Building Design articles from May 2008

Building Design archives from May 2008

Prince Charles leads Chinatown revolution.
May 2, 2008... Move to remodel London's Chinese quarter seen as way of making amends for Olympic snub Rory Olcayto Prince Charles is promoting traditional Chinese architecture and craftsmanship as a way of courting the country's government ahead of...

LEADER: Prince asks questions of China.
May 2, 2008... AMANDA BAILLIEU Prince Charlesis trying positive engagement to influence China's heritage, but will it help make up for snubbing the Games? The refusal of Prince Charles to attend the Olympics in Beijing because of China's human rights...

LEADER: Happy talk.
May 2, 2008... Developing happiness, argues the Dalai Lama's right-hand man Mathieu Ricard, is a skill. Most people exist like beggars, "unaware of the treasure buried beneath their shack". Architect Irena Bauman, whose book How to be a Happy Architect is...

IN BRIEF: Stanton Williams wins last design.(London 2012 Olympics)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Stanton Williams has won the last major architectural design contact for the London 2012 Olympics. The firm's "rational and holistic" proposals for a cluster of venues and facilities at Eton Manor helped it beat David Adjaye and Bennetts...

IN BRIEF: Muf's Barking design scoops prize.(European Prize for Urban Public Space)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Muf's design for Barking Town Square in east London has become the first UK scheme to win the European Prize for Urban Public Space. The award, in its fifth year, recognises designs which promote increased use of open space by the public,...

IN BRIEF: Tickets for London festival on sale.
May 2, 2008... Tickets for the London Festival of Architecture go on sale this Monday May 5. This year's festival - formerly known as the biennale - is set to be the biggest to date, with more than 500 events between June 20 and July 20. Highlights...

IN BRIEF: Murcutt joins Living Steel jury.(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Pritzker Prize winner Glenn Murcutt is on the jury for Living Steel, an international architecture competition for sustainable housing. With a combined prize fund of E700,000, the competition aims to develop innovative housing design...

IN BRIEF: Council approves Woolwich Tesco.(Greenwich Council)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... A huge Sheppard Robson scheme for Tesco and St James's Investments has been fully approved by Greenwich Council. Phase two of the Love Lane regeneration project in Woolwich, south-east London, cleared the council's planning committee last week....

Foster's tax status provokes peers.(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Norman Foster's tax affairs have been raised in Parliament following BD's exclusive report last week that he has become a Swiss resident. Liberal Democrat peer and treasury spokesman Matthew Oakeshott - who aims to force "tax-dodging"...

Architects double up for Athletes Village.
May 2, 2008... Development goes high-rise as Lend Lease boss unfazed by credit crunch Will Hurst Architects' hopes of winning work on the #2 billion London 2012 Athletes' Village have received a massive boost through a new procurement system which...

Aquatics Centre controversy.
May 2, 2008... Zaha Hadid's Aquatics Centre has again attracted controversy after the Culture Media & Sport Select Committee criticised the much altered #303 million design. Its report slammed the ODA for mismanaging Hadid's "over-designed" scheme. ...

RIBA initiatives to tackle equality.(Royal Institute of British Architects)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... The RIBA has unveiled a range of new initiatives to encourage equality and diversity in the profession. At an event at Portland Place on Monday, the institute announced joint plans with the Stephen Lawrence Trust to establish a mentoring...

Parnaby to review Cabe.(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Richard Parnaby, professor of architecture at the University of the West of England and on the board of the Design Commission for Wales, is to carry out a long awaited government review of Cabe. The "light-touch" review, which will also be...

Gareth Hoskins' pavilion is a stairway to Venice.(Venice Biennale pavilion. )(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Gareth Hoskins has won the competition to design the Gathering Space - Scotland's first Venice Biennale pavilion. Hoskins' structure, which saw off competition from more than 50 other anonymously submitted schemes, is based on the concept...

Injunction halts Derby Hippodrome demolition.
May 2, 2008... Richard Gittins & Anna Winston Plans to demolish Derby's grade II listed Hippodrome have been stopped in their tracks after the High Court imposed an injunction - the first time a theatre has been protected in such a way. BD reported...

FIRST LOOK: McAdam and Jan Stormer masterplan new Moscow suburb.(McAdam Architects and Jan Stormer Partners )(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... London-based McAdam Architects and Hamburg-based Jan Stormer Partners have revealed plans for a new suburb for Moscow. The Nikolo Khovanskoye new town is the first phase of the 13 million sq m A101 urban development project set to help meet...

BPF to research impact of towers.(British Property Federation)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... The British Property Federation plans to carry out research into the environmental and economic impact of tall buildings. The membership organisation, which represents property developers, said it wanted to make the debate over skyscrapers...

A Maggie's for London.(Hammersmith centre)(Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners )(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners Maggie's Cancer Care Centre in west London was opened on Tuesday. The Hammersmith centre, by Charing Cross Hospital, will help support cancer sufferers with welcoming and uplifting spaces where they can...

Happiness is not entering competitions.
May 2, 2008... Marguerite Lazell A new book on how to find happiness as an architect has ignited the debate about the culture of competitions and awards in the profession. In her book, How to be a Happy Architect, Bauman Lyons director Irena Bauman...

PRACTISING THE ARCHITECTURE OF HAPPINESS.
May 2, 2008... To make a happier office, Bauman Lyons Architects has decided: * Not to tender for work on a fee basis only * Not to submit projects for awards * Not to work on projects more than two hours' travel time from the office * To work...

HOK reveals airport city.(Dublin's Airport City)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... HOK's London office has unveiled its 140ha masterplan for Dublin's Airport City. The mixed-use design features 40,000sq m of hotels, conference and retail space, and 600,000sq m of offices connected to the airport via an automated...

Isn't it good, Swedish wood.(Architect Brunnberg & Forshed)(Kvarnskogenin Sollentuna)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Architect Brunnberg & Forshed has beaten 205 nominationsto win Sweden's prestigious Wood Prize for this residential scheme ostra Kvarnskogenin Sollentuna. Brunnberg & Forshed's scheme is made up of 40 buildings which appear to float above...

Gowan seeks clarity over Leicester landmark.(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Will Hurst James Gowan has called on Leicester University to explain its plans for the landmark engineering laboratory that he designed with James Stirling. BD revealed in January that the university was planning an open-ended...

New Scottish schools are too cramped, warns tsar.(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Scotland's school design "tsar" has warned that new-build schools have compromised on space standard and comfort to the detriment of both pupils and teachers. Paul Stallan, who was appointed by Architecture & Design Scotland, and is also...

BRATISLAVA: UK hopes rest on 11.04 Architects.(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... London-based 11.04 Architects is the only British practice to reach the final shortlist for a #30 million residential development in Bratislava. The competition winner will be named this month. The practice is working with Arup and...

BUSINESS: Capita buys civils firm Bobrowski.(Capita Symonds has bought structural and civil engineering firm NRM Bobrowski )(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Capita Symonds has bought structural and civil engineering firm NRM Bobrowski for an undisclosed sum. Capita Symonds, a multidisciplinary consultancy which operates across 50 British offices, said the acquisition would enable it to expand...

LIVERPOOL: Planning granted for largest school.(Liverpool City Council )(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Liverpool City Council has granted planning permission for a scheme that will create the city's biggest secondary school. Designed by 2020 Liverpool, a partnership between Liverpool City Council and Mouchel Group, the #19 million project is...

SPORT: AFL to design Salford stadium.(AFL Architects)(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... AFL Architects has been appointed to design the City of Salford Stadium, the new home of the Salford City Reds rugby league team, for developer Red City. AFL's sports director, John Roberts, said: "The City of Salford Stadium is going to...

Alsop back to help Palestra energy plan.(Brief article)
May 2, 2008... Marguerite Lazell Will Alsop has been parachuted in to help retrofit his award-winning Palestra office building in south London as part of a plan to see it generate more of its electricity on site. Transport for London, Palestra's...

WHAT IS A HYDROGEN FUEL CELL?
May 2, 2008... * A hydrogen fuel cell converts chemical energy from hydrogen into electrical energy. * It works by separating hydrogen into its component electrons and protons with the electrons flowing through a circuit, creating an electric current,...

LETTER: Partners, please.(Letter to the editor)
May 2, 2008... Your report "Gateway needs single delivery body, say experts" (News April 25), completely misrepresents my views about the delivery of the Thames Gateway project. As design champion for the Thames Gateway Parklands, I believe it is...

LETTER: Great teamwork.(Letter to the editor)
May 2, 2008... Peter Wilson (Letters April 25) quotes Lord Fraser in support of your claim that the Scottish Parliament Team was dysfunctional and that this added to costs and delays. But was Fraser right? The disagreements at director level came as a...

LETTER: Liverpool cares.(Letter to the editor)
May 2, 2008... In your front page story "EH acts to save historic buildings in Liverpool" (News March 20), you write that English Heritage has "toughened its stance in recent months", and that Liverpool has been "shamed into action". EH works very...

LETTER: Tesco's threat.(Letter to the editor)
May 2, 2008... Tesco may not yet match Wal-Mart in the US for trampling on community life in the cause of "retail rationalisation" but Jonathan Glancey (April 25) rightly highlights its persistent determination to ruin Hadleigh in Suffolk. How does...

LETTER: After RHG: we need help too.(Letter to the editor)
May 2, 2008... Bishopsfield is an award-winning estate, most recently mentioned in Elain Harwood's foreword to Housing the Twentieth Century Nation, the latest edition of the Twentieth Century Society's journal. The estate is threatened with demolition. ...

OPINION: Red mist over the Beijing Olympics.(Viewpoint essay)
May 2, 2008... BILL MITCHELL Attempts by politicians to bask in the glow of the Olympic flame always end in tears These days liquidity crunches, cocaine and Nigerian spam get relayed around the world with the greatest of ease, while the Olympic...

DEBATE: Are today's engineers the new architects?(Discussion)
May 2, 2008... YES Peter Sharratt Director, WSP The engineer is the new architect in the sense that it is likely to be the engineer who takes the lead role in solving the sustainability challenges we are all going to face this century. Engineers...

COMPETITION: Making a splash in Bristol.
May 2, 2008... Two different approaches emerged in the competition proposals for a key site in Bristol now owned by Urban Splash - either construction of a new tower or making the most of what is already there Bridewell Island is a prominent site in...

WORKS: FOREIGN OFFICE ARCHITECTS - Giving it a whirl.
May 2, 2008... PROJECT TEAM Architect: Foreign Office Architects Client: Shires GP (Hammerson/Hermes) Structure: Adams Kara Taylor Main contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine M&E/fire services: WSP Group QS and project management: Cyril Sweett...

SOLUTIONS: `It was a massive shock, almost like someone dying'.(Turner Contemporary )(Interview)
May 2, 2008... Turner Contemporary director Victoria Pomery relives the axing of Snohetta and Spence's Margate gallery, and explains the challenges of implementing Chipperfield's replacement BD: As a supporter of Spence Associates and Snohetta's design,...

PRACTICE: Should I take over a retiring sole practitioner's business?(Viewpoint essay)
May 2, 2008... ASK US A QUESTION Richard Brindley Executive director, RIBA Professional Services Laura Atherton Solicitor, Kennedys, London EC1 A local sole practitioner who I know quite well is thinking of retiring and has approached...

RICHARD RESPONDS.(Letter to the editor)
May 2, 2008... In her letter to published in last week's BD, Pippa Wrigley issued several challenges to my response to the Practice question: "Plan drawers are undermining us" (April 4). She says: "A positive response would have been to promote the protection...

CULTURE: 40 YEARS OF THE HAYWARD - Relishing the challenge.(Hayward exhibitions )
May 2, 2008... On the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Hayward, architects who have designed exhibitions there recall its finest moments, while Alan Powers looks back at the gallery's initial reception in 1968 Neave Brown: architect and artist ...

JONATHAN GLANCEY: Fanfare for the common man.
May 2, 2008... Whoever is elected mayor of London - and we should know today - it would be good to discover that he might rethink the way he is able to use his power and influence to affect architecture and planning across the city. Architecture is the...

THIS WEEK: ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS.
May 2, 2008... London's famous church on Trafalgar Square has reopened after a two- year, #36 million refurbishment by Eric Parry Architects. A poem by poet laureate Andrew Motion has been inscribed inside. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

THIS WEEK: SCOTTISH CROFTS.
May 2, 2008... Up to 4,000 dwellings could be built over the next 20 years, claims quango the Crofters Commission. The move could mean an extra 20,000 people living across the Highlands running online or micro-businesses, or doing more traditional work. ...

THIS WEEK: HAFODUNOS HALL.
May 2, 2008... Gilbert Scott's grade I building in Wales has been offered a lifeline after its owner put it up for sale. The move gives new hope to the hall, which was damaged by an arson attack in 2004. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

THIS WEEK: HOMEOWNERS.
May 2, 2008... The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says government efforts to help first-time buyers are "unrealistic" as "even before current problems", building rates had fallen well below the 240,000 new homes a year target. Copyright: CMP...

THIS WEEK: POLYCLINICS.
May 2, 2008... Conservative leader David Cameron has joined attacks on the government's plan to bring GPs, nursing and social care under one roof, saying it will destroy doctor-patient relationships and extend patients' travel times. Copyright: CMP...

EH fails to support Robin Hood Gardens.(Robin Hood Gardens)(English Heritage)
May 9, 2008... Politician's dislike of concrete blamed as commissioners overturn listing recommendation BD news desk English Heritage commissioners have overruled the advice of the organisation's own advisory committee over the future of Robin Hood...

LEADER: Erased from our memories.(Robin Hood Gardens)
May 9, 2008... AMANDA BAILLIEU The government wants to forget the optimism of sixites and seventies social housing ever existed So now we have it. Despite international support to save it, Robin Hood Gardens is almost certain to be demolished....

LEADER: Celebrating fresh ideas.(Venice Biennale )(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... This year is a big one for architecture. Venice Biennale director Aaron Betsky was in London this week to promote his exhibition, Beyond Building. Meanwhile, tickets for the LFA went on sale. The far-ranging talks and events are there to engage...

IN BRIEF: Minister approves #237m spend.(London Thames Gateway Development Corporation)(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation has been toldit can spend #237 million regenerating the area overthe next three years. Housing and planning minister Caroline Flint approved the corporation's plan for 2008-11 this week,...

IN BRIEF: Third tower design seeks approval.(Oakmayne Properties )(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... Developer Oakmayne Properties expects a planning decision this summer on a new 47-storey tower by Allies & Morrison in the London Borough of Southwark. The design is the third for Eileen House, a key building in Lend Lease's #1.5 billion...

IN BRIEF: WWM is Antwerp Museum finalist.
May 9, 2008... Witherford Watson Mann Architects is the only UK firm among five shortlisted to design an extension for the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp, Belgium. The competition, organised by the City of Antwerp, is to design an archive space and...

IN BRIEF: Cumbria plans #160m investment.(University of Cumbria )(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... The University of Cumbria has outlined proposals for #160 million worth of development on its estate across Cumbria and north Lancashire. The centrepiece of plansis a #70 million campusin Carlisle, as well as sites in Lancaster, Ambleside,...

IN BRIEF: Knight backs new process for BSF.
May 9, 2008... A new procurement process for Building Schools for the Future will be rolled out before the end of the year after being approved this week by schools ministerJim Knight. A review by Price Waterhouse Coopers, which consulted organisations...

New mayor plans to cut skyscrapers.
May 9, 2008... London's newly elected Tory mayor, Boris Johnson, took a step toward halting the spread of skyscrapers in London this week with the appointment of a key adviser opposed to Ken Livingstone's planning policies. Westminster City Council...

RIBA and ACA split over forms of contract.
May 9, 2008... Association of Consultant Architects claims institute's agreement leaves smaller practices vulnerable to unscrupulous clients Will Hurst Architects will be forced to choose between two rival forms of client contract after the collapse...

Prewett Bizley scoops Sheffield Europan site.(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... Prewett Bizley has been named as the third British winner of Europan 9, the competition for architects under 40. BD reported in January that winners had been chosen for two of the three Europan 9 sites - RCKa in Stoke-on-Trent and Tom...

Hodder's mills and thrills.(Eckersley Millsin Wigan)(Stephen Hodder )(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... Stirling prizewinner Stephen Hodder has released imagesof his practice's largest-ever scheme - a #170 million mixed-use regeneration project at Eckersley Millsin Wigan. The project, designedwith Derby-based practice Lathams, is for...

Hadid not a factor in Moore's resignation.(Architecture Foundation )(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... Architecture Foundation director Rowan Moore resigned this week, strongly denying the institution's recent decision to scrap plans for a Zaha Hadid-designed headquarters had prompted the move. Moore's resignation, which has sparked an...

Save Bishopsfield, says Beigel.(Decent Homes)
May 9, 2008... Liz Bury Architects including Tony Fretton have rallied to support a threatened 1960s experimental housing estate designed by Michael Neylan and Bill Ungless. Bishopsfield estate in Harlow could now be demolished after the local...

Passport for Pimlico.
May 9, 2008... Haworth Tompkins has won planning permission from Westminster City Council for a new 55-unit mixed residential scheme at a conservation site in Pimlico, south-west London, for the Peabody Trust. The project will revamp part of the 19th...

Make sustainable drainage compulsory, says RTPI.(sustainable urban drainage systems )(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... The government urgently needs to make sustainable urban drainage systems (Suds) compulsory in all new developments, the Royal Town Planning Institute said this week. A report by the House of Commons' Environment, Food & Rural Affairs...

Living amid the trees.(Zebranoc contracts with Edwardian Broomfield Estate)(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... Multi-disciplinary practice Zebrano has revealed designs for a contemporary villa as part of its redevelopment of the Edwardian Broomfield Estate in Perthshire. Set among mature trees, the four-bedroom Woodland Villa is intended to...

Davis pulls out of race for president.
May 9, 2008... Anna Winston & Will Hurst The battle for the RIBA presidency took a dramatic twist this week as Paul Davis pulled out, leaving Ruth Reed and Andrew Hanson in a two- horse race. Davis, founder of Paul Davis & Partners and a past...

HOW TO BID FOR THE RIBA PRESIDENCY.
May 9, 2008... * You must be a chartered member or honorary fellowof the RIBA, and need atleast 60 nominations from chartered members to stand. * You should declare your intention to run by May 14.The official campaign period runs from May 15 to June 13....

Piano still working on Shard's design.(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... Renzo Piano is still finalising designs for Europe's tallest skyscraper nearly five years after it was approved, it emerged this week. The Pritzker prize-winning architect's scheme for the 66-storey Shard of Glass at London Bridge for...

Dual tower schoem called in.
May 9, 2008... A dual tower scheme by Wilkinson Eyre, also located in Southwark near Blackfriars Bridge, has been called in for a public inquiry by communities secretary Hazel Blears. The project, 20 Blackfriars Road, is for developer Circleplane. ...

Urmston's new Eden.(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... Broadway Malyan has unveiled this apartment scheme, designed as the centrepiece of a major urban regeneration project in Manchester. The Urmston project, Eden Square, also incorporatesa new library, 13 shop units and a 4,600sq m Sainsbury's...

Experts back modernist extension for listed house.(Wiszniewski Thomson Architects contracts with Edinburgh City Council )
May 9, 2008... Wide support for intervention to 16th century building in Edinburgh Rory Olcayto Design and heritage experts have backed plans for a striking modernist extension to a grade A listed 16th century merchant's house near Edinburgh, despite...

Foster prizewinner to study transport links.(Rizvi College of Architecture )(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... Foster & Partners has awarded a #6,000 travelling scholarship to a student of Rizvi College of Architecture in Mumbai. Designed to promote young talent in the architectural profession, the award is the second of its kind to be given by...

ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY: Digital images library to expand.(Society of Architectural Historians)(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... The Chicago-based Society of Architectural Historians has received a $2.7 million grant to develop its online library of architectural images. The donation, from the independent Andrew W Mellon Foundation, will help fund the Architecture...

SCARBOROUGH: Rotunda reopens after restoration.(Rotunda museum )(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... Scarborough's grade II* listed Rotunda museum reopens today following a two-year, #4.4 million restoration programme. The project, a key element of plans to rejuvenate the seaside resort, received funding of #1.9 million from the Heritage...

PRACTICE: Powell Dobson opens London HQ.
May 9, 2008... Welsh practice Powell Dobson has opened an office in London, relocating four staff from its base in Cardiff. The move follows the securing of a contract with Renaissance Lifecare to build "five-star villages" for people over 60 in central...

LANDMARKS: Gormley's Angel tops lottery poll.(Angel of the North)(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... Antony Gormley's Angel of the North has topped a national poll as the UK's most recognised National Lottery-funded landmark. It proved more identifiable than Wembley Stadium, Hadrian's Wall or Shakespeare's Globe theatre. The survey marks...

Health trusts are bypassing PFI for major new projects.(Private Finance Initiative)
May 9, 2008... Will Hurst A healthcare procurement system which architects claim is a massive improvement on PFI is to be used for the first time on some of the largest hospital building projects in the pipeline. Until recently, Procure 21, the...

WHAT IS PROCURE 21?
May 9, 2008... * One of the "partnering frameworks" set up by the government after John Egan's 1998 Rethinking Construction report * A procurement method for delivering community hospitals, primary care centres and other buildings without use of Ojeu ...

Vertical `common' plan for Smithfield Market.(Smithfield market )(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... A 30m-high "vertical common" has been proposed for central London's Smithfield market site. The timber lattice, designed by Experimental Group, a collective of architects and artists, would occupy part of the General Market site for which...

Burd Haward's `overscaled barn' dances along Guernsey cliffs.(Burd Haward Architects )(Brief article)
May 9, 2008... Burd Haward Architects has designed a #1 million four-bedroom, granite- clad house for a family in Guernsey. The building, to be located in the hamlet of Les Courtes Falaises, occupies a south-facing sloping site that leads to cliffs...

LETTER: For the birds.(Letter to the editor)
May 9, 2008... I was intrigued by last week's news item, "Are you a happy architect?" My experiences are that smaller practices cannot enter competitions, especially those organised by the Royal Institute of Big Architects. Not so long ago there was a...

LETTER: It's a bit rich.(Letter to the editor)
May 9, 2008... It has long been my belief that neither I nor any other director of this practice should hold any financial equity in the business. This is why the practice is owned by a charity and profits are divided between employees and directors as profit...

LETTER: Backwards step.(Letter to the editor)
May 9, 2008... Gareth Hoskins' pavilion for Scotland's Venice Biennale (News May 2) doesn't need to comply with any regulations but could have entered into the spirit of inclusive access. I spend my working week doing design and access statements, putting...