Last Days

I am currently on a small project shooting for architecture firm, Scabal who are putting together a video as a proposal for funding. It is about the late David Medd who was an architect who designed primary schools. I only heard today that he had passed away last week Tuesday and came as a bit of a surprise despite that he was 91, because I only saw him 5 days prior to that.

David Medd designed primary schools with the philosophy regarding teaching practices and social progress. More on this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/apr/14/david-medd-obituary-architecture-school-buildings

For the shoot, we have been out twice to primary schools that David and his late wife Mary Crowley designed in post war Britain to shoot him talk with the current head teachers there and a contemporary architect about the changes made to the original school. The first time he turned up hours late due to someone elses fault. We were a little worried as we couldn't get hold of him. The second time he had left the premises with his radio mic still attached to him, which was actually, our fault.

At 91, David was still fierce about his ideas regarding primary school design and i respected this will to still express his opinion and make the trip to the school at his age. I didn't know him but I wanted to be an architect when i was younger and I agree with the type of beliefs David argued for as they were in line will philosophies that should be part and parcel of architecure. I am thankful that we shot as much as we did as it's probably the last audio visual document of David.

David Leslie Medd, architect, born 5 November 1917; died 7 April 2009.

- J