Design Yearbook 2017

Studio 7 – Potteries Thinkbelt
Matthew Margetts & Cara Lund
Continuing an interest in infrastructure as background processes and systems this year we have revisited Cedric Price’s ‘Potteries Think Belt’
– 50 years after its conception. We used the ‘Potteries Think Belt’ plan as a ‘treasure map’ to navigate the delights of contemporary Stokeon-Trent.
The studio was one of three ‘vertical’ studios pioneered this year – taught jointly between Stages 3 and 6, and began with the group exercise
of building a ‘Stoke-o-Matic’ dynamic mapping model. The model was used to explore systematic relationships between transport, education,
environment and identity with enjoyably unpredictable results.
Stage 6 students were given much more latitude and typically chose to focus on more societal infrastructures such as education, retail and
third sector networks.
Linked with Stage 3 (see pg.52)
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Jessica Wilkie The Learning Precinct