Jess Dowson

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Project 02 - Folkestone Survey

First week back, and I don’t feel like my brain has fully engaged. Uh-oh.

Last week felt incredibly busy and all too quick. We were provided with our new project brief - Synoptics - that will last us until the end of the year (17 week project). The focus is on Folkestone this year, and converting the Old Customs House on the Harbour into a youth hostel/community centre space.

Folkestone itself is undergoing a “regeneration”/”regentrification” at present, funded almost entirely by a single private backer. The harbour and seafront is to undergo a large redevelopment (planning permission has been granted), and parts are currently in the process of being demolished and zoned off.

Our first survey/scouting day was on Thursday, which was particularly dreich, and quite a test of weather preparation. Still, we managed to get quite a lot done - measurements, photography, filmography, scouting - prior to sunset.

I returned with Zoe (a friend) on Saturday, and we enjoyed some much better weather and got some more filmography, photography and audio recording done.

We have our Architectural Technologies exam tomorrow, I’m hoping all goes well. I am aware that I have some gaps in my knowledge, but hopefully there won’t be too many curveballs.