Building Design articles from May 2009

Building Design archives from May 2009

Battle brewing over Commonwealth plan.
May 1, 2009... Heritage groups angered as Design Museum scheme seeks to ditch original institute features Will Hurst Battle lines have been drawn over the future of London's Commonwealth Institute after plans for a radical redevelopment of the grade...

LEADER: Don't scapegoat women.
May 1, 2009... AMANDA BAILLIEU Women are particularly vulnerable in the downturn, so the profession needs to be extra vigilant that they are fairly treated Latest unemployment figures showing an alarming rise in the number of architects on the dole...

LEADER: EH and the listing dilemma.(English Heritage)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Could the Commonwealth Institute become London's Park Hill? Given their widely different locations, and that one is a vast council estate and the other an arts building, any comparison might seem a little fanciful. But both are grade II* listed...

IN BRIEF: Olympic site hope for Skylon bid.(Powell & Moya)
May 1, 2009... Campaigners behind a plan to recreate Powell & Moya's iconic Skylon structure have entered into negotiations to find a site for the project in the 2012 Olympic park in Stratford, east London. Paul Finch, chair of the London 2012 Design...

IN BRIEF: It's a first at Cambridge for Arup.
May 1, 2009... The latest addition to the University of Cambridge's science and technology campus opened its doors last week. Designed by Arup Associates, the two-storey split-level building has been based around a central courtyard and will provide...

IN BRIEF: Watchdog could be more like Cabe.(Architecture & Design Scotland)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The Scottish government has published a report on watchdog Architecture & Design Scotland which proposes a "significant restructuring of the organisation". Under the proposals, A&DS would perform a role similar to that of Cabe, with a...

IN BRIEF: Best building of the last 175 years?(Royal Institute of British Architects )(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The RIBA Journal has launched a public vote to find the best building of the last 175 years. The Stirling of Stirlings competition is pitched as a one-off architectural "super-award" and has been launched to celebrate the RIBA's 175th...

IN BRIEF: Atkins runs up against arch rivals.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Atkins is facing fierce opposition to its plans for a 8m-tall, 12m-wide steel arch in London's Leicester Square. The firm has designed the structure as a new pedestal for the glockenspiel clock, which was displayed at the Swiss Centre for...

RIBA starts search for new chief exec.(Royal Institute of British Architects)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Applicants for the role of new RIBA chief executive have just over a week to get their CVs in to the head-hunter. Odgers Berndtson is in charge of the recruitment process and wants all applications in at its central London office by May 11...

Women `hit the hardest' as profession endures slump.
May 1, 2009... Statistics shows disproportionate number of women joining dole queue Ruth Bloomfield Women architects are bearing the brunt of the recession, new figures reveal. Data issued by the Office of National Statistics shows that around...

IS ARCHITECTURE A SEXIST PROFESSION?
May 1, 2009... Yasmin Shariff Edutrust Academies Charitable Trust I think the problem is all to do with the way projects are procured. It is a boys club where they all know each other. Picking up jobs is all about contacts and what circles you move in,...

HCA design panel begins its scrutiny.(Homes & Communities Agency)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... A new design and sustainability panel set up by the Homes & Communities Agency will hold its inaugural meeting next month. The seven-strong advisory group will meet every quarter and has been tasked with helping the HCA ensure design and...

Cardross lottery aid.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Urban Splash's proposed Cardross redevelopment is one of eight schemes in Scotland to benefit from a funding lifeline from the Scottish Arts Council. The council's new Public Art Fund will give #466,000 in National Lottery cash to the...

Award is cause for a fjord fiesta.
May 1, 2009... This year's Mies van der Rohe Award has been won by Norwegian firm Snohetta for its design for the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet in Oslo. The building is the largest cultural centre built in Norway in 700 years and features a sloping...

Olympic wasteland warning.
May 1, 2009... Cabe design panel says broadcast centre would blight 2012 legacy Ruth Bloomfield The design review panel tasked with overseeing the London 2012 Olympics has warned that the Olympic Park could become a "wasteland" unless urgent action...

Staff and students' practice to design Chinese cultural park.(Bartlett School of Architecture students contracts for Hakka Cultural Park project)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... A small practice founded by staff and students from London's Bartlett School of Architecture, including built environment dean Christine Hawley, has won an invited competition to design a cultural park on the site of a former mine in Heyuan...

Firms win #350m deal to adapt 2012 venues.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Populous, Allies & Morrison and Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands have won a #350 million contract to make existing 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues fit for purpose. The contract, for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games...

S shape to span Rhine.(Heneghan Peng Architects )(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Dublin-based Heneghan Peng Architects has won an open competition to design a #275 million bridge over the Rhine in Koblenz, Germany. The practice's winning design is a steel S-shaped 420m-long bridge spanning the 150m-wide shipping...

UK architect registration rules `break European law'.
May 1, 2009... Marguerite Lazell & Will Hurst The European Commission has accused Arb and the government of breaking European law by refusing to register architects who have qualified abroad unless they produce additional evidence of practical...

Not-so-rich Foster's luxury yacht sets sail.
May 1, 2009... A credit crunch-defying "super yacht" designed by Norman Foster has been launched at the Italian port of La Spezia. Foster himself attended the unveiling of the #16 million Ocean Emerald, ironically just 24 hours before the annual Sunday...

Flu facility just in time.
May 1, 2009... Multidisciplinary firm Morgan Professional Services has revealed images of its #12 million UK stem cell bank and influenza resource centre in South Mimms, Hertfordshire. The facility is for the government-funded National Institute for...

Aukett chief takes pay cut as practice plans lay-offs.
May 1, 2009... David Rogers The chief executive of Aukett Fitzroy Robinson is taking a pay cut of more than #30,000 as the firm prepares to make at least 20 redundancies. Nicholas Thompson said his 20% drop in wages from this month was part of a...

Devereux clinches Dewjo'c merger.
May 1, 2009... Devereux Architects has merged with North-east practice Dewjo'c Architects to create a combined 250-strong practice. Nic Allen, managing director of Devereux Architects, claimed the merger with 57 staff-strong Dewjo'c turned Devereux into...

SPORT: Leeds United plans kick off.
May 1, 2009... KSS has won planning approval to redevelop part of Leeds United Football Club's stadium. Under the plans, the practice will adjust the east stand at Elland Road, providing new banqueting and conferencing facilities as well as two hotels....

CABE: Watchdog boosts public sector role.
May 1, 2009... Cabe has expanded its support to public sector bodies by adding around 40 design professionals to its enabling panels. The buildings, urban design and homes panel has grown from 162 to 191, while the Cabe Space panel has increased from 110...

LEEDS: Lights go on at Candle House.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... A twisting 23-storey residential tower by Carey Jones Architects in Leeds was topped out last week at a ceremony attended by industry and council representatives. The Candle House tower was designed for ISIS Waterside Regeneration at the...

LONDON 2012: Dive pool will put Olympic swimmers in the fast lane.
May 1, 2009... Archial has submitted detailed designs for a #10 million 25m dive centre and swimming pool at Southend Leisure & Tennis Centre, one of the pre-games training camps for the London 2012 Olympics. The new eight-lane pool will have four diving...

Farrell told that Thames Gateway is a `broken brand'.(Sustainable Environment Foundation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Will Henley Terry Farrell's vision of creating an exemplar eco-region in the Thames Gateway is at risk of "falling desperately short" unless urgent action is taken to encourage investment, a conference on environmental sustainability was...

LETTER: Prince of wails.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... As an advocate of traditionalist architecture, Prince Charles has independently commissioned his own designs for the site at Chelsea Barracks. He has then used his position as a member of the royal family to directly influence the Emir of...

LETTER: Heir unapparent.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... A good deal of the correspondence written in support of Prince Charles's involvement in Chelsea Barracks avoids the obvious question - how would his involvement be managed? I suppose his views would have to be limited to "significant"...

LETTER: Hang democracy.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... The calls from the Prince of Wales and the Traditional Architecture Group for more democracy in the planning system are nothing more than cynical opportunism. They believe public opinion is pro tradition and anti modernist and so want it...

LETTER: The price is right.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... Your announcement (Leader April 17) that BD is to become a paid-for title evoked melancholy feelings. From the start of my tangential involvement with architecture I have admired BD and relied upon it for information, lively reporting, news and...

LETTER: A spying shame.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... In these uncertain times, your readers may wish to contemplate this position for a chief enterprise architect for MI6, advertised in last weekend's Sunday Times. I wonder what Arb's position is on this enterprising use of title. Andrew...

CORRECTION: Woodberry Down estate.(Correction notice)
May 1, 2009... Last week's front page lead story said that London's Woodberry Down estate was being redeveloped by architects including Shepheard Epstein Hunter, Ian Ritchie and Wilkinson Eyre. The architects involved are actually Rolfe Judd and Wilkinson...

LETTER: In response to the RIBA rant.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... In her eagerness to rant about the RIBA, Irena Bauman did two great disservices (Practice April 17). The first was her misinformation about the RIBA's remit and work in supporting the profession and the second was not answering the serious...

OPINION: A painless guide to torture chambers.
May 1, 2009... BILL MITCHELL A CIA memo has some handy hints on everything from insect cages to water boarding I have some updates for the next editions of the standard architectural desk references. The Bush-era CIA memos just released by the Obama...

DEBATE: Should the UK introduce protection of function?(Discussion)
May 1, 2009... YES Timothy Horton South Australian president, Australian Institute of Architects For too long we have conspired to leave good design to those few enlightened sponsors that promote it to underpin a brand, or because - as long-term...

MILAN FURNITURE FAIR: Soft options for hard times.
May 1, 2009... As the full force of the recession hits, there was talk in Milan of sustainable fabrics and multi-purpose designs, but plenty of bling still lingers in the furniture showrooms. Caroline Roux reports What do you do in a time of crisis? If...

SOLUTIONS: `The facade is such a break from the rest of the castle'.
May 1, 2009... Nord's Alan Pert reveals how a visit to Crichton Castle as a boy has been an influence on his most recent building - an electricity substation for the London Olympics Inspiration: Crichton Castle courtyard elevation Completed: 1585 ...

Crichton's design fortifications.
May 1, 2009... Though a ruin now, Crichton Castle contained some of the most sumptuous accommodation in Medieval Scotland. It was a lordly residence for about 200 years from the late 14th century to the late 16th century and became the home of the Earls of...

CULTURE: Back to the future.(Excerpt)
May 1, 2009... In an excerpt from Owen Hatherley's new book, Militant Modernism, he challenges architects to embrace the progressive social impulse of Lubetkin, Lasdun and the Smithsons instead of the grotesque corporate or signature architecture that...

AN ARCHITECTURE WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
May 1, 2009... Unexpectedly, modernist architecture is controversial again. After decades where it was cowed by post-modernism, pastiche and heritage, it resurged in the last 10 years, and once again glass skyscrapers and residential tower blocks cover our...

CULTURE: Unlocking the asylum.
May 1, 2009... Mental health treatment environments in Vienna were transformed at the end of the 19th century, writes Biba Dow EXHIBITION MADNESS AND MODERNITY: MENTAL ILLNESS AND THE VISUAL ARTS IN VIENNA 1900 Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston...

CULTURE: A limited menu.(London Yields )
May 1, 2009... Proposals to promote urban agriculture are stunted by economic and social inertia, says Carolyn Steel EXHIBITION LONDON YIELDS The Building Centre, Store Street, London WC1. www.buildingcentre.co.uk Until May 30 Five...

JONATHAN GLANCEY: Thank God, old is the new new.(Viewpoint essay)
May 1, 2009... As the authoritarian New Labour regime finally crumbles, it's worth considering how dangerous that three-letter word, "new", has been to the cultural and physical heart of Britain - and to its architecture. Whenever an institution or...

THIS WEEK: NUCLEAR WAR.
May 1, 2009... The government is set to make more than #400 million from auctioning land for nuclear power stations. The bidding war between three energy consortia is escalating so high that it will force the only British bidder to drop out. Copyright:...

THIS WEEK: HOUSE MOVEMENT.
May 1, 2009... The National House Building Council has released figures that show the number of applications to build homes rose for the first time in three years during the first three months of 2009. Copyright: UBM Information Ltd.

THIS WEEK: STRUGGLING ARTISTS.
May 1, 2009... Despite losing #4 million in the Budget, the Arts Council has announced a #40 million fund to help arts organisations suffering as a result of the recession and struggling to get credit from their banks. Copyright: UBM Information Ltd.

THIS WEEK: WIND DROPS.
May 1, 2009... The boss of Britain's only wind turbine manufacturing plant has blamed the imminent closure on paralysis in the industry created by "Nimbys" and the planning system. Copyright: UBM Information Ltd.

THIS WEEK: GIVE GENEROUSLY.
May 1, 2009... Britain's biggest private equity firm and owner of Foster & Partners, 3i, is drawing up plans to raise #700 million via a rights issue to buoy up the company which is facing debts of up to #2 billion. Copyright: UBM Information Ltd.

THIS WEEK: SMALLER GIANTS.
May 1, 2009... Jack Straw has scrapped plans for three "Titan Prisons" which would each have held 2,500 prisoners, replacing them with five 1,500-capacity "mini titans" and eight smaller prisons. Copyright: UBM Information Ltd.

Mackintosh attracts stellar list of entrants.
May 8, 2009... Rogers, Hadid and MVRDV among 150 vying to design new Glasgow School of Art building Anna Winston & Marguerite Lazell A host of Pritzker and Stirling Prize winners have entered a prestigious contest to design a #50 million new building...

LEADER: Cabe needs to watch its step.(CABE Space Ltd.)
May 8, 2009... AMANDA BAILLIEU Public sector funding is under the Tory spotlight, so quangos must move with the times if they are to survive a change of government The Tories are setting out their stall on the fraught issue of public sector spending,...

LEADER: Calling the next Mackintosh.(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... Rarely has a competition attracted so many of the world's top architects. Although it's far from the number predicted, it's the quality of those throwing their hat into the ring that makes it clear the chance to build opposite Glasgow School of...

IN BRIEF: Skilled jobs for migrants to be cut.(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... The government's Migration Advisory Committee has recommended that more than 100,000 skilled construction jobs should be immediately closed to migrant workers, due to the current job shortage in the UK. Tier 2 construction jobs, including...

IN BRIEF: Secret garden for Blackburn.
May 8, 2009... Studio Weave and Mesh Partnership have won a competition to design a new public space in Blackburn, with a proposal for a "secret garden". The scheme is part of the Pennine Lancashire Squared competition, chaired by Stirling prize winner...

IN BRIEF: Faber Maunsell renamed Aecom.(AECOM Technology Corp.)(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... The 80-year-old engineering giant Faber Maunsell, whose recent projects include Crossrail and the Halley VI Research Centre in Antarctica, has announced it is to adopt the name of its parent company Aecom. Faber Maunsell joined the Aecom...

IN BRIEF - Graduates: how to work and claim.
May 8, 2009... Unemployed architecture graduates looking for practical experience after completing part I will be able to undertake an unpaid placement of up to 13 weeks without forfeiting their #64.30 jobseeker's allowance, under new rules. Graduates...

IN BRIEF: Luton carnival centre completed.(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... Ash Sakula has completed work on the new headquarters for the UK Centre for Carnival Arts in Luton. The #7 million building is part of a wider #125 million investment project by Arts Council East and EEDA aimed at creating cultural centres...

LSC fiasco leads to Bond Bryan job cuts.
May 8, 2009... Sheffield practice Bond Bryan has become the latest casualty of the Learning & Skills Council's botched college rebuilding programme, by admitting the fiasco could see it axe 70 jobs. The figure represents 40% of the firm's 170 staff, and...

Cabe under scrutiny as Tories get thrifty.
May 8, 2009... Conservatives plan crackdown on quangos if they win next election Will Hurst The Conservative Party has trained its sights on Cabe as part of an expected crackdown on expensive government quangos if the party wins the next election....

OFF THE RECORD: A Cabe insider responds.(CABE Space Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... "We are well aware of the need to demonstrate that we add value. There will be plenty of people who would not be unhappy to see Cabe disappear but from my perspective we are a very effective organisation. "Cabe has always done a certain...

Details emerge of new housing cash.
May 8, 2009... The Homes & Communities Agency has begun detailing how housebuilders can get a share of the #600 million lifeline thrown in last month's Budget. This week, the super quango wrote to developers and local authorities asking them to put...

Whitehall of the North-west unveiled.(Bennetts Associates Architects)(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... Bennetts Associates is behind plans for a civil service campus in the middle of Manchester dubbed the "Whitehall of the North-west". The practice is doing a feasibility study into the scheme, which will bring civil servants currently...

Chipperfield's City of Justice opens in Barcelona.(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... David Chipperfield Architects' largest project to date, the City of Justice in Barcelona, was formally opened last Saturday. Following the ceremony, the complex opened to the public, with more than 10,000 people visiting over the weekend. ...

ODA's green credentials marred by use of plastic.(Olympic Delivery Authority)(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... David Rogers The sustainability group monitoring the 2012 Olympic Games building process has given the Olympic Delivery Authority's green credentials the thumbs-up - but warned it must sharpen up its act on using plastics. In its...

Russell leaves LDA.(Tom Russell resigns from London Development Agency)(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... Tom Russell, the head of London 2012's Olympic legacy, has left the London Development Agency after just over 12 months in the post. Russell led the regeneration work around Manchester's Commonwealth Stadium. Former English Partnerships chair...

Back to nature as Rural Design's Skye house celebrates the shed.(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... Architectural practice Rural Design has completed work on The Black Shed, a #115,000 private house on the Isle of Skye. The 70sq m two-bedroom house features rough timber walls, a corrugated roof and a polished concrete floor, referencing...

Woods Bagot #150m City scheme okayed.(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... A #150 million scheme to transform a landmark City building into one of London's smartest hotels has been approved. The Woods Bagot design for the 1920s grade II* listed Trinity Square building, which stands close to the Tower of London,...

#1m media facelift.(Maber Architects designing entrance for media centre at Nottingham Trent University)(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... Maber Architects has designed a #1 million entrance for the media centre at Nottingham Trent University. It features vibrant red, white and orange chequered panels made of fibrous cement to each side. A central glazed section is sheltered...

Six firms shortlisted for #21.5m LSE centre.(London School of Economic)(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... Marguerite Lazell Six leading practices, including David Chipperfield Architects, have been shortlisted for a prestigious #21.5 million project for the London School of Economics. The firms, which also comprise O'Donnell & Tuomey,...

South-west stands tall.(plan for tallest building approved by city council)(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... Revised plans for south-west England's tallest building have been approved by Plymouth City Council. The three-building Oceanique scheme, by local firm Architects Design Group, includes a 31-storey curved tower and is part of an #89...

Ancient bones discovered at Farringdon Crossrail site.
May 8, 2009... Ruth Bloomfield Preparation work has been halted on a Crossrail station after human remains were discovered. Government scientists are testing the bones for diseases such as bubonic plague and anthrax, while archaeologists are...

Greater Paris goes ahead with #31bn budget.(Brief article)
May 8, 2009... French president Nicolas Sarkozy has unveiled a E35 billion (#31 billion) budget for the Greater Paris project, which will transform the city's urban masterplan with new transport links, green spaces and skyscrapers. Ten proposals for the...

OXFORD: Pitt Rivers opens after facelift.
May 8, 2009... The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford has reopened to the public following a #10 million refurbishment by Pringle Richards Sharratt. The museum, which hosts the university's ethnographical collection, was founded in 1884 by lieutenant general...

HOUSING: Zero carbon cost `underestimated'.
May 8, 2009... The cost of zero carbon homes has been underestimated, research by the Zero Carbon Hub suggests. The industry-led organisation, responsible for delivering the government's target for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016, published the...

NEW ORLEANS: RMJM designs cancer centre.
May 8, 2009... RMJM has designed a cancer research centre in New Orleans, which will provide support to residents of Louisiana, the US state with the highest rate of cancer deaths in the country. It is hoped that the 10-storey, 16,000sq m Louisiana Cancer...

RUGG REVIEW: HCA encourages homes for rent.
May 8, 2009... The Homes & Communities Agency has announced a new initiative, which it hopes could attract significant investment into the housing market by encouraging institutions to fund new homes specifically for private rent. The HCA's Private...

Civic Trust carve-up could save its legacy.
May 8, 2009... Ruth Bloomfield Plans are being made to carve up the work of the Civic Trust, after it was put into administration last month. Trustee Kevin Trickett told BD that he and fellow board members were in the process of splitting up the...

LETTER: Roof is the point.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2009... There may be a battle raging over the future of the former Commonwealth Institute building (News May 1), but the only bit worth keeping is the roof. The hyperbolic paraboloid is one of the few remaining structures of that period in the sixties...

LETTER: No protection.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2009... Sam Webb makes the case eloquently about protection of function for architects (Letters April 24). Gas fitting requires regulation to ensure that the supplier will provide gas to an installation fitted by a qualified professional. Similar...

LETTER: Designer bully.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2009... The Prince of Wales is not championing public involvement in the planning process of Chelsea Barracks, just his own architectural prejudices (News, April 24). He uses the notion of a public consultation as a tool to force his preferred...

LETTER: Out of control.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2009... It was inevitable that by recycling the well-worn platitudes about Prince Charles (Letters April 17), Charles Thomson would demonstrate the superficiality of his republican, left-wing credentials. If, by dysfunctional family, he means...

LETTER: Changing rules.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2009... In the 1970s, the RIBA adopted a single class of membership with the suffix RIBA. Fellows and associates were allowed to use their previous designations and the suffixes FRIBA and ARIBA. Now a new category of associate member is to be...