Building Design articles from May 2005

Building Design archives from May 2005

Holyrood hell takes its toll: Stewart leaves RMJM after 'seven years of torture'.(News)
May 6, 2005... The chief executive of Scotland's largest practice, RMJM, has taken extended leave and may not return to work. Colleagues put the move down to "seven years of torture" over the Scottish Parliament project. RMJM this week admitted that...

Walking alone in Liverpool.(News)
May 6, 2005... Glenn Howells Architects and Urban Initiatives' 31 million [pounds sterling] plans for Lime Street station in Liverpool have been submitted for planning permission. The 92m tower, which will replace Richard Seifert's 1960s Concourse House...

All clear for 2.2bn [pounds sterling] health procurement.(News)
May 6, 2005... A controversial 2.2 billion [pounds sterling] system for procuring healthcare buildings has been given a last-minute reprieve by the government. Architects and contractors feared that the delivery route, known as ProCure 21, would be wound...

Highways jam holds up Thames Gateway.(News)
May 6, 2005... The delivery of 7,250 homes in the Thames Gateway has been held up by a row with the Highways Agency over the capacity of local roads. The Land Securities application, masterplanned by Eric Kuhne for the Eastern Quarry in Dartford, is...

British sea power.(News)(Grimshaw)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Grimshaw has unveiled new images of a giant offshore wind turbine bigger than the London Eve and designed to generate three times more electricity than conventional turbines. The Aerogenerator, designed with research company Wind Power,...

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has officially opened its new headquarters on Wimbledon Broadway.(Hit and miss)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has officially opened its new headquarters on Wimbledon Broadway. Designed by GMW Architects, the 6,000sq m building has a frameless glass street elevation.

Urban Salon has won the Architecture Foundation's Bermondsey Square competition.(Hit and miss)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Urban Salon has won the Architecture Foundation's Bermondsey Square competition. The practice triumphed over a shortlist that included S333, Pierre d'Avoine and DSDHA. See News Analysis.

Kelly MacKinnon of Anderson Bell and Christie Architects has won first prize.(Hit and miss)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Kelly MacKinnon of Anderson Bell and Christie Architects has won first prize in the RIAS competition Govan Going Places.

Fifty-three practices have entered the Light at the End of the Tunnel competition.(Hit and miss)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Fifty-three practices have entered the Light at the End of the Tunnel competition. Run by the RIBA, the contest is looking for ideas to transform railway viaducts in central London. Winners will be announced this month.

Royal Incorporation of Architects.(People)(appointed Mary Wrenn as director.)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Mary Wrenn, director of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales, has resigned to become the new chief executive of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, it was announced this week.

Canadian journalist Bob Hunter, co-founder of Greenpeace died.(People)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
May 6, 2005... Canadian journalist Bob Hunter, co-founder of Greenpeace, died on Monday, aged 63.

RIBA Professional Services Ltd.(People)(appointed Nicholas Taylor as new executive director.)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Nicholas Taylor (right) has been appointed new executive director of RIBA Professional Services Ltd. Taylor currently runs Metro Broadcast, part of communications organisation WPP Group. Previously, he was managing partner of Luther Pendragon,...

John Prescott has said he wants to hold on to his power base, the sprawling ODPM, in a Labour third term.(Power play)(Office of the Deputy Prime Minister)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... John Prescott has said he wants to hold on to his power base, the sprawling ODPM, in a Labour third term. The 66-year-old told the 6uardian he had "learned the lesson that you need a departmental base".

The Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park is due to re-open today following a four-month programme of repairs.(Power play)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park is due to re-open today following a four-month programme of repairs. Planning officials at Westminster City Council have said that the path that now surrounds the fountain for safety reasons is...

The Urban Design Group has called on the new government to require all local authorities to produce an urban design vision.(Power play)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The Urban Design Group has called on the new government to require all local authorities to produce an urban design vision, integrate decision-making on planning and transport, and ensure all local authorities employ at least one urban designer...

The Association for the Conservation of Energy has accused the government of a last-minute "sleight of hand" over revisions to Part L of the Building Regulations.(Power play)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The Association for the Conservation of Energy has accused the government of a last-minute "sleight of hand" over revisions to Part L of the Building Regulations. ACE claimed new rules for residential walls and roofs, which will come into force...

Westminster council has received reports of people cycling on the Millennium Bridge.(Power play)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Westminster council has received reports of people cycling on the Millennium Bridge. It has asked Southwark council, which controls the South Bank end, to enforce the ban on cyclists.

Gherkin gasps for air after glass fall: windows shut at Building of the Year as safety is traded for sustainability.(News)
May 6, 2005... The sustainability credentials of Foster & Partners' Swiss Re building were dealt a blow as the building owners were forced to seal shut half the opening windows amid fears of another pane of glass falling from the tower. As Britain heads...

A web of illiteracy and officialdom: welcome to Hackney planning.(News)
May 6, 2005... All architects will be familiar with the frustration of dealing with local planning departments, so perhaps readers will take pity on a fellow professional who has had a three-month battle with Hackney Council over photocopied signatures and...

Basin builds flood defences to be Thames Gateway blueprint.(News)(Kiran Curtis Architects)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Kiran Curtis Architects has unveiled new ways of beating floods in the Thames Gateway with its designs for the Canal Basin in Gravesend, Kent. The designs use the latest means of flood defence and will be used as an exmplar by the...

Culture hub.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The 7.25 million [pounds sterling] Winchester Cultural Centre has been granted planning permission. The centre, designed by Hampshire County Council Architects, includes an art gallery, museum space and reference library. The project involves...

Bennetts debut.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The first major exhibition of the work of Bennetts Associates will run at the RIBA in central London from May 19 to June 25. The exhibition spotlights eight major projects by the practice, including Brighton Central Library, the Loch Lomond...

Solar first.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Campbell & Morris Associates has completed two social housing schemes in Glasgow featuring solar panels. It is the first time the client, the 0ueens Cross Housing Association, has used the technology on an inner-city project. The 170sq m of...

Council heel-dragging imperils Shelley castle: Worthing authority reluctant to put up 1.5m [pounds sterling] to save Castle Goring.(News)
May 6, 2005... Percy Bysshe Shelley's family home, one of only two listed buildings in Worthing, West Sussex, is in grave danger unless the local council acts quickly to save it, conservationists have warned. Worthing Borough Council has commissioned a...

RAF scheme marches on after listing halt.(News)(Royal Air Force)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The major refurbishment of a series of buildings dating from the Second World War is nearing completion after it was put on hold for three months because of a surprise grade II listing. Demolition work on the 6.8 million [pounds sterling]...

Showpiece studio.(FIRST LOOK)(Terry Pawson Architects)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Designs by Terry Pawson Architects for a new home for the practice have been submitted for planning. The 400,000 [pounds sterling] project, proposed for an in-fill site in Wimbledon, south-west London, comprises a first-floor studio and an...

House in order.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The new government must radically rethink housing policy, the Federation of Master Builders said this week. Director general Ian Davis said: "There are around 700,000 empty homes, kept out of use by VAT law, which charges [for] refurbishment,...

PFI for HKS.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Ryder HKS has been appointed to design five new schools in Redcar and Cleveland in the council's own PFI project worth 155 million [pounds sterling]. The five developments, which include rebuilding a technology college and merging two primary...

On display.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Practices' London-based schemes can be displayed in a permanent new exhibition space in central London. All projects with planning permission, or within a year of completion, are considered. Email projects with brief details, and photos, to...

No 'City-on-sea' for Brighton.(News)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Brighton council has rejected Allies & Morrison's plans for a 42-storey tower in the city centre, saying it is "not looking for a new City of London on the coast". The skyscraper, designed for the Beetham Organisation, was rejected...

Leaked document reveals Scottish 'anti-green plans'.(News)
May 6, 2005... Scottish ministers are planning a move that would allow unpopular and ecologically damaging projects to go ahead by radically centralising planning power, environmentalists claimed this week. Friends of the Earth Scotland said on Tuesday...

On the waterfront.(News)(Belsize Architects)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... A 1.8m [pounds sterling] boathouse for University College Oxford designed by Belsize Architects in London has been submitted for planning permission. The boathouse, to replace the original 1881 building which burned down six years ago, has been...

Web poll.
May 6, 2005... Last week we asked: Is the fine for the Greenside demolition too tough or too lenient? 13% said too tough 87% said too lenient This week we ask Has stress ever caused you to consider resigning? Give your answer at...

Alsop's Bradford plans face audit.(News)
May 6, 2005... An audit of Will Alsop's bold public space plans for Bradford city centre has been launched to see how much they will cost to build and maintain. Bradford Centre Regeneration (BCR), the urban regeneration company behind Alsop's masterplan,...

Take courage.(News)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Sheppard Robson has won planning permission for a 200 million [pounds sterling] mixed-use scheme on the site of the former Courage Brewery in Bristol. The project, on a 2.3ha waterside site in the Redcliffe conservation area, includes a bridge...

Nothing wasted at new Ealing park.(News)(LDA Design)(Art2Architecture)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... LDA Design has been appointed lead architect on an innovative new park in Ealing, west London. The park features four large grassy mounds made from inert landfill taken from construction projects. The mounds, which when completed will...

Tsunami architects 'lagging'.(News)
May 6, 2005... British architects' response to the Asian tsunami crisis is "embarrassingly scarce", an architect and aid worker told BD this week. Architect Elizabeth Babister, a shelter specialist for charities including Oxfam, said her recent posting...

Make aims to be first carbon-neutral practice.(News)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Make is set to become the first carbon-neutral practice, it claimed this week. Ken Shuttleworth's firm said it was reducing the company's energy use and hiring an independent auditor to give it a carbon dioxide rating. This will allow Make to...

Southend makeover.(East)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Southend makeover Planning minister Keith Hill has given the go-ahead to a new urban regeneration company in Southend, Essex. Renaissance Southend hopes to regenerate the area with a borough-wide masterplan and raise Southend's profile in the...

Alsop talk.(East)
May 6, 2005... Will Alsop will speak to an audience of RIBA East members at the end of this month. The talk, called Art and Architecture--the work of Will Alsop, takes place at the De Havilland Campus of the University of Hertfordshire and will earn CPD...

Suffolk awards haul.(East)(Suffolk County Council)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Suffolk left this year's national Civic Trust awards with its biggest-ever haul of prizes. Suffolk County Council won an exterior lighting special award for Ballingdon Bridge, Sudbury, as well as commendations for the county council's new...

Cambridge makes way.(East)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... A site in Cambridge city centre is being demolished to clear space for a major retail development. The scheme, designed by Chapman Taylor Architects, will include a new John Lewis store and 5O other shops across five floors covering 26,000sq m....

King's Parade scoops prize.(East)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Streetscape improvements in King's Parade, Cambridge, has won this year's David Unwin Design Awards, run by Cambridge City Council and the Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry. Also commended were the new public toilets in Parker's...

Ipswich housing.(East)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Chelmsford-based practice CHBC Architects has been appointed to design a 14 million [pounds sterling] redevelopment of the former Ipswich airport. The project includes 100 new townhouses, a community centre, nursery school, sports pavilion and...

Waking up to waterworld: rising water levels and mass flooding will be a serious test for UK architects. As Zoe Blackler discovers, even Holland's water experts are being forced to rethink.(News Analysis)
May 6, 2005... When the Asian tsunami struck on Boxing Day, it offered a stark reminder of the power of water to devastate human communities. The disaster gave us a glimpse of a nightmare world where water, capricious and unpredictable, threatens our daily...

New kids on the block: Urban Salon has won the Bermondsey Square housing competition. But with all the shortlisted schemes producing innovative housing solutions, it's a pity all three can't be built.(News Analysis)
May 6, 2005... It's one of UK architecture's big frustrations that we've never been able to develop a housing type as successful, esteemed and beloved as our forbears did with the Georgian terrace and the suburban semi. With the housing shortfall still...

Cloud of negativity ignores Cabe work.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2005... I applaud what Cabe has achieved in its short life and am surprised that two-thirds of the respondents to the BD readers' poll think it has failed to make a significant impact on the quality of design (News April 29). This is, I suggest,...

A force for good.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2005... As someone who was often frustrated by the strange ways of Cabe's predecessor, the Royal Fine Arts Commission, I find Cabe something of a revelation; a definite force for good. The two enduring problems with the UK's planning system are...

Worthy of support.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2005... I question the outcome of BD's election poll survey. Surely there is enough visual evidence around us to highlight an upward trend in the quality of architecture and the built environment? People's expectations are higher and more...

Toilet talk.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2005... The article by Christopher Woodward (Culture April 22) reminded me of my only encounter with Peter Smithson. I was a student at Birmingham School of Architecture in the 1950s and was responsible for organising visiting lecturers. The...

The threat of Bob.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2005... Did you see the new series of Bob the Builder this week? If not, I would encourage you to follow Bob's exploits over the coming weeks. To set the scene, Bob's local community has decided that a New Town is required and arranges a design...

Camden clear-up.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2005... May I correct a few factual errors in your article, "Camden planner clings on" (News April 29)? First, I am not a planner; I am an elected member who is chair of the development control subcommittee. I am not a "key opponent to the...

'Name and shame' jobsworth planners.(Editorial)(Editorial)
May 6, 2005... It's time for some post-election wishes. Less war, less poverty and, after about four months' campaigning, how about less meaningless political bickering. Oh, and perhaps Her Majesty's government could do the architecture profession a favour...

Where are the cast lists for buildings?(Soapbox)
May 6, 2005... One of the things that strikes you when wandering around Paris is that in a reasonably prominent part of nearly every building is a little cartouche carved into an appropriate piece of stonework telling you the name of M le Architect...

Air pressure.(Concrete Boots)(advocacy for wind turbine usage)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects are official campaign champions for a pressure group that wants more power to be generated by wind turbines. The pair join prestigious champions Norman Foster, London mayor Ken...

Village? Idiot.(Concrete Boots)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Talking of wind, Sunday Times food critic AA Gill was on the trail of beleaguered Tory MP Oliver Letwin in Dorset last week. The hunt took him past Prince Charles's model village, Poundbury. Gill couldn't resist the chance to put the boot in....

Grounded by EH.(Concrete Boots)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... While Prince Charles recreates the past, others refurbish it. English Heritage's listing regime is never popular with developers, but for a fantastic example of an EH spanner in the works, look no further than Richard Partington Architect's...

Snags in the city.(Concrete Boots)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The troubled rebuilding effort at Ground Zero is still struggling to stay on budget and on time. The mammoth project hit a whole new set of snags this week with the resignation of Kevin M Rampe, who has overseen the project at the Lower...

Spirit of salt.(Concrete Boots)
May 6, 2005... An architect in Lowestoft whose family has owned the town's Claremont Pier for 35 years has decided to sell the 100m landmark for 2.8 million [pounds sterling]. But, and here is the twist that makes the property even more unusual, the pier is...

Mary Wrenn.(Talkbox)(Interview)
May 6, 2005... Mary Wrenn, director of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW), has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), and will take up the post next month. What are your aims as...

In praise of the Pompidou.(Comment: shorts)
May 6, 2005... When does a critical debate contain no criticism? Answer: When Richard Rogers is in the hot seat, writes Vikki Miller. The prestigious architect emerged almost unscathed last month after facing a panel of international critics and a student...

Model lessons.(Comment: shorts)(architecture firm to train new architects)
May 6, 2005... It has long been clear that some of the best education available to student architects is in private practice. But for too long, architectural practices have fought shy of offering dedicated and properly funded training programmes, writes...

Nature study: Sarah Wigglesworth's science classroom in Sheffield gives pupils an innovative place to experience nature.(Works)
May 6, 2005... Over the past five years, the government's policy of regenerating our educational buildings has focused on secondary schools. The assumption being that since high-profile antisocial behaviour at school only manifests itself during the later...

05 barrel vaulted roof, Doris's Place, Hackney: Peter Barber has resolved the complex challenge of placing a parabolic roof vault onto tapering party walls.(How we cracked it)
May 6, 2005... Step 1 Doris's Place is an apartment building and art gallery in Hackney's Broadway Market. The rear portion of the building is an apartment inside a tasty parabolic barrel-vaulted roof that features a lively window treatment at either...

Get the facts before the flood: Amanda Birch says ignore your project's risk factors at your peril.(Solutions)
May 6, 2005... Imagine going to the lengths of developing a masterplan and being granted outline planning permission only to find out that the detailed first phase was unacceptable to the Environment Agency. This is what happened to one practice that failed...

How to design for flood risk.
May 6, 2005... If you have been appointed to work on a scheme that has flood risk implications, here are some tips that may help: * Check the Environment Agency website (www.environment-agency. gov.uk), which publishes maps of floodplains in England...

Built like a brick house.(SELECTOR)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Caruso St John's latest building, Brick House, is the subject of an Architecture Foundation lecture by Adam Caruso on May 11, 7pm, Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrews Place, Regent's Park, London. Visit www.architecturefoundation.org.uk

Sculpting decade.(SELECTOR)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... A year-long exhibition of outdoor sculptures by Tony Cragg, including several new pieces for the show, marks the 10th anniversary of the Cass Sculpture Foundation of Goodward, West Sussex. From May 12. Details: www.sculpture.org.uk

Don't throw stones: a glass depiction of a Liverpool terraced house has been created by Vong Phaophanit and Claire Oboussier.(Culture)
May 6, 2005... In the middle of a high-rise housing estate in Liverpool sits Outhouse, a glass and steel pavilion- cum- sculpture by artists Vong Phaophanit and Claire Oboussier. The structure, which opens next week, was inspired by newly built terraced...

Corb's covers.(Culture)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Huge amounts have been written about Le Corbusier, but rarely about his work as a book designer and author, an activity he devoted himself to until his death in 1965. The beautifully illustrated Le Corbusier, Architect of Books 1912-1965...

Sheer height inspiration: Pamela Buxton previews a BBC series on tall buildings.(Culture)
May 6, 2005... Can there really be anything more to say on the well chewed-over subject of tall buildings? Plenty, it seems, judging by the new BBC One series Imagine: A Short History of Tall Buildings which starts next week. Don't be put off by the...

Dance and me.(Culture)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... I was interested in contemporary dance before my practice set up at London's Riverside Studios. The first dance pieces that impressed me were by Philobus and Merce Cunningham, which blew my head away. They were doing quite extraordinary things...

Ideal Combi.(Products & Literature)
May 6, 2005... Within the selection of quality windows and doors available from IdealCombi is the CombiFutura range. Produced from timber and aluminium, this range provides a simple yet elegantly crafted design possessing long term durability and very low...

Kingspan Insulation Ltd.(Products & Literature)
May 6, 2005... A total of 1,980 square metres of 40mm Kingspan Kooltherm[R] K15 Rainscreen Board was chosen for the built-up rainscreen cladding system that gives The Quadrus Centre such a distinctive appearance. This stunning landmark symbolises the economic...

Knauf Insulation.(Products & Literature)
May 6, 2005... A Knauf Insulation roofing system has been specified by architects, the Stanley Bragg Partnership Ltd, for use on a new primary school in Great Dunmow, Essex. The system uses Polyfoam[R] Pitched Roofboard, Polyfoam[R] Raftersqueeze and Knauf...

Knauf Insulation Ltd.(Products & Literature)
May 6, 2005... Knauf Insulation's new, high-performance, glass mineral wool product, Crown[R] Rafter Roll 32, solves the problem of how to satisfy both 'Part E' and 'Part L' of the Building Regulations in warm roof constructions. The RDs covering masonry...

Gooding Aluminium.(Products & Literature)
May 6, 2005... GA's New Perforated Impressional has it all wrapped up at the recently refurbished Fusion Nightclub in Bundoran, Ireland. A wide selection of GA's exciting raised and textured aluminium surfacing has been extensively applied throughout the...

Eclipse Wallcoverings.(Products & Literature)
May 6, 2005... When the Whitefriars Housing Group decided to improve the communal areas in its flats' developments in the Willenhall and The Hill areas of Coventry, it chose the "Glasstex System" from Eclipse Wallcoverings to upgrade the existing surfaces...

Ward insulated panels.(Products & Literature)
May 6, 2005... A combination of Ward insulated panels has been used to complement the rural environment at a new Medical Education Centre at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, Ward green DW1000D Wall Panels in Celestia Pegasus finish were specified by project...

Pilkington.(Products & Literature)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... To celebrate the launch of the brand new Pilkington Triple Planar[TM], the world's first triple glazed frameless system, Pilkington Building products--UK has introduced a newly revised version of its highly successful Pilkington Planar[TM]...

Sika Limited.(Products & Literature)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... An innovative flooring system from Sika-Armorex, has been used in one of the most fascinating property conversion projects carried out in the UK in recent years. Specialist flooring contractors 4M Flooring, recommended Sikafloor 300, a...

SalesAchiever.(Products & Literature)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Weber Building Solutions is trialling a software product that will help its sales staff to further improve business relationships, become more customer-focussed and ultimately increase quality sales. SalesAchiever is a CRM (Customer...

Haddonstone.(Products & Literature)
May 6, 2005... Haddonstone, world renowned for fine architectural cast stone designs, has further expanded its range by creating a highly decorative new Corinthian Capital. Specifically designed for use with Haddonstone's existing M3 Column, the new Capital...

Reynaers Aluminum.(Products & Literature)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Reynaers systems have been used in the refurbishment of the Royal Geographical Society, Grade II listed headquarters. On the project, Reynaers worked alongside Studio Downie Architects and contractor Downie Architects and contractor Durkan...