House architecture (AJ06.12.12) D by The Architects' Journal

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06 09 10 12 16 22 32

Week in pictures London Business School; EMI record factory Front page Gloom as recovery is slower than anticipated UK news Chancellor announces £5 billion capital projects boost New feature Surprise spike in public and private housing starts Awards 2012 RIBA President’s Medal winners revealed People & practice Gary Yardley on Earl’s Court redevelopment 5 houses by 5 practices Homes by Hayhurst & Co, John Pardey with Ström Architects, Phil Coffey, Roz Barr and StudioKAP 60 Culture The V&A’s new permanent gallery dedicated to furniture This week online Sign up for the AJ daily email: the latest news, building studies and competitions arrive at 8.30am TheAJ.co.uk

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From the editor

The AJ Women in Architecture campaign continues into its second year, striving to secure equal pay and status

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AJ editor Christine Murray (right) with last year’s AJ Women Architects of the Year, Michál Cohen and Cindy Walters

THEODORE WOOD

It took 117 years for The Architects’ Journal to produce its first women-focused issue. In January last year, we did it. By April, we had a sold-out awards event. By June, the first of our networking evenings had established the AJ Women in Architecture campaign as an important annual programme – raising awareness about unequal pay and the glass ceiling, while promoting female role models for aspiring architects and celebrating the achievements of women in the profession. The issue, which controversially featured ‘Architect Barbie’ on the cover – highlighting the gap between fantasy and reality for women working in the industry – was inspired by the detailed AJ Women in Architecture survey, which was completed by 700 women. We wanted to find out why there is an 80:20 male to female ratio of qualified architects in the UK – and the results were shocking: 47 per cent of women believed they would be paid more if they were male; 11 per cent experienced sexual discrimination at least once a week; 80 per cent said having children put them at a disadvantage in the workplace. The survey results were taken up by the world’s media – from NBC Washington to an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. Lack of role models was highlighted as a key issue in our survey – so we endeavoured to promote existing role models, and make some new ones. The Women in Practice issue featured more than 60 women partners and directors, discovering how they got where they are today, and a series of insightful essays by women who have carved stand-out careers in the sector. From this base we launched the inaugural Women in Architecture Awards. We marshalled an amazing eightstrong judging panel that included Doreen Lawrence, Victoria Thornton, Martha Thorne, Laura Lee, Peter Rees, Collette O’Shea, Moira Gemmill and Richard Rogers, and reintroduced the Jane Drew Prize for the greatest contribution to the status and profile of women in architecture, awarded to Zaha Hadid. Our Women in Architecture luncheon at the

Langham Hotel was attended by the top women in the profession with speeches by Zaha Hadid and Farshid Moussavi. After the event we received numerous notes of thanks from many prominent women in the industry, not least our winners, Woman Architect of the Year joint-winners Michál Cohen and Sandy Walters of Walters + Cohen, and Hannah Lawson of John McAslan + Partners, Emerging Woman Architect of the Year. This week, our programme begins again, with the survey, awards, talks, events and the Women in Architecture luncheon on 22 March, again at the Langham Hotel. Our ambition is to continue the AJ Women in Architecture campaign until we see real change in unequal pay and the status of women in the profession. Entries are now open for this year’s Women in Architecture awards, and this year’s Women in Architecture survey is now online. Whether male or female, architect, client, consultant, technologist or student, I urge you to fill in the survey and nominate a colleague for the awards. Tracking data on salaries, work/life balance, discrimination and childcare issues will allow us to follow changing perceptions of inequality in the profession, and record trends in flexible hours, shared parenting and working culture. Through awareness, and by celebrating the success of women working in the industry, we believe in time that we can redress the balance. christine.murray@emap.com TheAJ.co.uk/wia 

Week in pictures

 Sheppard Robson has unveiled its competitionwinning vision for a new £50 million home for the London Business School in the city’s Old Marylebone Town Hall. The Grade II-listed, Edwin Cooperdesigned council building will feature a new 200-seat lecture theatre and school entrance 1

 ..

 Studio Egret West, AHMM and Duggan Morris have won planning permission for the £250 million redevelopment of the former EMI record factory in Hayes. The 600-home scheme was described as a ‘catalyst for further developments’ by Hillingdon Council 2

 Hawkins\Brown has completed its 4,330m² New Radcliffe House community health centre for the University of Oxford. With three GP surgeries and offices for Oxford University Press, it is part of the university’s Rafael Viñoly-masterplanned Radcliffe Observatory Quarter expansion project 3

 Terry Farrell and Partners’ redevelopment of Lots Road Power Station in Chelsea, west London, has started on site – six years after being approved by then deputy prime minister John Prescott. The taller, 37-storey tower on the 4.6-hectare site’s western end is the first section to undergo work 4

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 John McAslan + Partners’ 38,500m² Mebe One Khimki Plaza commercial office project in Moscow has started on site. Due to complete in February 2014, the 19-storey business centre is located on a new motorway between the Russian capital and St Petersburg, which opens next year 5

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PICTURE CREDITS: 01 SHEPPARD ROBSON 02 STUDIO EGRET WEST 03 TIM CROCKER 04 TERRY FARRELL AND PARTNERS 05 JOHN MCASLAN + PARTNERS

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03/12/12 16:24

Front page Way up Very pessimistic

Slightly up Very optimistic

35.6%

2.1% 5.5%

24.7%

How optimistic are you of an increase in workload over the next 12 months?

Slightly down

4.8% 11%

Pessimistic

17.8%

Significantly down

39%

How does your workload look compared with this time one year ago?

17.8%

41.8% Slightly optimistic About the same

Things will stay the same over the next year

Rising fees and falling salaries: welcome to the ‘new economy’ State of the Profession Survey shows architects have little faith in government initiatives and place most confidence in overseas job markets survey More than a third of the profession has abandoned hopes of an economic recovery as wage cuts and reduced fees continue to ravage the marketplace. After four years of economic downturn, 36 per cent of architects now believe these negative trends are here to stay, agreeing with thestatement ‘this is the new economy’. The first results from the AJ’s State of the Profession Survey indicate a major departure from 2009, when 40 per cent of architects thought the economy would be booming again within a year. Faith in the government has

06.12.12

also taken a blow, with 38 per cent survey respondents had their pay of architects lacking confidence in cut in 2012, compared with 20 official efforts to fight the per cent four years ago. A further downturn, compared with just a quarter thought reduced salaries quarter in 2009. However, 5 per were on the horizon, compared cent thought policies were now with 14 per cent at the start of the working, compared with downturn. none previously. A shocking 65 per While staff cent admitted their redundancies, reduced practice dropped fees, Architect survey working hours and with 20 per cent respondents who falling workloads reporting a ‘significant’ reported fees have eased in the past reduction. Just over 40 being cut four years, pay cuts and per cent lowered fees in rock-bottom fees have 2009, with only 7 per cent emerged as the new trends risking major discounts. besieging modern practice. Most respondents thought Close to a third of architect workloads would either remain

65%

stable (35 per cent) or increase slightly (40 per cent) over the coming 12 months, with only 20 per cent feeling pessimistic about workload in the future and 5 per cent very optimistic. Redundancies were also slightly down, with 46 per cent declaring job cuts in the past 12 months, compared with half of practices in 2009. The residential sector was identified by 42 per cent of architects as the most encouraging sector over the next 12 months, followed by commercial (19 per cent) and infrastructure (11 per cent). A majority, 60 per cent, believed China offered most job potential for architects, followed by Brazil (36 per cent) and Abu Dhabi (31 per cent). Nearly 400 people completed the survey, of whom 67 per cent were male. Half of the respondents were London-based. Merlin Fulcher TheAJ.co.uk/survey

UK news

£5bn capital projects boost announced Billions saved by cuts to Whitehall budgets could lead to the construction of more schools but architects fear design timescales may be compromised education Chancellor George Osborne has announced a £5 billion cash boost for new schools and infrastructure to be paid for in savings from Whitehall budgets. The capital projects investment will see £1 billion put aside for 100 new free schools and academies, creating an additional 50,000 new school places. The new schools are expected to start construction in autumn 2013. Whitehall department budgets will be cut by 1 per cent next year and a further 2 per cent the following year to pay for the projects. New roads and other infrastructure projects will also be included in the programme.

Prime minister David Cameron said: ‘Government departments aren’t actually spending up to their budgets so I think we can say to them, you’ve got to cut back some spending, including

some unnecessary spending. ‘Let’s put that money into things that will make a difference in our country and in our economy – more roads, more school buildings, more infrastructure to make our economy work better, to make our country work better.’ British Council for School Environments chief executive Sharon Wright welcomed the news but argued the money must be ‘spent wisely’ to ensure ‘decent environments’ for all children. She said: ‘We’re glad to see the government recognising the importance of investing in school buildings, and this will go some way towards addressing

the shortage of school places and the growing pupil population.’ Paul Scott, director of TP Bennett, which designed the Toby Young-backed West London Free School (WLFS) welcomed the cash injection but warned that rushed contractor-led programmes and a minimal design stage could store up problems for the future. Scott said the political imperative for a speedy solution to the schools crisis meant architects had to draw up designs for what are often tricky, constrained sites, sometimes in a matter of days. ‘The design work is done at risk to meet ridiculously short programme times,’ he said. TP Bennett was drafted in at the last minute to work with contractor Willmott Dixon after a split with original contractor Apollo. Scott said: ‘I had to design the WLFS over the weekend.’ Max Thompson TheAJ.co.uk/Schools

Paralympian on legacy team Fort Albert shortlist unveiled london Paralympian Tanni Grey- she supported its Women in Thompson will help steer the Architecture campaign and believed residential-led redevelopment of the spirit of the Games would the Olympic Park in east London. continue to help battle prejudices. London mayor Boris Johnson ‘For me the Paralympics has announced the 43-year-old always been associated with former wheelchair racer’s breaking down boundaries appointment to the and extending London Legacy opportunity – nowhere Development was that more true Number of new Corporation board than London,’ she homes planned earlier this week said. ‘Our aim was for the Olympic (3 December). always to hold a more Park site He said Greyinclusive Games than Thompson – who is ever and there is no already on the Transport reason why that should end. for London and London ‘We already have Zaha Hadid’s Marathon boards – would bring beautiful Aquatics Centre as a a ‘unique mix of experience’ to testament to the skills of women the organisation, which plans to in architecture; the Olympic Park construct 6,800 new homes on should continue to benefit from the 64-hectare Stratford site. the skills of all in our society.’ Grey-Thompson told the AJ Merlin Fulcher, TheAJ.co.uk/Olympics

6,800

10 theaj.co.uk

isle of wight A nine-strong shortlist for the high-profile Fort Albert residential scheme, located on the Isle of Wight, has been announced. Young guns AR Design Studio, Architecture Initiative and Stitch Architects sit alongside Moxon, Barlow Henley, Fletcher Priest, Gollifer Langston and traditional and historical experts James Armitage and Sheppard Architects on the shortlist. In September the developer, Cleanslate, opened a competition calling for ‘innovative’ residential schemes for the site, which lies adjacent to the island’s historically important Fort Albert, which was built in 1856. The developer said that it had ‘no preconceptions about the future of the site’ but advised

that ‘participants should be aware of its historical heritage, prominent location and contextual importance when preparing their submissions.’ Whittled down from a total of 70 entries, the winner of the residential scheme is scheduled to be announced in the new year. Max Thompson TheAJ.co.uk/FortAlbert

06.12.12

Lights Camera Action

Details Colours Downloads www.comar-alu.co.uk The new range of Comar aluminium profiles launches today at www.comar-alu.co.uk. Key notes this season include downloadable CAD details, NBS Specifications, testing to CWCT Sequence B and the very latest colours and finishing technology for Comar’s aluminium curtain walling, windows, ground floor framing and doors. Simply click on and register on the ‘Comar Partner’ tab to download typical design details or create your own facade from over 700 aluminium profiles. If you require bespoke profiles, email your design and Comar can provide feasibility and budget costs. Accentuate façades with a palette of over 400 different textures, colours and finishes from RAL, Syntha Pulvin and anodising such as Sandalor. New additions include finishes from Interpon; their Elements and Fusion collections ensure the very latest coatings are available at your fingertips. Demanding designs are backed up with exceptional tested reassurance. World renowned Taywood Engineering has completed its testing of Comar 6EFT 4sided, 2sided structural glazing and capped curtain walling, all with concealed vents to the CWCT’s Sequence B test regime at a design safety pressure of 3600Pa. The test has the added benefit of being witnessed and audited by the CWCT. For further information, contact projects@parksidegrp.co.uk or simply call on 020 8685 9685 to organise a meeting with your regional Comar Consultant.

News feature

Spike in housing starts brings glimmer of hope Housing shows an unexpected increase as the number of new private projects doubles compared with this time last year. Max Thompson reports He said: ‘The increased rate of  Two new sets of figures new work seen in the Northern reveal a surprise spike in housing regions and Wales, combined starts, despite a backdrop of a 12 with signs that house prices hit a per cent slump in completions. bottom in the third quarter, are A rise in private and social good indications that mortgage housing starts of 50 and 11 lending and development per cent respectively compared finance are finding their with the same period way to those who can last year was recorded make use of it.’ by construction However, the analyst Glenigan in MORE HOMES upbeat Glenigan the three months BETTER HOMES findings stand in until November. stark contrast to This equates to figures released by the about £3.3 billionNational House-Building worth of new work. Council (NHBC), which With all eyes on the has recorded a drop in newly economy and the chancellor’s registered homes from 101,600 Autumn Statement, revealed in 2011 to 89,600 in 2012. on Wednesday (see TheAJ. Meanwhile, in the AJ State co.uk/AS2012), Glenigan of the Profession Survey, (see economist Andrew Whiffin first results, page 9), 42 per cent said the figures were good of architects said they expected news for the housing sector.

work in the residential sector to increase over the next 12 months. While the Glenigan results are encouraging, Nick Johnson, co-founder of Urban Splash, is not convinced: ‘Those figures don’t cross-check with what it feels like,’ said Johnson. ‘Maybe compared with a very bad period last year [there is an upturn], but the overall picture remains incredibly difficult. ‘Generally, small-scale private sector builders have no access to capital. House builders are keeping sites going but are building in small numbers for low margins.’ The NHBC found the South East had most housebuilding between August and October, with 4,638 registrations. Greater London had 3,701, Scotland 1,980 and Wales 1,041.

UK private housing project starts January 2010-November 2012 (Source: Glenigan)

2,500

Millions

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

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2 ul

p Se

v No

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‘We have had a lot of enquiries in the past three or four months’

We have had a lot of enquiries in the past three or four months, so the government incentives must be having an effect. The drop in completions must be linked to the 2008 crash, because a lot of things stalled then and didn’t happen. A lot of things were nipped in the bud after the crash and that is why we are seeing fewer completions this year.  -  

‘We’re busier than any time since the practice was established’

3,000

 , ,  

p Se

v No

2 ul

p Se

v No

Studio Octopi’s private housing work continues to show steady growth, with a surge of enquiries since the end of the Olympics. There is a hint of returning confidence – at the very least some sort of stability – we find ourselves busier than at any time since the practice was established nine years ago. The majority of enquiries are for new build and refurbs in London and the South East, with private residential being about 60 per cent of the practice’s work. ..

  , ,  

 , ,  

 , ,   

‘The real stumbling block [is] getting through planning’

‘There is not enough demand to encourage new houses to be built’

‘The situation in the more depressed areas of the country is very worrying. It requires a more interventionist approach’

It is clear that the government is looking into a number of incentives, such as the affordable provision and 106 agreements to help free up developable sites. But I don’t see that these are tackling the real stumbling block, which is the time spent getting through the planning process. Planning has also become more onerous with regards to the amount of information and number of reports required. I have noticed recently that there is real euphoria in simply getting the application registered. We are involved in a number of Homes and Communities Agency-owned sites, which tend to take a more collaborative approach to planning. On one site, which has just secured detailed planning approval, the design process was kick-started with a half-day workshop with everyone involved in the application, including the local authority, highways, police liaison, ward members and registered social landlords. This helped in the long term, bringing a ‘buy-in’ from everyone and a sense of ownership. I feel this collaborative approach was instrumental in a smooth planning process and delivering a good scheme that is due to start on site in the new year. I support the planning process, in that there needs to be control and guidance with regards to a local development plan and design. However, there needs to be a more pragmatic approach.

It’s not that the government hasn’t tried to stimulate supply, but more that their measures are taking time to filter through. Relaxing the rules requiring private housebuilders to incorporate social housing into large developments will be a big help. Reducing the demands of Section 106 rules would also have a positive effect but, again, this is unlikely to happen when councils are having their funding slashed elsewhere. At this stage, it seems that these measures are not simple enough to implement. In addition, although extra funding has been made available to developers, until the banks are prepared to lend to buyers at an interest rate and deposit level they can afford, there is not enough demand to encourage new houses to be built. There is little incentive for the banks to change their practices when they are now forced to keep funds aside to protect against future crises. It is difficult to imagine things getting worse, since conditions outside London are so difficult at the moment. However, the already limited number of new homes being constructed will grind to a complete halt if we face another crisis of confidence (for example in employment figures or the Eurozone). So, yes, things could definitely get worse. To boost house building the government needs a strategy that is simple and direct, like easier mortgage funding or a major Stamp Duty Holiday.

You cannot generalise about the situation across the UK. London is a world city, attracting international workers, visitors and investment, including direct investment in housing development. Consequently the housing market appears to be very active in London. Central and local government should capitalise on this through development of their own under-used property assets.

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Some are already adopting a more entrepreneurial attitude to identify housing land and potentially develop it themselves, taking advantage of liberalisation of local authority financing. The situation in the more depressed areas of the country is very worrying and could take years to resolve. It requires a more interventionist approach, including transport infrastructure improvements, dispersal of central government departments and incentives for business relocation.

 , , - 

‘All the ingredients of the solution to the housing shortfall are being lined up by the current government, but in a drip-feed fashion’

With the necessary raising of sustainability standards, the issues of cost, quality and time are going to become even more challenging. All the ingredients of the solution to the housing shortfall and impending crisis are being lined up reasonably well by the current government, but in a drip-feed fashion. A key part of the solution is build-to-let. Pension funds have billions to invest for long-term returns; therefore our design briefs will inherently have whole life cycle costing embedded within them, rather than the short-term view that, arguably, spec build developers have (for valid economic reasons). This will lead to prioritising good, durable and sustainable

design, which will need to maximise opportunities for renewables while minimising energy consumption. Buildings will inherently be more future-proof, because it will be in the interest of the landlord for them to be so. This means that we all have to accept that home ownership, at least for now, may no longer be the norm for most people. A change in the way we view the housing market in the UK is what is required and it will take time for people to come around to the idea. The stigma of renting needs to be washed aside. In this day and age it seems fitting to shed antiquated ideas of Englishmen and castles and let what you do and who you are be a measure of your success rather than where you live and whether you own your home. 

Competitions & wins

Hudson bags Norfolk country park prize COMPETITIONS FILE Winning scheme will create new visitor centre with café and conference centre to improve facilities for schools and community groups

WINNER

SHORT LISTED

scheme proposes refurbishing the park’s 235m² barn and creating a new 1,450m² visitor centre, featuring a café, conference area and washroom facilities. Robin Bertram of the studio said: ‘We’re really excited. It’s a brilliant project to get.’ The project for Crown Point Estate and the Whitlingham

 

 

 ..

 + 

Charitable Trust is part of a bid to generate more income from the 24.7-hectare open space while improving its facilities for schools and community groups. Bertram said the practice was pursuing a ‘light touch’ approach to create a ‘viable financial future’ for the park. Merlin Fulcher

The RIBA has launched an ideas contest to ‘enhance the visibility and image’ of Birmingham’s Grimshaw-designed Millennium Point (pictured). The brief calls for a ‘fabulous and unforgettable pavilion’ to improve the approach from Jennens Road. A £500 stipend is offered to shortlisted teams with the winner announced in February 2013 [Stage 1 entries to be returned by 8 January]

THE AJ DOES NOT ORGANISE, ENDORSE OR TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR COMPETITIONS

 Hudson Architects has won a design competition to overhaul Norfolk’s Whitlingham Country Park, near Norwich. The studio beat Feilden + Mawson and LSI Architects to win the project, which aims to upgrade the park’s visitor centre and regenerate neighbouring land. Hudson’s

A contest has opened to design a 280m² open workshop space made from recycled construction waste on the Caravanserai community site in Canning Town, east London. Open to architects and students, the contest seeks ‘poetic and useful’ structures with all entries requiring input from qualified engineers. The winning project will be constructed in February and runners-up will share a £1,000 prize fund. [Submissions must be received by 9 January] The London Borough of Hackney is seeking a design team for the redevelopment of Springfield Park, Clapton. The five-month feasibility study contract has a maximum value of £20,000. [Responses are due by 10 January] Sean Kitchen TheAJ.co.uk/competitions ..

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Awards

RIBA President’s Medals: the winners Outstanding work by students from London Metropolitan University, the Architectural Association and the Bartlett recognised in student awards her Moscow-based discourse  The winners of the 2012 ‘The Depository of Forgotten RIBA President’s Medals Monuments’ and Matthew Student Awards have Leung from the been announced. Bartlett was awarded The Silver Medal, for the Dissertation the best postgraduate Medal for his work entry, goes to Inaugural year ‘Oriental Orientalism ‘Sunbloc’, a prototype of the RIBA in Japan – the case of housing design by President’s Yokohama Chinatown’. students from the Medals The pragmatic London Met. and buildable nature of The AA’s Vidhya Sunbloc contrasts starkly Pushpanathan won the Bronze with last year’s Silver Medal Medal (best undergraduate) for

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 ..

winner, which went to Bartlett student Kibwe Tavares for his film about rioting robots. The visually stunning work sparked a debate about how ‘real’ entry briefs should be. (AJ 16.02.12) The President’s Medals date back to 1836 and ‘reward talent and excellence in the study of architecture’. This year’s judges included Oliver Richards, Eva Castro, Anna Liu and Chris Wilkinson. Max Thompson

  /   Matthew Leung won the Dissertation Medal for ‘Oriental Orientalism in Japan’, his ‘sophisticated discussion’ of architectural styles within Yokohama’s Chinatown

ION DISSERTAT L ME D A

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BRONZE MEDAL

  /    Vidhya Pushpanathan took the Bronze Medal for ‘The Depository of Forgotten Monuments’ (left), her ‘flexible architectural framework’ exploring Moscow’s paradox of deconstruction and reconstruction

SILVER MEDAL

  /    The Silver Medal went to London Metropolitan University students’ collaborative project ‘Sunbloc’, lightweight and heavily insulated prototype housing made from foam blocks and steel cables 

News on TheAJ.co.uk

 Architects, technologists, same work and almost twoclients and students, please take thirds believed the industry a little time to fill in this year’s was yet to accept the authority AJ Women in Architecture of the female architect. survey before Christmas and The survey forms part of the help us track the evolving status AJ Women in Architecture of women in the profession. campaign and awards, sponsored This year’s survey is open to by Roca, which aims to both men and women working promote the status of women in and studying in the built architecture while encouraging environment sector and role models for young will help us to to track women in practice. perceptions of equality The annual and trends in salary programme includes AJ WOMEN and flexible working. talks and events, IN ARCHITECTURE The anonymous a luncheon, an survey asks questions industry survey about the career and three honours. challenges and experiences The next AJ Women of working in architecture, in Architecture luncheon covering subjects such as sexual will be held on 22 March at discrimination, childcare, the Langham Hotel, London, work-life balance and pay. and AJ editor Christine Murray Last year’s survey, which was will be hosting a Women in completed by nearly 700 women, Architecture talk at the Roca revealed shocking findings and Gallery for International resulted in the instigation of three Women’s Day on 8 March 2013. new honours for female architects. The survey will help to inform The 2012 Women in articles and research for the Architecture survey showed that AJ both in print and online 47 per cent of women claimed appearing from January 2013. men were paid more for the TheAJ.co.uk/WomenInArchitecture

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Sheppard Robson mourns loss of ‘legend’

‘Gifted individual’ remembered by Foster

 Staff at Sheppard Robson have paid tribute to Warwick Small, who passed away last week, aged 63. Small, who had worked at the Camden-based AJ100 studio as a technician for the past 28 years, was described as a ‘character’ and ‘legend’ by former colleagues. He was also praised for ‘supporting a vast number of successful projects’ by applying ‘excellent technical skills quietly in the background’. Born in 1949 in Sydney, Small settled in London in the early 1980s and was credited with mentoring ‘generations of junior architects’ at Sheppard Robson. Sheppard Robson associate Eugene Sayers said: ‘Warwick had an irreverent streak and was a witty heckler, but also kind and generous with a strong sense of fairness. He will be missed by many.’ His funeral will take place at Lambeth Crematorium at 9.30am, Thursday, 13 December.

 Norman Foster has led tributes to his former colleague Nigel Curry, who died aged 48 from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma last month. The Foster + Partners founder praised Curry’s ‘deep talents’ and ‘quiet and unassuming modesty’, describing him as a unique ‘gifted individual’ and a ‘dedicated team player.’ Foster said the former associate partner ‘lives on’ in his Welsh Botanic Gardens and ‘soaring roof ’ over the Great Court of the British Museum. Curry graduated with distinction from the University of Sheffield and worked at ORMS and Hopkins Architects before joining Foster + Partners in 1993. His projects also included the Basic Medical Sciences laboratory at Imperial College London. He left Fosters in 2009. Curry is survived by his wife Helen, who is also an architect formerly of the practice. NIGEL YOUNG/FOSTER+PARTNERS

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International

Shenzen eco-resort shortlist revealed UK team comprising Alan Dunlop, John Thompson and Partners and Gillespies shortlisted in contest to design ‘ecological’ seaside resort

 A multi-disciplinary design team featuring Alan Dunlop, John Thompson and Partners ( JTP) and Gillespies has made the final shortlist for a 150-hectare seaside resort in the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province. The UK team is competing

against two Chinese outfits – the Urban Planning and Design Institute of Shenzhen University and BAZO Urban Development Group – in the race for the Xiasha Strip redevelopment scheme. Australia Pride Design International and Hassell have

also made a reserve shortlist. Organised by the Binhai Authority of Shenzhen, the project will create an international tourist destination and ecological seaside resort on the Dapeng Peninsula. The brief calls for designs which work with the terrain and

ecological conditions of the area. The project seeks to establish a major conservation zone for ecological and biological resources. A demonstration area for China’s marine and scientific development industries is also planned. JTP established a Shanghai studio in January last year and has worked on more than 20 major masterplanning projects in China. JTP partner Alan Stewart said: ‘Our team has been working on a broad range of fascinating projects here for the past five years, with some of the country’s most prestigious companies. ‘We believe this partnership is uniquely qualified to deliver an outstanding project for the Dapeng Peninsula.’ Alan Dunlop added: ‘This is an internationally significant project and it is a privilege to be working again with such a talented and committed team.’ Merlin Fulcher TheAJ.co.uk/Shenzen

Hewitt leads India mission Output drops down under  Former health secretary Patricia Hewitt is to lead a trade mission to India that will include an architecture focus. Hewitt, now chair of the UK India Business Council (UKIBC), will take a crosssection of UK firms to the growth state of Gujarat in January. The trip takes in the Vibrant Gujarat conference, expected to be attended by clients and government officials from across India. Sessions at the conference include ‘Developing integrated, smart, sustainable cities’ and ‘Land use efficiency – urban development’. A UKIBC spokesman told the AJ: ‘The conference will be attended by companies and government officials from across India and there are likely to be  ..

a large number of architecture clients in attendance.’ India has the world’s ninth largest economy in the world by GDP and is growing at a healthy rate despite the global slowdown. Its government is projecting infrastructure investment equivalent to £600 billion over the next five years, with a target of 50 per cent coming from the private sector. Hewitt said: ‘Despite slow growth in the British economy, many British businesses are still growing fast by selling to India and other high-growth economies. US architects received almost $300,000 of government funding in October this year to help them target work on the subcontinent. Greg Pitcher TheAJ.co.uk/India

 New figures show that 0.9 per cent in real terms between the second and third quarters of building work in Australia fell in 2012, this represented a minor rise the third quarter of 2012. when seasonal fluctuations were A seasonally-adjusted accounted for. However, nonAU$19.26 billion (£12.5 residential work such as schools, billion)-worth of construction hospitals and offices saw a work was carried out in the similar real terms fall three months to the end of converted into a 4.5 per September, according to cent seasonally the Australian Bureau adjusted drop. of Statistics. This was Year-on-year drop While building has down 1.6 per cent in construction suffered in Australia from the previous output in during the global three months, and Australia economic downturn, there down 4.9 per cent from have been opportunities for the same period last year. UK firms. Solihull practice Total construction was pulled Flannery & de la Pole was last into positive growth by a rampant month selected alongside four engineering sector, but this will be Australian companies to compete of little comfort to traditional in the final stage of the Sydney architects. There was a flicker of Library contest. Greg Pitcher hope in the housing sector. TheAJ.co.uk/Australia Although residential output fell

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People & practice

‘The work of many hands’

NEW PRACTICES

What is the Earl’s Court regeneration? It proposes the transformation of a 28 hectare site in central west London into a new urban district. Created by Terry Farrell & Partners, the masterplan proposes four new urban villages and a 21st century high street Are you disappointed it took more than a year to win planning? Not at all. This is a complex scheme involving a number of landowners and two local boroughs (Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham) Were you surprised by the negative response from residents set to be rehoused? This is a significant redevelopment and we can understand why some residents are concerned. We have worked closely with them and with the authorities since 2009 to ensure that we are listening and responding to these concerns. We believe all the residents will be major beneficiaries of this redevelopment, including having brand new homes in the area and receiving new community benefits What benefits will it bring? There will be 7,500 new homes, including around 1,500 affordable homes, offices, hotels, work space, education, cultural and community facilities, as well as a new five acre park. We have also committed to significant transport improvements for the area

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How did you set about masterplanning such a large area? We launched an international competition in 2010 and appointed Terry Farrell & Partners. The brief was to give an idea of how issues such as routes through the site and connections with the surrounding area might be resolved, and provide some sense of the grouping and form of urban blocks. Practices working on the masterplan include Allies and Morrison, Chris Dyson Architects, Benoy, KPF, Make, John McAslan + Partners, Patel Taylor Architects, Paul Davis + Partners, and Studio Egret West Why so many architects? A scheme this size needs to be the work of many hands, particularly if it is to fit into the fabric of London. This masterplan is the result of collaboration between the 12-strong design panel. However, it is essential we have one central vision, and this is what Terry Farrell’s masterplan provides What lessons have you learnt? The importance of community engagement and starting as early as possible. We have been consulting with the community since 2009 and have had around 20 public drop-in sessions since then Is the government doing enough to help developers? Public finances are under a huge amount of pressure. Part of what is attractive about this scheme is that it provides much-needed new homes and community benefits through private funding

SODA

Gary Yardley, Capital and Counties’ investment director on winning planning permission for the contentious redevelopment of Earl’s Court

SODA (Studio of Design and Architecture)   Russell Potter and Laura Sanjuan  London WC2  2012  so-da.co.uk Where have you come from? We met while studying for Part 2 in 2005 and have both worked in a variety of design-led practices What work do you have? We have some loyal clients that have shown a lot of faith in us. We are keen to continue pleasing our existing clients while nurturing new leads What are your ambitions? We are currently seven-strong, which has been a fairly rapid growth in six months. Ideally, we would like to cap our studio at around 15, in order to retain an active involvement in our projects and continue personal involvement at client level What are your biggest challenges? The most challenging part of

starting a new practice is to act like a synchronised swimmer: retain an air of calm above the surface while all limbs flail madly beneath. Another challenge is attracting new clients based on a limited portfolio of completed work. Naturally, clients want to see a variety of completed projects to give them confidence Which recently completed scheme inspires you? We are both big fans of SANAA. We recently went to visit New Museum in New York which has a simplistic and rugged beauty How are you marketing yourselves? It has largely been through word of mouth, but we have recently ventured into the big, bad cyberworld of Facebook and Twitter ..

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Astragal

Man with a plan

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 Artist Phil Lucas has amused Brighton with a series of comical planning notices posted to the city’s lamp posts and trees (left). Signed by the council’s fictional head of planning and public protection Levi Roots, they include a proposal to replace a statue of Queen Victoria with one of a pregnant Adele and another to transform the ASDA supermarket into a zeppelin hanger. Further notices read: ‘I would like to cover the entire Brighton Pavilion in Bakelite for my own amusement’ and ‘We would like to change the Citizens Advice Bureau into an art gallery dedicated solely

to paintings of cats called Bert.’ But the most bizarre notice features a proposal by BUPA Healthcare to transform flats into a Monday to Friday alien autopsy centre. ‘Permission to carry out additional autopsies during weekends will be applied for in the event of a mass alien invasion.’

‘Tartan Taliban’  The Queen’s sculptor in Scotland, Sandy Stoddart, has hit out at £15 million plans to overhaul Glasgow’s George Square, claiming proposals to remove the area’s historic statues should be ‘greatly mistrusted.’ In a letter to Glasgow City Council, the Neo-classicist claimed the statues were a vital ‘prophylactic measure against mob-rule’ and should not be removed as part of plans to prepare the city for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. He said: ‘Be certain that the Taliban target the rock-cut Buddhas of Bamiyan with the same sense of resentment against their perpetual peace, as certain

The Hellman Files #85 A trawl through Hellman’s archives, in which we uncover gems as relevant now as then. Hellman writes: Planning minister Nick Boles wants to build on two million acres of countryside ‘to solve the  ..

housing problem... the built environment can be more beautiful than nature’. This from AJ 28.11.02 shows how Constable’s Haywain (Hey Wayne!) could be improved by property speculators.

thrusters in Glasgow seek to expel the statues from George Square.’ The council plans to transform the square into a ‘world class tourist destination’ and events space. Featuring statues of Walter Scott and Robert Burns, only the square’s cenotaph will be ‘completely sacrosanct’ during the regeneration. Teams shortlisted for the job are Agence TER with Hengehan Peng; Burns + Nice; Gustafson Porter; JM Architects with Graeme Massie Architects; James Corner Field Operations with Gillespies and Make; and John McAslan + Partners.

Murphy’s law  Richard Murphy and Alison Brooks look set to become the latest architects to have cracking schemes consigned to the pages of the ever-growing architectural almanac Unbuilt RIBA Competitions Winners (1971 to the present day). Rumours from the north-west are that Richard Murphy Architects’ winning scheme for a £10 million mixedused scheme in Whitehaven Harbour has been quietly shelved. The practice landed the scheme back in December 2010, but no work has started on the site. Company representatives have been elusive and sources say the project is dead in the water. Backed by Magnus Homes and Britain’s Energy Coast West Cumbria, the competition, attracted 139 submissions. A waste of energy all around it seems. Meanwhile, Alison Brooks Architects’ victorious masterplan for the 20-year redevelopment of the University of Northampton’s Avenue Campus, won in September 2009, also looks doomed. The university is now looking for a waterside site near the town centre. ..

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Letter from London

If you want to keep our press free, distrust judges and politicians, writes Paul Finch Forty years ago, the bankruptcy hearing took place in respect of architect John Poulson, now little remembered, who ran the biggest practice in Europe – based in Pontefract. What was revealed was extraordinary: bribery was the stock in trade not just of Poulson’s business, but household-name contractors. All-too-willing targets included planners and political figures up to cabinet level. The hearing was reported most fully in the Yorkshire Post. So sensational were the revelations that the establishment does what it always does on these occasions: the hearings went into private session and could no longer be reported. Nevertheless, the subsequent resignation of the home secretary, Reginald Maudling, (he found himself in charge of the police who were investigating him) and a series of court cases involving politicians and civil servants were deeply embarrassing to Edward Heath’s government. A free press should not have to worry about political consequences of coverage, however inconvenient it may be, and however it may have come by information that embarrasses politicians. Technically, the admirable people who leaked details of how MPs were lying about their expenses were probably guilty of breach of trust or theft of information. For the press, there was one simple test about using the material: the stench emitting from every cranny in the House of Commons. Now it is payback time. Anyone who thinks the attack by the political class on the press is simply about tabloid excess is wrong. It is a power play by people in control trying to muzzle people who cause them trouble. In reality, the press already faces numerous and onerous controls – established in law – requiring no Press Council, Press Complaints Commission or Leveson Tribunal for enforcement. Take the law on libel, the only English law where you have to prove your innocence if there is a prima facie case to answer. One reason I have always felt sympathy for architects sued by unscrupulous contractors is that they are immediately  ..

in the same sort of situation as journalists, having to prove innocence at their own expense, even though in theory it is the litigant who should be proving guilt. There are laws against phone-hacking, paying the police or other public officials for information and so on. If these laws were properly enforced, much of the disgusting behaviour of certain tabloids would not have taken place. The question, therefore, should not be how to muzzle the press from going about its business (and let’s face it, freedom includes the freedom to be irresponsible otherwise it is not freedom), but why the tabloids felt they were untouchable. Step forward the politicians who (excuse my French) licked Murdoch’s arse for decades and employed creepy oily rags like Alastair Campbell to guide them through the sewers.

Bribery was the stock in trade not just of architect John Poulson’s business but of householdname contractors If as a society we want a privacy law to protect ‘ordinary’ people from press intrusion (and I do not regard ‘celebrities’ like Stephen Fry, Hugh Grant and Max Mosley, or any politician, or newspaper editor as ordinary) then let us get on with it. The world wouldn’t end. That is very different to creating a statebacked Big Brother, whatever legal language the idea is dressed up in. The suggestion that publications which signed up to a new regulatory regime would pay less in libel damages than those which hadn’t is a shining example of how judges, who are supposed to apply the law equally, are happy to penalise anyone who disagrees with them. Happily, David Cameron’s cringe-making texts to the former editor of The Sun do not invalidate his correct intuition that the Leveson recommendations are just no good. ..

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Black box

‘The new towers of London will make this world city even more world class,’ says Rory Olcayto London has one of the finest skylines in the world. Centre Point. The Nat West Tower. Guy’s and St Thomas’. The Orbit. These striking towers are loved the world over. But it’s about to get a whole lot better. There are more than 20 tall buildings planned that will change London for ever. Thank you Broadway Malyan for leading the charge with a new tower in Vauxhall, cleverly named The Tower. It may not quite match up to St George Wharf, the same firm’s masterpiece alongside it but then everyone knows that development in particular, whose ‘specialness’ was only recently eclipsed by the Strata in Elephant and Castle, has helped London become a world city once again. Rafael Viñoly’s Walkie Talkie is another soon-to-becherished icon. It’s in the City, so obviously it’s going to be extra special. That part of London is run by the architecture-loving chief planning officer Peter Rees, who would never commission anything unless it was of the highest quality. Norman Foster’s Walbrook for example – near Cannon Street for those of you who don’t live in this most beautiful of world cities – is the most admired building the high-tech master has ever designed. But I digress. Depite its nonsensical name – do they mean mobile phone? – connoisseurs refer to Viñoly’s masterpiece as the Upside Down Shard. This more accurately encapsulates the building’s true genius, its decorum, its sensitivity to London’s ever-evolving skyline.

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Sure, The Shard is rubbish, an eyesore, a sketch-on-theback-of-a-napkin joke, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be respected by other, more serious and accomplished structures. The mark of good architecture as we all know, is how well a new addition treats what is already there. It is why, after 123 years, the Eiffel Tower is still so unloved. London has always been famous for its beautiful buildings, especially the keynotes that distinguish top cities from brash wannabes, the kind that dare challenge London’s rightful supremacy as an air-transport hub or as a financial centre. Take Heathrow. Easily the finest, most aesthetically pleasing, well-organised airport you are likely ever to use. Or Buckingham Palace – rightly acknowledged as the most beautiful palace in the world. I’ve already name-checked the Orbit for its excellence, but let’s just bask a little longer in the knowledge that London has something truly special here – the most beautiful visitor attraction made out of steel and painted that particular red the world has ever known. I forget the name of the two genius blokes who invented it, but to come up with the idea of a disembodied tied shoelace and then build it for just £20 million only goes to show that London’s title of being the most creative city in the world will remain unchallenged for years. London is great at old religious buildings too. St Paul’s, as experts will confirm, holds two world titles: the most beautiful domed structure on the planet that can be seen from Peckham’s multi-storey car park without anything blocking your view (not even the Strata) and the most reasonably priced temple of any kind open to the public in any of the great world cities. It’s hard to believe it is only £15 to get in. No doubt that price will rise when the latest wave of new towers, including the amazing Helter Skelter due to sit alongside Fosters’ forgettable Gherkin, are complete. As well as making the skyline even more beautiful they will affirm London’s status as the best world city in the world once and for all. I think that’s called a win-win, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and the rest... Deal with it. With apologies to Rowan Moore, whose piece on the same subject was published in ‘The Observer’ last Sunday. ..

Letters

Last issue AJ 29.11.12 Established 1895

Letters should be received by 10am on the Monday before publication. The AJ reserves the right to edit letters. The letter of the week’s author will receive a bone china AJ mug. Post your letters to the address below or email letters@ architectsjournal.co.uk

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Tax breaks for building I support Nick Johnson’s views (AJ 15.11.12) on getting tax breaks for developers to deliver affordable rental housing. This is a tough nut to crack. I studied the US Tax Act 1976 that allowed developers to write off up to 20 per cent of their refurbishment costs in this way. Further incentives were introduced in the US Tax Reform Act 1986 and the program still continues at federal, state and city levels. It has fostered a new cohort of developers (mostly consortia of lawyers, dentists and doctors looking for tax shelters) but also generated a significant number of new apartments and the reuse of many thousands of otherwise redundant warehouses. My master’s thesis on the subject was brought before the Montagu Inquiry, whose report, Britain’s Historic Buildings: a policy for their future use, was published by the British Tourist Authority in 1980. When questioned on the US tax idea, an oral witness from CIPFA summarily dismissed the concept

LETTER OFK THE WEE

Editor Christine Murray () Deputy editor Rory Olcayto () Acting administrator Rakesh Ramchurn () Digital editor Simon Hogg () News editor Richard Waite ( ) Reporter Merlin Fulcher () Asia correspondent Hyunjoo Lee Technical editor Felix Mara () Technical reporter Laura Mark AJ Publications editor James Pallister () Special projects editor Emily Booth () Sustainability editor Hattie Hartman () Sustainability intern Angeles Hevia AJ Buildings Library editor Tom Ravenscroft () Art editor Brad Yendle () Graphic designer Ella Mackinnon () Designers Tom Carpenter () Production editor Mary Douglas (on leave) Acting production editor Abigail Gliddon () Acting sub-editor Alan Gordon () Contributing editor Ian Martin Editorial director Paul Finch

in one short sentence – to the effect that ‘we don’t do that here’. Nobody was called from the Treasury or Inland Revenue to further debate the issue. And we continually fail to gain traction on the iniquitous 20 per cent VAT on refurbishment. Perhaps UK developers and the building professions ought to be talking to tax specialists more frequently to find models that could work. John Fidler, John Fidler Preservation Technology

Remembering Winter I read with sadness that John Winter has died, but thought the obituary by Murray Fraser was excellent (AJ 22.11.12). John has to be regarded as one of the unsung heroes of 20th century British architecture. He was a man of immense ability and talent and his considerable architectural understanding was matched by modesty and humility. I would like to promote the idea that the AJ launches some sort of a memorial to him to mark his career, and all that he brought to the study and practice of architecture. I think we should set up a John Winter Prize,

Chief executive officer Natasha Christie-Miller Managing director of architecture and media Conor Dignam Group commercial director Alison Pitchford Commercial director James MacLeod () Business development managers Nick Roberts (), Ceri Evans () Group advertising manager Amanda Pryde () Account managers Hannah Buckley (), Simon Collingwood (), Steph Atha () Classified and recruitment sales Mark Malone ()

perhaps open to students, and/ or architects that have produced an innovative design that demonstrates an appreciation of using materials imaginatively and with technical skill. In putting forward this idea, I am hoping that other architects who have known John and have been influenced by him will join this initiative. I was fortunate enough to have known him, and will never forget the story he told me about welders on an American construction site tack-welding their lunch boxes to the sides of steel girders while they had their break. It was the bravado and sheer chutzpah of steel workers in America that inspired John to design his steel-framed house on Highgate Cemetery. Tom Pike, Giles Pike Architects & Interior Designers

Pay back time (Refunds for planning applications that take too long, AJ online) Councils will simply get round this by tasking a member of staff to fast-track refusals. I know at least one council that has done that. VS Bird, AJ online

AJ subscription   Overseas  Back issues and subscriptions Visit subscription.co.uk /aj/akus or call    & quote priority code ‘’ Social media Twitter @ArchitectsJrnal Facebook/TheArchitectsJournal LinkedIn Architects’ Journal group

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AJBuildingsLibrary.co.uk

Project of the Week St Ann’s Court Raymond McGrath Chertsey, 1937 Raymond McGrath’s reinforced concrete drumshaped Modernist house set on the crest of a hill in 10 hectares of parkland in Surrey is one of 340 one-off homes in the AJ Buildings Library. ..

Photos

Drawings 

5 houses by 5 practices

n early 2010 we were commissioned to extend an oddly shaped, end-of-terrace Victorian house in Hammersmith, west London. Our clients, Lucy Carmichael (a design advisor at CABE) and her husband Gareth Langdon (a furniture maker), were keen to avoid the ‘glass-box’ or ‘white render’ kitchen-extension clichés, but did want to explore an approach that reflected the specific, almost >>

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Above Kitchen/ dining room with floor 500mm below ground to increase ceiling height Right View into kitchen/dining room with hallway beyond

10m

Site plan

ALL IMAGES KILIAN O’SULLIVAN

Hayhurst and Co Hairy House, Hammersmith, London

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Project data

start on site January 2011 completion September 2011 gross internal floor area 46m2 form of contract JCT MWD-‘05 cost £168,000 architect Hayhurst and Co client Lucy Carmichael and Gareth Langdon

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Hairy House, Hammersmith Hayhurst and Co

awkward geometry of the site. Located on the outside of a bend in the road, the house’s plot widens from a 1.5m width at the back of pavement to almost 12m at its widest point. With the house’s party wall and flank wall following the boundary lines of the plot, the plan fans out from a 6m-wide front elevation to a 9m-wide rear elevation. In doing this, it creates a ‘mutant’ form of a traditional Victorian plan, with a small trapezoid-shaped room between the rear reception and the stair compartment. The size of this oddly shaped room, still used as a study, was sacrificed to allow the lowest leg of the split-level staircase to widen in alignment with the flank wall of the house. This kink in the circulation re-orientates the route through the house towards the centre of the garden and allows a slow and staggered transition from the Victorian house into its new extension. The design of the extension– effectively a single room – evolved from the development of a series of spatial and material moves, which both complement and challenge the order of the existing Victorian house within the specific context of the site’s geometry. The internal ground level was lowered by 500mm to provide a ‘Victorian’ proportion to the room and enough height to modulate the ceiling profile to allow it to tilt up to the south-west and the afternoon sun. The focus of the space to the side rather than to the rear establishes the different sectional relationships between inside and out: the side elevation has the flush inside-out relationship extending to a sunken terrace while the rear elevation is made up of a solid element carved to form an over-sized, trapezoidal-shaped picture window, with the sill sitting flush with the grass in order to visually extend the re-established ground condition from inside to out. Contrary to the constructional logic of the existing house, the use of slate and timber are both conceived >>  ..

Legend

Ground floor plan

1. Playroom 2. Study 3. Hallway 4. Kitchen/dining room 5. WC/utility 6. Cellar landing 7. Hall 8. Vestibule 9. Lounge 0

A A 4

5 3 2

7 8 9

AJBuildingsLibrary.co.uk Search ‘Hayhurst’ for more drawings and data

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Section A-A

1 B7

Section A-A 1. Green roof 2. Kitchen/dining room

ALL IMAGES KILIAN O’SULLIVAN

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500mm

Left Sunken terrace adjacent to kitchen/ dining room and playroom

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Hairy House, Hammersmith Hayhurst and Co

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Above Kitchen/ dining room with sill flush with lawn Right Green roof to kitchen/dining room

ALL IMAGES KILIAN O’SULLIVAN

as ‘thick’ in function but ‘thin’ in material application. The slate on the soffits and reveals gives the appearance of a thick material whereas the coursing clearly conveys it is cladding. Equally, the timber is conceived as a thick ribbon carved to form steps, shelves and seats; however, as a surface, it is clearly clad in timber boards. Working in collaboration with enlightened, design-literate clients added to the design process and allowed us a rare opportunity to pursue an uncompromised design approach to one of the most common, but also much-maligned, types of architectural work – the kitchen extension. ■ Nick Hayhurst, director, Hayhurst and Co

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Working detail

External envelope

Hairy House, Hammersmith, London

Hayhurst and Co

3 1

Lowering the internal floor required a small retaining structure to support the existing external ground. The constructional sequence of building within a building dictated that the retaining structure was formed as a dwarf, blockwork wall on strip foundations independent of the floor slab to allow the new steel structure to be erected and take the load of the upper floors, before the existing ground-floor external walls were demolished and the new floor level excavated and poured. A secondary timber structure was then used for framing out the roof and the substrate for the bulkheads and profiles of the external slate cladding, internal timber linings and window framing. Externally, the hewn Welsh slate used for the cladding deliberately varies in width and the courses in height to contrast with the existing brickwork. Internally, the iroko timber lining continues from inside to out, forming the seat, curtain pelmet and shape of the window opening. Nick Hayhurst, director, Hayhurst and Co

External envelope

6 12 6 15

27 28

19 21

20 29 30 31 24

25 26

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1. Selected planting on Bauder Total Green Roof system 2. Folded stainless steel capping 3. 50mm-wide firrings on 50mm studs 4. 100mm celotex 5. 18mm marine plywood fixed to outer surface of PFC 6. 500x250mm ‘Heather Blue’ Welsh Slate tiles 7. 100mm PIR insulation 8. Vapour control layer 9. 18mm WBP plywood 10. 175 x 50mm joists 11. 50mm Rockwool flexi insulation 12. Timber boxing out 13. Iroko timber cladding 14. Iroko to form edge to underside of timber cladding 15. Iroko timber lining 16. Iroko cladding internal 17. Access hatch to iroko clad curtain pocket 18. Iroko timber lining to form seat in window recess 19. Timber fillets cut to form angle for 18mm ply sub-structure 20. 12mm ‘Glamwood’ ceramic floor tiles 21. 75mm screed with 25mm jablite insulation 22. 120mm celotex insulation 23. 150mm concrete slab 24. RIW Sheet Seal 226 internal tanking system 25. 50mm sand blinding 26. 150mm compacted hardcore 27. Hepworth drainage channel 28. 10mm slate paving 29. Cold-applied EPDM membrane 30. 250mm-wide French drain formed from Aztex membrane 31. 1200 gauge Visqueen vapour control layer

200mm

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5 houses by 5 practices

John Pardey Architects with Ström Architects Hurst House, Bourne End, Buckinghamshire

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Site plan

Above View of first floor terrace from living room Right View from west: the lightweight British sweet chestnut-clad box sits on a masonry base

0 20m

ALL IMAGES ANDYMATTHEWS

he Hurst House is a new build one-off contemporary home on the edge of the village of Bourne End, Buckinghamshire. The site forms part of a garden of a substantial house that faces the open fields of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB). The clients’ brief was to build a sustainable family home that would have the flexibility to adapt to changing family conditions as their children grow up and leave the nest. This lead to a house where they can live in one extended space while bedrooms can be shut down and left on tick-over. >>

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Project data

start on site January 2010 completion January 2011 net internal floor area 302m2 form of contract Self-build cost Not disclosed architect John Pardey Architects (with Ström Architects) client Private

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Hurst House, Bourne End, Buckinghamshire John Pardey Architects with Ström Architects

A-A

5 5 2

2 5

10 11

A B

Ground floor plan 0

B -B

First floor plan

A rectangular masonry volume on the ground floor contains bedrooms, and is slightly sunken into the ground to reduce the height of the building towards the AONB. A lightweight steel and timber volume at the first G R OUND FLOOR P LAN 1:200 @ A3 floor is set perpendicular to the ground floor volume and10 contains 0 5 15 living, 20m kitchen and dining spaces, as well as the master bedroom suite. It rests on top of the ground floor volume and spans across to a masonry wall that defines the southern edge of the house. A rectangular service element underneath the first floor sleeve – separated by a clerestory – defines an entrance lobby with vertical circulation to one side and a carport to the other. This arrangement allows for a selfcontained bedroom wing that opens up to a south-facing courtyard, while the first floor volume allows living spaces and master bedroom to make the most  ..

of the views towards the Chilterns. A balcony along the length of the first floor allows the facade to open up, and the recessed floorto-ceiling glazed sliding panels to be shaded in the summer. F I R S T JF PL AO O R The environmental impact of HUR S T HOUS E the house was considered from the0 outset, and we were aiming to get very close to being a zero carbon home. The building has very high levels of insulation. A small, highly efficient gas condensing boiler, together with heat recovery ventilation, rainwater recycling, solar water heating, a 10kW wood burner and a 9.9kWp photovoltaic installation, and low-energy fittings throughout, ensure the property has an overall near zero CO2 impact rating (exact performance yet to be confirmed). Since the building was connected to services, it has generated 25 per cent

Facing page clockwise from top left View of the east wing from the hall; First floor terrace; West elevation

P LAN

1:200 @

AJBuildingsLibrary.co.uk Search ‘Hurst’ for more drawings and data

more electricity than has been used. The detailed design package was carried out by former employee, Magnus Ström. This collaboration ensured continuity and has resulted in a strong design detailed with great care. The house was project H U R S T managed by the client and finished 20m to an extraordinary quality. We employed high quality natural materials that enhance and harmonise with the site; local Weston Underwood coursed stone to ground floor walls, and the upper floor element is clad in British sweet chestnut, which weathers to a natural silver colour and will last for many centuries without further maintenance. To the garden side, panels of pre-weathered zinc have been set within the timber sleeve. These materials all blend harmoniously with the site and its surroundings. ■ John Pardy, director, John Pardy Architects

J P A HOUS E

A-A

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C -C

A-A

WE S T E LE V AT ION

Legend

B -B

ALL IMAGES ANDYMATTHEWS

1. Hall 2. En-suite 3. WC 4. Study 5. Bedroom 6. Utility 7. Storage 8. Recycling/refuse 9. Kitchen 10. Living room 11. Terrace

E AS T E LE VAT ION

Section A-A

A-A

WE S T E LE V AT ION

Section B-B

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C -C

S E C T ION

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5 houses by 5 practices

Coffey Architects Kitchen Garden, Lancaster Grove, London

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Site plan

Above The kitchen extension looks north towards the garden Right Kitchen extension viewed from the garden

0 10m

ALL IMAGES TIMOTHY SOAR

his refurbishment of a three-bedroom groundfloor apartment in the conservation area of Lancaster Grove in north London unites access to a large north-facing rear garden with a contemporary rear extension to create a unified social space for its residents. The house is located within an existing Georgian building in the Belsize Park conservation area. We provided a three-bedroom, threebathroom residence which is suited to contemporary London living. We simplified the layout and made better use of existing space. The previously haphazard arrangement of bedrooms and bathrooms at the front of the house has been simplified through the use of a chamfered access passage defining the route from the front of the property to the rear living spaces and extension and adding an extra element of finesse as users >>

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Project data start on site October 2011 contract value £200,000 gross internal floor area Existing, 124m2; proposed, 172m2 form of contract JCT MWD05 cost per m2 £1,160 including extension and refurbishment of existing architect Coffey Architects client Confidential

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Kitchen Garden, Lancaster Grove, London Coffey Architects

Ground floor plan 1. Patio 2. Kitchen 3. Dining area 4. Bedroom 5. Living room 6. Utility room 7. Bathroom 8. Store Section 1. Glass balustrade 2. Green roof 3. Rooflight

pass through. The contemporary rear extension creates an open, social space establishing a connection to the garden. As the extension is north facing, creative design solutions have been incorporated to increase the feeling of space and light; all materials are white or pale to further complement the sense of brightness and space and hints of luxury. A bespoke dining table and kitchen island allow users to view the garden while entertaining. Well-placed mirrors also blur the separation between interior and exterior. The bespoke dining table is designed to create a direction to the new extension as it completes the linear composition with the kitchen-island and adjacent mirror. We specified 20mm white/grey marble for the kitchen island and  ..

Left Bedroom in existing house Right Bedroom in existing house Far right Living room in existing house

6 7

Ground floor plan

AJBuildingsLibrary.co.uk Search ‘Coffey’ for more drawings and data

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1 2

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ALL IMAGES TIMOTHY SOAR

Section

splashbacks, Dinesen Douglas fir flooring, Allgood ironmongery and Hansgrohe brassware. With this refurbishment, we successfully worked within the confines of conservation criteria and brought a sense of light and space into a traditional north London, lower ground floor house as well as introducing an improved relationship with the outdoor space. With careful consideration of the old and new areas of the house, we have delivered a lightfilled living/dining space. We have also successfully rebalanced existing rooms by adding style and thoughtful design, allowing the user to enjoy the journey within the property. ■ Phil Coffey, director, Coffey Architects

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5 houses by 5 practices

Roz Barr Architects Hollins Lane, Marple Bridge, Cheshire

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Above Living room with light slot Right South elevation with living room and kitchen windows

Site plan 0

10m

CHARLES HOSEA

n 2010, we were commissioned to remodel an existing 1960s bungalow in Marple Bridge, Cheshire, on the edge of the Peak District. The clients had previously converted Victorian flats in London and Manchester and had lived in grand rented apartments while working in Amsterdam. They had a strong sense of what they wanted to leave behind. The clients purchased the bungalow; a self-contained house with a secluded garden. During discussions while the purchase went through, I encouraged them to live in the existing, rather ugly, drafty house for a year. This would give them a sense of the spaces and help them understand which aspects of the garden they >>

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Project data

start on site June 2011 complettion December 2011 gross external floor area 160m2 cost £100,000 cost per square metre Approx £70 architect Roz Barr Architects client Private

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Hollins Lane, Marple Bridge, Cheshire Roz Barr Architects

enjoyed. The walls of the property were not the existing brick walls but the variety of hedges that framed the boundary. They had an extremely challenging budget, so the brief was to transform the existing bungalow into an extended living space, office and a large family bathroom, that responded to the garden on three sides. Low-cost construction for the three-bedroom house was achieved by retaining and re-ordering the sleeping block and demolishing the rest of the poorly constructed building; wrapping the front with a large living/kitchen area that offered larger volumes and good natural light. The materials used were critical to the success of this design. Both materials and structure had to be crafted, so black engineering brick was specified to contrast with the existing red brick of the rear retained block. The new structure tied into the old with careful engineering and elements of the existing timber beams left exposed. A simple steel construction to achieve the eightmetre glazed window to the main elevation allowed for no columns and load-bearing exposed blockwork. Creative use of cost efficient materials allowed us to upgrade the existing building fabric and quality of living space. New insulation to the roof and floor space has improved the thermal envelope of the entire building, keeping heating costs down. Door frames are made from sections of 4” x 1” with a rebated detail so 2.4 metre high doors could be enjoyed and standard boards of birch ply floor were used throughout to create a series of uninterrupted spaces. Recessed door openings allow for an uninterrupted connection between the front and rear gardens. Windows frame views of an already established hedgerow with top lighting in the bathrooms and hallway. A generous, light-filled hallway for artwork and large new doorways created lofty, unusual spaces that are far from utilitarian. >>  ..

Legend

Floor plan

1. Hallway 2. Office 3. Bedroom 4. Living room 5. Kitchen 6. Utility/WC 7. Bathroom 8. Shed 0

6 1

Section A-A

5 8

Section B-B

Right Door frames are made from rebated 4’ x 1” sections and floors are birch ply

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CHARLES HOSEA

MODEL PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREW PUTLER

Hollins Lane, Marple Bridge, Cheshire Roz Barr Architects

The ethos of this project was to re-imagine the ‘bungalow’ as an interesting building type that once proliferated in housebuilding and to rethink its use within contemporary family living. This project demonstrates how a self-contained plot can be cleverly re-assembled and altered by a few simple yet key spacial and material decisions to create beautiful yet functional spaces. ■ Roz Barr, director, Roz Barr Architects  ..

Clockwise from top left View from south-east; Living room; Kitchen; Living room

AJBuildingsLibrary.co.uk Search ‘Hollins’ for more drawings and data

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Working detail

Soffit detail

9 10

Hollins Lane, Marple Bridge, Cheshire Roz Barr Architects Soffit detail

9 16

17 18

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This light slot was one of two details formed in the new west and east elevations to filter and control natural light in the newly formed spaces. This west elevation was the most contentious elevation in terms of planning. The neighbours were opposed to the development, so fenestration on this elevation had to be discreet. To continue the engagement with the garden the opening frames surrounding hedgerows and sky. New brick and blockwork walls carry the load of the roof, while the size and weight of the blockwork allowed for a deeper wall. The new four-metre long timber framed windows were placed tight to the external face, which allowed for a sloped internal sill to direct the light into the living space. The steel section that formed the lintel and supported the roof rested on the structural masonry wall. The form was constructed using timber sections, insulated around the new opening with plasterboard internally. To conform to the budget constraints these light slots were fixed panes of double-glazing that created continuous openings into the interior spaces. Roz Barr, director, Roz Barr Architects

1. Roofing tiles 2. Gutter 3. 200mm roof truss 4. Painted timber fascia 5. Timber cross-bracing 6. Painted timber soffit 7. Timber packer 8. Shadow gap 9. 12.5mm plasterboard 10. Insulation 11. 150 x 250 beam above window 12. 10mm steel spreader plate 13. Timber spacers 14. Glazing 15. Softwood painted window frame 16. Plywood packer 17. 12.5mm plasterboard with paint finish 18. Blockwork 19. Brickwork

50mm

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5 houses by 5 practices

StudioKAP Dyer House, Falkirk

GAR TCO

WS R

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Left East elevation. The house is located to take advantage of the sloping site Right View from the south-east. The iroko-clad upper floor sits on a stone plinth Legend 1. Brick villa

Site plan

0 10m

ALL IMAGES TIM DYER

Drossie Road

his house was designed for a recently retired GP couple whose extended family spans four generations and often come to visit. While wishing to ‘downsize’, the clients’ justification for building a new house was that it could be an exemplar of low-carbon design with maximum use of recycled materials. Both its procurement and construction were considered in light of energy consumption and embedded energy. A strong advantage of the existing site was its proximity to a train station with direct links to Glasgow and Edinburgh, just a few minutes’ >>

OAD

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Project data

start on site November 2010 completion December 2011 gross internal floor area 184m2 total cost £402,000 cost per square metre £2,900 architect StudioKAP client Private

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Dyer House, Falkirk StudioKAP

First floor plan B

2 A

Legend 1. Entrance hall 2. Bedroom 3. Store 4. Sitting room 5. Utility 6. Kitchen/dining 7. Bathroom

6 7

PROPOSED FIRST FLOOR PLAN.

2 0

Scale 1:100.

Ground floor plan N

PROPOSED FIRST FLOOR PLAN. Scale 1:100.

Main picture Staircase from 1 - Entrance Hall. 2 - Bedroom 1. entrance to first 3 - Bedroom 2. floor Top right 4 - Store. 5 - Sitting Room. The sitting room 6 - Utilities Room. has recycled African 7 - Kitcken / Dining Room. 8 - Bedroom 3. hardwood flooring 19 --Entrance BedroomHall. 4. and a relaxed 2 - Bedroom 1. 30 - Bedroom 2. 3 ambience 1 2 4 5

3 3

4 - Store. 1:100. 5Scale - Sitting Room. 6 - Utilities Room. 7 - Kitcken / Dining Room. 8 - Bedroom 3. 9 - Bedroom 4.

Section A-A

studioKAP

PROPOSED GROUND FLOOR PLAN.

chartered architects

Scale 1:100.

studioKAP

PROPOSED GROUND FLOOR PLAN.

chartered architects

Scale 1:100.

OPOSED CROSS SECTION BB.

le 1:100.

PROPOSED Section B-BCROSS SECTION BB. Scale 1:100.

Garage.

Existing Garage.

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OPOSED LONG SECTION AA.

le 1:100.

ALL IMAGES TIM DYER

1 - Entrance. 2 - Store. 3 - Sitting Room. 4 - Bedroom 3 0

Scale 1:100.

PROPOSED LONG SECTION AA.

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walk away. The site characteristics included a steep north-south incline, existing trees, long views to the north, and the presence of the existing villa. There was also the challenge of avoiding overlooking and being overlooked by neighbours. The key design move was to use an existing driveway to locate a new structure with east-west window orientation, avoiding building over valuable garden space and protecting northward views from both houses. The incline was exploited to minimise the new structure’s presence where it came close to the existing house, while allowing greater sectional opportunities at the opposite end. The new dwelling is conceived as a mews-scale building that sits discreetly below the existing brick villa. Its Iroko-clad structure rests on a singlestorey stone plinth nestling behind the trees and walls that currently characterise the Drossie Road side of the site. A pebbled roofscape presents a ‘fifth elevation’ and offers presentable views from neighbouring houses. Despite a plea on environmental grounds, the planning department insisted on two parking spaces and a turning area. These are located below a decked terrace to minimise their presence in the entrance courtyard. One of the clients had been brought up and graduated as a doctor in Zambia, while the other had worked in Malawi. There was a desire on their part to feel part of >> ..



Dyer House, Falkirk StudioKAP

this previous life in the new house. This found expression in a number of ways; a certain quality of daylight inside, a relaxed, sociable interior, and recycled African hardwood flooring. Power is in part generated by a ground source heat pump and PV panels. The thermal design exceeds required regulation levels, with hemp insulation and a breathable envelope. Views outward, light entering inwards, sheltered and open external spaces all make the most of a small, demanding physical context. ■ Christopher Platt, director in charge, StudioKAP  ..

Above West elevation with angled pod window Right Red soffited porte-cochère

AJBuildingsLibrary.co.uk Search ‘Studiokap’ for more drawings and data

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Working detail

Dyer House, Falkirk StudioKAP Window detail The ‘great window’ in the sitting room is designed to provide a place to enjoy the westward view from inside and forms a sitting niche, angled in plan for maximum aspect. External cladding has 25mm Iroko strips, screwed from behind to avoid visible fixings and fabricated off-site in large panels in the builders’ workshwop. Originally detailed as an all-metal element, the window assembly finally developed as an extension to the external cladding with the facade cladding continuing on both sides; in effect a box growing out of another box. While aluminium lining was chosen for longevity and minimum maintenance, a sacrificial frame of Iroko maintained its character as a timber box. The required balustrade was kept as minimal as possible (a single sheet of glass) and the soffit was painted a deep red to continue the entrance soffit theme (and indeed what has now become an unexpected practice fascination with red soffits). The window extends the space of the sitting room as well as bringing light and views inside. Christopher Platt, director in charge, StudioKAP

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1. 12.5mm plasterboard and skim 2. 25mm SW battens 3. 9mm OSB sheathing 4. 200mm hemp insulation packed between structural timber studs 5. 25mm Pavatherm plus insulation 6. Building paper 7. 25 x 25mm vertical battens. Ventilated cavity 8. 35 x 35mm horizontal battens 9. 25mm vertical iroko rainscreen battens with 5mm gaps 10. 12mm ply board 11. 150mm hemp insulation packed between structural timber studs 12. Double-glazed HW window 13. Ex 100 x 150mm HW frame to window 14. DPC 15. Timber subframe 16. DPC and flexible point to external joint 17. Timber carcasing 18. 12mm ply board 19. Aluminium sheet cladding with flush seams and no visible fixings, on top of DPM 20. 15mm laminated glass balustrade fixed to timber stud

50mm

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Practice

Planning portal An architecture of circumstance would help local character evolve, says Piers Taylor At present, the British planning system is predicated against any development that doesn’t conform to a ubiquitous homogeneity and sit in a banal middleground. It is a fundamentally flawed system that wastes a vast amount of time, money and resources writing misconceived and half-baked design guides. These discriminate against anything that doesn’t fit into an unbelievably narrow pigeonhole. How on earth do we go from here to a system that allows architects to do what they are trained to do – imagine the future? Architects are locked in a seemingly never-ending battle with local authorities over design – an area, it should be remembered, where planners have no training. It is easy to imagine a system where planners do what they’re trained to do – plan – and leave the rest up for grabs for architects and individuals to act as they see fit. The only thing that really matters in housing is the big picture; the infrastructure, the streets, the relationships between buildings, the open spaces, the mix, density and use, and local demand. I’ve no doubt this should be highly controlled, but everything else should be determined by architects, developers and self-builders. A diverse, dynamic new local character that genuinely reflects place and context in an immediate way could evolve from this. Local character as defined by local authority typically means ‘as it was historically’ rather than ‘as it could be’. Local character only ever truly evolved through an architecture of circumstance, an architecture where individuals used materials, skills and techniques as appropriate for them. It is this, a new architecture of circumstance that I am arguing for – an architecture where true local character and individual expression has a place. For this to happen, planning guidance needs to change. Planners also need to stop meddling and micromanaging areas outside their expertise. The planned city of Almere in the Netherlands (pictured left, compared to Staffordshire, right) is an extraordinary example of how planners can get it right. Almere is a dense city with inherent flexibility at its core, and importantly, the city has a straightforward planning process for the easy bit; the buildings. Each 58 theaj.co.uk

Guidance needs to change and planners need to stop meddling and micromanaging areas outside their expertise plot comes with a ‘passport’, which is effectively a permit to build, and outlines the key restrictions, such as the gaps between houses, the relationship to the street and overall maximum height. Everything else is unrestricted. Homebuilders and architects are free to decide for themselves what the building can look like. It’s mind-boggling to imagine how much time and money we’d save in the UK if we adopted this type of system. It could work not just for new towns, but also for infill sites in any city, irrespective of conservation area or world heritage status. For example, each vacant site should be submitted for an outline consent specifying mix, density and use and the entire next step (that of detailed planning) omitted. Architects would be trusted to design buildings with no petty micromanaging from mealy mouthed planners. A new – and true – vernacular would begin to emerge, an exciting and diverse one where individual expression was valued and unregulated. The irony is that most of the interesting urban areas of the UK were developed in this way up until the introduction of the planning system 70 years ago. Yet, under the current system, it is impossible to imagine that any comparable new-build development could exist. Piers Taylor is the founder of Invisible Studio 06.12.12

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Culture

CABINETS OF CURIOSITY Rakesh Ramchurn visits the V&A’s new permanent exhibition dedicated to the craft of furniture-making  ..

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ALL IMAGES V&A IMAGES

exhibition The Dr Susan Weber Gallery, the V&A’s new permanent gallery for furniture, opened on 1 December. Admission free www.vam.ac.uk/ furniture

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Above Folding screen by Eileen Gray, c1928

When I first heard the V&A was about to launch a new furniture gallery, I did wonder – haven’t they got enough of those already? A short walk through the museum will take you past all manner of gilded tables, opulent cabinets and delicately carved chairs. But the new permanent exhibition on the top floor of the V&A doesn’t use furniture to tell stories of art movements or historical periods. Here, the story is furniture itself. ‘This is the first time we have had a gallery purely devoted to furniture,’ says Nick Humphrey, co-curator of the exhibition. ‘Elsewhere in the museum, we show furniture in terms of things like style, such as Rococo or Baroque, or in the way furniture has been used as an aspect of fashionable living, but here the focus is on the way the furniture itself has been made and decorated.’ Manufacturing methods such as carving, gilding, joinery and upholstery are explored through 16 dedicated displays, each containing a selection of items from the V&A’s vast collection to show the development of these techniques. The focus is on Western furniture from about 1400, but various pieces from Ancient Egypt or Asia are included which have had a particular impact on the West or which demonstrate how methods have evolved across continents. One of my favourite pieces is a folding screen made c1928 by Eileen Gray, the Irish designer and architect who moved to Paris and became one of the first Europeans to learn the craft of lacquer, under Japanese master Seizo Sugawara. But rather than emulate the traditional designs of East Asian lacquer, she created a sleek piece decorated in geometric forms instead. Gray’s screen is shown alongside an original Japanese lacquered cabinet made in 1850, and other works produced through the method of ‘Japanning’, the European technique which imitated the East Asian imports that became popular in the West in the 17th century. More contemporary craftsmanship can be found in the display devoted to digital manufacturing, with pride of place given to Fractal Table II, designed in 2007 by Gernot Oberfell, Jan Wertel and Matthias Bär. This intricate table was formed from epoxy resin, solidified by laser sintering in layers until the product had been built. Dotted around the gallery are seven ‘portals’ which focus on key designers and their careers in furniture making, and it’s no surprise that a couple of them are architects. Frank Lloyd Wright is represented here by three very different wooden chairs made between 1902 and 1937. Unlike many other Modernists, Wright didn’t believe in standardised furniture; instead his concept of ‘organic architecture’ led him to design pieces specifically for his buildings or clients. Slicing through the centre of the long gallery is an exhibition which provides a chronological sweep >> 

Culture V&A Furniture: the Dr Susan Weber Gallery

through 600 years of furniture making. It starts at one end of the room with a medieval book desk made from oak sourced in the Baltic region in the 1420s, and ends with Wooden Heap, a stackable drawer unit by Swiss designer Boris Dennler acquired this year by the museum’s Design Fund. Between these two pieces lie a number of eye-catching works, such as a flamboyant sofa made in 1856 by Rococo revivalist John Henry Belter and a Gothic oak cradle made by Richard Norman Shaw in 1861. A handful of Modernist pieces include Charles and Ray Eames’s Storage Unit (1949-50), which came with interchangeable parts that allowed customers to choose the colour, material and finish of their units, and Carlo Mollino’s lithe Arabesque Table (1949), his most famous furniture design, whose glass top was based on the curves of a woman’s back as seen in a drawing by Surrealist artist Leonor Fini. Contemporary works include Ron Arad’s Bookworm Bookcase (made in 1995), a length of PVC which can be shaped according to the whim of its owner into a serpentine, wall-mounted bookshelf. It’s a startlingly simple design, yet a late landmark in the evolution of such products. In a welcome move, items in the gallery have been raised on plinths, emphasising the fact that they are to be examined like any other museum curiosity. ‘We have brought them closer to bench level, the height at which furniture is made or prepared, to get people to look at them in a different way,’ Humphrey says, adding: ‘With the items in the centre, the difference is that you can view the backs of the pieces, so you can really see the way they are constructed.’ True enough: as most furniture is designed to be put against a wall, looking at the back of a wardrobe or cabinet reveals the guilty secrets of joinery or material which the front often hides behind paint, marquetry or some other decorative device, much as many terraced houses are all cornicing and bay windows where they face the street, but a mess of drain pipes and vents at the back. Hardly any of the exhibits are behind glass, which makes the pieces more immediate. Interactive technology adds to the exhibition; instead of written captions, touchscreens provide visitors with background information as well as photographs of the exhibits with doors opened or draws pulled

A chronological sweep through 600 years of furniture-making  ..

Clockwise from top The new Dr Susan Weber Gallery; Storage Unit by Charles and Ray Eames, 1949-50; sofa by John Henry Belter, 1856

out – after all, furniture is functional and it would be tempting to play with the pieces otherwise. Audio devices provide commentary from current designers – there’s David Adjaye commenting on Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, or Amanda Levete on Eileen Gray – and short films show the evolution of products, from raw material through processing to the final work. The Furniture Gallery has no overarching narrative; instead it allows visitors to learn more about the methods or materials involved in the craft of furniture making. ‘At a fundamental level, the gallery is just about showing people what’s involved in making furniture,’ says Humphrey. ‘There’s no great intellectual structure, although there are many interesting stories on the way.’ ..

James Pallister goes to hear the RIBA debate whether London has a future

And each piece does have its own story. If you enter the gallery from the east entrance, the first object you come to is the Master’s Chair of the Joiner’s Company, the City of London guild that protected the rights of many furniture craftsmen. The chair, made in the 18th century, is intricately carved in mahogany and upholstered with horsehair and red leather. It’s more of a throne than a chair, which underscores the fact that traditionally, armchairs such as these were restricted to the most important person in the room, hence the term ‘chairman of the board’; it was the chair that gave him his authority. After exploring the evolution of furniture craft, it’s easier to understand how such a seemingly straightforward object as a chair can be given such prestige. ■ ..

‘London has been exposed. It can no longer hide its malpractice, greed and excessive consumption from the rest of the world.’ So ended Irena Bauman’s tub-thumping performance at the RIBA Building Futures Debate. The sparse attendance could be taken as evidence of the metropolitan hubris hinted at in the proposition: ‘London will become more trouble than it’s worth: Unequal investment is undermining the true potential of UK plc’. After reminding us of Richard Wilkinson’s figures in The Spirit Level: ‘The wealthiest tenth of London earn 273 times as much as the lowest tenth’, Bauman was more apocalyptic: ‘In 50 years time the success of London 2012 will be remembered as its swan song.’ London was, she argued, irreparably corrupt and on a trajectory of decline. Unlike the regions. Here, she said, ‘We have humility to understand that more consumer choice is not key to long-term happiness.’ Whether shoppers at the Arndale, Metro Centre and Meadowhall would concur I don’t know, but I’m fairly certain scepticism of consumerism isn’t so neatly geographically spread. Deborah Saunt, opposing the motion, said: ‘London eats you up, wears you out and always demands more – it can be a very miserable place.’ But it’s also ‘Why I am standing here as a successful woman in architecture. I can employ fantastic people, lecture, write, teach – all because of London.’ Michael Parkinson, of the European Institute for Urban Affairs, Liverpool John Moores University, had advice to invigorate the regions. Strong political leadership, economic placemaking and confidence to devolve power to the UK’s great provincial cities would help us break free from ‘using 19th century governance on 20th century boundaries to try and manage a 21st century economy’. We should learn, he said, from federal Germany. There, ‘many cities drag up the national economy. In the UK, too many drag it down’.

review This house believes that London will become more trouble than it’s worth: Unequal investment is undermining the true potential of UK plc, RIBA Building Futures Debate, 6 November 2012



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The ventilation system is the message realise in an epiphanic 3D moment that I’m IN the near future, and already walking to the pub.

MONDAY. I love this time of year. Full of hope. Inspiring. Makes you really want to get out there and, I don’t know, change the world. Not change, obviously, let’s be realistic. Remodel the world perhaps. Give it a do-over. Develop new dialogues between elements. Invert ‘tradition’. Open up the world to new circulation patterns and ways of living. Reconnect it. Reconfigure it for digital platforms. Maximise its offer. I hate this time of year.

THURSDAY. Continue with my design statement. ‘Public space has already entered the Post-Visual Age. Consumers of architecture can no longer see the buildings or the spaces between them. Every exposed square inch of public space has been ruthlessly converted to square centimetres and then slathered in advertising…’ Yeah, good. Let’s stir up some righteous anger. ‘This situation is clearly unsustainable, which is why it behoves spatial animateurs such as yours truly to find the next frackable layer of the built environment and then shape that built environment accordingly…’

TUESDAY. I can’t stay negative for long. The run-up to Christmas always fills me with sparkling anticipation. And this year the excitement’s been ramped up to a dangerously high level, as I’m waiting for some technical drawings to come back: my experimental, prototype ventilation system. The drawings are well overdue. Of course the international subcontractor is knocking them out for a very competitive fee, but that doesn’t excuse sloth, does it? What’s the point of outsourcing to a software battery farm in the Philippines (technically eight hours ahead, remember) if the stuff turns up late? I should have punted it out to that open prison in Indonesia with the commercial subsidiary. Yes, there are armed guards supervising the technical drawing wing, but at least they can hit a bloody deadline.

 ..

SATURDAY. Eddie rings. ‘Look, I love the idea of contagious advertising. Who wouldn’t? But we need a name. Something…’ Contagious? ‘No, catchy’.

HANNA MELIN

WEDNESDAY. At last the blueprints for my ventilation system have arrived. Now to chisel off all references to ‘Manila Top Drawers’ and introduce some authentic flourishes, thus making it entirely my own work. I start in the customary way by composing an exquisite design statement, making sure it is full of pretension, lies, and itself. It’s always easiest if you start by imagining the near future, giving that near future a name, then explaining how your design will meet the challenges of that near future with profitable aplomb. Here goes: ‘As the world moves into what some notional commentators are calling the Post-Visual Age, should we be fearful or optimistic? What IS certain is that it poses some fascinating questions. For instance, what does “post-visual” mean? How will it affect our lives, and the lives of our children’s children? What will our shared spatial experience be like in the near future?’ Yeah, getting there, but I think it needs to be more dramatic so I add ‘If there IS a near future…’ Suddenly

FRIDAY. All done. The drawings look great, I’ve added some shaky pencil scratchings and put the technical drawings through an ‘antique’ filter. Over lunch I explain everything to my fixer, Rock Steady Eddie. The simplest way to monetise ventilation and air-conditioning systems, I tell him, is to redefine the volumes of air within them as marketable bundles of pixellated space. Initially, advertisers might be invited to imprint their logo on aerobic bacteria which would then be broadcast invisibly into the breatheable public realm. Eddie finishes his lunch. I push on as he looks solemnly at my chips, eating them. Sponsored bacteria would infiltrate consumers at a biological level, creating a market pathway from lungs to brain. Further down the line, sponsored aerobic bacteria could carry nano-biological advertising slogans, or even looped micro-video clips planted firmly in the consumer’s subconscious. He looks thoughtful, and chipful.

SUNDAY. Brainstorm in the recliner. You can’t stop progress. Monetised ventilation systems are inevitable. Morally it’s fine too; someone’s bound to do it and it might as well be me. I take a break from thinking and switch on the telly. Christmas ads all over it like Legionnaires’ Disease. Wait, that’s it. I ring Eddie. This new system: let’s call it ADVENT. I can hear Eddie cackling. ‘Ker-chingle bells, son…’ ..

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