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Brigid Ellard

@bellard05.bsky.social
7 followers 7 following 11 posts

2nd Year Anth Arch student at Durham University

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Brigid Ellard @bellard05.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
As a pedestrian, I was able to access pathways cars/bikes couldn't. I also could take more time to observe the landscape. However, while this allowed me to notice small details I wonder if having access to a car/bike would allow me to see more of the city, and analyse a bigger landscape.
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Brigid Ellard @bellard05.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
By observing my experience of the urban center and the way in which the landscape wanted me to move, I noticed how the city developed around capitalist ideas and modernisation. This has made me think more about movement through landscapes in both the sites I study and the towns I live in.
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Brigid Ellard @bellard05.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Many stories became apparent in the landscape and by engage with the urban center in this way I noticed new things and learned more about how movement is influenced by the built environment. I also noticed how the landscape is a lived spaced and a palimpsest of human activity.
Advertisement taped over a bus station sign
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Brigid Ellard @bellard05.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
During my derive, I found many clues to community. I found it interesting how communities express their presence in the landscape and make it their own.
Mural in Reading
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Brigid Ellard @bellard05.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
I noticed a contrast between "Old" and "New" Reading as well. I found myself drawn more to the modern, well lit, and inviting spaces as opposed to the historic spaces. This made me question where is "Reading"? And how do we decide what is the "City Center"?
Old abandoned vandalized building compared to new occupied building in the Oracle
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Brigid Ellard @bellard05.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
One thing that stuck out to me was the contrast between old and new buildings. Older structures are contrasted with the round architecture of the "Oracle" the shopping center of the city. In this way, the Oracle distinguishes itself and draws you in.
Buildings that are part of the Oracle shopping centre in Reading
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Brigid Ellard @bellard05.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
I also noticed the creation of a surveilled landscape. The architecture made it very apparent that you were being surveilled. I noticed it was these surveilled and well lit routes I wanted to stick to.
Security cameras on the side of a building
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Brigid Ellard @bellard05.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
I was very interested in the way artificial landscapes were created. Fake landscaping gave the appearance of a year round summer, despite the cold. I was drawn to this but, the illusion was shattered however as the space was blocked due to flooding.
Field of fake grass and flowers in Reading City Centre
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Brigid Ellard @bellard05.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
The very first thing I observed was the amount of bikes. In historic streets, the landscape has become accessible to pedestrians and bikes, creating a pedestrian center. The architecture has been repurposed to support this new movement in the landscape.
Bike rack in Reading City Centre
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Brigid Ellard @bellard05.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
I spent an hour wandering the streets and recording what stood out to me with photographs. My goal was to observe the predictable paths of the city and get off them. This allowed me to understand the totality of the urban landscape.
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Brigid Ellard @bellard05.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Psychogeography of Reading City Centre. In order to gain a new awareness of how the urban landscape is experienced I undertook a dérive (drift) in Reading. I resisted how the built environment pushed me and made observations as I went. Here is what I found! #DUcontemparch
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