Sculpture can play a critical role in defining the physical, emotional, and even financial appeal of a place.
But what is place exactly, and what makes it succeed or fail?
Especially for larger property developments, place will involve multiple elements working collectively and individually. If poorly planned or designed, they can also clash.
These elements can extend into a full-scale precinct and might include significant architectural components, residential, commercial and retail space, art installations, and open areas for leisure, events, and even sports.
People are the common attribute
The one unifying and common attribute successful places have is their attractiveness to people. And the larger the development or project, the more critical an understanding of place becomes.
Large-scale developments have to deal with complex interactions and sensitivities. Depending on location, these can range from historical, cultural, ethnic, or indigenous issues to zoning and town planning compliance, and beyond to business and commercial applications.
I recommend the use of place consultants for these larger projects. Place consultants are experts trained in interpreting and advising on physical, legal, and planning scenarios. They also research, measure, and report on metrics such as site and location suitability, foot and vehicle traffic counts and predictions, business and vacancy audits, behaviour mapping, and public transport impacts.
Through these metrics, the better place consultants can build profiles of a site’s potential to attract and retain the kind of traffic the developer is looking for.
Involve place consultants early
Involving place consultants early in a major development can sometime make the difference between the project proceeding, facing significant alterations, or even being abandoned.
When I have worked with place consultants, I have been able to add value to the project by an early involvement in the planning process. This brings together more collaborative thinking and a broader and deeper spread of ideas. Typically, the sculptural solutions that arise are better informed because the place consultant mines opinions from all stakeholders.
This is particularly valuable where developments tightly intermesh residential, educational, commercial, and leisure options while ensuring environmental concerns were addressed.
Are you a developer who uses place consultants to gain maximum value from your medium to large property project? Before you commit to a brief, call Todd Stuart on +61 4 5151 8865, or visit mainartery.art to learn about the benefits of involving a sculptor early in the process.
You might also look at other useful links: sculpture as investment, and How to choose the right sculptor to bring your vision to life.
