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| 'the drunken table', 2009, Ken Wilder + Yi-Chuan Liu, Yu-Ting Wang, Anna Parfirenko |
LT Ranch project and event space began as a place to work autonomously- the ambition to produce/make projects both art & architecture in the broadest sense. Since 2005, small projects have emerged which have informed subsequent projects. Fireside discussions and incidental moments within the landscape have generously inspired both on site work as well as practices that have returned to participants’ countries. From London to Lithuania and beyond the Ranch has embedded the notion of migrating ideas and response to this space to create and re-create place-ness.
It is a slow space by nature. It is rural. It was a farmstead. A small house, a barn for animals, another to store animal feed, a cellar, sauna and outhouse. These have in some cases stayed to there former uses, others are shifting towards new; single or multiple uses. Vacated of inhabitants over the years for more complex reasons than just political or economic. It is empty of human intervention most of the year, although looked after by good neighbours. During these no less inhabited months, flora and fauna live there free of charge. Memories wander within those ‘empty’ durations to foster next projects, whether achieved or not, in some cases it is just on the inspiration of those who have heard of it or been there that it whispers about itself.
In 2009 the University of the Arts- London MA ISD visited with the artist and Course Leader Ken Wilder activating the place of ‘Stonehenge’ under the apple tree, on a roaming eating/fireplace/food prep area, whilst other years, artists, architects and other varying disciplines and talents have documented, cleaned, developed ways of making with minimal means some serious yet humorous conditions for habitation...or not...places to see change over time, weather to decay and be reconsidered again. These are the human constructs of this modest space. Since 2010, the University for the Creative Arts, Canterbury School of Architecture BA and MA levels have joined us, graduates and year out students have assisted in the making.
This is an invitation to share this experience. The maximum number we can accommodate is 12 participants and is open to all spatial designers and makers of various levels. The more varied the backgrounds the more possibility exists to consider varying scales of ‘project’ and cross-pollination of ideas and experiences.
It is a slow space by nature. It is rural. It was a farmstead. A small house, a barn for animals, another to store animal feed, a cellar, sauna and outhouse. These have in some cases stayed to there former uses, others are shifting towards new; single or multiple uses. Vacated of inhabitants over the years for more complex reasons than just political or economic. It is empty of human intervention most of the year, although looked after by good neighbours. During these no less inhabited months, flora and fauna live there free of charge. Memories wander within those ‘empty’ durations to foster next projects, whether achieved or not, in some cases it is just on the inspiration of those who have heard of it or been there that it whispers about itself.
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| 'the chess match', 2011, Rob Nice and Sofia Anastasiou |
This is an invitation to share this experience. The maximum number we can accommodate is 12 participants and is open to all spatial designers and makers of various levels. The more varied the backgrounds the more possibility exists to consider varying scales of ‘project’ and cross-pollination of ideas and experiences.
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| '2 benches', 2012, Max Thomson, Chris Humphreys + |
Once the group is established, we consider the extent of the project or projects by number and ambition, use and/or whimsy. The place allows the identification and design of various use-full making and building works; a bridge, a boat, an eating space for 12 people (sheltered or not=flexible), cutting a crop circle maze, digging a trench, building a wall, making a suitable clay from found red clay mixes and building a kiln, designing and building bird houses, cooking a three course meal for breakfast for those who stayed up late discussing the next days events, sort and consider the on-site materials (both found and re-claimed (metals/timber/stones/firewood) in considered piles and sites, building a greenhouse from the remains of the barn for animal feed etc.