More about Beecholme


Beecholme is also the first postwar "mixed development" housing scheme in Hackney, with a mixture of houses and flats with the taller block having five storeys and containing one-bedroom and bedsit accommodation. It is featured in Volume 15 of Hackney History and was the site of Beecholme House, the family home of Maj. John André (d. 1780), who was executed as a British spy in the American War of Independence.

Saturday 29 March 2008

Enhanced TRA meeting 16th April



click on the poster to see it full size



And on a more personal note...

I've finally put up something different on my cover webpage
with a lot more to come soon.



www.davidwhitedesign.co.uk


Tuesday 25 March 2008

Bike shelter re-visited for '08 EIB & LIFT LOBBY UPDATES & NEWS + UPDATE APRIL 2009

Do you remember this leaflet?

It went through every residents door several months ago and , as reported some way below, got only 2 replies.




I'm hoping this time it will do a lot better.

Look out for the new leaflet coming through your door soon.

The secure shelter will probably go outside the hall, under CCTV cameras
and be FREE (apart from a one off cost of a key)


Would you take a space in a secure bike shelter
if it was FREE?


Since the poor response to the idea of a secure bike shed last year
(see Thur Oct 16th 2007 blog: "Do you need a secure bike space?")
I have had more residents ask me about pram sheds to store their bikes.

I gather the impression most residents got (or assumed) was that the bike space would cost too much to rent/week - in most cases any charge would be too much.

As it would be purchased using the EIB (Environmental Improvement Budget) I believe it will be up to the TRA to decide whether or not there should be a charge - a good reason to attend TRA meetings - you could vote to dismiss any charge!

I imagine the only cost might be for a copy of the main compound key.





NEWS - Lift Lobby

This time news about the redecoration of the ground floor lift lobby - in the only building on the estate with a lift - the 5 storey block.

As members of the Clapton Panel, your TRA chair & myself grabbed some of last financial year's left over repair budget and spent it on the lift lobby which had become a bit of an eyesore.

Although the decorators still have their notice on the door, it looks like they have finished - in fact I'm told the contractors are coming back after the Easter break, which I assume to mean very shortly, to cover the remaining wires and conduits.

Thanks to Gary Lane who got the ball rolling in very short order once the budgetary decision to proceed had been made.



I will keep you informed, but have your say at the next TRA meeting or in COMMENTS below or by email to chair@beecholme.co.uk
............
UPDATE APRIL 2009 !!!

Over the last few months both Tom Hunt and Mike Emmett along with Gary Putwain have told me that the bit of piping left not boxed in would be. It was put off until
the planned painting program started.

Well, the painting program has now finished and all they've done is paint over
the galvanized pipes. I suppose even that is a minor victory because I had
been told initially that galvanizing is a "finish in itself".

However, I believe officers should keep their word and execute work
orders promised. It's not as if the job is going to cost very much.

I will keep at it and get back to you.
Keep a look out here.
Your TRA secretary, David White.
..................

UPDATE 28th APRIL
The work on the lift lobby, boxing in the wiring, has been signed off as "finished" even though the section above the door has exposed conduit as
quote: "conduit is a finish itself".

I know it's hard to believe when the purpose of the exercise was to cover all the ugliness of wires and conduits in the main and only
lift lobby for the whole 5 storey block.

However, upon advise from Gary I have asked our estate manager (Ester Ogimba) if she can find a suitable budget to add the little bit of carpentry needed to finish the job. Gary has already offered to supply the same paint to ensure a match.

As soon as I get a reply I'll post it here.

UPDATE MAY '08
Through conversation at the Clapton Panel (a residents form 1 tier up from TRA's),
the remaining section of galvanized piping visible above the door will now be boxed in - along with a 3ft pipe left unboxed next to the resident's door.

UPDATE TUE 15th JULY '08
At the Clapton Panel meeting this evening Mike Emmett was surprised to hear the last bit of boxing in needed in the lift lobby had not been done yet.
He had asked for it to be completed some time ago (as indicated in previous updates above). He has assured me he will chase the matter up - again.
Hopefully this will mean I'll be able to report the job finished within a week or two.

Keep a look out for it here.


Monday 24 March 2008

Video of design protocols in context



Here's a 2 minute video about the need for repairs and additions to match or blend in with the style of architecture. The Protocols and "Gold Standard" are also available to download at the very bottom of this blog - click on the page you want and then rigth click and choose "save as", to your desktop. Hope you like it, it was rather thrown together as much to try out Mac's "keynote" program in iWork '08 as anything else. Still, it might be of some use!

You can download the "Gold Standard" and "Design Protocols" as A4 documents further below.


Saturday 22 March 2008

Estate sign - my proposed new map panel




Within the trim marks is a (highly compressed) copy of the first draft of the map panel to go in our new estate sign. When full scale -1.2m x 1.2 m - you can see a lot of detail, even individual bricks. The illustration above is enough to give you an idea though.



See below for a photo of a new sign example.

Thursday 13 March 2008

Map artwork using Sketchup - in progress


CLICK ON THE ESTATE MAP above to see it a little larger.

I've just started the map above with Google's Sketchup.
The map below the I did as a basis for an illustration using Adobe Illustrator, but as you can see, Sketchup is producing very good results.
It's the first time I've used the program & only took about 4 hours incl. familiarization.
I hope it (or something very similar will be used for the big estate sign (directly below).
When I've finished with the Sketchup artwork I'll have to export it to Photoshop to add the text and symbols then save it as a high res same size artwork PDF & tiff for printing.


If there are any elements you think should be on the sign that I've missed, please let me know. Use either the COMMENTS below or email me at secretary@beecholme.co.uk

Friday 7 March 2008

New signage for all Hackney Homes estates

This is an example of the new signs.

The sign structure is a definite improvement, but...
unfortunately the map artwork remains as it was in the old signs.
With the advent of programs like Google's (free) "Sketchup", 3D artwork is as quick and easy to produce as 2D. The other obvious alteration that was missed is orienting the map to the viewing position, not the compass.
How often have you had to look at one of these maps upside-down and even then had trouble figuring exactly which way to go?

Hence my new map artwork.
Remember the image below is an early version an will become more illustrative in time.




Tuesday 4 March 2008

New map for Beecholme Estate sign




Click on the map to see it full size


Above is the second draft of a new map for the Beecholme Estate.

I've designed using Adobe Illustrator and will have the Beecholme logo with the leaves (see further below) above it.

It's to go into the new large estate signs that Hackney Homes have just authorized.
The map above still has some more approval procedures to go through but I think it will remain substantially the same.

Do you have anything you'd like added or removed?
You can add a comment below or email me at secretary@beecholme.co.uk