building, the part that is growing out, but at the same time, that makes it a really good team, we are a really close team and great friends here "downstairs", we have no windows or anywhere from where we can appreciate the out site, but we know it is there and any time we want to relax, it’s just a few steps up. We have this peaceful green space, unlike a lot of others people in London. The cities workers when they want a break they just have concrete and bustling city noises. It makes me feel happy to work here every-day.

From this Interview we get a personal view on the space that makes point of the appreciation for
spaces within Green environments and the hopeful expansion of this style of building. It clearly has a positive effect as a working environment as a lot of the Staff are happy to work in an unlikely enjoyable underground space.

IN CONTRAST. We asked Tyeson, a rather unpleasant and miserable South African, who works in the Cafe above ground who had a very different opinion:

• How do you get to work everyday?     

"Tube and Walking"

• Why do you work here? and what would you change about it if you could?

"I cant find a job anywhere else. I'd get some Tv's or more comfortable seats for people and myself"

• How does the space make you feel? 

"what do you mean?? its a building. it doesn't make me feel anything. Actually, yes it does. Its like a prison"

• But your surrounded by space and amazing views of the outdoors, most people sit in an office with no windows all day?

"Yeah, but its different when your working inside it and watching everybody have an amazing time outside while i stand here serving cakes and coffee to people who don't even know how to put rubbish in a bin. That's one thing i would improve, more bins, or more signs to show humans how to put things in the bin."






AIM: 
So from this point on we have established that we need to do further investigation in recording peoples reactions, specifically visitors, rather than staff who spend everyday inside the hub.