BDP 2020 The Big Conversation

The Big Conversation

January 2020

Featuring articles about Cities in Culture, Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Invention, Singapore: Hot Spot, On the Rise, Cutting Carbon Comfortably, The Workplace Ecosystem, Beautiful and Brutal and more

Warming stripes depicting the rise in global temperature from 1850â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2018 #showyourstripes

PROGRESSIVE CITIES

Welcome to the Big Conversation 2020. Its theme is climate change, in recognition of the emergency declared in 2019. Thanks to Greta Thunberg and fellow activists it was the year which marked a shift towards popular awareness of the impact of global warming and a genuine desire to do something about it. Every BDP studio played a part in the global strike day on 27 September, taking time out to exchange ideas about how we can make a positive contribution to our shared environment. Judging the AJ Architecture Awards last year gave me a unique perspective on this shift in attitude. Co-judges Duncan Baker-Brown, the architect and academic behind Europe’s first public building “made from material others throw away”, and Clara Bagenal George, an engineer and driving force behind the London Energy Transformation Initiative, were willing to challenge the choices made by the designers and clients of the shortlisted projects through the lens of climate change. It’s clear that the solution needs more than progressive designers and clients working on single buildings; it requires bottom-up and top-down thinking. Only governments with a genuine thirst for action and incentivised market economies can deliver the change we need. Architects, engineers, designers and urbanists can be activists promoting awareness about the impact of the design decisions we make. As most of us will continue to live in cities, our approach to their design will have maximum impact on the environmental emergency. Our campaign for Progressive Cities recognises that cities and towns are made of interconnected and interdependent systems. Bolstering cycling, walking and public transport, providing access to green spaces, designing more energy

efficient buildings, retrofitting old structures and investing in renewable power are just some of the things that we can promote to make huge reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and improve quality of life. It makes commercial sense too. As Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England pointed out, only the companies and industries that adopt zero carbon thinking will prosper and grow. In 2019 BDP emerged as a truly international practice with the opportunity to help realise sustainable communities across the world. With this special responsibility in mind, the 2020 issue of The Big Conversation reflects on a year in practice, reminding us how our work in the built environment can make an important contribution towards tackling climate change. This year Vicky Richardson, writer and curator and previously Director of Architecture, Design and Fashion at the British Council, draws on her experience organising global exhibitions and events to give a fresh perspective on international collaboration. This is complemented by thought pieces and case studies on city-wide carbon strategies, human scale urban communities, reusing and recycling existing structures, specialist building typologies, zero carbon buildings and the diverse work of our city studios. Once again thank you to everyone for making 2019 such a creative and rewarding year. Let’s keep talking and make 2020 even better. Chris Harding Chair

CONTENTS 4

In Search of Solidarity by Vicky Richardson

A Zero Carbon Future for Manchester by Gavin Elliott

On the Rise by Richard Witt

A Human Perspective by Lorene Casiez & Caroline Robbie

Quadrangle, Catalysts of Change by Les Klein

Cities in Culture: Are We Atomised? by Fiona Sibley

Reading a City by Michael Mullen

A Different Kind of Care by Ged Couser

Beautiful and Brutal by Charles Quick & John Booth

Nature's Invention by John Roycroft

Let the Building Sing by Il'ìč Testoni

The Workplace Ecosystem by Mark Simpson

University Challenge by Christoph Ackermann

Early Makers by Beth Bourrelly

Singapore: Hot Spot by Andrew Loke

Weathering the Storm by Bjรถrn Bleumink

Housing, Health and Happiness by Stephen Marshall & Parisa Kanabar

A Sense of Space and Tranquility by Mehron Kirk & Fiona Sibley

Cutting Carbon Comfortably by James Hepburn

The Master Builder by Paul Owen

Lighting up Lives by Lee Painter

New Delhi Big City, Small Ask by Manisha Bhartia

BDP Lab by Steve Merridew

Diversifying Learning by Chris Jones & Robyn Poulson

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GGB Awards

Highlights of the Year

Chief Executive's Review of the Year

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IN SEARCH OF SOLIDARITY Writer, curator, lecturer and former Director of Architecture, Design and Fashion at the British Council celebrates the centenary of Tatlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tower and argues for new forms of internationalism

Vicky Richardson

The Big Conversation

In Search of Solidarity

[Above] OSPAAAL quickly produced posters to express solidarity [Left] Tatlin’s Tower, a rallying cry for modernity and internationalism

One hundred years ago Russian architect Vladimir Tatlin unveiled a remarkable project that became a rallying cry for modernity and internationalism. Despite being utterly impractical (it is said that the quantity of steel required would have bankrupted the Soviet Union), the Monument to the Third International pushed design, construction and technology to their absolute limits. Had it been constructed, this spiraling helix of steel, iron and glass, would have been a direct challenge to the ‘capitalist’ Eiffel Tower, dwarfing it by a third. Apart from providing offices to the Commintern and monumentalising the 1917 revolution, the tower was designed as a symbolic and practical communication device, incorporating rotating spaces for public events, broadcasts on a giant screen and a projector that would cast images and messages on clouds. Working in international cultural relations over the past decade has convinced me that universalism and internationalism are still vital principles in architecture and design, even though cultural and political divides are often replicated uncritically within the profession. The current concern about climate crisis is a case in point. While solutions and responses in the west are limited to ‘degrowth’ solutions, in East Asia responses are being tested on a far more ambitious scale. Unfortunately there is little dialogue between professionals and policy-makers that might underpin cooperation. The gap between the potential and reality of international collaboration is particularly stark in our relations with China, where attitudes from British practices veer from commercial opportunism to prejudice. Many view Chinese designers at best as copyists, and at worst complicit in authoritarianism and environmentally rapacious.

Over the past year I’ve been working with Beijingbased Lantao Design Academy to set up a fellowship to create cultural and professional links between Chinese and British designers. It has been heartening and refreshing to meet with talented and critical Chinese designers who have a positive and ambitious view of the way that design can shape the world. In The Big Conversation 2019 Catherine Slessor argued that the key issue of our time is ‘place’. She called for architecture to be locally based and embedded within a sense of tradition that is intrinsically linked to community and identity, against ‘notopia’ where difference and particularism is eroded. While no one could disagree with the importance of reconnecting people with cities, her argument does leave me wondering about the place of internationalism and universalism. The idea that globalisation inevitably leads to ‘notopia’ is widespread and continues the critique of Modernism that dates to the 1970s. While internationalism emerged from a sense that human beings had universal qualities, today’s interpretation of internationalism is based on the celebration of difference – a very different concept to that of Immanuel Kant who used the term cosmopolitanism in 1784 to mean that human beings, regardless of race and by virtue of their rationality, are equal members of a ‘universal kingdom’. A recent exhibition at the House of Illustration in King’s Cross explored design and internationalism and reminded me of the power of universalism. Designed in Cuba: Cold War Graphics presented posters produced by OSPAAAL, the Organisation of Solidarity of the People of Asia, Africa and Latin America, founded in Havana in 1966. When a liberation struggle occurred overseas, OSPAAAL designers would leap into action to produce

8 a poster expressing solidarity: four days for design, four days for production (offset or silk screen printing) and two days to ship the poster to its location by smuggling bundles onto planes. OSPAAAL posters drew on images that had meaning to the destination country, in respect of national democratic rights, and gave hope through the sense of a shared interest. Today, the widening economic and cultural gap between the West and East Asia should provide a new impetus for international solidarity. China’s ambitious ideas about urban development are precisely what the profession needs right now. Austin Williams’ book China’s Urban Revolution outlines some of the ways China is soaring ahead of the west in its response to climate change: it is already the largest provider of wind and solar energy but is also exploring areas such as biogas while experimenting on a large scale with resource efficiency and land management in the context of plans to massively expand the amount of energy it produces. Many cities have strict targets to C02 emissions, while ideas such as ‘urban sponges’ – sustainable urban drainage systems – are being rolled out in dozens of cities at a huge scale. The government is trying to shift the focus from the outward appearance of buildings to improve the quality of construction and has set a goal for 30% of buildings to be pre-fabricated by 2025. British-Chinese practice WallaceLiu recently completed an impressive project in Chongqing – the conversion of a steelworks into a major new museum about the history of industry. Jamie Wallace and Jee Liu met in the UK, but chose to establish their studio in China where they could take advantage of opportunities that rarely exist for young practices in the UK. Now back in the UK, the pair have a nuanced understanding of the potential for joint working. According to Jee Liu “China is a test ground for design ideas and beliefs, with a forwardlooking attitude towards experimentation. On the other hand, the UK makes us appreciate the importance of intellectual discussion and criticism in architecture.”

WallaceLiu's Chongqing Industrial Museum /Etienne Clement

Cultural exchange; architecture students at Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University in Suzhou designed by BDP

Against the backdrop of change, UK practices need to reconsider their motivation and approach to working internationally. While the old model for working overseas identified a foreign country as little more than a potential market for growth, the new opportunities are in collaboration and joint research. Internationalism needs to be reclaimed and reinvented as progressive territory both for the development of architectural ideas, and as a way of reposing the historic role of architecture in transforming society. As Jee Liu comments ”A sense of union is what I see missing in the current architectural world, the essential common effort for creating a big step forward, like the early modern movement in design.” BDP’s union with Nippon Koei, Japan’s largest civil engineering firm, has given the practice a fresh perspective on international collaboration. The companies share socially progressive values and a commitment to placemaking and building infrastructure. Chris Harding comments that internationalisation has given BDP a new perspective on cultural exchange. “We value conversations with overseas architects and engineers to get their input early on. An open work style fosters a refreshing directness to focus on the things that really matter – such as the scale of our climate crisis, which is too big for any one country to deal with alone and benefits from cross-fertilised thinking. It requires an international response, one that brings politicians, architects, engineers and designers together, using the best ideas in a local and bespoke context. In this sense we can celebrate the differences that internationalism offers while coming together in greater solidarity.”

The Big Conversation

In Search of Solidarity

[Above] Yangzhou Ecological and Technological New City Masterplan: a new city promoting agriculture, tourism, and eco-business [Below] Wanhua HQ Research and Development Campus, Yantai, Cishan, China

OUR ZERO CARBON FUTURE

image /Joel Prett

Gavin Elliott, architect and chair of Manchester studio shares his insight as he steps down as Chair of the Manchester Climate Change Partnership after six years

As a teenager I used to love thumbing through my father’s copy of the Whole Earth Catalog that he’d brought back from the USA on one of his visits to scientific conferences. At university I was in thrall to the thinking of Buckminster Fuller. As a novice architect during my early years at BDP, working under the guidance of former Chair Tony McGuirk who was steeped in the work of Scandinavian architects, and Ralph Erskine in particular, it was clear to me that while architects have incredible power to shape the man-made environment, they also have a duty of care towards the natural world, in all its facets. I have never been a campaigner, activist, or even a designer who prioritised sustainability above business pragmatism. So no one was more surprised than me when, back in 2013, following the death of my father, I was elected Chair of Manchester: A Certain Future, the city’s stakeholder forum for action on climate change. I write this piece as the outgoing Chair of the newly rebranded Manchester Climate Change Partnership; infinitely better informed and keen to share what I have learned in the previous six years.

The Big Conversation

A Zero Carbon Future for Manchester

Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Zero Carbon Commitments

This graph illustrates Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current carbon reduction profile and the action needed to become zero carbon by 2050.

Key Historical performance Trajectory to zero carbon in 2050 Business as usual Science based target trajectory

Immediate Term

Medium Term

Long Term

3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000

EMISSIONS OVER TARGET

500,000

Historic Emissions

tCO2 2009 Year

2015

Total Budget (2018-2100) tCO2 15,187,610

Permissible Emissions 2017

2020

2022

Immediate Term (2018-2022) tCO2 6,928,620

2025

2027

2030

Medium Term (2023-2027) tCO2 3,593,560

2035

2038 2040

Long Term (2028-2037) tCO2 3,046,920

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2050

10 lessons 01 BELIEVE IN THE SCIENCE

Scientists are the good guys! They are seekers after truth. When internationally renowned climate scientists, such as Kevin Anderson at the University of Manchester’s Tyndall Centre speak, you should listen. MCCP has worked closely with the Tyndall Centre to calculate a set of local targets from the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement which align city-level action with limiting global warming to 1.5ºC. Under the Tyndall Centre’s guidance we have set a carbon budget for Manchester, i.e. the total amount of carbon the city can/should emit for the foreseeable future, in order to stay within the temperature limits set in the Paris Agreement. Put simply, if we fail to meet these emission targets we will not be able to restrict the rise in global temperatures within the parameters set at COP21 – with catastrophic results.

02 CLIMATE CHANGE IS HAPPENING

It is easy (albeit not rational) to dismiss climate scientists as apocalyptic doom-mongers. However, all evidence shows otherwise. Climate change is happening as a result of manmade greenhouse gas emissions; eight of the hottest years on record have occurred in the last decade, sea levels are rising and extreme weather events around the world are increasing - all predicted by the scientists. In every corner of the globe, from Athens to the Arctic Circle, the planet has literally been on fire in the last 12 months, including the moorland surrounding Manchester in February 2019.

03 THE ACTIVISTS ARE RIGHT

It is equally easy to dismiss the activist community as people who are naturally anti-establishment, who have other motives for wanting to disrupt business and have adopted climate change as a convenient cause with which to fight a proxy war against neo-liberalism. This may indeed be true of a minority, but fundamentally, the narrative of Greta Thunberg, Extinction Rebellion et al – is perfectly aligned with the science. This is a climate emergency. Their advocacy and disruption is necessary to bring the scientific truths to the mainstream and we all owe them a huge debt of gratitude for doing so.

04 POLITICIANS ARE HUGELY CONFLICTED BUT WE NEED THEM

Having dipped my toe into murky waters of politics as Chair of MCCP, I can honestly say I do not envy politicians their jobs! Balancing the conflicting issues competing for their attention and arriving at policy proposals that are forward-looking and equitable across a vast spectrum of social and environmental problems is incredibly difficult...and that’s without the distorting prism of party political ideology and added pressures of democratic accountability Without national and regional policy devising legislation and directing resources, it is difficult to see how the problem of climate change can be solved, yet for many politicians, it is just another issue competing with so many others on their lengthy agenda. Furthermore, when they do speak or act, what we hear or see is mediated by our own political prejudices and willingness to listen, our own knowledge and ability to see through their rhetoric and, where appropriate, our preparedness to hold them to account and demand they do better.

05 THE SCALE OF THE CHALLENGE IS UNPRECEDENTED

Manchester has committed to be zero carbon by 2038, 12 years in advance of the National Target of 2050, so to accelerate our rate of progress we must: • Limit the amount of carbon we emit during 2018-2100 to 15 million tonnes; given we currently emit 2m tonnes every year that means we’re on track to ‘spend’ all of our budget by 2025. • Reduce our CO2 emissions by at least 13% every year, or 50% over the next five years. In 2018 we managed a 5% reduction, a step in the right direction but still way off the pace. • Shift to 100% renewable energy from a combination of a locally produced energy and a fully decarbonised National Grid. Today only 1% of Manchester’s electricity comes from locally generated renewable sources. • Retrofit our 210,000 homes to significantly improve their energy efficiency and generate on-site renewable energy. That’s an average of 30 homes every single day for the next 19 years.

The Big Conversation

A Zero Carbon Future for Manchester

from Manchester 06 THE CLOCK IS TICKING

09 INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS COUNT

Whilst Manchester has committed to being zero carbon by 2038 the pathway to achieve this requires an 83% reduction in its emissions over the next decade, with its emissions reduction profile flattening out thereafter. This equates to a 13.5% reduction in its emissions year on year, for the next ten years. And for every year we don’t meet that target, the percentage goes up. So the narrative of the climate emergency and the urgency to act now is not a fantasy of the activist community. It is scientific fact.

Although the scale of the global challenge is huge, individual actions can have an immediate impact in reducing our own personal carbon footprint. Examples of simple actions are captured on the Manchester Climate website and include improving your education regarding climate change and measuring your own CO2, eating less meat, leaving your car at home, flying less, buying less, reusing, and recycling, using renewable energy whenever possible, reducing energy consumption at home, cultivating green spaces and minimising personal water consumption.

07 PARTNERSHIPS MATTER

10 ACTION IS LIBERATING

The Manchester Climate Change Partnership is exactly that; a partnership between the public sector, the private sector and the community, who have come together voluntarily because they recognise that the issue of climate change is too great for any one party to solve. Top-down policy making from central, regional or local government is a key component to help create incentives, level playing fields for action and unblock barriers that organisations and individuals need. But without support from major civic institutions, the private sector and the community it will not succeed. Creating a decarbonised future will affect everyone and requires our full participation and consent.

08 WHAT WE DO AS A BUSINESS MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Buildings, transportation and energy generation are all massive contributors to a city’s emissions profile. From the planning of national and regional transportation networks, to masterplanning cities and neighbourhoods, through to the design of individual buildings and the development of architectural design and engineering solutions, as designers of the built environment, our projects have the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions. As a business of considerable scale, our collective behaviour offers the potential to show real leadership in the corporate world, while simultaneously (and beneficially) reducing our own carbon footprint.

It’s easy to become pessimistic about the future but that isn’t an excuse to bury our heads in the sand and do nothing. On the contrary, it is a reason to act, and to act now. Throughout all facets of our lives, we have the opportunity to inspire our families and communities, and within our projects and professional lives. Become an influencer, an advocate within your community, voice an opinion, as Greta Thunberg has shown, opinions matter. As thinking around climate change moves from being the preserve of the scientist and activist and into the mainstream, as urbanists, architects, engineers, designers, and creative problem solvers this is our chance to rise to the challenge of shaping the new low carbon world of the future.

ON THE RISE Richard Witt

The Big Conversation

On the Rise

Creating vertical communities; the future of high density urban living in Toronto

The development pattern of cities in North America is changing. The aspiration from our client was that this tower “be Traditional downtown cores are no longer emptying out at like no other tower.” While that’s possible in Vaughan - which rush hour as workers drive home to surrounding bedroom has fewer than ten towers, most of which are similar in aesthetic communities; polycentric cities connected by multiple transit - we engaged in a study of tall building typology to understand modes are the new norm. In the Greater Toronto Area, nowhere what has not been done, and what would be possible in this is this more evident than in the northern municipality of Vaughan. context. We determined to base our landmark building design Previously a collection of small villages, Vaughan became a around the nature of vertical living and see where that led us. single city filled with cookie-cutter subdivisions for commuters. The idea of living 40 or 50 storeys above the ground Now it is just as quickly intensifying into a bustling urban raises interesting questions around the nature of home and centre. Vaughan is the destination for the first Toronto transit how that relates to our generally vernacular concept of what subway stop outside the city of Toronto proper, so seized the home is. Being mindful of that, we broke up the monolithic opportunity to reinvent itself with the high-density, 432-acre form of the tower into a series of smaller scale elements Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. Our client, Cortel Group, was the which step deferentially away from the park and establish an first to take advantage of the unusual building profile. This new planning framework with form also improves pedestrian two 40-storey towers which level wind comfort, mitigating seemed gigantic for the area the downdraught effect, as air when completed in 2017, but striking the tower is not able are now set to be surrounded to accelerate while travelling by scores of similarly tall towers down a monolithic form. and further dwarfed by the Brick was chosen as fifth in their development: CG the primary façade material to Tower, standing 60 storeys tall make the connection between at 194.5m. home and high-rise, an especially We know that the world important consideration given is growing warmer. Sustainable the context of primarily low-rise, [Above] Massing studies [Left] The CG Tower steps away from the park creating smaller scale elements and a sense of home building design is composed of single family homes in Vaughan. active and passive responses, We believed that brick = home and while many active systems are more visually legible, they in the subconscious of many residents and we wanted to contribute significantly less to the building’s performance. transpose that familiar comfort. Brick has the added advantage Sustainable design isn’t about strapping windmills on roofs - of aiding multi-faceted perceptions of the building – from the the heavy lifting is done by the passive systems, and the primary distant warm hued profile on the skyline to the fine-grained factor in a tower is the building envelope. For this reason, we knew textured clay surface and modular composition. it would be imperative for CG Tower to have a high wall:window High-rise living is increasing as available land is ratio, a building skin with real insulation. Although there are developed with ever-expanding density. Although popular spandrel systems that fit within glazed window systems, they in Asia for some time, these established typologies don’t aren’t high in insulation value and we wanted to move beyond transpose well into our cultural norms, so we are evolving the obvious cheap and cheerful glass tower model. CG Tower housing at height which is rooted in western culture. How that is our response to climate change concerns centred around will progress remains to be seen, but we do know that it will a quality building envelope, using passive systems which take need to respond to sustainable design through all three lenses advantage of transit-oriented compact urban form. of sustainability; ecological, social and economic.

A-Z Tower Study; Initial building typology studies involved a rigorous experiment with form orientation, terraces and breaking down/subdivision of volumes

The Big Conversation

On the Rise

A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE

The Big Conversation

Lorene Casiez and Caroline Robbie view design through the lens of inclusion

A Human Perspective

in the UK living with a reported disability we, as designers, must quickly become familiar and comfortable with disability. Often people think accessible design is about developing spaces for people using mobility devices. Though this is part of the dialogue, there is so much more that affects an individual’s ability to use space, including vision, hearing, strength and stamina, size and stature, dexterity and the experiential effects of neurodiversity. In recent years wellness and resilience have entered the design lexicon and while there is value in understanding how our work can shape and affect our personal health and wellbeing, we need to be aware that these elements are more than mere buzzwords and viewing them through the lens of inclusion is vital to creating holistic and healthy built environments. Canadians spend 90% of their time indoors. Ask yourself – will you still be able to use today’s spaces in years to come? Accessibility, wellness, and resilience are interconnected because they are human-centered, and we applaud bold, innovative design that

Artscape Daniels Launchpad: A human-centric incubator for creative entrepreneurs

Jewellery designer Patrick Missodey working at the fully accessible Artscape Daniels Launchpad

Patrick Missodey is a jewellery designer based in Toronto who, some may think, faces several formidable barriers. A former soccer star and new Canadian who moved from Tobo, Africa in 2010, Patrick uses a mobility scooter or a cane to move around due to a spinal cord injury. A creative designer, he struggles with the starving artist cliché and was looking for a studio that supported not only his creative practice but one that was also accessible. Design involves many factors: available budget, appropriate materiality, brand, and construction timeline. What we create can either support or be an obstruction to function. We put accessibility and inclusion, resilience, wellness, and experiential design into that elemental toolkit every time we create a new place. Our Human Space team specialises in how to integrate these important considerations. When we approach the design of a space we think of Patrick, or people with disabilities who are too often left to navigate a built environment that doesn’t work for everyone. A strong area of expertise for Human Space is accessibility, and with 22% of Canadians and similar numbers

seamlessly marries these concepts. Considering one without the others creates friction. For example, while feature stairs are great for increasing physical activity, they should not hide elevators or make them difficult to access. Designing better is about doing better and doing better thinks about designing for everyone - of all abilities. Patrick makes his jewellery at Artscape Daniels Launchpad, a socially sustainable project that integrates all aspects of wellness, accessibility, resilience, and experience. The design mandate was to foster a strong creative community and by using human-centric design principles, the needs, wants and, most importantly, the experience of its members are at the heart of the design. From the ease of movement within the space to the emotive qualities of a dramatic wallcovering or a salvaged wood gymnasium floor, Launchpad succeeds because the design considers the full gamut of human experience and connection. We have a collective opportunity to explore the possibilities for inclusive design that puts the human experience first when we move to our new Toronto studio in The Well in 2022. We look forward to welcoming everyone!

[1]

[2]

[1]

100 Broadway Avenue, Toronto; retrofitted for full accessibility from street level to the basement and ground floor.

[2]

Artscape Daniels Launchpad, Toronto; daylit workspaces with the city view as backdrop.

[3]

Artscape Daniels Launchpad, Toronto; meeting spaces made from recycled materials.

The Big Conversation

A Human Perspective

[3]

Les Klein

CATALYSTS OF CHANGE

Quadrangle team 1980

Growing a socially progressive design studio rooted in the city and its people

The Big Conversation When my late business partner Brian Curtner and I moved the 25 staff of newly formed Quadrangle Architects to downtown Toronto in an area rife with abandoned warehouses, no one could have imagined the transformation that King Street West - and our practice - would undergo. This vibrant mixeduse community, an epicentre of the city’s building boom, will shortly be the location of The Well, one of the region’s largest and most innovative work-live-shop complexes - and soon to be home to Quadrangle’s 225 staff, 35 years later. This former industrial hub had become a haven and urban club land for bohemians and artists before attracting designers and other creatives as urban intensification progressed apace. Quadrangle was at the heart of the drive to create new walkable communities, engaging with housing cooperatives and non-profits to provide high quality affordable homes, leading the way from the beginning of the downtown condominium boom in the late 1990s. We have since completed more than 25,000 housing units, including mid-rise and highrise projects, with the same number currently in design. Over a dozen high density developments ranging from 14 to 90 storeys are in the live-work-play district of King-Spadina alone, and we are creating new communities in the surrounding suburbs, most recently Downtown Markham. Nearby, with eight towers ranging from 35 to 60 storeys, we are playing a key role in the development of the emerging Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. Every successful city has a housing crisis, and Toronto is no exception. At the heart of the density explosion sits the wider question; as over 100,000 people a year continue to be attracted to the city’s spirited economic, social, cultural and recreational opportunities, how can this modern city become bigger, busier and denser and still be a desirable place to live? Quadrangle was an early advocate for the adaptive creative reuse of older structures and among the first architects to convert warehouses into residential lofts, such as The Candy Factory in the late 1990s, which paved the way for the redevelopment of West Queen West. The transformation of

Catalysts of Change

Downtown Toronto 1980s; just before the condominium boom / City of Toronto Archives

a soap factory office building into the iconic BMW showroom at the foot of the Don Valley Parkway continued this trend. But perhaps the most audacious example of enlightened thinking was in advocating for the preservation of the Gardiner Expressway, a raised highway and favorite target for demolition that runs between the harbourfront and downtown. Quadrangle argued for retaining the structure and covering it with the Green Ribbon, a 7km long, 80 acre park, an idea as yet unrealised but very much still in the public eye. The practice continued to contribute to the shaping of Toronto, including in Liberty Village, a new community west of downtown on the site of a vast appliance manufacturing plant where we located our office almost ten years ago. Most recently, 80 Atlantic is attracting international attention as the first mass timber office building to be built in Ontario in 100 years, pioneering innovation by offering the ‘brick and beam’ aesthetic with all of the amenities of a Class A office structure.

Duke Condos; a diverse mix of uses in the heart of Toronto's Junction neighbourhood

24 Gardiner Expressway Green Ribbon: a compelling vision to connect the city with nature and the waterfront

The Big Conversation

Catalysts of Change

Our unique approach to streetfront, storefront, community-based television facilities for Citytv and CHUM Television transformed a moribund section of Queen Street, west of the financial district, into a vibrant retail and entertainment hub, while the consolidation of Corus Entertainment’s 11 locations into one new state-of-the-art broadcast facility gave a critical push to the redevelopment of Queen’s Quay East on the city’s waterfront. Similarly new retail concepts have fuelled the rapid growth and redevelopment of streets and transportation networks, starting with the first GAP store at the corner of Bay and Bloor Streets in the late 1990s and continuing with the design of 20 ONroute Highway Service Centres along the major highways in southern Ontario. Most recently the new Samsung store in the Eaton Centre has won awards for its unique retail experience. Work in seniors housing in the early years and the development of the concept of ‘easy living features’ to allow ageing in place led to the founding of a world-class accessibility consultancy, Human Space. Recognized as a leader in the field, Human Space has consulted on sporting venues for the Pan Am Games held in Toronto in 2015 and produced numerous reports and studies for governments, institutions and corporations. Underpinning every project is sustainability. Quadrangle was the first Canadian firm to be presented with a World Habitat Award by the United Nations for Tatry and Pathway Non-Profit Housing, an innovative low-energy housing development, and we continue to advocate for building green, led by our Green Team. Challenged by our visionary clients and supported by a creative and dynamic team strengthened by our recent union with BDP, we continue to act as an instigator of change, making a positive impact on the city and region which we are proud and happy to call home.

Hello from the other side - Quadrangle joins BDP in 2019

26 Originally built in 1898 as a wine warehouse, 60 Atlantic has been repurposed as a three storey commercial building and urban catalyst for city growth.

100.56

LIBERTY STREET

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89.25 87.77

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East Elevation 1:100 0 .5 1

2.5m

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ATLANTIC AVENUE

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89.25 87.77

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North Elevation

1:100 0 .5 1

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The Big Conversation

Catalysts of Change

28 The Well extends the city core with new routes and spaces. This vibrant mixed-use community will become BDP/Quadrangle's new home in 2022.

The Big Conversation

Catalysts of Change

CITIES IN CULTURE 30

Are We Atomised? Urbanist and planner Fiona Sibley uses Bret Easton Ellisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; evocative novel, Less Than Zero as a warning against alienation in a hyperconnected digital world

The Big Conversation

Cities in Culture

The panel debate in BDP’s London studio, L-R: Tim Abrahams, Chris Wilkinson, Fiona Sibley, Vicky Richardson, Karim Samuels

Are cities making our lives increasingly atomised? Loneliness is one of our biggest fears, yet our modern habits – glued to technology and rushing from place to place, slowed down only by interminable traffic – seem to be pushing us closer to the brink of social isolation. A lot of this is down to the devices we carry in our pockets, but are our cities also to blame? July saw BDP host a debate on the topic of Cities in Culture, a colourful evening that aimed to select the best portrayal of a city by a book or work of art. I chose a novel from 1985 set in Los Angeles, which follows 19 year-old Clay and his privileged friends as they roll through a repetitive landscape of malls, freeways, movie mansions and poolsides, totally atomised from life and spiralling towards depravity and horror. The LA depicted is wealthy, drug-addicted and featureless - the archetypal sprawl. Ellis delights in giving us meticulous descriptions of non-places, the disorienting effect of being in constant transition, the passive inertia of driving, the feeling of being somewhere and nowhere at the same time. The nihilism of the prose is mesmerising, letting us savour every stop sign and red light, all unfolding in a toneless monologue. The constant churn of settings perpetuates his characters’ sense of disassociation and they seem wholly desensitised by their attention deficits. It’s hard not to conclude that part of the problem here is the city, as well as its inhabitants; that this version of 20th century urbanism, which crossed some sort of line in LA, is stimulating this crisis of dispossession. The unsettling feeling that arises from LA’s culture, both its physical and social fabric, breeds the book’s sense of moral crisis, where human relationships have all but lost their currency. Ellis offers a biting satire of an amoral teen world, but it’s indistinguishable from the environment that fosters it. The novel is a brilliant throwback to the Eighties – landlines, jacuzzis and the Human League. But what struck me on a recent rereading of the novel is that you could easily substitute those uneasy feelings about a sprawling metropolis for the emerging afflictions of our digital realm. The LA in Less than Zero is the physical prototype of what’s going on in our digital lives, where we are all hyper-connected, materially spoiled, infinitely distracted, yet increasingly atomised and alone. Reading the book feels like the pre-internet equivalent of scrolling through Twitter. In that sense, it’s still a cautionary tale for our times.

For us urbanists, the book underlines the importance of the values we strive to embed in our contemporary urban interventions – wellbeing, social capital and human connection. That LA - and today, Facebook – have perpetuated something with precisely the opposite values stands as a warning not to let our activities as planners and designers lose sight of ideas that place people’s best interests at heart. Collaboration and community should come before commercialism. Less Than Zero is an extreme tale, but a vividly rendered reminder that it’s critical to approach urban design in ways that foster happiness rather than breed alienation.

Less Than Zero published in 1985

Architect Michael Mullen describes how the Augustine Hill development adopts one planet principles for a new mixed-use urban community

Augustine Hill, Galway; reconnecting the city with its maritime setting

READING A CITY

The Big Conversation Understanding a place like Galway takes time. It requires a respect of history, an innate appreciation for the local communities and their needs as well as an informed reading of the future: future living, future working and the future of the city itself. Above all understanding a place takes experience. As architects, BDP has been working in Galway for nearly 20 years, steadily developing a respect, appreciation, and understanding for the city and its people. Since 2015 we have been instrumental in a major scheme to reinvigorate the city’s inner docks. Now on site, Bonham Quay is attracting highprofile businesses to the region retaining talent, creating jobs, demonstrating how a quantum of regeneration can kickstart an area, activate streets, and create new patterns of movement within a city resulting in a renewed, wider confidence. Building on the momentum of Bonham Quay, Augustine Hill is a progressive 8.2 acre development to reactivate the inner harbour area, stretching from Ceannt Station and Eyre Square past Forthill Cemetery to the water’s edge. This is the first opportunity of its kind to create a new Galway, a new community distilled from our understanding of its past, present and future into an architectural design to rival any forward looking global city. Galway City has many reasons to be proud. The European Capital of Culture for 2020 is known around the world as one of Ireland’s gems, renowned for its wild, bohemian spirit, artistry and music and lively, cosmopolitan, city centre. However fame comes with its challenges. The city is creaking with tourists - five for every local - and that’s before the Capital of Culture designation! Quaint, cobbled streets add character, but offer limited relevance to the needs and demands of modern living, while a perceived continuing Disneyfication of the urban core could hamper the city’s potential to evolve and compete. Our approach is to delve into the city’s medieval DNA and balance current pressures and future opportunities to discover the elements that will endear and endure. We have not, and could not, do this alone. Instead, we have consulted and conversed with over 2,500 Galwegians, with the central belief that good architecture is distilled from understanding those who will experience it every day and this process has shaped the design. An open, accessible promenade takes full advantage of the connection between land and sea, together with four squares and 11 streets that lead to an exciting new ‘esplanade in the sky’. Dense and walkable, it promotes urban living surrounded by community needs to

New routes connect to the medieval city grain

Reading a City

increase wellbeing, such as playgrounds and allotments, parks, a cultural venue for the burgeoning arts community, covered streets and spaces, placing new homes where they are needed to reverse urban sprawl and add social value. An increase in pedestrianised public realm takes pressure off the city streets while new hubs for cycling (1,150 bicycle spaces) and walking will reinforce and encourage further investment in rail, bus and electric parking. Tall landmarks will anchor a new era in the city’s development and give a contemporary identity. This may look like a New Galway from afar, but it is integrated within the grain of the medieval city, expanding to rooftop parks which echo the local landscape of the Burren. Historic railway buildings will be creatively reused, evoking a range of different atmospheres throughout the streets and spaces, varied to respond to the diverse needs of locals and visitor of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances. Our progressive client places sustainability at the heart of the design, not just encompassing all standard building-related benchmarks, but also embracing operational sustainability. We are seeking to create the first mixed-use urban community in Ireland to adopt the ten ‘OnePlanet’ principles/accreditation to create better more sustainable places encouraging us as designers, and the working and living community to live happily within the earth’s resources. The framework is based around ten principles that cover all aspects of social, environmental and economic sustainability. Initiatives for Augustine Hill include using local suppliers, adhering to happiness and community checks and using green leases and an education facility to inform citizens and tourists about sustainability. Faithful to our design lineage of placemaking for the cities of Liverpool, Oxford, Edinburgh, Belfast and Aberdeen, we seek to create an architecture inspired by the imagination of the local community. This is a new model for urban living in Ireland, one that is rooted in a love of place, with a familiar variety, colour and mix that people desire. We have partnered with a local developer who has ensured that our understanding of Galway resonates with the vision of those who know the city best; its people. Galway is a city with a strong Irish cultural heritage, progressive and forwardlooking, and now leading the way in sustainable development. Augustine Hill embodies the ethos that architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.

Bringing nature into the city; playgrounds, parks, gardens, allotments and views

The historic railway terminus connects into a coherent series of routes and spaces

The Big Conversation

Reading a City

[Above] Dense and walkable, the masterplan connects the new community with the DNA of the historic city [Below] Galway's new waterfront community; four squares and 11 streets and an exciting new 'esplanade in the sky'

A DIFFERENT KIND OF CARE The new generation of world leading cancer research and patient care hubs connect people with their urban settings

The Oak Cancer Centre, Royal Marsden Hospital, London carefully addresses physical health and emotional wellbeing

Ged Couser

The Big Conversation

A Different Kind of Care

Paterson Christie Cancer Research Centre, Manchester; a world-class transformational research facility

The pace of scientific research in the development of new cancer treatments is astonishing. Precision medicines are dramatically improving survival rates, which have doubled since 1970. Immuno‐oncology therapies are empowering the immune system to recognise and react to tumour cells and biomarker guided therapies are targeting mutations at a molecular level. These developments are, in effect, creating a completely personalised approach to treatment, confronting the disease at an individual and systemic level. In parallel with these developments, new cancer treatment centres predicated on bespoke care are opening across the UK. They provide adaptable spaces for treatment in environments which can be personalised, from social or solitary, where individual flexible chemotherapy bays are incorporated into departmental layouts and 100% single bedrooms are increasingly the norm. Patient choice is becoming more and more important. The concept of ‘team science’ in research and treatment is also advancing, whereby clinicians and scientists work together to develop new thinking and fresh approaches to cancer treatment. We, as designers, are being challenged to build spaces and places that facilitate that process and we continue to collaborate, to learn and evolve our thinking in order to remain at the forefront of cancer research and treatment design. This new thinking is embodied in the Cancer Care Hub where we are developing designs for an outpatient and research facility at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. We have just achieved planning permission for the Paterson Christie Cancer Research Centre in Manchester, recently completed the Specialist Treatment Waterfall House in Birmingham and the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has just opened.

The Clatterbridge NHS Trust realised a number of years ago that they needed to be in the centre of Liverpool adjacent to the new Royal Hospital and next to the university, in the emerging Knowledge Quarter. They wished to be the city’s first dedicated cancer hospital. The site is in a restricted urban context, but on demolition of the existing Royal Hospital, will be developed into a new beautifully landscaped urban public space with car parking below. The building has a stepped plan with external landscaped terraces at each level for patients’ enjoyment. This also allows daylight to permeate the plan, penetrating deep into the radiotherapy waiting area at semibasement level which is adjacent to a wintergarden lined with natural stone gabions, over which the building cantilevers. The chemotherapy department is at the penultimate level of the building, situated below the production pharmacy and drugs trials unit. An open plan space with stunning views across the city, every patient has a dedicated treatment bay, sequestered from each other by a purpose designed screen complete with sockets and Wi-Fi connection, offering the choice to maintain privacy or interact with other patients. Family and friends accompanying a patient for treatment are welcome to use the central breakout area to relax and take time out. The unitised façade reflects the cutting-edge cancer treatment and drug trial research taking place within the building. The Cancer Centre’s striking form and curving prow has already prompted its nickname - The Liner - in Liverpool, that famous maritime city.

The Big Conversation

A Different Kind of Care

Clatterbridge Cancer Centre; the stepped form and external terraces maximise daylight and views

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Preston Bus Station, Charles Quick, Professor of Public Art Art Practice and Co-Curator of In Certain Places at the University of Central Lancashire, places BDP's iconic design centre stage in the city's proud architectural history

BEAUTIFUL AND BRUTAL Charles Quick

The Big Conversation

Beautiful and Brutal

have been inspired by it over the years and a live interruption in the life of the station involving 32 double decker buses, choreographed across the forecourt by skilled drivers performing slow sequenced movements from the bus bays to a soundtrack playing through the tannoy system on all nine floors. A fiftieth birthday party took place on the new public square in front of this temple to public transport, which now enjoys pedestrian links to all its entrances. Finally, a conference was held, examining the many facets of its history and exploring its future use, also acknowledging how it was saved from demolition after aâ&#x20AC;Ż13 year campaign initiated by the people of Preston and by fans further afield, resulting in its Grade II listing. The city now has a public transport hub that will last a further 50 years, one that has stayed true to the original aspirations of its BDP architects Keith Ingham and Charles Wilson, to create a quality experience for all users.

Passenger concourse filled with daylight

In the same year that astronauts walked on the moon, Preston Bus Station opened. Young people could have been forgiven for thinking that a giant spaceship had landed in the middle of their town! However, this was not an alien structure arrived from another planet, it was a piece of architecture very much of Preston, designed by the local design practice BDP which was founded by George Grenfell Baines who grew up in the town. Most elements of the structure were supplied by regional companies, such as Glasdon of Blackpool and Shaws of Darwen, while many of the construction workers were from Lancashire. This architectural achievement was not a one off. Prestonians have a disproportionate amount of ambition for their town - subsequently city - in relation to its size. They built the largest market square in the north west in 1200, much later the largest single dock in Britain, and the outstanding Grade I listed, neoclassical Harris Museum Art Gallery and Library. Fast forwarding to more recent times, its university is one of the largest in the UK, it is the first place beyond the core eight cities to have a City Deal, along with the much talked about Preston Model. This city has a long history of testing boundaries, taking risks, and creating special places. With this in mind it came as no surprise that in 1969 Preston built the largest bus station in Europe, now hailed as an important example of international Brutalist architecture. In 2018, with its 50th anniversary on the horizon, in my capacity as co-curator of In Certain Places and in association with James Arnold, History Curator of the Harris Museum, we worked with partners across the city to develop a six month programme to re-present and reveal Preston Bus Station. This was in conjunction with an extensive restoration programme by its new owners Lancashire County Council, together with architects John Puttick Associates. Highlights have included an exhibition, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Beautiful and Brutal, 50 years in the life of Preston Bus Stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at the Harris, celebrating its architecture and history and illustrating what it means to local people throughout its lifetime. There were also presentations by artists, film makers and photographers who

The bus apron with the distinctive curved, glass reinforced concrete panels above

www.incertainplaces.org is a curatorial partnership established in 2003 in conjunction with the University of Central Lancashire which explores the meanings and production of place via artled research, in order to question, test, disrupt and shape the places in our city.

The Big Conversation

Beautiful and Brutal

[Above] People Power; the Save Preston Bus Station campaign [Left] The clocks told the time bilingually ten years before digital watches were invented

The Beautiful and Brutal exhibition; celebrating 50 years of Preston Bus Station at the Harris Museum

Graphic Designer John Booth reflects on the modernist, analogue wayfinding design of Preston Bus Station Preston Bus Station’s unapologetic scale doesn’t begin and end with its structure. It is echoed by large graphics that inherit the same simplicity of form and brutalist aesthetic. Grotesk typeface Helvetica is used throughout for passenger signage and wayfinding. Developed by designers Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann and bearing the literal translation ‘Swiss', it prompts comparison with the iconic New York Subway map designed by the late modernist Massimo Vignelli in the 1970s, now synonymous with use of the typeface and intrinsically linked to the visual identity of New York City. This station is one of the country’s best known and admired transport hubs, designed by the UK’s first interdisciplinary design practice. The wayfinding and navigational systems were designed by BDP’s graphic design team, still a core profession. More recently, our design for Barton Science Centre illustrates the contrast between signage design from the 1960s and the present day. The same modernist principles are applied, but are now more refined and understated. Fifty years on and the design of wayfinding for transport hubs has changed. Helvetica has fallen out of favour within the context of navigational design, now cited as bland and lacking rhythm and contrast. New humanist typefaces such as FF Meta created by Erik Spiekermann proudly boast they are "the antithesis of Helvetica" and have been adopted by many major transport hubs across the world, proclaiming they are better fit for purpose. The refurbishment of Preston Bus Station reinstated the clarity and elegance of the original building, with the graphics respectfully retained and preserved as a true symbol of modernist, analogue wayfinding. The beautifully simple design embodies social hybridity in the town of Preston. This building has become more than a transport hub; it's a public place, a civic space for people to gather and a social media favourite. It's an ornament to a post-industrial town in the north of England — designed by a global design firm that was founded there nearly 60 years ago.

Helvetica Neue Bold

The understated wayfinding graphics of Barton Science Centre, Tonbridge School

FF Meta Pro Bold

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Vignelli's 1972 Subway Map for New York Metropolitan Transport Authority

The Big Conversation

Beautiful and Brutal

CONNECTING CITIES Cities of the future will be denser, mixed-use, greener and connected. Fifty years after Preston Bus Station, we are designing transport hubs which are at the heart of the sustainable communities they serve. [1]

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Colindale Station, London Queen Streen Station, Glasgow Whitechapel Crossrail, London Gloucester Transport Hub

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[2]

The Big Conversation

Connecting Cities

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[4]

NATUREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INVENTION The living embodiment of a perfectly balanced structural system

John Roycroft

The Big Conversation If all the greatest architects, scientists and engineers that ever lived were assembled and tasked with the brief of creating a material with the protean engineering properties and beauty of wood it is highly probable that they would fail. Wood is extremely advanced in terms of its material science and it is the ultimate composite, with a superb mix of structural properties and remarkably complex chemistry. Trees can grow beyond 100m, as tall as a tower, constantly adapting to alter their internal stresses of tension and compression. Trees don’t require any temporary works to achieve their cathedral-like form and they are primarily composed of the element carbon; they are nature’s greatest invention. As stone, bronze, iron, steel and new composites have evolved there has always been an important role for timber. Of all the materials we use there is not one that comes close to timber for versatility and, in its natural form, it is a fundamental part of our ecosystem that keeps the planet healthy. As a structural engineer I am fascinated by how a tree represents the living embodiment of a (well almost always) balanced structural system. Design teams often ask how we can create a tree like structure for a project, but it is difficult to replicate that efficiency and beauty that nature does all on her own. The Body Language of Trees, although a technical guide for tree surgeons, is a fantastically informative read for anyone who seeks to understand how trees work from a structural perspective. Just like a structural engineer, the understanding of tension and compression forces are extremely important for a tree surgeon. Trees are even more complex than building structures and a tree surgeon doesn’t have the luxury of carrying out a Finite Element Model (FEA) before working on a tree. Timber has facilitated the movement of people and goods since prehistoric times through the inventive design of water borne craft. The scale and ingenuity of an 18th century 74-gun ship, or a streamlined tea clipper such as the Cutty Sark are testament to what timber can achieve when used creatively. The scale of these ships is hard to envisage until you consider that each 74-gun ship used up to 3,400 fully matured oak trees, each carefully selected and hand processed without BIM or complex analysis! Slow growing oak trees are clearly not a sustainable source when one considers the impact of harvesting thousands of mature trees for a single ship. It is only in the last 60 years that large scale timber composite components such as glulam beams, similar in scale to those utilised in ship building, have become more viable for construction purposes. Engineering history often overlooks Brunel’s timber viaducts in Cornwall and his laminated timber bridge over the River Avon in Bath. He also led the development of prefabricated timber hospitals that were used in the Crimean War at Renkioi. Brunel was adept at using materials where they were most suited; he understood that every material has specific properties and advantages and when used in combination can transform a system of components. A long bow is one of the finest examples of this, and the adaptability of wood. Different types of wood combine beautifully within a yew tree to work to their full potential – the heartwood takes care of compression and the sap wood where tension exists. Among heartwood’s unique properties is a resistance to rot: if timber is to be used externally on a building could it be argued that heartwood is a more sustainable choice than impregnating with preservative?

Nature's Invention

The timber gridshell roof for the National Football Centre was designed to accommodate the trajectory of David Seaman’s goal kick

"Of all the materials we use not one comes close to timber for versatility"

Laminated timber used to create the 'egg' at Edinburgh Napier University

Timber has featured in many of our projects, such as the National Football Centre at Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire. The design included a full size football pitch completely covered with a timber gridshell. The column free structure was 74m x 114m and the curve of the roof designed to accommodate the parabolic path of a goal kick by then England goalkeeper David Seaman. We were tantalisingly close to seeing this progressive vision achieved; foundations were constructed before the project was sadly halted and emphasis moved to a new Wembley. At Edinburgh Napier University we designed an auditorium known fondly as the ‘egg’. Here, engineers and architects worked collaboratively to realise the development of laminated timber lumber (LVL) beam sections, using our industry leading CAD modelling expertise and a prefabrication methodology.

50 With the advantage of low embodied energy, we began to explore the use of timber as a replacement for steel and concrete typically used for the structural frame. Wellington Academy in Wiltshire demonstrated that timber was economic and cost neutral if designed intelligently. The timber structure of columns and beams remains one of my personal favourites. We also designed the boarding houses employing hybrid construction – using cross laminated timber panels, glulam beams and occasional steel beams for long spans. Hybrid structures are a logical way to unlock the potential of timber and some offer glue-laminated timber beams where glass fibre strands are embedded within the glue interlayers. At the multi-award winning Enterprise Centre for the University of East Anglia we used local knowledge, skills and materials, helping to source local timber from Thetford forest that would typically have been sold for fencing posts. We continue to explore environmentally progressive ways of using timber. Our patented design for the zero-carbon Gap House is entirely constructed from prefabricated LVL for rapid onsite assembly of beautiful and affordable new homes. At 80 Atlantic in Toronto, Quadrangle has designed a new workplace with a ‘beam and post’ timber frame, a wonderful example of how to design a sustainable timber frame building with low embodied energy. Canadians use wood with real expertise and innovation; the proximity of 347 million hectares of forest (9% of the world’s forest) is a huge resource, therefore timber is viewed differently by the construction industry. The Richmond Olympic Oval is another great example of using timber in a hybrid form, along with material cut down due to disease; a classic case study of how to unlock timber in a sustainable and creative way. Progressive use of timber in construction during the last 60 years has much to do with using adhesives to create larger structural (composite) components from smaller timber elements from managed forests of faster growing trees. The production of adhesive and how it impacts on the environment needs further consideration and research as its method of manufacture is proving to be the weak link. It is worth noting that while adhesives offer a very effective way of joining timber elements, other methods such as mechanical fixings offer better legacy reuse as elements can be dismantled, although this may be at the expense of material given that mechanical joints are generally less efficient than adhesive. As we need to build higher, timber undoubtedly offers a sustainable solution. Brunel’s ability to utilise materials that work best for each unique situation is just as relevant today. Timber has been used throughout human history, often as a part of a system of components. Early biplanes such as the Sopwith Camel wouldn’t have worked without tensile steel wires; similarly tall buildings need to be considered carefully using a combination of materials to achieve a harmonious and efficient structure; for example at 80 Atlantic the lift cores are reinforced concrete. As cities become increasingly dense it is exciting to imagine a utopian version of Blade Runner where timber towers reach for the sky like a tree breaking through the canopy of a dense forest. We must all work together to challenge conventional thinking on timber and work towards a legacy of low embodied carbon. By emulating the beauty, structural efficiency and positive carbon impact of a 100m tall Redwood, steel and concrete could be consigned to history as the materials of an energy hungry past.

John Roycroft's sketch compares the impressive structural strength of wood

Is it possible to build with timber without a single mechanical connector or adhesive? I urge you all to find a copy of The Art of Japanese Joinery by Kiyosi Seike to learn how craftsmanship, skill and natural materials used with ingenuity can achieve anything. The tools at our disposal, from analysis of structural systems through to robotic production of shapes, are only progressive if we think big, work collaboratively and look to the future - with a respectful nod to the past.

The Big Conversation

Nature's Invention

80 Atlantic, Toronto; the first timber framed six storey workplace in the city for over one hundred years

[Left] Gap House; prefabricated LVL, flat-packed affordable homes [Right] Continuing the regeneration of Liberty Village

LET THE BUILDING SING The careful repair and refurbishment of the Old Admiralty Building brings out the personality of a much loved building

Trooping the Colour; building as backdrop to a great city space

Il'ìč Testoni

The Big Conversation

Let the Building Sing

The refurbished corridors of power

Winston Churchill walked its corridors as First Lord of the standard, whilst achieving a demanding security and acoustic Admiralty and Ian Fleming served in its naval intelligence brief. Comprehensive engagement and consultation with department during World War II, before he created James Westminster’s Conservation Officer meant a regular review Bond, the most famous spy in the world. In the heart of of proposals, with progressive refinements to the scope of Whitehall, opposite Horse Guards Parade and a short walk interventions agreed with the full support of Historic England. The rationalisation and reordering of the internal from Trafalgar Square, Old Admiralty Building is familiar to millions as the imposing architectural setting to some of the space optimises use. New structural openings were made most iconic ceremonies, including Trooping the Colour which to connect smaller cellular rooms with each other and the main corridors, connecting spaces to marks the Queen’s official birthday. create a new collaborative environment. A Grade II listed building New plantrooms were located within characterised by red brick and Portland the roof or internally on the top floor stone elevations and copper clad and perforated metal enclosures were domes supporting its distinctive radio slotted into the glazed brick courtyards. masts, the building was erected in Rafts and enclosures were suspended three phases between 1888 and 1905 to minimise their impact on the more to extend accommodation for the significant rooms and spaces. New Admiralty during the ongoing race for secondary glazing throughout provided global naval domination. When we were key upgrades to security, acoustics and commissioned to transform it into the new environmental conditions, all carefully home for a key government department designed to fit within the historic window in 2013, the building looked like it was Winston Churchill, first Lord of the Admiralty in 1939 reveals. Open plan, informal break-out stuck in a time warp. Crammed full of modern technology used by the current occupiers, it was clear spaces have been introduced to enhance the social identity that the original configuration had not changed since the time and to assist with orientation. A particularly pleasing feature of the building is the use of materials and the patina they create, of its construction. The challenges facing the design team were from mosaic tiling to iron access panels. These fine details considerable. How to transform a rigid, repetitive arrangement were carefully cleaned and retained. In the face of a climate emergency, with construction of cellular offices linked by long corridors around internal lightwells into a progressive, open plan, sustainable environment consuming resources at an unacceptable rate, the sustainable for an agile government department? What opportunities retrofit preserves this national icon through sensitive adaptation, could be teased out of this building’s fabric and layout to also reducing carbon emissions and embodied energy costs. adapt it to its new users’ efficient, flexible and collaborative The personality of the Old Admiralty Building shines through in workstyle? The listed building required reservicing to a high readiness for the next chapter in its history.

54 Connecting the corridor to social spaces

Painstaking work has revealed the colour, pattern and texture of the original finishes

The Big Conversation New against old; light reflecting metal panels are slotted into the historic glazed brick lightwells

Let the Building Sing

THE ARTISTS' BAR The design of the Old Admiralty Building continues a body of work with many of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most iconic historic buildings. At the Royal Albert Hall a former subterranean boiler house is being transformed into a bar for artists. The appearance and materiality highlight the brick vaulted ceilings and walls, with exposed pipework and views through to the historic brickwork beyond. All of the fixtures and fittings are designed to be reversible to allow for future adaptation of the space without impacting on the historic fabric.

The Big Conversation

The Artists' Bar, Royal Albert Hall

THE WORKPLACE ECOSYSTEM: 58

Extinction or Reinvention?

The Big Conversation

Mark Simpson encourages developers and landlords to adapt to survive

The Workplace Ecosystem

Occupiers also expect a more serviced offer in order to support their organisations, the ante being upped by the rise of the serviced office or managed space operators. This co-working model has seen an unprecedented boom over the last few years. Once the domain of IWG/Regus and a select

PwC Manchester's new fluid workspace

The workplace is fluid, in transition. Technological and digital advances have disrupted the established norms, swept away traditional ways of working and with it, how office buildings are designed and operated. We live in an information overload society, a 24/7 world of infobesity where it is almost impossible to switch off. Workplace stress accounts for 44% of all work-related illnesses. Employers across all sectors are therefore in favour of a looser and freer workplace paradigm which places new emphasis on the work/life balance of their employees and their mental and physical wellbeing. The newly updated BCO Guide to Specification is rightly seen as the bible for best practice in the design of offices in the UK and beyond. However the benchmarks and standards it sets out are in constant flux as more is expected from intelligent buildings in the support of wellbeing, sustainability and flexibility.

Eversheds Sutherland, Manchester; raising the bar for the corporate workplace

The old way of working - your own desk and a job for life - is gone. The new fluid workforce expects and demands more flexibility and choice in where, when and how to work. They expect organisations to embrace sustainability and wellbeing. In turn, employers had to respond, to evolve an ecosystem to support these ideals in order to attract, motivate and retain talent. Employees have become their customers.

few, the entire sector is now personified by WeWork. This incredible rise has caught many traditional landlords and even agents on the hop. So much so that many of them, including CBRE, JLL, British Land and Landsec are developing their own serviced offers, competing alongside new brands such as Fora and Knotel. Regus is now one sub-brand under the IWG banner alongside Spaces and others. Putting aside WeWorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent troubles, their influence has been seismic. This sector now accounts for a gigantic proportion of commercial space in the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major cities; 17% in London and 8% in Manhattan. WeWork is the biggest leaseholder in both cities with 4.1million sq ft and 7.7million sq ft respectively, in a sector that is growing by 20% year on year. Contrary to the popular belief that they are occupied by start-ups, many corporate organisations now use the coworking model, often managing whole buildings with such providers. Regardless of whether this market will continue to grow at such an astonishing rate or if WeWork will remain the sector leader, it cannot be disputed that this model has raised the bar for those who develop and operate the corporate workplace, and for those who design them. We have a long history of designing for owner occupiers and firms occupying speculative buildings. We place great emphasis on understanding how a business functions, along with its aspirations and appetite for embracing new ideas and innovations, and to what extent a change in its working practices may be required to enable greater efficiencies and to unlock employee benefits. Embracing change and new working methods has fundamental implications on all areas of business infrastructure, not just from HR to IT, security and hospitality. Meaningful transformation must begin with the people. We seek to engage with the needs of supply as well as demand before we put pen to paper. We design from the inside out. There are no cookie cutters, no one size fits all. We understand from working with many enlightened, progressive organisations, both public and private, that the needs of their people come first and that supporting wellbeing, embracing innovation, promoting empowerment and adopting sustainable practices are of paramount importance to them. The occupier - indeed the employee - is now king. Corporate workplaces are, by necessity, becoming more employee-centric. Developers and landlords must adapt to this new paradigm, they can no longer dictate what is on offer or they risk extinction. That rebellion is well underway.

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PwC Manchester; the old way of working - your own desk and a job for life - is gone. The new fluid workforce expects and demands more flexibility and choice in where, when and how to work.

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External spaces provide contact with nature and aid wellbeing

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Connected spaces, breaking silos

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A feature staircase incorporates informal 'Spanish steps' style seating

The Big Conversation

Workplace Ecosystem

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UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE

Christoph Ackermann

The Big Conversation

University Challenge

Embracing the circular economy offers better value for money and increased building performance

Drawing by Jonny Day and David Euinton illustrating the role of universities in the social economic and environment sustainability of our cities and towns

Keele University's Denise Coates Foundation Building fosters connections between the universities and business startups

The Big Conversation

University Challenge

[Left] Coventry University's School of Art and Media is a creative adaptation of a prominent brutalist building [Right] The University of Strathclyde’s Learning and Teaching Building is composed of two refurbished buildings bridged by a new hub

Universities are often the biggest landlords in their cities. A typical university estate comprises a wide variety of different building typologies used by a very diverse range of users. This portfolio of buildings includes student housing, research centres, learning and teaching facilities and, increasingly, industry engagement hubs. Our projects in Higher Education reflect this diversity. This year we completed the Denise Coates Foundation Building at Keele which brings together the Management School with business incubator spaces to form a new gateway for the campus. Construction of the new School of Engineering for the University of Edinburgh begins soon, and to the delight of students and academic staff the Teaching and Learning Building for the University of Birmingham opened this year. This year’s AUDE conference (Association of University Directors of Estates), entitled Mastering the Storm, focuses on the immediate challenges that the UK’s universities face because of uncertain economic outlook and a slowdown in intake numbers mainly due to the UK’s demographics. Under these circumstances universities are re-evaluating the quality of their existing estate. Backlog maintenance, poor utilisation and inflexible layouts superficially render many existing education buildings unfit to provide modern and stimulating spaces and add to the perception that old buildings contribute little, causing universities to opt for new buildings to improve their estate. However this approach disregards the inherent value of their estates and the opportunities that creative adaptation can bring to future use. Refurbishment, repurposing or integration of existing buildings can be a cost effective and valuable alternative to new build. They also save raw material and embodied energy compared to a new build project, helping to improve universities’ sustainability targets.

A significant number of our most recent projects are retrofit or restoration projects. The School of Art and Media is a refurbishment project which showcases Coventry University, enhancing its connections with industry and enabling it to play a leading, transformational role in the cultural plans of the city. We are undertaking the complex renovation of the Grade I listed Free School Lane for the University of Cambridge, comprising three faculties, in order to bring the buildings back into full use and create flexible space for 21st century learning. At the Learning and Teaching Project for the University of Strathclyde two buildings constructed in the late 1960s are being refurbished and extended to create a new learning and teaching hub which includes the student union, student services centre and staff accommodation. At the beginning of the design process it became clear that not only did these buildings occupy a prime city centre location, but that they could be successfully reconfigured as efficient learning and exciting social spaces. The reinforced concrete structure of the existing building together with its large spans allows a flexible internal layout with expansive teaching spaces, lecture theatres and social spaces. Extensive floor to floor heights accommodate lofty internal spaces which exceed modern construction standards. In addition to this spatial generosity, the reuse of the building’s sub and superstructure has reduced capital costs and construction time and mitigated risk. All removed materials are being recycled by the main contractor. As our society transitions from a linear to a circular economy, universities are increasingly looking to refurbish and upgrade their existing estate. After all, it’s a well-known fact that the greenest building is the one already built.

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The Teaching and Learning Building, University of Birmingham provides vibrant teaching, learning and study environments for collaboration and reflection. [1]

Roman steps facilitate easy connections and flow of space

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A reflective glass wall draws daylight deep into the building

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Study spaces with natural light and territory

The Big Conversation

University Challenge

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Architect Beth Bourrelly describes the shortlisted entry for a Festival of Learning to stimulate the sustainable growth of Lyon and its region

EARLY MAKERS

Our shortlisted competition entry for a Festival of Learning for EM Lyon business school is inspired by the vision for a continuous and open landscape of opportunity where each individual can select their route to learning, making a journey of discovery to collectively learn, co-operate, co-create and collaborate. The design uses the wide range of activities, events and performances of a festival assembled as a kit of parts: the open constructed landscape rising from the river valley; the stage rigging forming the structural framework for a series of open and enclosed adaptable spaces; pavilions and tents housing a wide range of flexible functions; containers used as temporary testbeds for new and experimental approaches and food trucks and caravans providing alternative support services. This ambitious vision for a new icon, a learning mall, contributes to the social, economic and environmental sustainability of this great French city. It reflects elements of Lyonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history, geography and culture and celebrates the process of learning, supporting shared values and fostering a city community.

The Big Conversation

Early Makers

[Above] Section showing connected open and closed learning spaces [Below] Central space, the heart of the building and new place in the city

SINGAPORE: Hot Spot Andrew Loke

Cua Luc Bay, Vietnam; an urban model for sustainable expansion, drawing inspiration from mountains, coast and lake

The Big Conversation

Singapore: Hot Spot

Designers in South East Asia must draw on a strong regional sensitivity that harnesses nature

Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prime Minister declared war against climate change in 2019, so great is the threat to the existence nation. Around 30% of the Lion City is less than five metres above sea level and with temperatures predicted to soar to 40Â°C by 2045, the surrounding waters could rise a metre higher by 2100. The top 10 hottest years in Singapore since 1950 all occurred within the last 22 years. Flash floods, drought, wildfires, toxic haze and water rationing are expected consequences, along with air-borne diseases, heat-related illnesses, an increase in dengue mosquitoes, malnutrition due to mass crop failures and mental and physical trauma. In addition to the recently introduced carbon tax, polders and land reclamation, proposals include naturebased solutions such as the restoration of mangrove areas and planting of 250,000 native trees and shrubs to support biodiversity, drive climate mitigation and strengthen resilience. Diversification into weather-resilient sources of water such as NEWater and desalinated water is also being explored together with the possibility of generating energy from water. However to progress economically, many South East Asian governments must intensify the use of land in urban centres. As a result cities across the region are becoming denser and swiftly accelerating skywards. Green spaces and public realm are slowly disappearing to make way for highrise developments and it is our responsibility as designers to mitigate these effects by relying on a strong regional sensibility that harnesses nature. In 2009 the Singapore government implemented a greenery landscape replacement policy for buildings whereby property developers must replace greenery lost from a site in other areas within the development to mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect that is prevalent in so many South East Asian cities. This is slowly changing the cityscape into one where greenery is becoming part of the design of high-rise buildings, from sky terraces, vertical green walls, green roofs, communal planter boxes and rooftop urban farms. We are embracing these nature-based solutions, looking for ways to introduce nature and greenery into our designs throughout the region, taking advantage of the tropical climate where greenery thrives. This not only creates attractive, striking building forms but also provides shade, thus lowering temperature and making them more inviting for residents. The residential towers of the Royal Garden in Ho Chi Minh City were inspired by the rock formations of Ha Long Bay. Designed as towering limestone islets with extensive greening to the elevations, topped by roof

gardens and sky terraces, this approach creates a lush tropical setting that acts as self-shading without the use of external screening devices, and self-sustaining by means of rainwater collected as irrigation. It is attractive not only to people but also to insects and birds, encouraging biodiversity in the city. Considered masterplanning can build sustainable principles into new development from the outset. The designs for Minh Khai and Cua Luc Bay, adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay in north-east Vietnam, have created an urban model for sustainable and meaningful expansion for this area of over 100 km2, drawing inspiration

UNESCO World Heritage Site Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

from the natural topography of mountains, coast and lake. Green and blue corridors strengthen connections with nature. A pedestrian network has been overlaid onto these corridors and recreational public space created where they meet and intersect. To improve water quality and help filter storm water runoff for harvesting and recycling, a SUDS system consisting of constructed wet-lands, bioretention basins, and cleansing biotopes was integrated with the natural setting, forming part of the blue spaces in the masterplan. A collaboration between Nippon Koei and our Singapore and New Delhi studios, residential, workplace and commercial functions have been sensitively placed to maintain ecological balance and reinforce the natural heritage of the location while transforming the region into a cohesive sustainable residential, tourism and mixed use development with high tech industrial uses.

Royal Gardens, Singapore; using greenery to mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect

[Below] Singapore Institute of Technology; sky terraces and green walls provide shade and enhance the cityscape [Right] Innovation Hub, Trung Son; a vertical work-play environment, nurturing a dynamic, enterprising community

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Singapore: Hot Spot

WEATHERING THE STORM

A green and blue axis, workplace campus, Germany

Architect Bjรถrn Bleumink describes how adaptive eco-systems can transform measures for water mitigation into an asset to enhance the public realm

The Big Conversation

Weathering the Storm

Large permeable areas that can filter rainwater provide an excellent starting point to create actively used green spaces

The Netherlands has always had an existential relationship with water; it is a central fact of life for its citizens, one that defines the country’s identity. In recent times the effect of climate change has made heavy rainfall more frequent – increasing by about 20% since 1950 - and this excess of water has impacted on urban development, creating challenges for architects, engineers and urban designers. From a design perspective, finding a solution to this problem is not purely a technical or functional matter. Combining urban design, landscape design, engineering and architecture creates an integrated design opportunity to enhance the quality of the public realm and the wellbeing of users through the design of climate adaptive urban neighbourhoods. Intense rainfall causes stress on sewer systems, resulting in flooded streets, tunnels and basements. The need for temporary storage for rainwater grows paramount, particularly in urban areas. In the city of Rotterdam, for example, a sequence of sunken water squares that can be flooded, or underground storage tanks in parking garages, provide a strategic buffer to ease pressure on the sewers. Large permeable areas that can filter rainwater provide an excellent starting point to create actively used green spaces. In a recent masterplan developed for a large office campus in Germany, we placed a green and blue eco-axis at the heart of the design. Depending on the season or amount of rainfall, this axis transforms from a wet brook to a dry park. The brook uses the natural contours of the land, gradually stepping down from the highest point to a large water square at the lowest, maximising infiltration capacity. The brook’s gradually sloping soft shores form a continuous ecological zone, stimulating the site’s local biodiversity. Together with a new public art route, this forms the perfect setting for a stroll, or lunch by the pebbles alongside the brook. In residential neighbourhoods, the design of public green infiltration areas offers another benefit; they can act as meeting places for residents, facilitating social encounters and so strengthening community ties. Increasing the sense of ownership stimulates neighbourhood social cohesion in a positive way. In our masterplan for Hoge Weide in Utrecht, residents were actively involved in the design process. They collaborated with the architects on the design of common spaces and a new playground has become a showcase of the elaborate water system in use. Pumps direct the flow of water into a basin. Children can open and close floodgates and thereby control the water levels in the playground themselves.

While parents have a chat on the shore, their children are learning the basics about the Dutch water protection system through play. The use of green roofs is another means to buffer water and supplement infiltration capacity to the public and common realm. A functional green roof adds value by storing rainwater, reducing heat stress in summer, insulating during winter, and increasing biodiversity. However, treating roof gardens as an extension of the public realm needs careful consideration. Outside metropolitan areas occupancy is too low to activate two public levels simultaneously. Under these circumstances, our focus is to activate ground floor usage as much as possible, giving precedence to a socially secure and active public realm. By combining solutions for different scales of development together within a holistic design approach, the cities of tomorrow can become intelligent, flexible ecosystems, capable of adapting to new changes in use or need – whatever the weather.

Learning through doing; children can control water levels in the playground

76 Key ingredients for sustainable development [1]

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Social Sustainability Energy Sustainability Green Sustainability Water Sustainability

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The Big Conversation

Weathering the Storm

Paleiskwartier, Den Bosch: one of Hollandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest urban regeneration schemes and an international exemplar for sustainability

Paleiskwartier, Den Bosch: industrial buildings have been repurposed as amenities for the community

HOUSING, HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

Stephen Marshall & Parisa Kanabar

The Big Conversation

Housing, Health and Happiness

"A happy city, a healthy city and a sustainable city are all the same place" Charles Montgomery

[All] Langworthy, Salford; reinventing the terraced street to promote neighbourhood interaction

All across the country tower cranes break the skyline. The UK is reflecting the global trend towards urbanisation, which will see two thirds of the world’s population living in cities by 2050. A multitude of factors is fuelling the UK’s housing crisis, chief among them availability, affordability, quality and adaptability. In our haste to satisfy the demands of the housing market, accelerating construction and increasing density, designers must not forget our responsibility to create homes that respect people; the families and communities who will live there. It is a well-documented fact that the country needs more homes - and better homes - but crucial to their success is how they respond to their environment. The picture is complex and multi-faceted; so too must be the solutions. The demand for growth across all areas of the housing market must drive innovation and variety. Advancements are taking place, in the form of dense, urban co-living schemes, compact family homes and new models for the elderly, located close to amenities, even in city centres. We must unlock the potential for design to ‘disrupt’ what is arguably the most conservative element of the UK’s construction industry. As we are propelled towards rapid urbanisation, architects, engineers, planners and designers are mindful of the impact of the built environment on mental health. The choices we make can be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Our collaboration with Nottingham Trent University considered the principles of health and wellbeing in the planning and design of new city centre apartments. The research examined how apartment design could be improved by investigating the attitudes of residents towards health and wellbeing within their home. A survey asked whether they believed the design of their apartment had an impact on their health and wellbeing, and what they wanted from their home in order to foster a healthy lifestyle. It reveals that the most successful designs prioritise characteristics to promote and protect health and wellbeing such as space, light and views. Access to green space is important but so too are our relationships with others and the need for meaningful social interaction. To nurture a healthy, happy lifestyle it is clear that designs must consider wellbeing from the macroscale of the masterplan to the microscale of the individual building; to create an environment which enables and encourages positive social interaction.

At Lowfield in York we are designing an intergenerational development, comprising starter homes, a cooperative housing scheme, a care home, apartments designed for the elderly and a public services building with opportunities for self-build, all arranged around a new community green with play space, fruit trees and a community kitchen garden. A design which promotes neighbourhood social interaction is at the heart of the high density contemporary housing in Langworthy Salford, for Salix Homes and Step Places. The project will deliver 161 new homes, featuring an innovative mix of back to back, terraced and low rise apartments. The big idea is to green the streets and hide the cars, creating landscaped places for people to meet, chat and play; to recreate the original purpose of the terraced street as a space for community not a car park. At Grand Union in west London, a new community centre sits at the heart of the design. An allotment-style herb and vegetable garden and fully accessible community kitchen will form an important focus for social activity, providing facilities for children’s parties and healthy cooking classes. Existing legislation stops short of safeguarding the mental and physical health of occupants of new homes and so it falls to us as responsible designers to encourage our clients and to advocate for ways to ensure that homes of the future can positively impact on health and wellbeing. After all, as the Native American proverb says, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

The demand for growth across all areas of the housing market is an opportunity to drive innovation and encourage diversification

Gorton Street in Salford integrates a hotel, food and leisure facilities with co-living bedrooms, alongside the redevelopment of seven disused railway arches repurposed as new public space

The Big Conversation

Housing, Health and Happiness

Grand Union London, a new canalside neighbourhood with landscaped gardens, cafes, crĂ¨che and community centre

SPACE AND TRANQUILITY Mehron Kirk & Fiona Sibley

The Big Conversation

Go Outside!

Green and blue spaces play a vital role in our towns and cities, and are fundamental to the wellbeing agenda

[Left, above] Beckenham Place Park; nothing is better than an invigorating swim

Time and again landscapes offer us a portal through which to stimulate our senses and refresh our weary minds. They are also a major contributor to socially progressive cities, by helping us feel connected to others, and to the environments we inhabit. As urban designers we are committed to providing this kind of refreshment through our thoughtful approach to landscape at a variety of scales. Achieving values of social cohesion and wellbeing is at the heart of what we do. We aim to create moments in towns and cities that feel timeless, that transport users to places in their memories, that encourage civic pride and create a community mindset, and help us to live more sustainably. We recently restored the historic Italian Gardens in Weston-super-Mare, revitalising the town square, the project acting as a catalyst for regeneration by enticing people back into town to celebrate their unique heritage and enjoy the fantastic coastline. At Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham we recently completed a new classical landscape for Londoners in place of an underutilised golf course. We endeavoured to create more than just a new landscape, designing features that stimulate ecological as well as social benefits, and most importantly, inspire delight and play. Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest park boasts 96 hectares of wildflower meadows, running trails, woodlands and ecologically biodiverse wetland habitat, adjacent to a grand 18th century mansion. But the new jewel in the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crown is a 283m natural lake, the recreation of an original Georgian water feature. Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wild swimming fraternity have made a beeline for its sandy shores, not deterred by the chillier season.

Climate change and the need to plan for green infrastructure is playing an increasingly significant role in our approach to design. London has a policy framework for an All London Green Grid, and clear standards for urban greening are being introduced for all new development. These policy initiatives recognise the need for a holistic approach to natural habitat and flood management infrastructure, maximising public access to nature and recreation opportunities at the same time. Our forward-thinking designs for Augustine Hill in Galway consider how communities live and how new city quarters should be underpinned with green and blue networks that are as crucial as their transport systems and buildings. Similarly our projects across Victoria in London illustrate how public realm is the conduit to socialising space and promoting regeneration, giving purpose and delight. Landscapes do not need to be big to have a positive social and environmental impact: the smallest interventions can be equally effective. The rooftop learning garden at Francis Holland School, the Hive at Kew Gardens and the landscaped courtyards at the Alliance Manchester Business School all offer great opportunities to escape from the office or the classroom into a tranquil spot to enjoy a moment of calmness.

Weston-super-Mare; regenerating the town square and gardens

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The Hive, Kew Gardens; an immersive journey through a colourful and vibrant wildflower meadow into the world of the honeybee.

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Francis Holland School; space for a new learning pavilion is carved from the dense urban environment and topped by a rooftop garden, an oasis in the city.

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Weston-super-Mareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revitalised town square and Italian Gardens stimulates the local economy by attracting more visitors to celebrate Weston's unique coastal heritage.

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Beckenham Place Park; the largest public park in south east London, now reconnected with its neighbouring communities through enhanced historic parkland and a restored swimming lake.

The Big Conversation [3]

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Go Outside!

CUTTING CARBON COMFORTABLY

An aquifer provides free cooling at University College London's new student centre

James Hepburn, Building Services Engineer, explains that a long life-loose fit simple, durable approach can significantly minimise resource consumption

The Big Conversation

Cutting Carbon Comfortably

Performance in use; thermal imaging confirms comfortable conditions when it is sweltering outside

We are currently witnessing the erosion of the world as we know it. Our children and grandchildren will bear witness to catastrophic changes to their environment. Greta Thunberg is right to make us all feel ashamed about our antipathy and inaction. A significant stepchange is required in order for the UK to have a chance of meeting our carbon reduction obligations - which in reality don’t go far enough - but we need to start somewhere. We have been lucky enough to be involved in some cutting edge projects but we need to be braver and louder in pressing clients to adopt more progressive strategies. At UCL’s New Student Centre, we worked with Nicholas Hare Architects to design a building to last for hundreds of years. It’s concrete, yes, but 50% of the cement has been replaced with low carbon cement replacement, which reduces embodied carbon by more than a third. The internal fit-out is developed to minimise resource consumption through simplicity and durability, with exposed concrete finishes and timber slats creating a refined internal look. It’s a long-life/loosefit approach and BREEAM Outstanding. It uses the aquifer beneath the building to provide free cooling so successfully that when London was sweltering in 38º heat last summer it felt cool and comfortable for the students revising for exams. At the London Cancer Hub in Sutton, we worked with Architype on the UK’s first PassivHaus secondary school (coined a MassivHaus by some) that has set a new standard for school buildings. The PassivHaus approach ensures operational carbon emissions are limited, with the crosslaminated timber frame and focus on recycled materials such as Fermecell board leading to a significant reduction in embodied carbon. Forget ESFA Output Specifications; this approach should be the norm! In the UK the internal fit-out and refurbishment market has grown enormously, rising more than 35% in value since 2013 to over £10 billion. Existing building stock generally

performs badly from an operational carbon perspective, however improving the performance of these buildings has the potential to massively cut carbon emissions in operation, and reduce embodied carbon through the reuse and recycling of existing building elements. This opportunity has presented itself on a current project. A city centre former telephone exchange that was converted to an office in the 1980s, it will soon become the Entopia Building, home of the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership (CISL), and therefore has a demanding brief. The refurbishment must meet EnerPHit standards, achieve BREEAM Outstanding and target WELL Platinum. The project is aiming for a 100 year embodied carbon of <300kgCO2e/m2 compared with the benchmark figure for a new build office of 867 kgCO2e/m2. Proposals include a stripped back HVAC similar to our approach at the Enterprise Centre for the University of East Anglia. The refurbishment looks to reuse existing building elements where possible, improve the performance of the building fabric by super insulating and reducing building air leakage, and use bio-based materials and those with high levels of recycled content; all to be delivered on a very limited budget and to a tight programme. Our engineers must work with other designers to address the two-fold challenge of both operational and embodied carbon through a holistic design strategy that must become industry standard. More needs to be done to understand and communicate the issues and for the wider design team to collectively shoulder their responsibilities in creating more sustainable buildings. There is no question that the UK construction industry must contribute more to the reduction of carbon emissions. With the correct brief, projects can exceed targets without compromising building user comfort. The onus is on us, as designers, to impress upon clients the extent of their responsibilities to mitigate climate change. This is one battle that we cannot afford to lose.

The low carbon retrofit Entopia Building; the new home for the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; the original telephone exchange, soon to be the Entopia Building

The Big Conversation

Cutting Carbon Comfortably

We need to be braver and louder in pressing clients to adopt more progressive strategies

Harris Academy, London; our engineers worked with Architype to design the first secondary school in the UK to be built to the Passivhaus standard

MAIDENHILL PRIMARY SCHOOL AND NURSERY Incorporating carefully considered environmental design, this new Scottish school uses solar panels, a sedum roof and low energy lighting, with low water use fittings applied throughout. A growing garden for food production, together with water harvesting in the playground, encourages a sustainable approach to play. The design provides a range of spaces and atmospheres to stimulate sensory differences and nurture relationships. Features include a treetop snug for storytelling, a birdhouse hideaway and an internal climbing wall and junior â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;maker spaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for construction and experiments.

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Maidenhill School

THE MASTER BUILDER

Architect Paul Owen explains how we are pioneering digital design for the construction of one of the largest higher education projects in the UK Manchester: birthplace of the industrial revolution. How apt that the new Manchester Engineering Campus responds to the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pioneering industrial history by embedding engineering at the heart of the design, inspiring a new generation of research and discovery. The University of Manchester claims it is the largest single construction project undertaken by any higher education establishment in the UK so this required us to develop and coordinate our largest and most complex 3D model in return! The concept defined a clearly legible structure with prefabricated exposed building services and an industrial aesthetic to respond to student interest in engineering. It also allows the spaces to be easily adaptable. The building brings a number of engineering faculties together, each with highly specialised adjacent laboratory spaces and differing building services requirements. This complex arrangement required the integration and coordination of services and structure in order to technically coordinate the design, while also ensuring that the contractor and design team could forecast upcoming challenges, highlight risks and identify potential benefits before any work commenced on site. The challenge was how to develop a BIM model which provided all information required for construction and coordination, but adaptable and legible enough to be easily

understood by clients and other interested parties. To promote this engagement we led â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;soft-BIMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; activities where key elements of the BIM model are reviewed live by the client, consultant and contractor team. The BIM model is complex enough to develop and coordinate construction information, forming the basis for the installation drawings for the factory made unitised cladding, the setting-out of fire stopping, builders' work and other key components. It is coordinated with other consultants to provide clear direction on the developing design, highlighting clashes, areas that require further development and enabling user engagement on the use of spaces and integration of specialist equipment. It is refined to provide quick visualisations to illustrate finishes, views and walk-throughs. The successful development of the integrated model and delivery of the MECD project has generated initiatives such as the Smart Campus, where data about the built environment is supplemented with information about the behaviour of building users in order to provide a feedback loop that can create a truly intelligent building. As well as seeking to make universities more efficient now by reducing energy use as the building services adapt to user patterns, building data collection can also form part of the briefing stage to ensure ultra-efficient future design of university buildings.

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The BIM model provides everything required for complex construction and coordination but is legible enough to be understood by clients and interested parties

The Master Builder

Lee Painter, lighting designer, chronicles his creative collaboration to address plastic pollution and contribute to a circular economy

LIGHTING UP LIVES

The Big Conversation

Lighting up Lives

The first Bottlehouse outside our London studio at Clerkenwell Design Week 2019

Every minute a million plastic bottles are bought around the world and the number is set to top half a trillion by 2021, far outstripping our current recycling efforts. This statistic inspired Ricky Sandhu of Six Miles Across London Ltd (aka small.) to take action and create BottleHouseÂŽ. His vision is to create a new circular economy by building temporary off-grid shelters from used plastic bottles and deploying them in refugee camps and other areas of world human displacement. Ricky called on our lighting team to help with the lighting solution and I volunteered immediately, welcoming the opportunity to give something back. This collaboration resulted in the erection of the first BottleHouse outside our London studio as part of Clerkenwell Design Week. Plastic milk bottles were used as diffusers to create standard and feature pendants for the solar powered LED lamps. My experience led me to think further about plastic and waste in the lighting industry, the ramifications of our design decisions, and the responsibility that all of us living in the first world have to seize opportunities to help those born into less fortunate circumstances. We must not underestimate the importance of light in the developing world. Access to artificial light means longer days, creating more time to study and read.

This is not restricted only to the hours of darkness, but can also help when the weather is overcast or interior lighting conditions experience little daylight. In this way off-grid technology can dramatically improve literacy and education. The use of LED also removes the widespread and hazardous use of kerosene lamps. This inspired me to present BottleHouse and the global issues it highlights at London Design Fair. As fate would have it, the live broadcast took place on Friday 20 September 2019, the first day of the Global Climate Strike Week. Ricky made contact again in October to ask me to design and build the lighting for his new Milk-BottleHouse featuring at Grand Designs Live at NEC Birmingham. In only four days I constructed a 1.2m x 1.2m triangular pyramid pendant and installed all recycled spotlights. The tetrahedron shape of the pendant was a homage to the original BottleHouse. small. continue to work on improvements to the design and test other versions. We hope that BottleHouse will see real world use eventually, but for me, most importantly, it represents a beacon of positive change to raise awareness, to encourage the growth of the circular economy; an inspiring shift in how we need to change our thinking. It is a seed to be nurtured by all, planted to encourage ideas about how we can, quite literally, light up lives.

NEW DELHI Big city, small ask

Manisha Bhartia

The Big Conversation

New Delhi - Big City, Small Ask

New urban design guidelines will inform the infant, toddler and carer friendly city

[Above] Infants, toddlers and their carers must not be overlooked in the design of progressive cities [Left] An exemplar design for the ideal infant, toddler and caregiver friendly neighbourhood

"Children are a kind of indicator species. If we can build a successful city for children, we will have a successful city for all people." Enrique Penalosa, ex Mayor, Bogota This year young children are shaming us into rethinking the way we live and work. Activist Greta Thunberg has won hearts and minds campaigning for countries to address issues of climate change. In the same way that the harm caused by climate change is borne by those who had no role in its creation, the damage done to young children by toxic cities is fundamentally unjust. The effect of the physical environment is evident from the first day of life. Babies are much more sensitive than adults to toxic elements in their surroundings, particularly in the first five years when maximum brain development takes place. The toxicity of Indian cities has made worldwide headlines and it is a key objective of the national Smart Cities Mission to improve conditions. We were appointed to develop a series of guidance documents for city-level officials and stakeholders which address the needs of infants, toddlers, and their caregivers in the planning and management of their neighbourhoods. Infants, toddlers, and their carers use the public realm of a city more than any other group, yet their needs are not factored into any of the standards, tools or common lexicon of city planners and engineers. Very young children experience life at a smaller scale. Their world is composed of the streets and spaces in front of their homes and their neighbourhood parks and schools. Young children have limited mobility, and a

slower walking speed so their access to services is limited to those that are within walking distance, which is between 800m to a kilometre from their home. It is often overlooked that the average height of this age group is 95 cm, so the world viewed from this height can be a scary and intimidating place. We established five key objectives to address the needs of this age group, one where infants, toddlers, and their caregivers feel safe to explore, play and engage with their built environment in a green, accessible and inclusive neighbourhood. Our design guidelines are organised around the five elements of a neighbourhood, an easy-to-navigate list covering the scope of the public realm; neighbourhood, streets, parks and open spaces, social infrastructure and urban services. A number of components interrelate, so should be viewed in combination with others. For example, a bench on a busy street will have different guidelines from one located in a park. Only when a bench is well located and installed in combination with other key factors such as good shade, clear lighting and unobstructed sightlines from play areas will it transform from a neutral piece of equipment into something that is actively used. We must call for a better start to the lives of our children. They deserve to spend their formative years in a place that is safe and healthy, compact and infused with nature, walkable and bikeable, with inclusive public services; a neighbourhood that will foster imagination and adventure and nurture creativity. Not a big ask, but a small one.

BDP Lab Steve Merridew

Gap House; a compact low carbon prototype home patented by BDP

Harnessing 60 years of progressive practice, BDP Lab stimulates thought leadership and research

The Big Conversation BDP has a 60 year pedigree in research and innovation. We were founded on the progressive idea that the best outcomes are achieved when design and engineering disciplines come together in equal partnership with a singular vision; to improve quality of life. The range and scale of our design output means we have a fantastic resource from which to learn and inform. Given this heritage, and in recognition of the significant challenges our industry needs to meet in the coming years, we are launching BDP Lab as a place for research and collaboration. Formalising research isn’t new to us; in 1987 the BDP Energy and Environment Group established itself as one of the UK’s leading applied research groups actively interrogating the energy performance and environmental design of buildings. BDP Lab is the new home for interdisciplinary research and development, harnessing expertise from across the practice and engaging with academic and industry specialists. Our focus will be on practice based knowledge management and formal research. Through a combination of creativity, experimentation and rigour we are investigating the pressing subjects of today – and tomorrow. From projects as diverse as an urban farm with the Manchester International Festival, biophilic design for workplace, zero carbon housing, or blue sky thinking to create a Houses of Parliament fit for the next 150 years; all our research feeds through to practice, helping us to learn lessons and drive to improve, maximising benefits to our clients. Our collaboration with NBS on the Technology Strategy Board contract to develop the BIM Digital Toolkit illustrates how research innovation and leadership is applied to practice. We generated the new UK level 2 BIM Level of Detail Guidelines, aligning this important standard with the other suite of level 2 BIM documents and applying this knowledge to the BDP design process to drive efficiency and consistency across our digital outputs. Feedback is fundamental to the lab. Ten years on from the completion of the pioneering microflats for Abito in Manchester, we are speaking with residents to understand how the scheme is performing against the aspiration to provide

BDP Lab

Greenius Wall; a bioproductive climatic façade system for an urban farm experiment at Manchester International Festival

sustainable, key worker accommodation, and what can inform new design responses to the housing crisis. We have developed a stylish and sustainable prototype home, Gap House, flexible enough to adapt for a variety of housing needs. We are also collaborating with the BRE, BSRIA and the RIBA on post occupancy evaluation methodologies. The climate crisis presents many challenges for our industry. Among our current avenues of exploration and analysis is the concept collection developed for the Electricity Supply Board which reimagines many elements of office services to drive energy efficiency and embrace the smart revolution. We are working on several Passivhaus certified projects following our pioneering collaboration on the Enterprise Centre for the University of East Anglia. One of our current challenges is a government funded project. Developing a culture of learning and research allows us to push boundaries, it enriches life at BDP, adds genuine value for our clients and most importantly the global society.

Abito Apartments, Manchester; pioneering microflats for urban living. Ten years later resident satisfaction is informing our design approach.

APPRENTICESHIPS

BDP Apprentices; the class of 2019

Diversifying Learning Chris Jones and Robyn Poulson welcome first steps towards a more socially inclusive architectural profession

The Big Conversation Growing unease about architectural education is hardly surprising given the epochal changes currently underway in universities. A long-held criticism of the architectural profession has been its accessibility to only the most well-off applicants and some teaching institutions still appear to be predisposed to produce the solitary genius, rather than today’s collaborator. Increased university fees and the lengthy course duration means that prospective students are thinking twice about the balance of value and cost of the qualification. The welcome introduction of architectural apprenticeships propels architectural education into a contemporary context. Collaborative partnering to advance education and promote fresh, new talent is in our DNA. As one of the largest architect-led interdisciplinary design consultancies in the UK we believe we have a responsibility to champion new routes to inspire, train, and mentor the next generation of designers. Our founder, Sir George Grenfell Baines, who learned his trade in a local architectural practice before qualifying through part time study, placed such importance on ‘learning by doing’ that he helped establish the Design Teaching Practice at the University of Sheffield and today we continue to support its Collaborative Practice programme, amongst others. In 2012 three building services and civil and structural engineering apprentices joined the practice. Since then numbers have steadily increased, and 16 new apprentices began training with us in 2019. Exciting progress has been made in the diversification of the range of apprenticeships we are now able to offer, truly reflecting our interdisciplinary make-up. Today we are training for the professions of civil and structural engineering, building services engineering, acoustics, project management, sustainability, town planning, landscape design and architecture. We are one of 20 leading practices making up a trailblazer group which has been pivotal in developing the architectural apprenticeship scheme, enabling students to earn while they learn, working four days a week in practice with day release at university. The Apprenticeship Levy takes care

Apprenticeships - Diversifying Learning

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Straight from school; the apprenticeship assessment day

of their university fees, so this means not only will students qualify without course-related debt but they are practice ready and already a valuable asset to the practices where they trained. Level 7 (Part II) apprenticeships were available to architecture graduates from 2018 and 2019 marks the first time that Level 6 (Part I) apprenticeships have been offered in the UK. Whilst both levels will increase access to the profession, Level 6 will undoubtedly attract talent that may otherwise be lost. As the number of apprentices grows a cohort group will consolidate apprentice learning across all studios. We hope that an increase in apprentices across all professions will generate a strong network of truly interdisciplinary designers, sadly lacking in many university courses, but a long cherished aspiration and one true to the spirit of BDP.

The Noise Oscars

We are also proud to announce that our support for apprenticeships has been officially recognised with the inaugural Armstrong Next Generation Award at the annual Noise Abatement Society’s John Connell Awards, which recognise the importance of sound quality and champion vital advances in reducing the negative impact of unnecessary noise for public benefit. The Acoustics Technician Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group, chaired by London acoustic studio lead Richard Grove, has been developing the Acoustics Technician Apprenticeship for three years. It officially launched in January with the first intake of apprentices in September 2020. This award encourages the next generation of acoustic and soundscape practitioners and highlights the demand for more acoustic expertise in the industry.

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Qasr al Hosn Abu Dhabi

Aberdeen Music Hall

3. Alliance Business School Manchester

UCL New Student Centre, London (Engineers only)

Harris Academy Sutton

64 Victoria, Westminster

GGB judges on tour

the GGB Awards 2019

The Big Conversation

GGB Awards

7. Artscape Daniels Launchpad, Toronto

Barton Science Centre, Tonbridge School

Boxpark Wembley

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Maidenhill Primary School and Nursery, Glasgow

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Monmouth School

Keele University

"However functional or minimal the design gets, it should be rooted in humanity and how people live." Alvar Aalto The GGB Awards are presented annually in honour of BDPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founder, Sir George Grenfell Baines. Teams are invited to submit completed projects and the shortlisted schemes are visited by leaders from each of our professions. With over 1500 people across the practice we complete many projects each year which are diverse in scale, use and location. They range from the adaptation and reuse of existing structures to new buildings pioneering environmental approaches to energy use. This signals a strong focus across the practice towards meeting the challenge of climate change. This year 12 finalists were selected from a longlist of 20 entries. Every project visited was judged to be of extremely high quality, displaying design innovation and reflecting creative conversations with each respective client.

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Judging Criteria People How well does the design respond to the opportunity of the activities? Place How well does the design respond to the opportunity of the site? Time How well does the design utilise modern methods to enhance design, construction and operation? Together do they combine the functional and experiential to tell a clear and compelling story?

Shortlist

104 The Barton Science Centre - a new three storey collaboration space has been carved out of the historic building and a new wing added. It houses a variety of labs and teaching spaces wrapped around a social hub which encourages interdisciplinary working. The judges were impressed by the creative approach to reusing and extending a historic building.

The Big Conversation

GGB Awards

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Winner

BEST DRAWING 106

The Big Conversation

The GGB Drawing Prize is awarded to Nariza Hopley's drawing which explores furniture configuration and different settings for learning [Right] and John Russell's playful sketch of Maidenhill Primary School and Nursery [Left]. Overleaf: The GGB Photography Prize is awarded to Alan Williams for his bird's eye perspective of the central stair at the new student centre at UCL.

GGB Awards

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BEST PHOTOGRAPH 108

The Big Conversation

GGB Awards

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HIGHLIGHTS

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OF THE YEAR January

� Manisha Bhartia discusses designing child friendly smart cities at the Infants, Toddlers, Caregivers-Friendly Neighbourhoods (ITCN) workshop in Mumbai � Mike Duff and Joan Kerr are architecture ambassadors for RIBA National Schools programme at Queensbridge School [1] � Manchester studio hosts The Apprentice style challenge evening for the Young Leaders Forum � Aidan Kelly hosts the CIBSE Digital Engineering Group in our London studio

February

� Our engineers win the Project of the Year Commercial category at the CIBSE Awards for One Angel Square, Northampton [2] � Sue Emms is a visiting practice professor at Sheffield University [3] � Chris Harding and James Hepburn host an evening event for the University of Cambridge’s Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment master’s and postgraduate courses � Colin Ball and Lora Kaleva present Red Shift for the Society of Light and Lighting and CIBSE North West in Manchester

March

� Gavin Elliott chairs the Manchester Climate Change panel discussion at MIPIM [4] � We celebrate International Women’s Day this month attending events for the MIPIM Ladies and Westminster Council, Women Who Shape a Better Leeds City Region, RIBA West Midlands, Balance for Better and the annual Women in Architecture Awards lunch [5] � Ordsall Chord wins a Civic Trust Award and BDP wins the Outstanding Achievement Award for winning most awards since the Civic Trust scheme was established � Gavin Stevenson presents acoustics in architecture at Coventry University [6] � We attend MIPIM on the London, Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool stands � We host the annual RIBA Journal MacEwen Award lunch recognising projects of social value � Boxpark Croydon wins Retail Destination at the Retail Week Awards � Our lighting team hosts Chasing the Dark in our London studio for the International Association of Lighting Designers [7] � Chris Hughes presents Edinburgh St James and Don Kelman joins a panel discussing digital transformation at Scotland Build � We host REVO’s Sustainability and Community Engagement Committee in our London studio � Phil Gray and Keith Papa join the Low Carbon Climate-Responsive Heating and Cooling of Cities project team, a joint UK/China research collaboration to reduce carbon in cities � Cambridge Assessment wins Corporate Workplace category at BCO Midlands regional awards

April

� We exhibit at the AUDE conference at University of Lancaster � Elliott Ballam presents to National Architects in Schools in Dublin � Keith Papa presents the Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology Faculty building at University of Cambridge during the S-Lab conference in Birmingham � Phil Simcock presents Merrion House for IStructE � Meadowhall wins Mall Transformation at the Revo Opal Awards � Katharine Blankley is a judge for this year’s Women in Construction and Engineering Awards

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The Big Conversation

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Highlights of the Year

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� RICS regional wins for S4C Canolfan Yr Egin, Aberdeen Music Hall, Westgate, Lexicon, Mulberry Park Community Hub and Gloucester Bus Station � As part of Clerkenwell Design Week students from the Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design exhibit in our London studio. Lee Painter creates the lighting design for BottleHouse in conjunction with small. and website manager, Radek Kaminski, presents user engagement on websites at Archiboo's breakfast event [8] � RIBA regional wins for Westgate, Ordsall Chord and Merrion House, also taking the sustainability award. Michael Riley is named Project Architect of Year for the north west [9] � PwC Manchester wins the Fit-Out category at BCO Awards � Alliance Manchester Business School wins for Design Excellence category at Insider Property Awards � Tut Shu is named one of Mix Interiors 30 under 30 [10] � Birmingham studio hosts the Building Brum Housing Debate with Stephen Marshall � Alder Hey Children’s Hospital wins Building of the Decade in the public vote for Insider NW Property Awards � Yuli Cadney-Toh judges the Bristol Property Awards � We host Boundary-Kucha for the London Festival of Architecture � The Italian Gardens at Weston-super-Mare wins at the Street Design Awards � Monmouth School wins at both Constructing Excellence Wales and Education Buildings Wales Awards � Fiona Sibley joins a panel of speakers for Cities in Culture, a balloon debate in our London studio with presenters championing the best representation of cities in art and literature � We are a sponsor for the European Healthcare Design conference and Ged Couser presents Designing for Cancer and Andrew Smith chairs Beyond the Hospital panel � Michael Mullen and Patrick Kavanagh present NZEB and compliance of hotels, office and schools at the Royal Institute of the Architects in Ireland conference � We win Design Practice of Year at Mixology Awards � To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day our engineers join a Brunel University Mentoring Programme � We attend the premiere of the film Hands on the Glass and a reception at the Czech and Slovak embassies to honour the parents whose children were rescued by Sir Nicholas Winton in 1939. Milena Grenfell Baines MBE, wife of our founder Professor Sir George Grenfell Baines was one of those children and speaks at the reception. � Ordsall Chord wins an RIBA national award � We sponsor New Chinese Architecture’s Twenty Women Building for the Future � One of the innovative prefabricated thatch panels designed for the Enterprise Centre at University of East Anglia is showcased at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition � Dublin studio enjoys a day at Leopardstown Racecourse [12] � The Engineering Innovation Centre at UCLAN wins Specific BSE Project of Year � We are again gold sponsors of RIBA Pride, coming second in Architectural Pride Float Design Competition and we host the second Pride Glitterball in London studio in association with IALD, Zumtobel and RIBA’s Architecture LGBT+ [11] � Our Sheffield studio cricketers beat Manchester studio in the annual Cartmell Cup � We host the Blueprint for the Future student awards and Chris Harding is one of this year’s judges � The London studio directors triumph this year in the annual staff v directors softball match � Peter Jenkins and Nozomi Hishida present at the Transit Oriented Development conference in Singapore [13] � Manchester studio hosts the Architecture LGBT+ pre-Pride breakfast � Maarten Mutters presents at New London Architecture’s Summer Design Challenge � Adrian Price is an assessor for the Architectural Apprentice Assessment hosted by our London studio � Peter Marshall joins ex RIBA President Ben Derbyshire talking sustainable design in China [14]

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The Big Conversation

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October

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December

Highlights of the Year

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� Teams from Glasgow and Dublin cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats for Deloitte Ride Across Britain to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support [15] � Mark Simpson is a judge for the FX Awards � Glasgow studio hosts its Big Conversation event on the changing role of the architect � Lora Kaleva and Lee Painter present at DARC conference � Ordsall Chord is featured in the 100 Architects of Year exhibition in Seoul � Beautiful and Brutal: 50 Years in the Life of Preston Bus Station opens at the Harris Museum � For World Green Building Week and Global Climate Strike Day all our studios hold workshops to share ideas on designing for climate change [20] � Mark Ridler presents Lighting an Idea at the Trends in Lighting Forum in Bregenz [16] � Our Communications team wins Digital Team of Year at the Archiboo awards � Alliance Manchester Business School wins Building of Year at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Awards � S4C Canolfan Yr Egin is highly commended at RICS national awards � For World Mental Health Day we launch BDPMind and produce an adult colouring book [17] � Yuli Cadney-Toh presents at Bristol Housing Festival � Stephen Marshall and Parisa Kanabar present the impact of design on wellbeing at Healthy City Design Congress at the Royal College of Physicians � UCL Student Centre wins Pupil/Student Experience and Project of Year at the Education Estates Conference in Manchester � Samir Shaikh is a panellist at the CII Tech Summit in New Delhi � The Acoustics Technician Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group, chaired by London acoustic studio lead Richard Grove, receives the inaugural Armstrong Next Generation Award at the annual Noise Abatement Society’s John Connell Awards � Mike Hitchmough presents Creating a Sustainable Future for LEAF conference in Berlin � Anna Sinnott presents at Women in Architecture hosted in our London studio � Sam Kingsley is a panellist for an intersectionality discussion for Architecture LGBT+ [18] � UCL Student Centre wins Building Performance at Building Awards � We exhibit at MAPIC and win Best F&B Concept for Boxpark Wembley � Teambuild Future Leaders wins for procurement and Martha Andrews' leadership � We sponsor the Architectural Writer of the Year at the IBP journalism awards � Chris Harding chairs a conference at the Harris Museum, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Preston Bus Station � Glasgow studio hosts its second Big Conversation with Sue Emms, Lindsey Mitchell and Sandra Gallagher � UCL Student Centre wins Education/Health/Commerce category at Lux Awards [19] � We host the Civic Trust and Selwyn Goldsmith Awards judges in our London studio � Colin Ball and Lora Kaleva present Blue to the Institution of Lighting Professionals � Richard Grove, Joe McCall and Rosario di Stefano present the effects of vibration on humans at Reproduced Sound conference in Bristol � Maidenhill School wins the Education category at Glasgow Institute of Architects Awards � Jon Hall, Juan Morillas and Joaquin Monge present at London Build and Sam Kingsley is a Diversity Ambassador � Lindsey Mitchell and Christoph Ackermann present at Education Buildings Scotland � Bristol studio is the first company in the city to sign up to the One Tree Per Employee scheme, donating over 70 trees and planting some at Southmead Hospital [21] � Oldham Town Hall wins the Victorian Society Restoration of Decade � New Life, Old City written by Peter Coleman and Ian Latham launches � We curate the Learning Zone for this year’s Mix Design Collective in Manchester � Manchester Science Park wins a British Association of Landscape Industries Award � Sue Emms presents at Westminster Higher Education Forum Conference � A team from our London studio designs a Palace of Light for this year’s Gingerbread City at Somerset House. The exhibition explores the theme of transport and our design shows how heritage buildings can be readapted and restored for a greener future

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2019 has been an excellent year for the practice and an important year in our history, with significant growth at home and abroad. We set ourselves ambitious goals, particularly in relation to geographic reach, and we have achieved those and so much more. We established a new Singapore studio as well as fully integrating a 200-strong established Toronto practice into the BDP group. Architect director Björn Bleumink has been appointed to lead the Rotterdam studio and contribute to the growth of the practice in the Netherlands and across Northern Europe supported by Christoph Ackermann, who was invited to become a Principal of the practice. Our growing international network of studios, aligned with our established UK locations, ensures our presence in the global market place. The UK remains a buoyant market for the practice and is forecast to deliver around 70% of our income over the next three years. Recent initiatives have seen three new studio locations established in Liverpool, Leeds and Cardiff, capitalising on our strong track record of award-winning projects in these locations along with a high level of local knowledge. Following the UK election, the debate over Brexit, which has fractured British politics since 2016, is over. However, we must remember that Brexit is not an event but a process, and we can only hope that the level playing field relationship proposed by Brussels will minimise the economic impact on the country. Beyond the UK, two issues will dominate markets in the coming year; America’s presidential election campaign and the weakness of the global economy. A noticeable cooling of the US economy will challenge Trump’s claim to have made America great again and global growth has already slowed in 2019 due to the damage caused to manufacturing and trade flows by the US-Chinese trade war. Notwithstanding this volatile political landscape, I am delighted to report that the practice has reported its highest turnover to date this year, at £106.8M with a pre-tax profit of £9.5M. This represents a 21.8% increase in turnover and a 9.2% increase in operating profit. This performance enabled us to make excellent Employee Profit Share distributions across most locations and to make significant further investments

in our office infrastructure and IT technologies. We also made 14 appointments at profession director level: architects Andy Capewell, Paul Johnson, Matthew Mayes, Samir Shaikh, Ilaria Tufari, Michelle Xuereb and Paul Zheng; urban designer Manisha Bhartia; landscape architect Chris Stanton; interior designer Kristen Liedl; acoustician Richard Grove; design manager Nicola Ravariere; building services engineer Laura Smith and IT/project technology manager Elliott Crossley. We recently structured a new three year plan which looks to take our income to around £150m by 2022. We anticipate some of this growth to be in conjunction with our partners in Nippon Koei and we are actively looking to increase collaboration between us in South East Asia. Far and away the most significant investment of the past year has been our union with Toronto-based Quadrangle and we are investigating ways in which we might offer our joint services not only in Canada but also in the United States. As a result of our partnership, we have moved from 30th place in the World Architecture Top 100 list to 24th place. Our culture of collective responsibility will drive us to continued success; to produce great designs, to win awards and to work with the very best, most progressive clients towards the advancement of a sustainable society. John McManus Chief Executive

117 Picture Credits Nick Caville David Barbour Brian Bonnett Navanil Chattopadhyay Gareth Gardner Laurian Ghinitoiu Jack Hobhouse Lewisham Council Robby McCullough Vanessa McKinley Francis Holland Schools Trust Tom Niven Roger Park Joel Pett Ben Rahn / A-Frame Mark Ralston Philip Vile Claudia Westermann Michael Whitestone The Picture Art Collection Quadrangle City of Toronto Editorial and Design John Booth Nick Caville Chris Harding Jack Lambert Julianne McAtarsney Helen Moorhouse

Whilst every effort has been made to contact copyright holders for their permission to reprint material, the publishers would be grateful to hear from any copyright holder who is not acknowledged here and will undertake to rectify any errors or omissions in future editions.

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BDP 2020 The Big Conversation

Articles inside

The Big Conversation 2020

A Human Perspective

On the Rise

Space and Tranquility

Weathering The Storm

THE WORKPLACE ECOSYSTEM: Extinction or Reinvention?

A Different Kind Of Care

Our Zero Carbon Future

Singapore: Hot Spot

Let the Building Sing

Housing, Health and Happiness

Lighting Up Lives

Nature's Invention