The Ward Round Rooms at the Whiteleaf Centre have now been completed.
VGL Ltd collaborated with me on the production design and then manufactured and installed the digitally printed artwork wall coverings.
Tom Coxof Artscape has managed the project from the outset. A big thanks for all his contribution and assistance with the project !
A few images of Amber, Sapphire and Ruby Ward Round Rooms – Opal Ward is still missing – but I will post some images as soon as they come in –
Ward Round Room, Amber Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Amber Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Amber Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Amber Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Amber Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Sapphire Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Sapphire Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Sapphire Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Ruby Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Sapphire Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Sapphire Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Sapphire Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Ruby Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Ruby Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Ruby Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Ruby Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Ruby Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom CoxWard Round Room, Ruby Ward, Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury by Christopher Tipping. Image: Tom Cox
We had our first Art Commission Phase 2 design meeting at the Whiteleaf Centre today to meet staff working in the four Wards, Opal, Sapphire, Ruby and Amber. Tom Cox of Artscapeand myself presented some first draft ideas to staff. We spread out the drawings and some paper models on the meeting room table and asked staff to comment on the work and annotate the drafts for us. This proved a rewarding process – with some of the iconography in the draft designs getting positive approval, whilst others – a definite thumbs down! –
The composite image below shows the Ward Round Rooms, which are found within each Ward Hub. This room is used for Clinical staff meetings and meetings with family and service users. We are proposing to install digitally printed wall coverings to two walls in each room.
Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury Project: digitally printed wall coverings to Ward Round Rooms. Image: Christopher Tipping, Project Artist
Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury Project: digitally printed wall coverings to Ward Round Rooms. Image: Draft Artworks by Christopher Tipping, Project ArtistWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury Project: digitally printed wall coverings to Ward Round Rooms. Image: Draft Artworks and models by Christopher Tipping, Project ArtistWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury Project: digitally printed wall coverings to Ward Round Rooms. Image: Draft Artworks by Christopher Tipping, Project ArtistWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury Project: digitally printed wall coverings to Ward Round Rooms. Image: Draft Artworks by Christopher Tipping, Project ArtistWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury Project: digitally printed wall coverings to Ward Round Rooms. Image: Draft Artworks by Christopher Tipping, Project ArtistWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury Project: digitally printed wall coverings to Ward Round Rooms. Image: Draft Artworks by Christopher Tipping, Project Artist
Yesterday, I travelled up to Aylesbury to discuss the possibility of being commissioned for more work for the Whiteleaf Centre, which is now open and fully operational. This is the first visit I have made since the Centre opened. Really interesting to see it animated & full of people. Tom Cox from Artcare at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust who commissioned all the artists for the project accompanied me around the wards and introduced my to staff who discussed with us the impact of the original artwork installations and the possibility of future collaborations with staff and service users to build upon this. Watch this space !
Within the ward hubs there are some high windows, which really demonstrated the effectiveness of the glazing manifestations in producing variation and change within the spaces depending on the weather.
Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. Glazing manifestation by Christopher TippingWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. Glazing manifestation by Christopher TippingWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. Glazing manifestation by Christopher TippingWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. Glazing manifestation by Christopher Tipping.Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. Detail of entrance corridor glazing manifestation by Christopher Tipping.Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. Detail of glazing manifestation in entrance corridor by Christopher TippingWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. Detail of glazing manifestation to cafe & waiting area by Christopher TippingWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. External view of large meeting room glazing manifestation by Christopher Tipping
We have now agreed on which artworks will be delivered as A1 framed prints for the Trust Offices –
Draft Print 1 – The design was used for the Entrance Corridor glazed screen. It will be paired with Draft Print 2
Draft Print 2 – The design was used for Ward A . It will be paired with Draft Print 1
Draft Print 3 – Each tree design was used for the Large Meeting Room. It will be paired with Draft Print 4Draft Print 4 – Each tree design was used in Ward Hubs B & C. Both trees will be paired with Draft Print 3
Draft – Street Trees 1. Image Christopher TippingDraft artwork for Whiteleaf Centre Glazed Screens. Christopher TippingWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. Draft artwork for glazed screens. Christopher TippingWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. Draft artwork for glazed screens Christopher TippingWhiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. Draft artwork for glazed screens Christopher Tipping
Nightingale Architects have made available some new images of the project at The Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. This particular image is of the large meeting room in the resource centre. The digitally printed artwork manufactured by Guardian is applied to the glazing screen. When the sun is strong, this creates an additional and fleeting, ephemeral extension of the artwork cast in shadow upon the floor and adjacent walls.
The digitally printed glazing artwork casts shadows on the adjacent walls.
Detail of the Cafe and Waiting area of the resource centre. Image: Nightingale ArchitectsChristopher Tipping, the project artist standing next to a sample wall covering installation on the wards at The Whiteleaf Centre. Image: Tom Cox
Mark Bateman – Capital Development Manager, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Britta MacDonald – Senior Assertive Outreach Worker, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Michelle Harding – Head of Adult Acute Pathway, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Neil Flint – Commercial Services Manager, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Whiteleaf Centre, Kier and Nightingale Associate Architects for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. Front Elevation with some glazing artwork visible on the right hand side.Whiteleaf Centre, Main Reception. Some glazing artwork can be seen on the doors and glazing to the external courtyard to the centre of the image.Ward Hub Interior – showing the ward identity artwork. Each of the 4 wards has a colour coded artwork to assist in creating a unique identity for each area.Detail of Ward Hub artworks.The Whiteleaf Centre, Aylesbury. Front entrance elevation. The small sapling tree on the green roundabout in the foreground is a specimen tree planted to create a focal point. The tree is a Variegated Tulip Tree and was decided upon in collaboration with the project Landscape Architect, Robyn Butcher of Terra Firma Consultancy.
Whiteleaf Centre visual by Nightingale Associates, Project Architects
I was commissioned in November 2012 by Tom Cox, ‘Artscape’ Project Manager for Oxford Health, to develop artwork for glazing and walls which could also work as way finding. This was achieved via digital printing onto optically clear vinyl and vinyl wall covering by Guardian Glazing Films and their sub consultant Bonwyke.
12th February 2014. Detail: Digital print on optically clear vinyl. Finally installed in the Cafe & Waiting Area
The project was influenced by its site history, firstly as a private residence called Manor House and an archive publication from the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies, which listed in detail, the contents of the house & garden from its sale at the turn of the Century. The house & grounds eventually transformed into Manor House Hospital, which was completely demolished for the new build. I was also really intrigued by the Ecological Assessment of the former Hospital site which was produced by Capita Symonds for Kier Build in 2011 which referred to the original seed bank of the site being present still in the spoil heaps of the demolition.
Text from the Ecological Assessment of the site carried out by Capita Symonds for Kier Build in 2011
Detailed descriptions of the gardens and their contents were contained in the sales particulars of the original Manor House
A list of animals and insects identified through study or anecdotal evidence as being either resident or visitors to the site.
The artworks are presented as a series of interlinked vistas and quiet spaces which carry references to the site through the interior of the building. The images also to the influence that gardens, nature & the natural world has within the understanding and treatment of acute mental health. One of the aims of the new building is to provide gardening opportunities for service users to grow things and to provide quiet outside spaces where people can be surrounded by planting and seasonal change.
16th May 2013. Early concept visual of a garden with planted borders and tree23rd October 2013. Draft design for the Cafe & Waiting roomDraft design work for the Entrance Corridor glazing24th October 2013. Draft designs in progress for the 4 Ward Hub areas17th May 2013. Many site visits enabled a continuing dialogue to be had with staff and the project team.3rd December 2013 – Final iconography signed off and building detailed designs ongoing.3rd December 2013 – Detailed design for Entrance Corridor artwork is approved –12th February 2014 – Some vinyls installed, some small revisions and snags to resolve with the print.
12th February 2014 – Site meeting to review first batch of installations. Print detail really good.
12th February 2014 – installation started.
12th February 2014 – meeting in the Cafe & Waiting area to review first installation sequence.12th February 2014 – Meeting Room glazing partially installed. One panel of glazing is cracked – so installation now delayed here for several weeks.12th February 2014 – Detail of Meeting Room window.12th February 2014 – some windows have text referencing the former house on the site set in a maelstrom scribbled line.25th September 2013, Final artwork approved for project. Meeting Room & Cafe Waiting Area9th December 2013 – Ward Hub designs approved for print.9th December 2013 – Ward Hub ‘A’ approved for print.
2nd December 2013 – Ward Hub ‘D’ approved for print.2nd December 2014 – detail to corridor artwork has printed incorrectly. The vixen is meant to be surrounded by an opaque cloud. This elements spans several panels, so is a pain to have to re-print. I actually quite like the effect – wish I had left is as it was ! – but the coral colour tree on the right has also printed incorrectly – so the whole lot has to go.2nd December 2014 – Detail – small violet at the base of the Meeting Room window.