Here is my work computer screen saver. Pink Floyd back catalogue :)

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/work_screen.jpg


Here is a glimpse of my Microstation set up.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/screen_saver.jpg

mais pourquoi?

indeed you can, indeed you can

cut

Do you ever get annoyed when you see your work destroyed by packs of scallies?

it is a shame yeah, but its expected as standard, the equipment is very tuff stuff though, not the back garden products you see in toys r us :)
it gets ruined by graffits before it breaks.
But to see the kiddies enjoy themselves (playing not trashing) is worth it.
The local papers usually have some pics and article about em too, which is nice to see, never get any credit thou, im the invisable brains behind the scene.

Public play has evolved massively in the last 10 years, no hard concrete anymore, colourful designs with EPDM wetpour rubber crumb resin bound surfaces.
the average play unit costs the same as a ford focas, the most expensive playground i have completed is about half a million.
Im currently working on a tender worth 2 million pound, I also redevelop schools playgrounds and we even do sports areas.

seariously guys, if you are interested, contact me, only if you live within greater manchester, prefer south manc area, central manc, or close to M60 with on transport.

here we go lads, here are a few pics of the 3D work thats prduced to sell the proposal to the client.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/RoyalMancHospitalKompan3Dkidsview.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/socceracad.jpg

So that's why you were up the Beetham - Ian Simpsons private play area. :)

As i have said, i have got another job, im going high places, literally!
i often worked with architects and landscape architects, swapping files and providing spec and cross sections to assist with their plans and proposals.

nowadays every school must have outdoor play areas, including large areas of safer surface. the govt has built loads of new schools and surestarts centres in the last few years.

bew is an irish playground proposal, abit on the cheap side, tarmac is used inbetween the play equipent BS EN 1177 impact zone (rubber area) tarac is less than half the price, but alot more pcc kerbing is required, and check out the lovely classic bow tophe roadway sides, at the back chain link fencing with concrete posts are used. cost cutting to stay within budget is the most important thing. From skyscrapers to playgrounds, at the end of the day, everything comes down to money.
thats the biggest reason why the finished building doesnt always resemble the idealised render. for example, say each piece of glass on Beetham costs 10 pound extra per piece and the brackets are double the cost if the builders are to get the identical finish that the architect wants, can you imagine the cost difference. what do you think the client and the bean counters are goin to opt for?

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/irishtender3D.jpg

i might resize that bugger tomos, i already reduced it to 25% dam it, it was taken from an A0 presentation sheet thou!

I've fell into Pingu's online portal.
Mad as 'ell in this one - great though.

here are some more images, including photo matching, and one of the worlds largest play parks beneath the petronas towers (I didnt do that one, it was completed in '99 before I joined the company.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/KLCC_aerial_pic.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/KL3.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/KL1.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/3DIMAGE.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/layout3Dphotomatchingimage1jpg.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/irishtender3D.jpg

I start my new job in january, and I have only 3 people coming in for an interview so far, so if you think you have what it takes, you know how to contact me.

So, What is your new job title fella?

here is a preview of Bentley Microstation 3D, much better than AutoCAD, its more popular with the larger firms with 20 or more CAD users, ie Balfour Beaty and the larger architect firms.

Training will be given (@ £250 per day), although CAD experience is essential, courses available for transition from AutoCAD, also a 3D course.

Once you get to understand 3D, its not that scary!
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/3D_screen_pic.jpg

So, What is your new job title fella?

Im afraid I would rather not say...............for the time being, anyway.

Not company, just title.

3D city Modeller and assistant to the infrastructure team, Architects and Engineering.

Nice one, Sounds interesting. How come you use Microstation instead of AutoCAD. Is it easier to model 3D. I've done a bit of 3d modelling on autoCAD and it's not the best.

I believe Microstation was chosen because at the time (10 years ago) when CAD was intoduced to the company. MS had the ability to flood any shape or pattern with a solid fill (2D) and autocad couldnt (can now though) and that was very import to portray the bright and colourful motifs within the rubber surface.
And Microstation kicks Autocad's arse when it comes down to 3D, MS has a great double package, were as Autodesk practically force people to buy 3D studio Max to work along side AutoCAD.

Why don't they make big slides anymore? They are all little shitty things nowadays, the sliding couldn't last for more than half a second. I remember those huge things they used to have when I was a kid, the ones with a very large vertical ladder to get up to the wooden box at the top, then the long none fenced off steel slide to the bottom. Great going down headfirst on your back and then bouncing along the concrete on your head at the bottom for 20 metres or so.

And roundabouts that used to fling the kids off in every direction if they didn't crush their legs first if they went under. What happened to them?

like i said, playgrounds have changed alot in the last 10 years, there are still a few old fashioned type ones still being built, mostly by cheap councils that wont spend the price of the average house to serve the community.

There are some really funky equipment out there, pushing product design to the limits.
check these out

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/GXY907-photo.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/GXY916Supernova.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/teenzone_Tzu062_blue.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/Araneus.jpg

half pipe with fixed skateboard on a rail
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/aeroskate.jpg

the modern day roundabout (for weastedevil)
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/GXY916Supernova.jpg

^^^^^^

oh by the way, thats Acura Preston above in his boys scouts uniform :)

half pipe with fixed skateboard on a rail
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d102/chasedwar/aeroskate.jpg

Now that does look like fun!

How old am I? :runaway:

Yes the dangerous ones were the best. There is a big steel slide near my house set into a hill. Must be 50-60m long at 45deg. Mental. Then there were those heavy as fuck roundabouts with almost frictionless motion - get em goining at full pelt with a bogger 90 laid flat and try to jump on. Oh the humanity - teeth and skin everywhere.

Proper, un-dampened see-saws that you could do massive back flips off when 3 fat kids jumped on the other end.

Big swings that were enabled to do a full standing over-bar revolution where the only price was a broken little finger.

*Calm down karl, calm down and have a lolly*

come on guys, i was hoping for at least a few posts of interest!
it must be better than stacking shelves at the co-op, you lot cant all still be at school! or are you?

A degree in landscape architecture isnt required, wud be useful thou, all you have to have is some reasonable intelect, knowledge of CAD, prefer some kind of higher education either college or uni.
Oh and if your scared of revealing urself from cyber space, I dont bite ;)

I don't think there are that many Construction/Architectural pros on the manc boards Chasedwar. Does seem interesting but I'm an engineer not a technician.

I take A level product design and have been using pro desktop for 3 months, do i qualify?















Thought not ;)

How much do you get paid, btw.

That park next to the Petronas is pretty special eh?
Uk city council thought patterns would come up with a 2% of that and call it an 'original urban electromagnetic oasis set with a 21st century modern metropolis'.

the job has its perks, Ive just this minute opened my first christmas present. A bottle of whiskey from a fencing manufacturer :)
Because I specify them in proposals, I must have given them over £100k worth of contracts.
Its nice to be appreciated :)

I take A level product design and have been using pro desktop for 3 months, do i qualify?

Thought not ;)

How much do you get paid, btw.


Where so you study that? I did a BSc Product and Industrial Design at Salford Uni.
I would recommend it! salford say that 98% of graduates get a job in 12months (yeah but not a related profession, Burger King, maybe)

Seariously Product Design? unless you live in London or Milan, you havent got a chance in Hell. Even the swots that get uni placements with big firms didnt make it, they became bank clarks or estate agents.

In hindsight, If I knew now what I knew when I was 16, I would have done a architectural degree. there is a massive shortage of Landscape Architects at the moment.
If you lot are mad keen on Architecture (the younger ones) then GO for it..
there is nothing worse than spending your life doing a job that you hate!
Because you have to work the majority of your remaining life, and theres no summer holidays :)

I take A level product design and have been using pro desktop for 3 months, do i qualify?

Thought not ;)

How much do you get paid, btw.


Where do you study that? I did a BSc Product and Industrial Design at Salford Uni.
I would'nt recommend it! salford say that 98% of graduates get a job in 12months (yeah but not a related profession, Burger King, maybe)

Seariously Product Design? unless you live in London or Milan, you havent got a chance in Hell. Even the swots that get uni placements with big firms didnt make it, they became bank clarks or estate agents.

In hindsight, If I knew now what I knew when I was 16, I would have done a architectural degree. there is a massive shortage of Landscape Architects at the moment.
If you lot are mad keen on Architecture (the younger ones) then GO for it..
there is nothing worse than spending your life doing a job that you hate!
Because you have to work the majority of your remaining life, and theres no summer holidays :)

I keep telling myself the time has gone for me to get into architecture or urban planning. I'll have to stick with a music degree.

providing they're teaching fruity loops you'll be reet!

come ons guys, if you think you have what it takes or even know someone, get in touch quick, interviews are beng held on tuesday, and then thats it.
Im abit disapointed really, everyones gone so quiet!

ive just seen ian simpson on the telly, while im drinkin a pint and getting ready for tonights activities. tv prog called Demolition, the X list of buildings thru out the country

its made me think again about the maths tower on oxford rd, i wish that could have been saved, i did like that, it was original, cant be compaired to the rest of the 60s tower block shite, ive seen worst examples listed.

thanks for that chased, i take product design along with 4 other Alevel courses. The selection of courses give me a wide range of proffesions i can go into. I don't really want to be a product designer.

I study at Pendleton college.

im just redeveloping a school in pendleton for salford city council.
the mad thing is that within 5 years the school will be relocated. but as a developer i dont care, as long as i get my money.

which school would that be? i hope its buile hill.

i'll tell ya when ive got the contract in writing, its still out for tender, but we should win it, cos i helped the consultants put the tender document together, its basically specified for me to win.
But having said that, councils have screwed me b4, they come for advice about costs and budgets to secure funding, use my proposal for the tender spec and then award it to someone else. that really pisses me off. but its a chance u have to take, believe it or not, but I would say the majority of govt projects are coruption free. and the uk has gotta be one of the least corrupt countries in the world, and thats one of the reasons why British companies are so well respected thru out the world.

Chased, do you deal with turfed areas as well as design and build the play areas? I'm thinking you might do if you are undertaking local authority contracts for schools. If so, who do you currently use to provide this service? And are they any good?

My firm specilaises in this type of work (having refurbished all the sportsfields in Regents Park in London)

we do artificial grass systems ourselves, the 3G new system is great, its like butchers grass with lose rubber granules with the blades.

b4 crimbo i was working a playground proposal for regents park estate, do you have anything to do with that?

No, we re-did all the cricket and football pitches a year or two ago, finished last summer. Invovled redoing all the drainage systems, soils and turf agronomy

We're doing more and more school playing fields at the moment with the increased investment from Gvt.