Test Unit

 

Date

July 2016

 

Location

Bairds Brae, Speirs Locks, north Glasgow

 

Description

Test Unit is an art, design and architecture summer school and events programme. Over an intensive week in July 2016, 25 cross-disciplinary participants transformed a vacant site in north Glasgow into a public space.  The ambitions of the project were to prototype ideas in public space, build local capacity to initiate grass-roots projects and to place culture and education at the heart of regeneration.

 

The participants were split into 4 groups and each team led by facilitators from varying disciplines; designer Neil McGuire of A Feral Studio, architect Lee Ivett from BAXENDALE, architect Kate Darby from KDA & co-founder of Studio in the Woods and artist Rebecca Davies from Oasis Social Club. Each facilitator devised a theme that explored a different aspect of the site and working closely with the facilitators each group then devised responses and interventions in relation to the site and its location in north Glasgow. These themes were: Occupation, Context, Connection and Alternate Reality.

 

The project was made possible by a unique group of partners: A Feral Studio, BAXENDALE, The Glasgow School of Art, UZ Arts, Scottish Canals, Creative Scotland, EventScotland as part of the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design and Glasgow City Council’s Stalled Spaces programme.

 

The project was conceived, developed and produced by TAKTAL.

 

 

14/07/16 . GLASGOW. Speirs Locks, north Glasgow. Kids play in Test Unit - Anan Devlin (4) straight hair. Robyn 3, curly hair. An Independent Fringe for Architecture | Scotland 1—24 July 2016 Test Unit is an art, design and architecture summer school and events programme that saw a vacant piece of land in Speirs Locks converted into a public space over the course of a week. Thirty participants led by 4 facilitators designed, prototyped and tested ideas on the site that explored the issues and challenges of the area. Test Unit is a summer school and events programme exploring how we can create change in cities. For Test Unit 2016 we will be focussing on Speirs Locks, north Glasgow – an area changing through cultural activity. The aims of Test Unit are to: Prototype ideas in public space, to inform urban development Place culture, people and education at the heart of regeneration Transform a vacant site into a public space over an intensive live-build programme Deliver a public events programme to stimulate discussion and debate Build capacity for people to initiate grass-roots projects Background Test Unit has been developed by Agile City, a platform for research and events exploring grass-roots approaches to city development. Often we find regeneration focused on physical and definitive outcomes instead of designing projects that are responsive to social and economic change. We are interested in holistic design and explore the processes, business models and cross-disciplinary practices that have a positive and sustainable impact on our cities. Agile City was founded in 2015 by TAKTAL. For more info visit www.agile-city.com Test Unit has been made possible by the invaluable support and partnership of A Feral Studio, BAXENDALE, The Glasgow School of Art, UZ Arts & Scottish Canals, Creative Scotland, EventScotland as part of the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design and Glasgow City Council’s Stalled Spaces programme.

Test Unit site on Barids Brae next to canal in Speirs Locks, North Glasgow

 

 

Test Unit Build

Live-build on site

 

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Test Unit hub structure (photo credit: John Devlin)

 

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2016 participants and delivery team

 

Test Unit alternative-reality-billboard

‘Alternate reality’ group – billboard installation

 

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‘Occupation’ group – Nettle Inn – (photo credit: John Devlin)

 

Test Unit recoat-workshop

Public workshops with Recoat

 

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Giant paper submarine folded with local community and artist Frank Bolter

 

Test Unit frank-bolter-submarine

Paper submarine on canal

 

Test Unit turncoats-debate

‘Rip It Up and Start Again’ – debate at The Glue Factory

 

Test Unit Rebecca Davies - Context

‘Connection’ group – public engagement piece

 

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Talk with ZUS (Rotterdam) – ‘Prototyping Public Space’ – CCA, Glasgow

 

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‘Context’ Group – Ghost Wall

 

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