For this project, I wanted to concentrate on taking myself out of the digital workspace, and develop my skills in tangible making. I decided to create a series of books that investigate how we can incorporate narrative into the books physical form. I wanted them to be engaging and interactive, and to have a tactile quality.
The common theme throughout the books is based on research I was doing on the impact of Modernist theory on urban planning in the 20th century, specifically social housing throughout Britain. I found it interesting how tower block housing had gathered such a stigma, how people saw the situation as black and white and saw the buildings simply as an eye sore. I wanted these books to try and combat that viewpoint and illustrate the lifetime of these buildings. I wanted to show that lack of maintenance and care from city councils ultimately led to their downfall and not the communities who had lived there for years.
Unfortunately, since this project was completed during the height of COVID-19, I was unable to carry out my own primary research so relied on online resources such as documentaries and archival photos to collect dialogue and images for the books. References include:
‘High Rise and Fall, Glasgow Gorbals Documentary’, 1993, BBC Scotland
‘The Secret History of Our Street: Duke Street Glasgow’, 2014, BBC
‘ The End of Glasgow’s Red Road Flats’ Documentary, 2012, BBC
'SAFEDEM Red Road Flats Demolition’, 2013, Youtube video
'Canmore: National Record of the Historical Environment'
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Book 1
Quote taken from ‘High Rise and Fall, Glasgow, Gorbals Documentary’ 1993, images sourced from 'Canmore: National Record of the Historical Environment'
Book 2
Image sourced from ' Scottish Field Magazine' archives
Quote and image sourced from '‘High Rise and Fall, Glasgow Gorbals Documentary’, 1993'.
Book 3
Images and quotes source from ‘High Rise and Fall, Glasgow Gorbals Documentary’, 1993 and ' SAFEDEM Red Road Flats Demolition' video, 2013.