Building Design articles from April 2006

Building Design archives from April 2006

Capital designer wanted: Mayor of London in bid to enhance Architecture & Urbanism Unit and take on high-flying design director.(oversee development in London under new plans)
April 13, 2006... A high-powered design director will oversee development in London under new plans put forward by Mayor of London Ken Livingstone. The director would enjoy a six-figure salary and be employed by a small advisory board, which would replace...

Stirling stories: which buildings should have won? What do judges get up to on the big night? And why do we even need the Stirling Prize? Ellen Bennett digs for dirt in a new book celebrating the award's 10th anniversary.(News)
April 13, 2006... The bitchiness, the brainstorms and, of course, the booze that fuels the UK's greatest architectural accolade have finally been revealed in a behind-the-scenes book by Stirling Prize judges which, among other revelations, shows that few judges...

Brazilian Mendes da Rocha wins Pritzker.(award for Mendes da Rocha)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Brazil's Paulo Mendes da Rocha has been awarded the 2006 Pritzker Prize for architecture for work stretching back through six decades. Mendes da Rocha, 77, is considered to be one of Brazil's most outstanding architects, but has, until...

Paris's first major museum since the Pompidou Centre in 1977, the 180 million [pounds sterling] Musee du Ouai Branly is complete.(Hit and miss)
April 13, 2006... Paris's first major museum since the Pompidou Centre in 1977, the 180 million [pounds sterling] Musee du Ouai Branly (pictured above), is complete. Designed by Jean Nouvel, whose other works include the Insitut du Monde Arabe, it will feature...

Potters Field Park on the south bank of the Thames is to be regenerated by the Pools of London Partnership as the final stage of its 10-year Single Regeneration Budget partnership to transform the stretch of the river bank between Tower Bridge and London Bridge.(landscape architect Gross Max contracts)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Potters Field Park on the south bank of the Thames is to be regenerated by the Pools of London Partnership as the final stage of its 10-year Single Regeneration Budget partnership to transform the stretch of the river bank between Tower Bridge...

Residential developer First Base has signed an agreement with English Partnerships.(Hit and miss)
April 13, 2006... Residential developer First Base has signed an agreement with English Partnerships to build 147 homes at Adelaide Wharf in Shoreditch as part of EP'S London-Wide Initiative.

More than 50 design teams have expressed an interest in competition to design Birmingham's first significant city-centre park for more than a century, in Eastside.(Hit and miss)
April 13, 2006... More than 50 design teams have expressed an interest in competition to design Birmingham's first significant city-centre park for more than a century, in Eastside. The 3.2ha park will form the backbone of the 10-year, 6 billion [pounds...

English Heritage.(People)
April 13, 2006... Graeme Ives has been appointed by English Heritage as historic buildings champion for Merseyside. He was formerly special initiatives manager at the West Lakes Renaissance, urban regeneration company.

The Prince of Wales is to be the patron of National Museums.(People)
April 13, 2006... The Prince of Wales is to be the patron of National Museums at the Chatham Historic Dockyard.

The Government Office for London this week put John McAslan & Partners' refurbishment of Trellick Tower on hold.(contracts, remodelling and renovation)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... The Government Office for London this week put John McAslan & Partners' refurbishment of Trellick Tower on hold. The move follows requests by lobby groups, the Twentieth Century Society and Docomomo, to call in the 8.6 million [pounds sterling]...

The Twentieth Century Society has hit out at the London Borough of Brent for allowing the demolition of the Firestone Building on the Great West Road.(Power play)
April 13, 2006... The Twentieth Century Society has hit out at the London Borough of Brent for allowing the demolition of the Firestone Building on the Great West Road. The 1930s factory building was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott.

Local authorities must find a way of building in the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area without damaging local birdlife, the South-east England Regional Assembly has said.(new homes can be built safely in the area while protecting rare bird habitats)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Local authorities must find a way of building in the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area without damaging local birdlife, the South-east England Regional Assembly has said. The assembly has commissioned land-use consultants to look at...

Part L sends costs spiralling: delays in approving Barts & Royal London mean it must now comply with tough new carbon regulations.(News)
April 13, 2006... The cost of major public buildings--including the troubled Barts & the Royal London Hospital--is set to spiral following the introduction of new energy efficiency regulations. Barts and other hospital projects that have been put on hold by...

'Cinderella' role is championed.(specification writing critical in construction)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Specification writing--described as a "Cinderella activity" in the design process--is to be championed by the newly-launched Specifiers' Design Forum with a publicity drive, conference and CPD programme. The forum argues that authoritative...

Scotland rewrites architecture policy.(News)
April 13, 2006... Scotland's policy on architecture is to be rewritten just five years after it was introduced. The move, prompted by a report from the country's Cultural Commission, will see the policy focus more on practical issues such as procurement....

Pupils help design school.(refurbishment of England School)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Eldridge Smerin has designed a new west Midlands primary school. The 300,000 [pounds sterling] scheme, for Heart of England School (pictured above and left), in Balsall Common, is in for planning. It boasts a colourful new bridge constructed of...

Amicus agreement.
April 13, 2006... The Amicus Horizon Group has appointed Capita Symonds to provide multidisciplinary services to the affordable housing sector. Capita Symonds will provide architecture, building services engineering, health and safety and environmental...

Byker project.
April 13, 2006... Letts Wheeler has won a design competition to regenerate two sites in Byker in Newcastle. The judging panel, which included designer Wayne Hemingway, selected Letts Wheeler from a shortlist of five entries. The winning scheme will now go to...

Eastern promise.
April 13, 2006... Eastern promise RIBA East has shortlisted 14 buildings for the institute's national awards, including Snell Associates' Water Activities Centre for Whitlingham Country Park in Norwich, Freeland Rees Roberts' Peterhouse Ward Library in...

Kent centre loses out in Gateway: funding crisis forces policy changes.(Kent Architecture Centre has lost out on public sector funding)
April 13, 2006... The UK's most successful architecture centre has had to sell its services to commercial clients to survive following a 40% drop in public sector funding. The Kent Architecture Centre--one of the first to be established--has lost out on...

MPs urged to name best public design.(contracts and Prime Minister's Award for Better Public Building)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... MP Ed Vaizey has submitted an early day motion urging fellow MPs to nominate buildings in their constituencies for the 2006 Prime Minister's Award for Better Public Building. The awards are open to any public building completed and come...

New library draws 'mystery' fans.(library facilities)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... The first new library to be built in Gloucestershire in 15 years--in the market town of Dursley--challenges the traditional notions of a county library, with its transparent facade and skewed shape. Multidisciplinary consultancy Ridge...

Government to teach school pupils about architecture.(educational aspects)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Architecture minister David Lammy is set to announce a new initiative this spring that will see the built environment used as an educational tool, with the aim of possibly establishing an architecture GCSE. Lammy will launch a document,...

Yeang to masterplan Istanbul eco-corridor.(Llewelyn Davies Yeang awards)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Llewelyn Davies Yeang has won its first major international design competition since the practice launched last year. The architecture, planning and design consultancy will masterplan a 2km-long "ecological corridor" for Istanbul, Turkey, on a...

Masonic hall recreated.(Remodeling of convention centers)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Masonic hall recreated Newcastle-based practice, Jane Darbyshire & David Kendall (JDDK), has completed a 1.2 million [pounds sterling] project in County Durham to recreate an authentic Masonic hall--giving an insight into the secretive world of...

Beamish shortlist.
April 13, 2006... Beamish shortlist The shortlist has been announced for a 6 million [pounds sterling] visitors centre for the Beamish Open Air Museum in County Durham. A total of 93 expressions of interest were received, and the final all-star line up consists...

Regional tour.(The North-east)
April 13, 2006... Regional tour The DiverseCity exhibition, highlighting achievements by black and ethnic minority architects and women architects has begun a regional tour, starting at Northumbria University in Newcastle. The exhibition, organised by Architects...

Reaching Pinnacle.(The North-east)
April 13, 2006... Reaching Pinnacle Waring & Netts Architects is celebrating after its client Pinnacle Schools (Gateshead) won the contract for Gateshead Borough Council's 55 million [pounds sterling] schools PFI programme. The project will see the building of...

Concrete come-down.(building permits)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Concrete come-down Newcastle City Council has approved the demolition of one of the North-east's most loathed concrete office blocks. The 12-storey edifice, Westgate House, has blighted the city skyline since the 1960s. Last year, George...

Silvester school design.(The North-east)
April 13, 2006... Silvester school design Middlesbrough-based architect Silvester Ashton Partnership has won planning permission for a 15 million [pounds sterling] school in the South Tyneside. The existing school, Whitburn Comprehensive, will be demolished and...

Blackpitts development.
April 13, 2006... HKR Architects has won planning permission for a mixed-use development in Blackpitts, Dublin. The development will include seven buildings with a total floor space of 19,300sq m, 136 homes, offices, shops and an art gallery.

College expansion.
April 13, 2006... Multidisciplinary practice Pick Everard is to expand a college in Coalville, Leicestershire, which it originally designed, by 6,000sq m. The 11 million [pounds sterling] project will see extra classrooms and workshops added to the Stephenson...

Landmark bridge.
April 13, 2006... English Partnerships has submitted a planning application for a landmark bridge spanning the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, designed by Ronald Weekes. The bridge will complete Gloucester's inner relief road and provide access to Gloscat College...

RRP Cambridge plan refused.(Richard Rogers Partnership)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Richard Rogers Partnership's proposals for a 1,000 home development around Cambridge station have been refused planning permission. The 725 million [pounds sterling] scheme, known as cb1, was turned down on 25 grounds, with officers...

Wilkinson Eyre reworks Brighton Marina scheme.(redesigned proposals for Brighton Marina)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Wilkinson Eyre has submitted radically redesigned proposals for Brighton Marina, but kept the controversial 40-storey tower at the heart of the scheme. The architect and the client Brunswick Developments hope the changes, which include the...

Planning review 'flawed'.(social and environmental aspects)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Economist Kate Barker's Treasury-commissioned review of the planning system is based on a false premise, claims the Southeast England Regional Assembly. Barker, who produced the 2004 Review of Housing Supply, is investigating ways of...

Growing pains in Scotland: a year old this week, Architecture & Design Scotland is coming under fire from critics who say it has not tackled issues such as PFI, the skills shortage and education. Will Hurst looks at how the watchdog is faring.(News Analysis)
April 13, 2006... Ian Gilzean looks uneasy. "I think I've given you enough," he tells BD through a fixed smile, backing away. The principal architect at the Scottish Executive, he is not keen on talking about whether Architecture & Design Scotland--Cabe north of...

Hemingway finds gap in the market.(Comment: Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 13, 2006... What Andrew Clark (Letters April 7) fails to understand in his attack on Wayne Hemingway lies at the very heart of the problem for architects today. Clark states that Hemingway is "being allowed to break into the world of architecture....

Alsop in safe hands.(Comment: Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 13, 2006... It was refreshing to read Paul Hyett's observation (Letters April 7) on the recent acquisition of Will Alsop's practice by McColl. Many of our brethren still argue that supremely innovative studios should never get involved with large...

Leeds modesty.(Letter to the editor)
April 13, 2006... It is stretching a point to argue that our building for Isis Waterside Regeneration in Leeds, at a maximum of 14 storeys, is comparable to super-towers by Simpson, Farrell's or Wilkinson Eyre proposed elsewhere in Britain (News analysis April...

Beware of novelty.(Comment: Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 13, 2006... Despite the temptation for a snigger from some quarters, your article "Academies could do better" (News March 31) may give the DIES pause for thought in the selection of signature architects and the Building Schools for the Future programme....

Grid distortion.(Letter to the editor)
April 13, 2006... Extraordinary to hear that Isobel McCall, leader of Milton Keynes Council, thinks "people absolutely love the grid roads" and that they must be protected in their present form against activities developing along them. When we at Llewelyn...

Fountain blame.(Comment: Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 13, 2006... There were some errors in your article about the Diana Memorial Fountain (News March 24). You claimed we were "blasted" over our poor management of the construction of the fountain. In fact, the project was not managed by The Royal Parks....

If I were London's design director ...(Editorial )
April 13, 2006... Does London need a design director to bang the table for better architecture in the capital? If such a post is to be created it is because there is a certain desperation by London's civic leaders to see some action. As BD reveals this week the...

Uniting old and new to create rich legacy.(studying the past architecture for positive Urban planning)
April 13, 2006... Last week Peter Rees said he could not understand why English Heritage has commissioned a study of the whole Smithfield/ Farringdon area (News April 7). I passionately believe that taking the wider view is as important as taking the long...

Plenty of front.(Charles Saatchi)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Art collector Charles Saatchi seems to carry controversy wherever he goes, so it should be no surprise that running a seemingly straightforward picture of plans for h is new gallery is actually fraught with political dangers. Anyone who...

Hello mum.(Concrete Boots)
April 13, 2006... It's always nice to be appreciated, so Boots was mightily chuffed to hear that Ken Yeang and his mum--"his biggest fan"--are avid readers of BD, and will be looking out for this week's story on Yeang's latest commission. So, just for you Ken,...

Essential support.(architectural exhibition )(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Boots hears whispers of ructions over the architectural exhibition launched last week by the Royal Scottish Academy. Apparently, Edinburgh architects Richard Murphy and Malcolm Fraser, who organised the show, did a sterling job of ringing...

Back in black.(Royal Institute of British Architects)
April 13, 2006... It looks as though the RIBA is back in the black. The institute is advertising for a "development manager" in this week's Media Guardian, with a remuneration of 25,000 [pounds sterling] to 29,000 [pounds sterling]. The actual job description...

Do I hear a Russell?(Concrete Boots)
April 13, 2006... Talking of the RIBA hiring, word is that ex-Cube director Graham Russell, could soon be back on the payroll. Watch this space.

T-shirt graffiti.
April 13, 2006... What was Massilmiliano Fuksas doing to Nigel Coates' chest when the two met in Milan's via Monte Napoleone last week? Coates, who was sporting his favourite "I shot Norman Foster" T-shirt was accosted by the great architect--in Milan to witness...

Finishing touches: Stephen Hodder's project at St Catherine's College has spanned a decade of building and restoration work to Arne Jacobsen's 1960s campus. The final phase of his masterplan--a set of student housing blocks--is complete, and it has been been worth the wait.(Works)
April 13, 2006... In 1943 Arne Jacobsen rowed across the Oresund from Copenhagen to Malmo to escape the Nazis. Prevented from working as an architect in Sweden, he began to work on fabrics, furnishings and wallpapers. On his return to Denmark after the war,...

Time test: Amanda Greaney, senior fire engineer at Buro Happold, reviews the fire safety systems at the National History Museum's Darwin Centre in London.(Solutions: Health & safety)
April 13, 2006... The facts The Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum is a unique building with a unique safety challenge. It is home to 22 million biological specimens, ranging from the tiniest insects to an 8.6m-long giant squid. The specimens are...

Clarity key to revised CDM regulations.(The Construction (Design and Management) regulations)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... The CDM regulations are being redrafted, and after all-too-familiar delays are due to take effect in April 2007. The most obvious difference is that the "planning supervisor" who takes responsibility for managing the flow of safety-related...

Fire protection gets smart: fire protection now looks at the whole building rather than individual parts--in contrast to fire codes.(Solutions: Health & safety)
April 13, 2006... Structural fire engineering has its roots in the Cardington fire tests of 15 years ago, and expanded with the arrival of analysis software in the 1990s. But, sadly, the specialism really came of age in the aftermath of the World Trade Centre...

Moveable walls.(new lightweight moveable wall system )(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Moveable walls Dorma has launched a new lightweight moveable wall system in the UK. Made from glass-reinforced composite board, the Moveo system incorporates sound insulation and smoke protection and offers a 30- or 60-minute fire rating. It is...

Roof safety.(safety lifeline system suitable for use on roofs)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Roof safety Evolution is a safety lifeline system suitable for use on roofs. It includes a shock absorbing system that reduces forces in the event of a fall, and limits damage to the building. A variety of curved, intermediate and end brackets...

Sealed blinds.(Techbrief )(Sealed blinds-hermetically sealed fire-retardant blind system)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Sealed blinds Pilkington Slimblind is a hermetically sealed fire-retardant blind system. Venetian blinds are encased within a toughened fire-resistant Pilkington glass unit, and operated by a magnetic dial. They can be installed into doors or...

Architecture's great leap forward: ideas and ideals are prominent in the V&A's ambitious and stimulating Modernism exhibition.(Culture: Books Exhibition Events)
April 13, 2006... Modernism, the V&A's huge and very ambitious new exhibition, concentrates on ideas and ideals and puts architecture absolutely centre stage. It is also a show that determinedly, according to curator Christopher Wilk, puts the politics back into...

Calm, understated and user friendly: a new book confirms Charles Saumarez Smith's view that Rick Mather's architecture is sophisticated and smooth.(Culture: Books Exhibitions Events)
April 13, 2006... Bob Maxwell's new and beautifully illustrated monograph on the architecture of Rick Mather reminds me how much I have admired Mather's work, ever since I used to eat lunch in the basement restaurant at the Architectural Association, which he...

Chipperfield talk.(SELECTOR)
April 13, 2006... David Chipperfield discusses his restoration of the Neues Museum in Berlin as part of the Architecture Foundation's Real Architecture lecture series. April 18, 6.30pm, Starr Auditorium, Tate Modern, Bankside, London. Details:...

Adaptable imagery.(SELECTOR)
April 13, 2006... The re-use of found imagery is explored in Found, Shared: The Magazine Photowork, an exhibition at Cube. From April 19 till May 20, Cube, 113-115 Portland Street, Manchester. Tel: 0161 237 5525.

Concrete evidence.(SELECTOR)
April 13, 2006... Auguste Perret's pioneering use of concrete is discussed in a lecture by Karla Britton of Yale University, part of Docomomo's Concrete lecture series. April 18, 7pm, 70 Cowcross Street, London. Tel: 020 7253 6624.

Culture vulture.(interview for Deyan Sudjic )(Interview)
April 13, 2006... How would you spend the day indulging in cultural pursuits? I have to confess I'm addicted to TCM--the Turner Movie Channel--guilt-free daytime TV. My ideal day would be spent watching it while trying to do something else; like write. TCM...

SwimEx swimming pools.
April 13, 2006... A pool-wide current up to 5 mph. Fully insulated, beautifully finished, with a choice of models and colour. Manufactured in 1 piece (2.3 x 5.3m) for new builds or 4 for access. Only 2,500 gals of water to heat. 10yr structural warranty,...

Wood for Good.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... Wood for Good, the UKs' timber promotion carton, has joined forces with Cortexa, a leading provider of innovative online learning packages, to develop an e-learning programme aimed at architects and specifiers. The content for this online...

Tyco Thermal Controls.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... In a new 32 page handbook, Tyco Thermal Controls provides building services professionals--architects, specifiers, contractors and installers--with a comprehensive insight into its complete range of Raychem electrical underfloor heating systems...

Freefoam Plastics.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... Freefoam Plastics has added an exciting new range to its significant portfolio of products. The new Fortex range has a stylish natural wood look and feel, and comes in a matt finish. It is available in a 150mm shiplap and comes complete with a...

Platz Haus UK.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... New range of timber frame homes from Platz Haus on show for the first time at the National Homebuilding and Renovating Show 2006. Available for the first time in the UK, Platz Haus, a German company specialising in the manufacture of quality,...

Johnson Ceramics International.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... The recent development of one of Europe's largest hydrotherapy pools, based at Oswestry's Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic and District Hospital, has made extensive use of ceramic tiles from leading manufacturer H&R Johnson Tiles...

Springvale EPS Ltd.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... Now available from Springvale EPS Ltd is an improved version of its well-established Floorshield insulation board that enables designers and contractors to meet new thermal targets brought by recent amendments to Approved Document L of the...

EX-OR Ltd.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... Ex-Or Ltd, European leader in lighting management systems, has appointed two more project sales engineers to handle contracts in London and the South East. The appointment of Ian Clough and Ben Goodyer follows a significant increase in the...

Corus.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... Colorcoat Prisma[R] offers a technically and aesthetically superior pre-finished steel product over PVDF (Pvf2), supported by the market-leading Confidex[R] Guarantee only available from Corus. www.colorcoat-online.com Enquiries 5007...

Cordek.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... Cordek's expanded polystyrene product, Filcor, is light enough to manoeuvre into position on inaccessible railway embankments, but durable enough to anchor debris control netting Enquiries 5010 or see www.enquirenow.com/bd ...

Honeywell water control.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... Measures should be taken to prevent scalding hot water in basins, showers and baths warns Honeywell. In healthcare, valves certified to Buildcert TMV3, such as Honeywell TM200VP, must be fitted. Valves to the domestic TMV2 standard, such as...

Interior Design Handbook.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... For over 20 years, Interior Design Handbook has been one of the most valuable and visionary sources of products available to the British interior design and retail professions. Widely acknowledge as the essential interior design source book,...

Levolux.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... For the new central office of the National Trust, architects Feilden Clegg Bradley were tasked with the job of creating one of the most sustainable office buildings in the country. Levolux, market leader in the design, manufacture and...

Wincro.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... Wincro Metals Industries the manufacturers of stainless steel components for the construction industry, has designed and supplied the windposts and ties for The Axis development in the heart of Romford. This important high-profile town centre...

Freefoam Plastics.(Products & Litrature)
April 13, 2006... Freefoam Plastics, One of the largest brands of roofline systems in the UK and Ireland, working in conjunction with Regional Stockist U-Plastics have assisted in securing a new trade agreement with East Anglia based roofline specialist...

Mumford & Wood.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... Leading developer of volume residential housing has completed the renovation of a former workhouse and infirmary on the site of the old Herts & Essex Hospital in Bishop's Storford, Hertfordshire for which Mumford & Wood's Conservation products...

Kingspan Insulation Limited.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... Kingspan Kooltherm[R] K10 Soffit Board was installed under the tiered seating areas and in the executive boxes of the OCS Stand at the Brit Oval. A product that would be easy to handle and install, contained no loose fibres and achieved...

Harrods Flooring Studio.(Products & Literature)
April 13, 2006... The Flooring Studio of 158 Walton Street, London was delighted to provide the perfect flooring solution for the refurbishment of the men's tailoring department within Harrods, the world's most famous department store. Harrods is renowned the...

Suzi Towel: we've put Big Ben and Beatrix Potter's bungalow in breadcrumbs and you have to guess which is which.
April 13, 2006... We welcome back as guest columnist Suzi Towel, Secretary of State 4 Popular Culture Monday Today at lunchtime is the start of something really, genuinely big. The soil turning we are setting in motion, after nibbles and drinks, marks...

Architest.
April 13, 2006... This week: Five years ago, stories from BD April 12, 2001 1) How did Denton Corker Marshall director Stephen Quinlan describe his practice's winning concept for a new Stonehenge visitor centre? A "Modernism with an acknowledged druid...