Introduction
Taylor Wimpey plc wish to appoint an artist to design and create a series of artworks for a new housing development at Pencoedtre Lane in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. Taylor Wimpey are one of the largest homebuilders in the UK, operating from 24 regional offices across England, Scotland and Wales.
The Pencoedtre Lane housing development is located between Pencoedtre Road and Port Road East on the outskirts of Barry, and will consist of 67 new homes as well as a new playground over an area of 81,480 square feet.
Barry is a town of over 47,000 people and has many strengths and opportunities. These include a scenic coastal setting, an extensive dockland area situated between the town centre and its seaside resort and beaches, a railway running through the heart of the town, close proximity to the capital city in the east and Wales' only International Airport to the west.
In July 2003 the Vale of Glamorgan Council adopted a Percent for Art policy for new developments in the Vale to ensure the procurement of public art throughout the authority and this project is an example of this policy put into practice.
Background
Taylor Wimpey was formed by the merger of George Wimpey and Taylor Woodrow in 2007 and covers most of the UK, building both private and affordable housing.
Taylor Wimpey acquired the Pencoedtre site in 2010 and was granted planning permission to develop 67 homes on the site in December 2011. 47 of the units will be private homes ranging from 3 to 5 bedrooms, and 20 units will be affordable housing ranging from 2 to 4 bedrooms.
The Site
Previously the site was two open fields; the second smaller field is surrounded by Pencoetre Wood to the east of the development. A third field is being retained as a paddock within the wood. To the west of the site, across Pencoedtre Road is Bryn Hafren Comprehensive School and their playing fields. To the north across Port Road East is a golf course, and to the south is a residential area. The woodland context and natural character of the site will be retained through planting of new hedgerows and trees and retaining existing trees where possible.
There is a water main running along the Port Road East boundary to the site, but this should not affect the locations of the artworks. Site survey information will be made available to the selected artist.
There are three locations suggested for artworks within the scheme. The first two are along the Port Road East boundary where there is pedestrian access to the site. One footpath existed prior to the development as a right of way and is at the top north corner of the site, a little way from the housing. The other footpath leads into the housing area and will be frequently used by those using the bus service along Port Road as it will lead directly to the bus stop. Both of these entrances are key locations in terms of visibility from Port Road East, which is a heavily trafficked road for those entering Barry or travelling to Cardiff Airport.
It is envisaged that gateways/ sculptural markers are created for either side of the footpaths to welcome people into the site. The scale of these should be in keeping with the nearby housing and planting and at a 'human' scale rather than major landmarks.
The third site identified for artworks is the perimeter railings around the new playground.
The Commission
This is an exciting opportunity to make a creative and distinctive mark on a contemporary new housing scheme. As described above, sites have been identified and the possibilities of the commission are twofold: to create entrance features, and to create artworks for the playground railings.
There is no set theme for the artworks but it is expected that the artist will research the area and develop designs which are contemporary and complement the natural environment. The entrance features should be striking, sending a message to passing traffic that there is a new quality scheme on the site, and they should be welcoming for the residents. Subjects to consider could be the various structures that have functioned as homes for people and animals, or Pencoetre Wood.
For the playground railings, it is envisaged that the artist would create designs and motifs to be added to a section of the railings which will help animate and enliven the area. One possible way of doing this would be for a section of the standard railings to be delivered to the artist prior to galvanising and painting, for the artist to add the artworks and then galvanise and paint the customised railings. However, we are open to other ways of working suggested by the selected artist.
Although there is no set theme or subject for the railings, it would be an advantage for the project if the artist were to explore themes and imagery with pupils of the nearby comprehensive school and local primary school. The public art project manager would be able to arrange the dates and times of the workshop sessions, which would help raise awareness of the project and may mitigate future vandalism. (We envisage 3 or 4 days of workshops). Taylor Wimpey have already engaged with Bryn Hafren Comprehensive school and have set a competition to find a name for the housing development.
Issues to do with vandalism and maintenance should be considered at the outset during the design stage. Robust materials should be used for the artworks such as steel and stone. An important aspect of the design process will be to consult with staff at Taylor Wimpey including the architect, and landscape architect.
Timetable
There is a fairly short schedule to develop designs, which need to be completed by the end of April and submitted to the Vale of Glamorgan planning department. However, there is then almost 12 months in which to make the work. Once the designs are agreed the artist will need to prepare detailed designs including engineering calculations, foundations and installation details. It would be desirable to complete the playground area by September/October 2012 and the entrance sculptures by January 2013.
Contracts
There will be an initial design contract to cover the first phase of work for concept and detailed design. Once the designs are agreed there will be a commission contract to implement the artworks. Payments will be staged and the payment amounts will be agreed with the artist. (If a joint application is successful, the contract can either be with just one artist, or separate contracts can be agreed for both artists).
Professional Practice
In the event of commissioning details of Public and Product Indemnity will be required sufficient to provide the client with assurance on matters of liability and so that neither the client or contractor are exposed to undue risk on any element commissioned from the artist.
Procedure
This brief has been widely advertised locally and nationally. A short-list of up to 4 artists will be selected for interview. Interviews will take place on Tuesday 21st Feb. The interview panel will consist of the public art consultant, representatives of Taylor Wimpey and the Vale of Glamorgan Arts Development Officer. Reasonable travel expenses to interview will be re-imbursed.
The selected artist will be expected to have experience of creating and installing a project of a comparable scale/complexity, have an awareness of the technical issues likely to arise and experience of cost control on a project of similar value. Joint applications from artists are also welcome.
The criteria for selection will be based on:
Creativity shown in past projects
Evidence from previous work that the candidate can deliver designs within a compressed timescale
Experience of collaborating with a landscape architect/architect and/or integrating art into the public realm.
The proposed working methodology as described at interview
Compatibility with the project team.
Our judgement of the perceived suitability of the candidate’s work based on past built and un-built projects.
To apply for the project please send images of your previous work on CD as a powerpoint or pdf document with an image list, a CV, and a brief letter outlining your interest in this project. Email applications also accepted up to a file limit of 12MB. Also, please let us know your availability for interview on 21st Feb.
Send applications to: Celfwaith, 7 Pontfaen, Cardiff, CF23 7DU
Due to the short timescale for the design phase, we will short-list immediately after the deadline, therefore no late applications will be accepted.
For further information contact:
Mererid Velios, tel: 02920750992, email: mererid@celfwaith.co.uk
