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Jun 2007 - Katriona Bushell - Honours Graduate Has Designs on Town Hall |
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Honours Graduate has Designs on Town Hall By Greg Burns Beaconsfield Advertiser Thursday 21st June 2007 Beaconsfield Town Hall is often regarded as the centrepiece of the town – where many key decisions are made by the council, it plays host to the local police and where many weddings are held each year. But one town resident has used the building, in Penn Road, as the inspiration for her final university degree showpiece and has redesigned it in a contemporary style. Kati Bushell, 41, of Holtspur, recently completed a BA Hons Spatial Design (Interior Design) course as a mature student at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, in High Wycombe, where4 her designs were recently showcased as part of a student exhibition. She said “For a town of the size and affluence of Beaconsfield it is sad that the Town Hall looks so outdated; it is in need of livening up. I did a survey in the town and emailed lots of friends asking what their opinions were of the Town Hall, how they use it and what they would like to see done with it, and I called the project ‘A Clearing in the Beeches’ because that is what the name Beaconsfield actually means. “I also spent an afternoon on the Council Green watching the weddings take place and I saw so many limousines pull into the entrance, because of the lack of space, the bride had to squeeze out of the car beside a hedge.” To avoid this problem the design would see an entrance and exit path as opposed to a single entrance and exit route currently the only access to the hall. The interior would be completely modernised, including the staircase, with a glass extension, fully retractable windows for full ventilation and a grass roof. Covering the extension are enlarged beech twigs which wrap around the glazed extension casting dramatic shadows over the interior space and providing a shelter between neighbouring Waitrose. Mrs Bushell said: “Before I began my degree, I had my own small business making curtains. Some of my clients would ask me to do some extra designing for them, but I didn’t feel as though I was qualified to do that, so I went to do this course. “We have had really good feedback from the preview evening and had a lot of really nice comments, but I am aware that it would be extremely unlikely for the design to ever be put into practise, but it will be interesting to know what people think.” Beaconsfield Town Council (BTC) member Deborah Sanders became aware of the plans when she was presented with one of the questionnaires and instantly loved the designs, she said; “This is an extravagant dream, but if we don’t have dreams and visions we will not get anywhere. I loved her use of the old and new and the better use of spaces because that is what the Town Hall needs. “What it is also highlighting is just how little has been put into maintaining a good quality of our civic spaces, and within Beaconsfield we have such good quality housing and it is a real shame to see our civic facilities so far behind. “I hope that it will provide a greater interest in all of our civil facilities although it is clear that there is no finance for the project like this and what we would need are a few rich patrons to back it up.” Beaconsfield Town Hall was built in 1919 on the corner of Station Road and Burkes Road, the building was replaced with the current structure in 1936 due to the speed of development in the new town; it has remained unchanged. • What do you think? Call Greg Burns on 01753-888333, or email gregburns@trinitysouth.co.uk or leave a comment on www.buckinghamshireadvertiser.co.uk
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