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Presenting the 2012 shortlist for the awards: Part 1 on the cover AAVA

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AJ Small Projects

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COVER photography: top row, from left: ian pierce, TIM crocker, DAVID GRANDORGE, oak taylor-smith MIDDLE ROW: COLLECTIVE ARCHITECTURE, henryk hetflaisz, michael collins, ALMA-NAC BOTTOM ROW: ANTHONY COLEMAN, david lambert, michael collins, WILLIAM TOZER ARCHITECTURE & design

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AJ Small Projects

Artists Workshop

Contents

THE ARCHITECTS’ JOURNAL GREATER LONDON HOUSE HAMPSTEAD ROAD LONDON NW1 7EJ

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AJ Small Projects Presenting the 2012 shortlist for the awards: Part 1 on the cover William Tozer Architecture & Design £4.95 THE ARCHITECTS’ JOURNAL THEAJ.CO.UK

News

This week

05 Exclusive: Centre Point rebirth 06 Isi Metzstein: ‘A light has dimmed’ 10 The week in architecture: 5plus expands, Biennale theme 12 The week in pictures 14 Why Barbie was on the cover 16 Tributes for John Madin 18 DS+R wins Union Terrace 20 The Mackintosh head with a ‘Glasgow voice’ 22 Rogers win luxury Monaco job

26 L eader & Letters What Scotland can learn from Canada, plus why the London 2012 gag order must go. Christine Murray 30 AJ Small Projects 2012 Part 1 of the this year’s shortlisted contenders for the best project under £250,000 58 The Critics A new book covering 40 years of architectural theory opts to document, rather than unpack its subjects 65 Top jobs PRP Architects, Byrom Clark Roberts This week online Search by cost, practice or location to choose your favourite entry to this year’s AJ Small Projects awards at AJBuildingsLibrary.co.uk

aj 19.01.12

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RMJM fires Glasgow principal Brand

london

Exclusive: Centre Point rebirth Rick Mather and Conran & Partners will transform Grade II-listed tower Rick Mather and Conran & Partners have been picked to work on an ambitious residentialled revamp of Richard Seifert’s 1966 Centre Point office tower in London. The high-profile project, which has yet to be submitted for planning, will transform the iconic 34-storey Grade II-listed skyscraper into apartments with retail and public realm at its base. Mather, whose Ashmolean Museum in Oxford was shortlisted for the 2010 Stirling Prize, is focusing on retail and commercial outlets within the low-rise Centre Point House and a glazed bridge that links it to the tower. Conran & Partners has designed the flats in the main aj 19.01.12

tower, which could include some duplex’s at higher floors. None of the 27,180m2 complex would be demolished under the plans, but a road that currently runs under the site could be diverted to create a public square. Mike Hussey, chief executive of latest site owner Almacantar, confirmed both appointments. Images and details will be revealed next month. Nearby Tottenham Court Road station, which is being designed by Hawkins\Brown, will open to Crossrail services in 2018 following a £1 billion revamp that includes a new entrance at the base of Centre Point. Twentieth Century Society director Catherine Croft said the conversion to residential ‘would

be no problem in principle’ and ‘should appeal to Mid-Century Modern enthusiasts’. ‘Once the new station is complete, this will be a fantastic location. It could become as fashionable as the Barbican, and make Seifert a household name once more.’ Rising star developer Almacantar bought Centre Point for £120 million in 2010 after its previous owner Targetfollow went into administration. Rolfe Judd Architects completed an internal refurbishment of the building five years ago. Centre Point was built by 1960s property tycoon Harry Hyams and famously remained almost empty for a decade. Merlin Fulcher

RMJM managing principal Alistair Brand was fired this week. Brand, who worked for RMJM for 17 years, was escorted from his Glasgow office by security guards on Monday morning (16 January) and had his mobile phone confiscated. A practice spokesperson confirmed he had been sacked, but no official reason was given. His biography and photograph have been removed from RMJM’s website. At the weekend, a Scottish newspaper printed allegations about the company which have now been retracted and the report taken off the Herald Scotland’s website. It has also emerged that RMJM has again failed to pay its staff (AJ 24.11.11), despite splashing out a reported £30,000 on nuclear and aviation specialist YRM as part of a ‘pre-pack’ deal last month. December salaries for UK staff at the AJ100 company were paid late, and the latest installment – due on 9 January – has yet to materialise. The workforce was told a ‘cashflow issue’ was behind the delays. An RMJM spokesperson said: ‘Where local studios around the world have not collected their cash on time, we provide support from another part of the group. This is one of the key strengths of our global operation, but that process can, on occasion, take time. ‘We caught up significantly with pension payments in December and expenses are for the most part up-to-date.’ Merlin Fulcher 05

News

in memoriam

Isi Metzstein: ‘A light has dimmed’

dominik gigler

Friends, colleagues and former students recall the talent behind Modernist projects including St Peter’s Seminary and Robinson College, Cambridge. Metzstein, who worked with Andy MacMillan at Gillespie Kidd & Coia and taught at the Glasgow School of Art, died last week aged 83

aj 19.01.12

News

‘he surgically exposed the folly of our self indulgence’ Neil Gillespie, Reiach and Hall Isi was the conscience of the profession in Scotland and to all those who engaged with him over a long and distinguished career. We are now left without much critical foundation. Like many architects of my

RIBA LIBRARy PhotogRAPhs CoLLeCtIon

‘isi didn’t write often, but when he did, the text was precise’ Penny Lewis, Scott Sutherland School, Aberdeen Isi didn’t write very often but when he did the text was precise.

He was disappointed that his provocative AJ review (AJ 17.07.08) of Reiach and Hall’s Beatson Institute did not inspire a wider debate about what he called the ‘disturbing superficiality of current architecture’. The text was also a polemic against architectural publications (one of which I edited), which he said favoured ‘operational and social reviews’ of buildings as opposed to ‘architectectonic’ ones. A fitting tribute might be for practices, publications and architecture schools to consider his critique.

St. Charles’ Church, Kelvinside, Glasgow, 1959 The B-listed design, influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier, features a brick exterior and exposed concrete frame. The building is still in use as a church aj 19.01.12

St Bride’s, East Kilbride, 1963 The first Roman Catholic church to be built in East Kilbride, Scotland. With capacity for 800 people, the design was based upon a piazza – a square enclosed by the church entrance wall, the sacristy link, the presbytery and the top of the site’s high bank. The church is finished in brick and rough timber detailing. The building won the Civic Trust Award in 1964 and the RIBA Bronze Regional Award in 1963. The campanile was partially demolished in 2007

generation, my first and abiding taste of architecture and an awakening to a sense of material and light was on entering St Bride’s Church, East Kilbride and St Peter’s Seminary, Cardross. More recently, I recall a building of ours, of which I was feeling a bit puffed up about, being reviewed by Isi. He surgically exposed the folly of our self indulgence. Isi and I then spent an evening together, me drowning my sorrows and Isi opening up a conversation that I have yet to fully rise to. It was a privilege to have known him.

ARChIteCtuRAL PRess ARChIve / RIBA LIBRARy PhotogRAPhs CoLLeCtIon

state of architecture or family life. Once during a student review, I looked across to find him sketching a design for the tombstone of a friend who had recently died, with the inscription ‘A light has dimmed’. With Isi’s passing, a source of our architectural illumination has indeed dimmed but, more significantly, so has a life-long friendship. Perhaps one of the ironies of his iconoclastic personality is that his real legacy may be the wide and disparate community who have come to know and love him. It leaves an irreplaceable loss in the professional and personal lives of many and in the cultural life of the nation.

‘he gave post-war architecture in scotland its intellectual focus’’ Christopher Platt, head of the Mackintosh School of Architecture Metzstein was a rare combination of talented architect, towering intellectual and inspirational educator. Through his partnership with Andy McMillan he gave post-war architecture in Scotland its intellectual focus and the Mackintosh School of Architecture its conscience. Isi was the most generous of teachers. With the proviso that you were trying hard, he would always give of his time, opinions and ideas – and always press for higher aspiration and commitment. Discussions might continue in the studio, the pub, or his home and he kept in contact with a legion of ex-students. Never short of an opinion, Isi would be just as likely to argue the toss as offer his latest ideas for the ruins of St Peter’s seminary, the

‘i find myself looking at a plan thinking, ‘what would isi say?”’ Richard Murphy, Richard Murphy Architects I first met Isi Metzstein as most do; in a crit. They were legendary: he took no prisoners, but all the students adored him for it. When he hired me as a junior lecturer >>

Our Lady of Good Counsel, Glasgow, 1965 The building has a load-bearing brick facing with granite furnishings. It was awarded the Civic Trust Award in 1966 and the RIBA Bronze Regional Award in 1966 07

News

St Peter’s Seminary, Cardross, near Glasgow, 1966 Described by DOCOMOMO as a modern ‘building of world significance’, the A-listed design has been disused for 31 years. A refurb is planned by arts group NVA with Avanti and ERZ 08

‘We discussed every aspect of the subject he loved – architecture’ Graham Morrison, Allies & Morrison Many years ago in Glasgow, it was pouring with rain so we dived into a tea room for a quick lunch. We didn’t know Isi then, but we found ourselves sharing a table with him. That quick lunch was not so quick and after two and a half hours, we had discussed every aspect of the subject he loved – architecture. It was as enthralling for us as it was generous of him to engage with two young architects he had never met and might never see again. Of course, I came to realise that this was typical of him. ‘his combative humour Was hoW he projected his acute intelligence’ Richard MacCormac, MacCormac Architect In Isi’s interview for the

professorship at Edinburgh, he faced a panel, not just of architects, but of various social scientists. His response to this confrontation was to slide down in his chair behind the table, as though defending a gun emplacement. ‘Mr Metzstein,’ the vice chancellor began, ‘You distinguish yourself as a candidate, firstly because you do not appear to have appropriate qualifications for this post, and secondly because you have not actually applied for it.’ To which Isi shot back, ‘I have always been a better conscript than a volunteer.’ His combative humour defined him and was how he projected his acute intelligence. It was not only the inimitable German/Jewish/ Glaswegian accent that was not British; there were no polite preliminaries but an immediate assault, funny and true. The authority of Isi’s teaching came from the architecture of his partnership with Andy MacMillan. Robinson College,

Cambridge marked the apogee of their practice, but St Peter’s Seminary at Cardross, now in ruins, is the lost masterpiece; Scotland’s La Tourette. ‘i admired his profound perception, honesty and forthrightness’ Ted Cullinan, Edward Cullinan Architects While Isi was professor of Architecture at Edinburgh I was his visiting professor; part of a double act and admirer of his profound perception, phenomenal honesty and frightening forthrightness. I can truthfully say that I loved him, as his close family so clearly did, and others too. I discovered great things from being with him, so I miss him accordingly. I am truly grateful to him for being him, he’s in me forever. Isi Metzstein: 7 July 1928 – 10 January 2012

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ARChIteCtuRAL PRess ARChIve / RIBA LIBRARy PhotogRAPhs CoLLeCtIon

RIBA LIBRARy PhotogRAPhs CoLLeCtIon

at Edinburgh University I quickly became his lieutenant. It was a second education and the cold douche of his discourse introduced me to the idea of architecture as intellectual activity After setting up my practice, we invited him for regular crits on our own work. Timing was everything. If the project wasn’t started, he might design it for you; if it was too far advanced, he would point out faults that it was too late to correct. After he broke his leg a couple of years ago, I went to Glasgow a few times to visit. On one occasion, waiting in the living room, the door opened; slowly in came zimmer, then Isi. With a look of thunder on his face he said, ‘Yes… half man, half shopping trolley.’ His influence on me has been massive. Indeed, I often find myself looking at a plan or section, thinking ‘What would Isi say?’

Cumbernauld Technical College, 1978 B-listed in 2000, the college contains student facilities, classrooms and workshop space. The complex has a separate single storey block of technical workshops next to the main building. The design is partially clad in concrete facing block, with an exposed concrete structure to the exterior of the building. In 2006, refurbishment work for the interior and entrance was carried out by Jenkins and Marr Architects

Robinson College, University of Cambridge, 1980 The £7.6 million student college included student flats, chapel and teaching facilities and has a decorative brick skin.(See AJBuildings Libary.co.uk for images and drawings) aj 19.01.12

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News

the week in architecture

london 5plus Architects has opened a new London office following ‘a strong first year’ which has seen the firm double in size from 13 to 27 staff. The outfit, which featured in the AJ New Practice series in late 2010, was set up by a clutch of former HKR directors following the closure of the one-time AJ100 big hitter’s Manchester office (AJ 11.10.10). The new outpost will be headed up by ex-HKR supremo David King-Smith, who will lead a team of nine people in the capital. 5plus director Jon Matthews said: ‘The new office has been driven entirely by workload and a requirement to deliver projects nationally – it is not a speculative punt on a new city.’ As well as an eight-home scheme in Teddington (pictured), the practice is currently masterplanning Airport City for the Manchester Airport Group, overseeing the redevelopment of Chatham Docks and refurbishing Auchinleck House, Birmingham into a new 300-bed hotel.

Recession hits women as numbers in practice drop

women in architecture Figures released as part of the RIBA Future Trends Survey reveal a seven per cent drop in the number of women architects over the last two years. The results from the institute’s latest monthly ‘state-of-the profession’ analysis show that in January 2009, 28 per cent of architectural staff in practices surveyed were women, compared to just 21 per cent in December 2011. The surprise figures come just days after the AJ published shocking results from our first ever Women in Architecture survey, which showed nearly two-thirds of women had suffered sexual discrimination and that 35 per cent believed the recession would decrease pay parity. Adrian Dobson, RIBA director of practice, said: ‘Of ongoing concern is the disproportionate impact of the recession upon employment levels for women working in architecture. The institute remains committed to addressing these inequalities through initiatives including the Architects for Change and Women in Architecture groups.’

trading results Aukett Fitzroy Robinson (AFR) has halved its annual losses and posted impressive figures for the period April to September 2011. According to the company’s trading figures, AFR increased its turnover from £7.5 million to £9.1 million, and reduced its losses from £784,000 in 2010 to £394,000 last year. A large proportion of the latest loss was the result of the closure of its office in Poland. However, from April to September, the AJ100 practice actually made a profit of £367,000. The practice claims to have a forward order book worth £80 million.

five THiNGS TO DO 1. Keep up with the debate about women in architecture on Twitter by following @architectsjrnal and tag your tweets with #WIA 2. Share your memories of industry greats Isi Metzstein and John Madin with the AJ community at TheAJ.co.uk/ Metzstein and TheAJ.co.uk/Madin 3. See the 2012 viewing platform at Westfield Stratford City and follow the route of a spectator through the mall on AJFootprint.com 4. Read the latest installment from The Diary of an Anonymous Architect. This week our embattled practitioner spills the beans on what he really thinks about fees TheAJ.co.uk/diary 5. Catch a rare glimpse inside North Korea’s capital Pyongyang and its spectacular, sometimes odd, architecture TheAJ.co.uk/Pyongyang

Venice Biennale theme launched venice David Chipperfield has chosen ‘Common Ground’ as his theme for this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale. The newly-appointed director outlined the main aims of this year’s Biennale at the Ca’ Giustinian in Venice earlier this week. He said: ‘I want this Biennale to celebrate a vital, interconnected architectural culture. ‘The title ‘Common Ground’ has a connotation of the ground between buildings, the spaces of the city. [It will] develop the understanding of the contribution that architecture makes in defining common ground in the city.’

FaulknerBrowns wins Hague job

netherlands North-east practice FaulknerBrowns has beaten four local firms to land a £60 million sports education project in the Netherlands that could be used in the 2028 Olympic Games. The practice, which has offices in Newcastle and Darlington, has now started designing a sports campus in The Hague which includes a 3,500-capacity arena.

Bancroft school revamp concerns education The Twentieth Century Society is ‘deeply concerned’ by plans to refurbish Elliott School in Putney, south London, LCC architect John Bancroft’s only surviving work. The Grade-II listed 1954 building could be partially demolished under the £22 million academy project by Hawkins\Brown and Lend Lease.

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All SToRIeS by The AJ NeWS DeSK

Manchester practice opens AFR increases new base after ‘strong year’ turnover by 21%

News

Construction cool-off European construction output is flat compared to a year ago and 22 per cent below its January 2007 peak, according to estimates based on Eurostat data Index rebased (2005 = 100)*

* Three-month moving average Source: RICS Global Real Estate Weekly / Eurostat, RICS calculations

£2.4bn The original London 2012 Olympic Games budget estimated in 2003 olympic delivery authority

110

£9.3bn

100

The current London 2012 Olympic Games budget, unchanged from the 2007 estimate

olympic delivery authority

80 2005

2006

2007

Louvre delay for Pascall + Watson

abu dhabi Pascall + Watson Architects has disbanded a team of architects set to work on the delayed Louvre Abu Dhabi. The practice does not expect work on the gallery to move ahead this year and has transferred staff to new projects in Saudi Arabia. Pascall + Watson was appointed by French practice Ateliers Jean Nouvel as executive architect on the Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2009. The practice saw turnover drop from £19 million in 2010 to £16.3 million in 2011. Profit fell from £1 million to £760,000 in the same period. However, overseas turnover grew from £8.1 million to £8.8 million as it capitalised on opportunities abroad while the UK market suffered. aj 19.01.12

2008

Percentage of Barratts’ revenues from apartments in the six months to 31 December

65%

31%

2007

2011

2009

2010

2011

Housing boosts Barratts turnover construction A shift from apartments to house building helped Barratt Developments boost turnover by 8 per cent during the six months to 31 December. During the same period in 2007, apartments accounted for 65 per cent of the company’s revenue, compared to 31 per cent in 2011. The success was attributed to a mismatch in the relative supply and demand of apartments and housing. The company completed 5,198 homes in the last six months of 2011, compared to 4,832 during the same period in 2010. The first-half year results predicted a £950 million turnover. Group chief executive Mark Clare said: ‘This has been yet another six months of good progress.’

21%

The percentage of women in practice in December 2011. The figure was 28% in January 2009 riba future trends survey

-5

The RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index for December is down from -4 the previous month. London practices are more likely to recruit new staff riba future trends survey

News

the week in architecture

News in pictures

01 Capita Symonds has revealed these concept design proposals for a 222-metre tall office tower and public square in Kampala, Uganda. The 60-storey skyscraper would be the tallest building in Africa if built 02 Lynch Architects has received permission for a 9,798m2 scheme featuring a library, 35 affordable houses and office space in Victoria, London. The Land Securities project will start in 2016 03 Emerging practice Fletcher Crane Architects has revealed these plans for a £450,000 new community hall next to the listed St Marks Church in Teddington, southwest London 04 AU Studio and Studio MXL have won planning for this £2.5 million mixed-use development in a Westminster conservation area. As well as four flats, the 800m2 scheme includes a community centre 05 Caseyfierro Architects has completed this studio for sculptor Anish Kapoor in Camberwell, south London. The 1,000m2 project is part of Caseyfierro’s larger revamp of the artist’s studios 1

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1. Capita SymondS 2. LynCh arChiteCtS 3. FLetCher Crane arChiteCtS 4. aU StUdio / StUdio mXL 5. Ben BLoSSom

News

aj 19.01.12

News

women in practice

Comment: Why we put Barbie on the cover AJ editor Christine Murray responds to controversy over last week’s AJ Women in Practice cover

When Mattel launched Architect Barbie last year, selecting the profession as her ‘Career of the Year’, the story was picked up not only by architecture blogs everywhere, but by institutes as well, praising Mattel for raising the status of women in architecture. ‘We believe Architect Barbie will help inspire a new generation to consider the profession of architecture,’ the American Institute of Architects told the Telegraph. Indeed, it was architectural historian Despina Stratigakos who encouraged Mattel to launch Architect Barbie, in hope that a Barbie architect would make a fine role model and influence more young people to enter the profession. Stratigakos said: ‘As a scholar and educator deeply concerned with making architecture not only relevant to little girls, but also women relevant to architecture, I hope to persuade Mattel to reconsider the viability of Architect Barbie’. But as the results of the AJ Women in Architecture survey show, the problem isn’t getting women to enter the profession in the first place, it’s getting them to stay there. Roughly half of all architecture students in the UK are female, but this drops to 20 per cent in practice. We don’t believe a toy doll is a viable role model. Last week’s Women in Practice issue contained more than 60 nonplastic practising architects. The purpose of the AJ Women in Practice issue was to present successful female architects for 14

women considering architecture; to show that the glass ceiling can be broken; to campaign for the equal treatment of women in architecture with regards to pay parity and career progression; and to raise awareness among men about existing sexism. To this end, we also launched three new Women in Architecture awards – details are opposite. We decided to shoot Barbie for the cover, restyled in black leather instead of denim and pink, as a tongue-in-cheek explosion of a stereotype. We hoped it would catch your eye, and by extension

draw as much attention as possible to our content and campaign. Reactions ranged from the highly sceptical – ‘Et tu, AJ?’ wrote architecture blogger Amanda Kolson Hurley on Twitter – to the enthusiastic – ‘Is this the best Architects’ Journal cover ever?’ tweeted by Hari Phillips, director of Bell Phillips Architects. Every comment drove more visitors to our content, which calls for equal pay and flexible hours. Barbie a role model? If you want to be inspired by real women, read our issue at TheAJ.co.uk/ women-in-practice

NOW OPEN: AJ WOmEN iN ArchitEcturE AWArds

To advance and promote the status of women in architecture, the AJ has launched three new awards: The Jane Drew Prize, Woman Architect of the Year and Emerging Woman Architect of the Year. For details of how to enter, visit TheAJ.co.uk/WIA

barbiegate: the tweets

12.01.12

Women in Practice

From Alison Brooks to Zaha Hadid, the AJ profiles more than 60 female practice directors and partners plus Shocking results from the women’s survey

£4.95 THE ARCHITECTS’ JOURNAL THEAJ.CO.UK

@CarolynWillitts: Architect Barbie is an AJ cover girl. Improves on Mattel’s styling, but still, a doll representing Women in Practice? @amandakhurley: Et tu, AJ? Sigh: sneak peak of AJ front cover

@hari_BPA: Coincides with my wife turning her back on the profession. Sick of the BS @p_rigby: With a wife who works (Dr) and two small children its super hard alround – architecture is a time hungry endevour for m and w #WIA @Bildersturmer: Gender should be irrelevant even if you’re not so good at your job. #WIA @Kate_Leighton: Any idea where architect barbie gets her chic footwear when she goes to site? @Piers_Taylor: One day we’ll be able to have seamless integration of childcare and ‘work’, no? Why they still so separate? @GalleryEmbrace: Being allowed to drop to 4 days

instead of 5 would be a massive help. #WIA @hatprojects: Isn’t the idea that kids have a ‘primary carer’ to blame for much workplace inequality? @meme_arch: In an otherwise disheartening survey, good to see 4 Irish archs named on AJ’s top contribution to status of #WIA @steveparnell: My guess would be that at least 2/3 of bldg industry has yet to accept the authority of any architect, whatever their gender. @Mrs_Macey: I’d love to get back to my chosen career, but economic climate just isn’t allowing it! Not giving up 7yrs training & almost 10yrs pqe @KerriCooke: If you are good at your job, gender becomes irrelevant. aj 19.01.12

....goes vintage

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EVOLUTION Collection, Terri Pecora

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obituary

Tributes for ‘visionary’ John Madin

The profession remembers John Madin (1924-2012), whose Central Library, Pebble Mill studios and other notable buildings helped transform Birmingham into an exciting, modern city after the war

I came to know John Madin (left) while building a campaign to defend his Birmingham Central Library (1974) from the threat of demolition in 2006. Madin consistently produced buildings of the highest quality throughout his career. All of them deserve to be valued as worthy manifestations of 20th-century architecture because of their inherent soundness of construction. Some of Madin’s work is already seen by the likes of English Heritage, the Twentieth Century Society, the World Monuments Fund and campaign group Friends of the Central Library – chaired by

riba library & photographs collection

birmingham central library, which is to be demolished to make way for an argent scheme

Pevsner author Andy Foster – as deserving of heritage status. This has not yet been accepted by the government, nor by the owners of other threatened Madin buildings. Madin’s style was not homogeneous. His Swedish influences can be seen in the Engineering Employers Federation headquarters (1957) and in the leafy Calthorpe Estate (1958), and it is not surprising that Madin’s most humane work has on the whole remained popular and well-cared for. The International Style exemplified by the Birmingham Post and Mail building (1966) and Pebble Mill studios (1971, pictured top right) belonged to a historic phase of modern architecture. Birmingham people, and perhaps

the English in general, never fully embraced this style, originating as it did from Central Europe, sometimes via the US. Both buildings were demolished in 2005, although economic and technological factors were more telling than aesthetic ones. Madin’s Brutalist work – the architect would never accept the label – exemplified by the Central Library, has been the butt of reactionary criticism of the ‘mistakes’ of the 1960s. Buildings of the period are seen by some, including the Birmingham Civic Society, as ‘socialist’, and a reminder of the harsh statesponsored architecture of Eastern Europe. Madin’s late phase, embracing elements of Post-modernism, comprises Metropolitan House (1974) and Neville House (1976), and presaged the current architectural fashion for facetted shiny surfaces. They seem, for now at least, to be secure. Many factors beyond Madin’s control have determined the fate of his buildings, but the care and skill with which he designed them is beyond dispute. His efforts to reconcile development and conservation, the machine aesthetic and the arts and crafts tradition, human-made shelter and nature should inspire us all, not just architects and planners. His reputation will stand the test of time. Alan Clawley, author of Twentieth Century Architects: John Madin (RIBA Publishing, 2011)

‘john madin’s work encouraged me to become an architect’ Ken Shuttleworth, director, Make ‘I had followed his work as a child as he was a man of vision, and was instrumental in recreating Birmingham as a modern, exciting city after the war. Growing up, that was the trigger which encouraged me to become an architect, so I am indebted to John Madin for pointing me in the right direction.’ ‘staff and students have always taken pride in his work’ Kevin Singh, head of Birmingham School of Architecture ‘In a city that has at times struggled with its 1960s architectural reputation, Madin’s work was always something that both staff and students could take pride in.’ ‘madin was the high point of the 20th century for birmingham’ Glenn Howells, director, Glenn Howells Architects ‘His work is a catalogue of Modernism. He had an ambition beyond that of a regional practitioner. He was the high point of the 20th century for the city.’ aj 19.01.12

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9/11/11 10:12:33

News

scotland

COMPETITIONS FILE

DS+R wins Union Terrace

THE PICK OF THE BEST UK, EUROPEAN & INTERNATIONAL DESIGN CONTESTS

US practice beats Foster + Partners for controversial Aberdeen scheme

The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland has launched a contest to design a post-primary school in West Dublin. £8,000 will go to each of the seven schemes shortlisted for the second stage and the winner’s design will be commissioned. The organisers are looking for innovative and energy-efficient plans. [Submissions should be received by 20 March] The Slovenian Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning has launched a design competition for a national and university library in Ljubljana with a prize of €73,000 (£60,386). The NUK II scheme will be built over the remains of a Roman settlement, and it is hoped the design will reflect ‘local historic characteristics’. [Submissions must be received by 23 March] Sean Kitchen The AJ does not organise, endorse, or take responsibility for these competitions unless stated 18

dS+r

Andrew dunn

The University of Cambridge (pictured) is on the hunt for architects and landscape designers for phase one of its north-west Cambridge masterplan. The project includes a range of buildings, with student and family housing, a community hall and a health centre. [Submissions to be received by 6 February]

A team led by US practice Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) has beaten Foster + Partners to win the controversial contest to transform Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen. The victory could see the firm, famed for its work on New York’s High Line, build its first permanent building in Europe. However, the winning concept, designed with Scottish architects Keppie Design and landscape

specialists OLIN, will now be subject to a referendum to find out if the public supports the regeneration project – backed by businessman Ian Wood to the tune of £50 million. Last week, the Friends of Union Terrace Gardens launched a campaign to save the Victorian gardens ‘from destruction and prevent the land being passed to a private company for development’. The ballot closes on 1 March.

Only if the city’s residents back the DS+R’s ‘Granite Web’ scheme will detailed designs be produced for the £140 million overhaul. The DS+R proposals were hailed as ‘ingenious and inspiring’ by City Garden Project competition organiser Malcolm Reading of Malcolm Reading Consultants. See more images of the winning scheme and Foster + Partners’ proposals at TheAJ.co.uk/Aberdeen aj 19.01.12

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News

education

The Mackintosh head with a ‘Glasgow voice’

glasgow school of art

In his first interview since becoming head of the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Chris Platt tells Rory Olcayto how he wants to influence Steven Holl’s controversial new campus building

Chris Platt is sitting in a booth in the main corridor of the Glasgow School of Art, ‘one of the few masterpieces we have in Scotland’, reflecting on his first few weeks in charge of the Mackintosh School of Architecture, having quit his role as director of graduation studies at the University of Strathclyde. ‘Glasgow is a good place to study architecture,’ he says, even if he suspects the city’s two schools will be forcibly merged within five years, ‘given how (Holyrood education secretary) Mike Russell is operating’. He says: ‘Glasgow exhibits characteristics of both European and North American cities. And it sits very close to outstanding natural landscape, 20

so the whole environment, built and unbuilt, is there in your doorstep. It is a tremendous backdrop to explore what cities are, and indeed test what 21st-century cities might be.’ It’s the kind of patter his boss Seona Reid would be very pleased to hear. In contrast to the selection of New Yorker Steven Holl to design a new campus building opposite the Mackintosh edifice (sketch pictured), which most local firms good enough for the task greeted with weary nods of approval, the Glasgow School of Art director appointed Platt precisely because of his ability to present a ‘Glasgow voice’. Platt’s Glasgow voice is of the inquiring, combative but convivial

kind. With Scotland’s architectural culture in disarray – the sad demise of the Lighthouse, the RIAS’ vigorous support of Donald Trump’s much-criticised golf course, and the collapse of respected design teams at NORD and Murray Dunlop – his public role is perhaps more important than ever. Which is why it’s good news that Platt likes to ask difficult questions, even if they are not entirely on-message. The Holl building for one, managed on site by Henry McKeown and Ian Alexander of JM Architects (friends of Platt), is a work in progress still to win him over. ‘I’m not convinced that light is going to come down the shafts just

quite the way Holl imagines,’ says Platt, echoing historian William JR Curtis’ objections (AJ 04.11.10). ‘And there’s an interesting question about how a translucent facade speaks to Mackintosh’s stone facade.’ Even more interesting to Platt however – who has spent 30 years in practice, 15 in tandem with teaching – is how Holl works with the idea of newness when making a home for creative practitioners. ‘One of the great things coming into this building,’ says Platt, tracing the hewn edges of the wooden seat beneath him, ‘are the marks of previous activity. That’s stimulating. But if he can overcome the fact that newness can be an inhibitor to creativity, he has the makings of a building that will last as long as this one. That is far more important than what it looks like.’ So is ‘overcoming newness’ art-school speak for flexible space, or dare it be said, sustainable design? ‘If you design buildings that are able to accommodate a number of uses, that is the most sustainable thing you can do. The energy put into the building is reinvested by new generations. Issues that we were always addressing as architects have been hijacked by this term “sustainability”,’ he affirms. Sadly ‘the Mack’, as the architecture school is affectionately known, will not be relocated to the new building, but will remain in the adjacent Keppie-designed ‘flyover’, its home since 1970. Yet intriguingly aj 19.01.12

News

glasgow school of art/steven holl architects

‘a receptive culture’: chris platt on scottish architecture

With Scotland’s architectural culture in disarray, it’s good that Platt likes to ask difficult questions for Platt, a Mack graduate himself, Holl’s building could play a central role in his vision for the school’s development, and perhaps go on to inform the nature of architecture schools throughout the UK. ‘There’s a chance for schools of architecture, through their expertise in design and research, to influence the industry by drawing them in here and saying, “Let’s talk about the built environment. How are we going to make it better, and what is your role and what is our role?” It’s untapped potential.’ Which is where Holl’s project, now on site with McAlpines, comes in. ‘This is a very complex, challenging building by two practices on opposite sides of the world – maybe there is a chance to influence the delivery, through conversation early in the process. aj 19.01.12

The opportunity is right there on our doorstep. Schools of architecture have the gravitational pull to play a leading role in the construction industry.’ Platt’s sense of urgency is real. He cites the difficulties of small practices like his own, Studio KAP, where he still works two mornings a week, to compete for work with ever-larger multidisciplinary firms, and how PQQs and ‘the fact you have to write a book’ to win work is changing the shape of the profession. ‘What does the subject mean to today’s students, and what kind of opportunities await the twenty-something graduate? I find in comparison to my own generation, they have a keener moral compass, they are more environmentally conscious and are familiar with global issues. They are more aware of

the world they are about to enter professionally than we were, and really know their value. But at the moment their opportunities are very limited.’ As companies get bigger and bigger, with fewer of them dealing with more and more projects, the only way architects are going to influence that process, says Platt, is if they ‘engage with those conditions as students’. ‘The professional landscape is going down a particular route, yet in architecture schools we are in danger of following a traditional pattern. In the Mack there is a fantastic ethos, all about the art and craft of architecture. That road was built by Andy MacMillan and Isi Metzstein primarily, and it is still relevant. But I ask myself, where is that road going to go? It is the construction industry that concerns me most – and I draw a distinction with the architectural landscape. How do we shape our relationship with it over the next five to 10 years?’

The Doolan shortlist was too long for the number of projects submitted. It was a curious thing to do. Some people get confused about being loyal to Scotland’s endeavours and being objective about what international quality means. You’ve still got football supporters saying Scotland has a world-class team; the same goes for architecture. In the context of a society that doesn’t generally give architects the opportunity to prove themselves, I can understand why bodies are very protective and push for Scottish architecture – but perhaps a little too enthusiastically what is considered to be of international quality. Scotland still has some way to go to develop a contemporary architecture culture to match Ireland’s: new buildings there have a higher tectonic quality. We have just as much talent, so you have to ask yourself, it’s not just a question of talent (I’m forever teaching students more talented than myself ) but rather of a receptive society providing the opportunities. There are very few contemporary Scottish buildings of truly international quality. We could name them on perhaps just one hand. We need to develop a culture, and this school can play a part here, that encourages and commissions good architects and buildings. From that base the occasional masterpiece will emerge. It doesn’t matter how many architecture policies we have – they don’t have any in Switzerland – it’s more about developing a receptive culture and the Mack has a crucial role in that. 21

News

overseas work

news in brief

Rogers win luxury job in Monaco Rogers Stirk Harbour lands Monte Carlo apartments, shops and offices The government of millionaire’s playground Monaco has chosen Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) to redevelop the heart of Monte Carlo. Designed in collaboration with local architect Alexandre Giraldi, the project will see the Art Deco Sporting d’Hiver conference centre replaced. The impressive Salle des Arts from the existing 1932 building will be recreated within the seven-pavilion scheme (pictured), which will feature 4,850 square metres of shops, 36 luxury apartments, 4,500 square metres

of offices, 3,000 square metres of conference facilities, an exhibition area and parking for 500 cars. Ivan Harbour of RSHP said: ‘The current building had become underused, and we explored

options ranged from complete retention of the structure to demolition and new build. We settled on a scheme that incorporates a broad mix of activities to reinvigorate central Monte Carlo. ‘The principal urban move was to create a major new pedestrianised street lined with shops, restaurants and a public art gallery. Above the shops, the adjacent Hôtel de Paris is extended with serviced apartments and offices.’ The project is due to complete in 2016. Richard Waite

Erskine show opens at BDP HQ

BDP’s ‘Path Crossing: A social architecture by Ralph Erskine’ exhibition will open on 27 January at its London headquarters. The exhibition, originally commissioned by Clare Hall college at the University of Cambridge, documents two community developments by the Swedish architect Ralph Erskine: Clare Hall (1969) and the Byker Estate in Newcastle upon Tyne (1979). Photographs taken by residents of both highlight common architectural details. BDP’s show is an edited reprise of the exhibition which showed in the refectory of Clare Hall last autumn (AJ 07.10.11). The exhibition will travel to Newcastle later this year. Path-Crossing, 27 Jan – 17 Feb, BDP, 16 Brewhouse Yard, London EC1

New Practices #96 Stitch

Clerkenwell, London. Founded 2012

Main people Sally Lewis (founding director, pictured); Alastair Crockett Where have you come from? Sally has led regeneration bids and projects at HTA, where Alastair also worked. What work do you have and what projects are you looking for? We have relationships with a few developers and housing associations, and are working on a couple of strong leads. Collaboration is the foundation of what we do; we plan to team up with the best in the business, learn from them and bring our ‘smarterplanning’ ideas to the table.

What are your ambitions? Too often our industry focuses only on the look and feel of buildings, but as Steve Jobs said, ‘Great design is also about how it works’. Stitch is focused on getting the story right, making sure the proposals work in the long term. We have big ambitions, but they are not about size. We are concerned with bringing all parties involved in a scheme together, creating a coherent story, and helping to make it happen.

Competitionwinning bid for South Acton masterplan (2009). Delivered while working for HTA

How optimistic are you? Everybody says the best time to start up is in a recession. Hopefully they’re not just being kind. The best advice I’ve had is, ‘If you’re going to do it, be brave and go for it’. My biggest fear is that quality in housing ceases to be valued at a time when it needs to be at the top of the design agenda. Contact www.stitch-studio.co.uk

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Searching spotlight

Calling all architects with yacht design experience (Norman Foster, Amanda Levete etc)! This week education secretary Michael Gove called for a new yacht for the Queen to celebrate her diamond jubilee: ‘In spite, and perhaps because of, the austere times, the celebration should go beyond previous jubilees and mark the greater achievement that the diamond anniversary represents.’ But David Cameron has insisted the £60 million gin palace must be privately funded. The announcement of Gove’s Building Yachts for the Future programme is expected imminently. Architects shouldn’t bother trying to get on the HMS PFI framework however, as it is expected to explicitly ban architects from making profits.

To the Building Centre and Icopal’s ‘Faces of British Architecture’ exhibition, which features 45 portraits of architects looking a bit different from the way they usually do. The photos, by Timothy Soar, were shot in his Hackney studio at a distance of 15 feet, using a searchlight flash to light the subject’s face. The results are startling, uncanny even, with well-kent faces seemingly too real, and then seemingly something else altogether. Eric Parry as Lou Reed. Ted Cullinan as Michael Winner. Sean Griffiths as the next Doctor Who. Sarah Wigglesworth as Judy Dench’s (much younger) sister. Apparently Soar’s post-production for the ladies used a different technique to the harsh, craggy filter applied

to the men that, according to one female architect, would have been ‘too unkind’. The best part of the night however was watching as each of the spotlit architects walked into the show and then tried to look casual as they tracked down their own portrait. And then wonder if it was a good idea after all.

No love for lido After all that effort, Westonsuper-Mare’s 1937 Tropicana lido is to be demolished. Over the last decade or so a raft of different architects have come up with proposals for the long-abandoned seafront site, some controversial, others conservational. An early attempt to redevelop the Art Deco landmark came in 2003. This was followed by an almost universally disliked scheme by

Mountford Pigott, which took Poirot-esque, De la Warr pastiche to a new low. Others came and went: a competition-winning scheme by FaulknerBrowns, low-key retrofit proposals by Ferguson Mann, and another conservation-led scheme by Arturus (all backed by local businessman Richard Nightingale, who is reportedly £500,000 out of pocket). Now North Somerset Council, which appears to have had enough of unrealised dreams but doesn’t have any of its own, is to flatten the complex at a cost of £700,000. As one architect pointed out, that money could easily have kick-started a small makeover, potentially emulating the success of the reborn Portishead lido up the road. Instead, the former seaside playground will become beach once more. aj 19.01.12

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a division of

Leader What Scotland can learn from Canada, plus why the London 2012 gag order must go. Christine Murray However in the lead-up to the 1980 referendum, businesses fled (much to Toronto’s benefit), with even historical local stalwarts such as the Bank of Montreal tiptoeing out, as many felt it was nonsensical to run a Canada-wide business from what might be another country. More importantly for architects, the exodus of jobs and political insecurities caused the property market to crash, and Montreal has never really recovered, despite continuing to be, arguably, Canada’s most culturally vibrant city. It’s unlikely to be as drastic in Scotland. Nevertheless, setting the vote for October 2014 was a mistake; referendums should be done as quickly as possible, to give property markets and business analysts little time to react. Now that the date is set, politicians must flesh out what separation would entail with great clarity (ie pound or euro) – businesses and property investors will want to know what a ‘yes’ vote will mean, before they consider

y homeland of Canada is a laughable 144 years young, but if there’s one thing its political history has to offer, it’s a precedent study for Holyrood on referendums and separatism. The French province of Quebec has flirted with extricating itself from Canada since the 1970s, and has held two referendums, in 1980 and 1995, to devastating economic effect. In 1995, the result of the vote to separate was split by a razor-thin 49.42 per cent ‘Yes’ to 50.58 per cent ‘No’, with a remarkable voter turnout rate of 94 per cent. But less important than Quebec’s decision to stay was the insecurity caused in anticipation of each result. Montreal was once the largest city in Canada, and its economic engine.

Letters received Last issue AJ 12.01.12

(Wo)man’s work Letter of the week Each week, the AJ will choose its favourite letter. The lucky winner will receive a limited edition bone china AJ mug. Please address letters to: The Editor The Architects’ Journal Greater London House Hampstead Road London nw1 7ej Email letters@architectsjournal.co.uk

12.01.12

Women in Practice

From Alison Brooks to Zaha Hadid, the AJ profiles more than 60 female practice directors and partners plus Shocking results from the women’s survey

£4.95 THE ARCHITECTS’ JOURNAL THEAJ.CO.UK

Letters should be received by 10am on the Monday before publication. The AJ reserves the right to edit letters

Interesting reading the comments of the many architects featured in your Women in Practice issue (AJ 12.01.12), especially the remarks on children. There’s still an assumption that women should stop work or give up more of their time when they’ve had children. It seems that a culture (not just in architecture, but in general) of both parents taking time off to look after children would make this a shared issue, and one that doesn’t only disadvantage women. Many fathers would reduce working hours or days to

LETTER OFK THE WEE

do this, but I suspect there is a culture in many practices where this would be seen as a weakness or lead to lack of promotion. Obviously where there is a significant disparity between male and female pay within a couple, and the choice of who doesn’t work has to be made along those lines, this keeps the father in work and the mother at home. Mark Parsons, director, Studio Polpo, Sheffield, Yorkshire

Reaction: Women’s issue Congratulations on an excellent AJ. On the one hand it was heartening to see so many women responsible for

aj 19.01.12

Pre-referendum, Montreal was Canada’s largest city and its economic engine, but even the Bank of Montreal fled to Toronto making a significant investment in Scotland pre-2014. Lift the gag order, LOCOG The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) must revisit its No Marketing Rights Protocol. The majority of the clauses are certifiably absurd and unenforceable anyway. How does LOCOG intend to police the ‘verbal responses’ rule, for example, which stipulates that suppliers may talk about their work, but not if they are speaking to ‘a significant number of clients or potential clients’ – will LOCOG be crowd-controlling visitors to MIPIM’s London stand? Surely now that major sponsors

such an impressive range of buildings; and on the other it revealed some shocking practices. You are right to highlight the persistent inequities. It is no good pretending that everything is fine – that won’t change anything! Julia Barfield, managing director, Marks Barfield Architects, London SW4 Great AJ issue on Women in Practice. Sadly, when a copy of the magazine arrived at my office, a male colleague scanned through it quickly and then handed it to me saying, ‘Here, an interesting magazine for you’. Someone missed the point here. Vaso Vaina, via AJ online Excellent issue, serious and witty

aj 19.01.12

are in place, LOCOG can afford to enact its reserved right to amend the protocol ‘at the London 2012 Organising Committee’s absolute discretion’, and allow architects to market their expertise to the benefit of the whole construction industry. The protocol was penned in the vastly different economic era of 2007, but in the current economy, the PR value of the vast number of London 2012 projects delivered on time and on budget would bring a welcome boost to the international profile of UK construction – an economic driver of the entire country. At this late stage, a change in the protocol is unlikely to cost LOCOG a penny: lift the gag order, and suppliers will do the rest.

at the same time. Well structured, comprehensive. Congratulations! Hugh Pearman, editor of the RIBA Journal, via Twitter

Corrections AJ 12.01.12 • Figures for the pie chart on page 7 for the question ‘Do you think you would be paid more if you were male?’ should have read: No, 52%, Yes, 48%. • Some of the pictures on pages 59 and 61 were in the incorrect order. The image used with Miya Ushida should have been with Anna Gibb, Anna Gibb’s should have been with Elena Tsolakis, and Elena Tsolakis should have accompanied Miya Ushida’s profile.

THE ARCHITECTS’ JOURNAL GREATER LONDON HOUSE HAMPSTEAD ROAD LONDON NW1 7EJ THEAJ.CO.Uk Established 1895 Editorial enquiries/fax 020 7728 4574 / 020 7728 4601 E firstname.surname@emap.com T 020 7728 plus extension below Editor Christine Murray (4573) Deputy editor Rory Olcayto (4571) Acting administrator Rakesh Ramchurn (4574) Digital editor Simon Hogg (4572) News editor Richard Waite (07918 650875) Reporter Merlin Fulcher (4564) Editorial intern Heenali Patel Technical editor Felix Mara (4568) Senior editor James Pallister (4570) Sustainability editor Hattie Hartman (4569) Sustainability intern Ruth Dreyer AJ Buildings Library editor Tom Ravenscroft (4644) Art editor Brad Yendle (4578) Design intern Ella Mackinnon Production editor Mary Douglas (4577) Sub-editor Abigail Gliddon (4579) Contributing editor Ian Martin Contributing photographer Edmund Sumner Editorial director Paul Finch Group chief executive Natasha Christie-Miller Director of architecture and media Conor Dignam (5545) Commercial manager James MacLeod (4582) Business development managers Nick Roberts (4608), Ceri Evans (3595) Group advertising manager Amanda Pryde (4557) Account managers Hannah Buckley (3762), Simon Collingwood (4515), Steph Atha (4609) Classified and recruitment sales Ashley Powell (4518) AJ subscription UK £165 Overseas £210 Back issues and subscriptions 0844 848 8858

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Column

Paul Finch’s letter from London Design Council Cabe is alive and kicking – here’s what we’ve been up to

The whole idea of how we design cities can no longer be disconnected from the technology that controls the flow of city life • Nine new local authorities have used DCC workshops to improve the status of design in local plans • We are supporting 26 neighbourhood planning projects, including 11 ‘frontrunner’ schemes that examine how devolved plan-making can work in practice • Long-term contract partnering continues with Crossrail and the Thames Tideway Tunnel programme In addition, we have carried out a review of all our current activities and the way we operate, courtesy of Peter Bishop, and we are in the process of putting most of the recommendations into effect. The main principles of this are: greater devolution, providing more design support as well as design review, and the creation of a suite of services that can be offered to both market and public sector. In some ways, the most exciting part of our merger into the Design Council is the potential opportunities emerging in relation to major design areas that have a spatial

DCC worked with the Department of Health to find design solutions for the NHS in their Reducing violence and aggression in A&E report

REDUCING VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION IN A&E

DeSigN CouNCil Cabe

Several architects have asked me recently what is happening at Design Council Cabe (DCC), which has now been in existence since 1 April last year and which I have the privilege of chairing. Let’s cite some specifics from the first nine months: • We have carried out 189 design reviews for local authorities and clients across England • These included reviews of nearly 60,000 residential units • 24 design reviews have been carried out for LOCOG, for example the sponsor pavilions and temporary elements for the Games • The Affiliated Design Network of eight local panels, now partly funded by DCC, has carried out 163 reviews • As part of a new programme, five community design review projects have been delivered with another eight in the pipeline • Representatives from 98 local authorities took part in ‘design in planning’ workshops

dimension, but that involve more than architecture alone. The best example thus far is the work done to improve the experience of patients in accident and emergency departments (pictured). Of course, the physical surroundings of these departments, the interior architecture and the design of the route, waiting area and so on are critical. But they are far from being the whole story, as anyone who has waited hours to be seen by a harassed duty doctor will know. Simple information systems, sympathetic lighting and other interactive elements can make a huge difference, just as a well-designed bus stop still massively benefits from the inclusion of a screen telling you when the next bus will arrive. Another area currently being investigated as part of the DC ‘Challenges’ programme is dementia where, as with other aspects of mental health, the potential for an integrated design approach is enormous. Research suggests that considered design can play some part in mitigation, while bad design simply makes people feel worse. These sorts of programmes are being accompanied by a change in the way that design is presented to public clients and government: ‘From the pixel to the city’ would be one way of describing it, since the implications of digital design on the systems and services that inform our daily lives are as significant as the way we design our homes and streets. Indeed, the whole idea of how we design cities, or parts of them, can no longer be disconnected from the technology that controls the flow of city life – of people, energy, water and so on. So the future for DCC is, I believe, an exciting one, not least because the challenges and opportunities are so enormous. Trying to focus on the bigger picture, even while addressing essential issues like procurement and planning, is important at a time when the assumption is that all we can do is tighten our belts. What we need to do is redesign those metaphorical belts – and what they are holding up.

THROUGH A BETTER EXPERIENCE

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12/04/2011 17:08

AJ Small Projects 2012

hat few clients may realise about this profession is how gratified architects feel when they’ve managed to deliver a lofty architectural design on a competitive budget. AJ Small Projects takes this exercise to the extreme, rewarding design excellence accomplished for a total build cost of £250,000 or less. We love the AJ Small Projects awards – an annual publishing event and one of the highlights of our editorial calendar. That’s why this year, with the continued support of Marley Eternit, we’ve expanded the AJ Small Projects programme.

You can never have too much of a good thing – which is why AJ Small Projects got a little bit bigger this year, writes Christine Murray

AJ SMALL PROJECTS 1

Paul Reed, sales and marketing director at Marley Eternit, comments: ‘We are proud to be sponsoring this prestigious award for a second year. Marley Eternit is fully committed to helping highlight some of the creative and original work that architect practices produce, regardless of budget constraints and size of project; this competition helps us to reward and cast a spotlight on such excellence.’ 30

alma-nac

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In addition to two issues of the magazine and the accompanying exhibition at the NLA, we’ve added two new events (a launch evening and supercrit), published every entry on the AJBuildingsLibrary.co.uk and put every shortlisted project on the cover. (Th is issue went to print with 12 different covers, randomly distributed to subscribers. 12 more will go to press next week.) We’ve also built more feedback into the programme, in response to reader comments last year. To this end, we held a launch event in November at the NLA in Store Street, London, where Deborah

Saunt, co-founder of DSDHA, Ben Addy of Moxon Architects and I discussed the importance of small projects in building a practice, how to craft a successful entry and catch any judge’s eye, and how getting published and shortlisted for awards can help you win work. The addition of a supercrit to the programme will see the 24 finalists presenting their work to our panel; client Moira Gemmill, development director at the V&A, architect Keith Bradley, partner of Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, quantity surveyor Lance Taylor of Rider Levett Bucknall, Paul Reed, sales and >>

Most popular on the AJ Buildings Library

Images. Drawings. Data. Search for ‘small projects’ on AJBuildingsLibrary.co.uk

TEATUM + TEATUM

CAT PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA STUDENTS, MACHYNLLETH

1. Giant Gingerbread House, Alma-nac, London 2. Coed Gwern Bird Hide, CAT Professional Diploma Students, Machynlleth 3. High Street to Hidden House, Teatum + Teatum, London 4. House and Office, 1 West Annandale Street, Tim Bayman Architecture, Edinburgh 5. One & Eight, Me & Sam, London, (All projects 2011, and pictured below and overleaf)

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AJ Small Projects 2012

marketing director of Marley Eternit, and myself. In our bid to make the process as transparent as possible, the shortlisted practices are invited to sit in on all of the supercrits so they can judge the presentations for themselves. Also for the first time, we solicited entries through our digital buildings archive AJBuildingsLibrary.co.uk, making photographs, drawings and working details from all 156 entrants available to view from November and allowing users to choose their favourite. Interestingly, three of the five most-viewed projects (see previous page) didn’t make our shortlist, but nevertheless have gained prominent

exposure for their practices. The AJ Buildings Library also contains all shortlisted Small Projects from the past three years and over 300 projects completed for less than £250,000. The AJ Buildings Library proved to be a great equaliser compared to paper entries. AJ deputy editor Rory Olcayto, AJ Specification editor Felix Mara, sustainability editor Hattie Hartman and AJ Buildings Library editor Tom Ravenscroft combed through drawings and photographs of every project to choose the 24 finalists. The AJ Buildings Library’s zoom and full-screen functionality made it possible to focus in on the

architectural detailing, making it easier to judge between good photography and good architecture. Having all the information in a standard format also levelled the playing field, so judges couldn’t be wooed by a nice font or paper stock. I hope you enjoy these two special issues, featuring the best of Small Projects 2012. The winners of the AJ Small Project awards, including the sustainability prize, will be announced on 8 February, where a prize fund of £2,500 will be shared at the jury’s discretion. The exhibition of shortlisted projects runs at the NLA from 9 February to 10 March.

Total number of entries to the 2012 AJ Small Projects Awards

156

me & Sam

Tim Bayman archiTecTure

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6-7-8-9

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AJ Small Projects 2012

Fraher ARCHITECTS

The Jewel Box, London Cost ÂŁ250,000 34

Intended for a silversmith and a QC, the brief called for complete renovation and an extension to provide a dining area and garden room for this Grade-II listed house in the Colebrooke Row conservation area. Conceived as a series of jewelled boxes carefully inserted into the existing fabric, the design opens up and revitalises what was a series of dark, disjointed spaces.

Scottish larch and concrete have been combined in a simple palette of materials that wrap around the existing fabric, inviting the user through the space and into the garden. The remaining period architectural features are retained and celebrated, while the rear addition utilises a double-canted wildflower roof to bounce light deep into the floorplate. aj 19.01.12

Ground floor plan

Lower ground floor plan

6 10

5 3 2

8 9 1m

credits

legend

client Private contractor Candour Interiors structural engineer Elliot Wood Partnership quantity surveyor Jenkins Hansford Partnership floor area 97m2 procurement JCT Minor Works

1. Bedroom 2. Store 3. Hallway 4. Jewellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work bench 5. Living room 6. Kitchen 7. Dining room 8. Bathroom 9. Study 10. Garden

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MICHaEL CoLLInS

AJ Small Projects 2012

carmody groarke

Artist’s Workshop, London Cost £35,000 36

The artist Antony Gormley, who works predominantly in metal, required more space to store raw metal materials, as well as a space for heavy and noisy processes in finishing sculptures. This robust garage-like building provides workshop and storage facilities within the yard of his existing London studio. The steel

mono-pitched frame, which is designed to lift several of the 600kg art pieces, is clad in heavy-gauge hot-dipped galvanised steel in order to withstand the industrial nature of the artist’s creative process. The workshop is split into four ‘bays’, so that the space inside the building can be divided for different processes and uses. aj 19.01.12

Section

0 250mm

Floor plan

N OAk TAylOr-SmiTh

credits

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OAk TAylOr-SmiTh

client Antony Gormley contractor Sheetfabs floor area 80m2 procurement Bespoke

AJ Small Projects 2012

carl turner architects Stealth Barn, Norfolk Cost £30,000 38

Sitting in the exposed expanse of the Cambridgeshire fens, Stealth Barn is a sharp black mass, a shadow of the adjacent Ochre Barn – a large threshing barn converted by Carl Turner Architects into a home and studio. Placed perpendicular to the existing barn, this addition provides a self-contained unit that could act as a guest house, studio or meeting place,

depending on the time of year and workloads. The toughness of the exterior is inverted internally by the inclusion of a warmer engineered timber board that wraps around the space to form angles reminiscent of the adjacent barns divided with straw bales. The arrangement of the main spaces into simple pockets is key to the barn’s multifunctional use. aj 19.01.12

Ground floor plan

2 3

Ochre Barn Studio Proposed Ground Floor Plan

Tim crocker

jeremy phillips

1:50 @ A3

legend

client private structural engineer Built engineer floor area 63m2 procurement self-build

1. Bathroom 2. kitchen 3. main entrance

Tim crocker

credits

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AJ Small Projects 2012

oliver chapman architects Skerrie House, Fife Cost £160,000 40

This rear extension to an early 19th-century fishing cottage helps reorient the existing living areas to face the sea. The main staircase is wrapped by a light glazed extension containing a new living room and kitchen. The folded oxidised copper roof form and irregular plan references the irregular geometry of the site, formed by the relationship between

historic cottages in the row and the angular rock of the ‘Skerrie’ on which they are built. An angled glass rooflight brings a shard of natural light deep into the plan, and visually separates the new extension from the existing house. The new roof deck is connected to the existing stone stair, allowing dramatic views across the forth to the Isle of May. aj 19.01.12

Ground floor plan

First floor plan

3 1

credits

legend

client Mr I Harding & Mrs C Checkland contractor WH Brown Construction structural engineer David Narro Associates floor area 45m2 procurement Traditional single stage tender, SBCC Minor Works Contract

1. Existing living room 2. New kitchen and dining space 3. Bathroom 4. Study cabin 5. Patio 6. Bedroom 7. Store 8. Roof terrace 9. Angular rooflight

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MICHAEl CollINS

AJ Small Projects 2012

william tozer ARCHITECTure & Design Elegant Shed 2, London Cost ÂŁ113,000 42

Sited in the garden of a listed London house, two small existing garden sheds have been reconfigured and refurbished to create a studio and greenhouse. The two derelict building forms have been treated as found objects and modified with modern interventions. Frameless window and door openings appear as voids through the brick enclosures,

and the roof planes of timber and glass sit inside the external walls. Spatially, the sheds separate two zones of the garden, and loosely enclose a paved space between them. Windows positioned on one end of each building frame views across this patio, visually connecting the two building envelopes and the interiors that they enclose. aj 19.01.12

IMAGES SUPPLIED BY WILLIAM TozEr ArChITECTUrE & DESIGn

credits

legend

client Private structural engineer Vincent Grant Partnership floor area 41m2 procurement JCT Minor Works Building Contract 2005, revision 2009

1. Garden 2. Terrace 3. Greenhouse 4. Studio

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Ground floor plan

AJ Small Projects 2012

EWAN CAMERON ARCHITECTS Capel Manor House Guest Pavilion, Kent, Cost ÂŁ245,000 44

The brief was to design a guest pavilion comprising two suites adjacent to an Italianate orangery from 1860, on the grounds of Capel Manor House, an iconic 1960s Modernist pavilion designed by Michael Manser. The simple rear facade of the pavilion is first glimpsed from a secluded woodland passageway. The building then offers an invitation: a passageway

through its centre, which is open to the sky, presenting a dramatic event on a walk through the garden. This passageway is formed by two spine walls cast in BĂŠton Brut concrete. These massive walls contrast with the lighter zinc-clad roof and glass elements, while the wood grain of the timber shuttering echoes the woodland context. aj 19.01.12

Ground floor plan

credits

legend

client Remy Blumenfeld structural engineer David Narro Associates building services consultant Mott MacDonald contractor Green Construction planning consultant The Planning Partnership

1. Passageway to rooms 2. Suite entrance 3. Bedroom 4. Bathroom

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HeNRyk HeTflAiSz

AJ Small Projects 2012

nissen richards studio V&A lecture theatre, London Cost ÂŁ50,000 46

The highlight of this refurbishment of the Grade I-listed lecture theatre at the Victoria & Albert Museum is the new decorative acoustic lining. The existing designs within the cupola ceiling have been used as inspiration for a subtle pattern, developed with a scenic painter using varnish, to the timber lining that surrounds the space. These motifs just catch

the light from certain angles and create a clear, modern feel that retains a memory of the past. The new cladding of the sound box complements the lining, and adds another contemporary element to the theatre in a refurbishment that required close collaboration with an acoustic consultant and English Heritage. aj 19.01.12

Section a-a

Stencil of pattern design

800mm

SINGLE REPETITION OF PATTERN

DIMENSIONS ARE APPROXIMATE - PATTERN DESIGN TO BE FINALISED BY ARCHITECT PRIOR TO MANUFACTURING OF STENCIL. PATTERN TO BE REPEATED LENGTHWAYS, UNDERNEATH EXISTING PAINTED PATTERN ON DOMED CEILING AS DWG A383-503/504/505. ARCHITECT TO CONFIRM SETTING OUT PRIOR TO DECORATING.

david lambert

PATTERN TO BE STENCILLED IN VARNISH, SEE SPEC. M60/160.

01 PATTERN STENCIL FOR DECORATION (@ 1:10)

REV.

DATE

DESCRIPTION

REV.

DATE

08.10.10

TENDER ISSUE

--.--.--

DESCRIPTION

NOTES: 1. ALL DIMENSIONS IN MM 2. THIS DRAWING TO BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALL RELEVANT CONTRACT DOCUMENTS 3. THIS DRAWING TO BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALL ENGINEER'S DRAWINGS 4. DO NOT SCALE FROM THIS DRAWING 5. REPORT ANY ERRORS, CONTRADICTIONS, AND OMISSIONS TO THE ARCHITECT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

PIPPA NISSEN studio PIPPA NISSEN studio Ltd Registered in England & Wales no. 7138133

KEY:

DRAWING NAME:

PATTERN STENCIL

PROJECT NAME:

V&A LECTURE THEATRE

81 Rivington Street London EC2A 3AY T 020 3008 4535 F 020 3178 8002 info@pippanissenstudio.com

JOB NO: SCALE: STATUS:

A1018 1:10 @ A3 TENDER

803/-

DRAWING NO:

credits

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david lambert

client v&a contractor Coniston Construction procurement bespoke v&a contract gross internal area 290m2

AJ Small Projects 2012

JACK WOOLLEY

Old Workshop, London Cost ÂŁ232,000 48

The aim of the design was to rehabilitate a run-down carpenterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workshop set behind an old wall that links two 19th-century terraces by doubling the inhabitable space and converting the building into live/work accommodation. The renovation manages not to compromise the integrity of the landscape or the existing wall, which was pierced to

create a subtle but dramatic new main entrance that is integrated into the brickwork, visible only as a rectangular witness line. A new basement level is offset horizontally to allow daylight to penetrate through the structural walk on rooflights running along its length. Materials salvaged from the derelict structure were used in the restoration. aj 19.01.12

Ground floor plan

Basement floor plan

4 2 3

5 Old Workshop ground floor plan

DAviD GRANDORGe

Old Workshop basement plan

credits

legend

client Private contractor Skye structural engineer C&R Design services engineer Peter Deer & Associates floor area 95m2 procurement Traditional

1. Office 2. Kitchen 3. Living 4. Bathroom 5. Bedroom

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AJ Small Projects 2012

Collective Architecture Titan Crane Visitor Centre, Glasgow Cost ÂŁ120,000 50

Clydebank Re-built commissioned the architect to design a small, cost-efficient building to house an exhibition space, learning area and cafĂŠ, to augment the site of the Titan Crane visitor attraction, which was restored by Collective Architecture in 2007. The exhibition provides a historical introduction to both the crane and the ships it built.

The angular geometric form of the building, with a glazed crane-facing elevation inflected to allow dramatic views up to the jib crane, is reminiscent of the huge plates of steel and equipment lifted by the crane in its operational life, and is intended to strike a feisty pose in defiance of the enormous structure above. aj 19.01.12

Floor plan

Section

ColleCTive ARChiTeCTuRe

credits client Clydebank Re-built contractor Clark Contracts structural engineer David Narro Associates quantity surveyor Gardiner & Theobald gross internal area 66m2 procurement Minor works

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AJ Small Projects 2012

AAVA

Denton Road, Crouch End, London Cost £165,000 52

This was an important opportunity for AAVA to create a piece of architecture as its own client, and to demonstrate the benefit and profitability of commitment to good design. AAVA purchased the land and gained planning permission, raised the construction finance then acted as main contractor. The two-bedroom house is entered through a discreet

gate into a private courtyard, which leads to the entrance. Adjacent to this is the second bedroom, with a large bi-folding window directly on to the courtyard. Bedrooms and bathroom are on the ground floor, and the first floor comprises the living room and kitchen. The ‘picture frame’ window facing Denton Road has clear views of mature gardens. aj 19.01.12

First floor plan

Ground floor plan

1 4

5 2

credits

legend

client AAVA contractor AAVA structural engineer Symmetry floor area 72m2 procurement A simple form of contract with subcontractors

1. Courtyard 2. Study/bedroom 3. Storage 4. Hallway 5. Bathroom 6. Balcony 7. Master bedroom 8. Living 9. Kitchen 10. Dining

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IAn PIerCe

Anthony colemAn

AJ Small Projects 2012

Baynes and Co The Water Tower, Kettering, Northamptonshire Cost £124,000 54

The client, a sculptor, wanted to move the existing spiral staircase outside of the water tower to release space for a bedroom, bathroom, study and entrance foyer. To find a suitable form that reflects both the use of the main building as an art gallery and for domestic use, Baynes and Co created models and a three-dimensional illustration of

the process of adding a staircase to the outside of the building. By ‘hinging’ open the stone of the tower and plugging in the vertical link, the logic of the building was expressed. Polycarbonate glazing avoided any horizontal joints and the client contributed the ‘water’ line inscribed into the self-coloured render. aj 19.01.12

Section A-A

Typical plan

500mm

A 3

credits

legend

client Ros Stoddart contractor AF Dickson Builders structural engineer Ian G Harban quantity surveyor Ian G Harban type of procurement JCT Minor Works 2005, revision 2009 gross internal area 438m2

1. Ground floor 2. First floor 3. Second floor 4. Staircase

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500mm

AJ Small Projects 2012

Alma-nac

Publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hideaway, London Cost ÂŁ15,000 56

By collaborating closely with an experienced cabinet maker, Alma-nac has converted a mezzanine space and staircase into one continuous multifunctional volume with the characteristics of an over-scaled piece of furniture. Folding timber shutters separate the second bedroom from the main living space, while maintaining the option

for an open, bright communal space when not in use. With space being tight, the flanking wall was built as a solid storage volume, doubling the sliding entrance to the bedroom with the closing mechanism for the hanging storage. The timber interior of the monolithic wall has been exposed wherever it is punctured for an entrance, opening or bookshelf. aj 19.01.12

Section A

Ground floor plan

ALmA-NAC

credits

legend

client Private contractor Aldworth James & Bond exhibition lighting designer Clementine Rodgers gross internal area 30m2

1. Living space 2. Bedroom/studio 3. Bookshelf in stairwell

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500m

The Critics

book

EXPLAIN MORE, DESCRIBE LESS A new survey of 40 years of architectural theory opts to document, rather than unpack its subjects, writes Stephen Games 58

Even after last year’s extensive coverage, the rise of Postmodernism in the late 20th century continues to baffle. In their new reader on the last 40 years of architectural theory, An Introduction to Architectural Theory from 1968 to the Present, David Goodman and Harry Francis Mallgrave provide an informal chronology of how Postmodernism burst upon the scene in the 1970s and what happened afterwards, but even they have to admit defeat in explaining some of the continuing uncertainties that Postmodern language gives rise to, and whether Postmodernism even accounts for what architects got up to under its rubric. That’s a big concession, given that one of the writers, Mallgrave, is a theory specialist, author of a companion survey of theory from 1673 to this book’s starting date, and co-editor of a two-volume anthology of theoretical literature from Vitruvius to 2005. Postmodernism was a massively important change of direction for academic thinking, not just in architecture but throughout the humanities and to observe, as the authors do, that ‘confusion, rather than clarity, was the keynote of the time’ is striking. Postmodernism was aj 19.01.12

centrifugal, driving people apart at least as much as it brought them together. This was the difficulty that Charles Jencks faced when trying to define it: he wished to nail down a system that he had a particularly comprehensive grasp of at just the time when architects were wanting to be free. Jencks even asked architects to accept his definitions while congratulating them on their pluralism, a paradox he’s still not solved. Examples of architects whose positions were ambiguous – Hans Hollein, James Stirling, Frank Gehry – are useful, but Postmodern confusion is a phenomenon, and one that needs to be examined and explained not just noted and illustrated. Mallgrave and Goodman go some way to doing this when they match architects to key borrowings. They cite Joseph Rykwert arguing for ‘a semantic study of the environment’ as early as 1960, George Baird quoting linguist Ferdinand de Saussure’s langue and parole in 1966, Peter Eisenman referencing Noam Chomsky’s ‘deep structures’ in his 1967 House I, Colin Rowe adopting bricolage from Levi-Strauss in 1970, and Kenneth Frampton writing ‘On reading Heidegger’ in the first volume of the Institute of Architecture and

In 1966, Pevsner used the term pejoratively to mean wilful attention-seeking Urban Studies’ (IAUS) house magazine Oppositions in 1973. That’s a good start: but it doesn’t go anything like far enough. The authors don’t go further because they don’t take a theoretical view of theory. They chart the comings and goings of the theoretical movements that excited attention in the late 20th century but they don’t look at them objectively. At the same time, they miss a variety of theoretical approaches that didn’t coalesce into a broad movement but deserve attention, such as the mathematical approach to theory that Lionel March and others worked on at Cambridge in the early 1970s, or the work of Paul Ritter in Perth. In spite of these reservations, there is much in this book that is useful for the beginner. The authors show how the use of the word ‘Postmodern’ lurked in the background for 30 years as a general term before it acquired its present meaning. The dean of Harvard Graduate School described humanist alternatives to Walter Gropius’ industrial housing as ‘Post-modern’ in 1945 and Nikolaus Pevsner used the term pejoratively in 1966 to mean wilful attention-seeking. What led to aj 19.01.12

book Harry Francis Mallgrave and David Goodman, An Introduction to Architectural Theory from 1968 to the Present, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, 288pp, hardcover, £55

Top Influential publications of the period

the birth of Postmodernism as we now know it was, suggest Mallgrave and Goodman, the impact of the socalled ‘rationalist’ architects of the Italian Tendenza (not included by Jencks because of their lack of ambiguity and symbolism) and Robert Venturi and Denise ScottBrown’s interest in the mannerisms of Americana. The text examines the evolution of these phenomena up to the post-theoretical free-for-all that coincided with the arrival of Rem Koolhaas in the mid 1990s and the ‘pragmatism’, ‘post-criticality’, Neo-minimalism and green-urbanism that then ensued. In doing so, it documents the literal revivalism promoted in the 1980s by the New Urbanists in America, by Leon Krier in the UK, by Ricardo Bofill and Christian de Portzamparc in France, and by Bruno Reichlin and Fabio Reinhart in Italy and Switzerland. It also notes the debates over quasi-regionalism and critical regionalism in America, Aldo van Eyck’s and Vittorio Gregotti’s opposition to Postmodernism, and, more generally, the way in which Jencks’ preoccupation with what buildings ‘said’ by virtue of their appearance was challenged by Poststructuralism’s more conceptual interest in ideas on self-deformation and subversion. In this account of the victory of the Greys over the Whites in America and the events that followed, the most notable figure is that of Jencks’ nemesis, Peter Eisenman. He crops up repeatedly as American architecture’s number-one fixer and power-broker, co-founding the Conference of Architects for the Study of the Environment (CASE) on his appointment to >> 59

The Critics

Princeton in 1964, getting MOMA to back his IAUS on moving to the Cooper Union in 1967, and launching, editing and writing for Oppositions, the IAUS magazine (1973-84), described here as ‘the first American journal of critical substance’. The authors see Eisenman as Postmodernism’s éminence grise, constantly renegotiating his position to stay ahead of the pack. Starting off as an advocate of Giuseppe Terragni (architect of the Fascist Party’s headquarters in Como (1933-36) at a time when Fascist Modernism was still untouchable), Eisenman redefined himself as a Postmodernist when two of his backers , Colin Rowe and MOMA’s Arthur Drexler, defected to historicism. When Postmodernism became too vulgar, he then leveraged his interest in abstraction by teaming up in the 1980s with Jacques Derrida on a number of joint projects that explored the built potential of Derrida’s creation: Deconstruction. For Mallgrave and Goodman, this makes Eisenman an emblem of theory-based practice: a man committed to making architectural statements that paralleled those of philosophy and insisting on theory’s capacity as a creative, as well as critical, tool. America’s tragedy, they say, is that Eisenmen couldn’t do what he tried to do without enlisting European thinking. British intellectuals were complicit in this conspiracy. By the early 1970s, Reyner Banham, Anthony Vidler, Kenneth Frampton, Alan Colquhoun and, above all, Colin Rowe were all teaching at leading schools in the north-east. There was also an important Cambridge link, with Eisenman and Christopher Alexander both taking PhDs there, Eisenman under Rowe during Rowe’s four-year interval between Texas and Cornell, 60

1968-72. Perhaps because the British didn’t practise architecture in America, they weren’t in a position to generate new ideas in built form. Instead, their creativity had to be channelled into the proxy activity of bringing over theoretical ideas, ancient and postmodern, from philosophy to architecture and from the Continent to the US. The institutionalising of architecture as a university discipline supported this trend. Of particular interest is the home-grown rabbit that the authors pull out of their hat: the little known figure

This book is a lament for an America that sold out to Europe

Top A selection of influential books from the period

of Charles W. Morris. Morris taught philosophy at the University of Chicago from 1931-47, developed his own model of linguistic analysis in opposition to de Saussure’s of 1916, became involved in an American movement known as ‘Unified Science’, and was brought into Chicago’s School of Design by Moholy-Nagy to educate students about ‘intellectual integration’. Along with Lewis Mumford, Harwell Harris at Texas, and Jane Jacobs, Morris was one of several people who, according to the authors, could have led the US towards a theoretical position all of its own. An Introduction to Architectural Theory, written as it is by two lecturers from the institution (the Illinois Institute of Technology) that swallowed up Moholy-Nagy’s school, is in some aj 19.01.12

The Critics

this week

Protect your quiet time to stay creative in 2012, writes James Pallister

ways a lament for an America that once again sold out to Europe. In spite of that, it’s not clear by the end of the book whether the authors have been writing for, or against, or merely about, theory. This uncertainty, in a book that should be addressing uncertainty, is complicated further by their wish for a happy ending, which sees them going back on their praise for Manfredo Tafuri’s criticism of such tactics at the start of the book and abandoning themselves to propaganda. Having begun by observing the first cracks in what they see as the outmoded idea that new technology will make society better in the 1950s and 60s, they finish by promoting what they see as the novel idea that new technology will make society better in the 2010s. Such advocacy is ill-advised, not least in claims made for technologies that haven’t yet been tested, such as Arup’s late-1990s design for Dongtan, China’s first eco-city, which, though now ‘unlikely [to] be built in its original form’, will ‘no doubt have a major influence on future planning’, or Foster’s new city of Masdar ‘now being constructed on the outskirts of downtown Abu Dhabi’ and already ‘the gold standard of sustainable urban ventures’. The authors make similarly gushy promises about the impact of women entering the senior ranks of the profession and of ‘the bounty of new insights into the psychological and physiological nature of the human organism’ that ‘the architect now has at his or her command’. One hopes, of course, that architecture is becoming more enlightened. Whether it is, and whether this type of theory has anything meaningful to say or valuable to teach, is clearly still open to question. aj 19.01.12

Before Christmas, I joined Steve Parnell’s Diploma students at the University of Sheffield to talk to them about architectural publishing, and to lead a workshop in making magazines for the Architectural Criticism and Journalism module. The groups of four had three hours in which to produce a mini-zine, the contents of which they’d brought to the session. The results were impressive as they battled printer jams, errant staplers and the task of arranging content in a compelling way to hit their deadlines. The afternoon proved a dry run for the editors of StArch, the ‘official’ zine of the unit (pictured). They had a slightly more generous turnaround to play with – two days – and have produced a clever fold out collectable piece of archi-phemera, a great example of quick and not-so-dirty publishing. Another little magazine that’s worth a look is the latest issue of Eight:48, now in its seventh and penultimate issue. It’s a side project of the e-commerce site Counter-Print.co.uk, a treasure trove of vintage and contemporary architecture, photography and design books and prints – not a site to be introduced to if you’ve a book habit and are trying to slim expenditure this January. This issue looks at the impact of cities, including Copenhagen, Liverpool, Montreal and Paris, upon 13 designers. In his editorial, Nitzan Hermon acknowledges how constant connectivity can conspire with our surroundings to provide a series of endless distractions more conducive to tapping trends than culture; not good, in his mind. Hermon’s counsel is ‘keep a clear mind [to] make the difference’. As he says, making time for ‘an even point, a frequency of silence, will enable new ideas and creative directions. [Put] Culture before trends.’ A good maxim for 2012.

read Eight:48 No. 07 ‘You are Here’ www.eight48.com; StARCH, Sheffield University School of Architecture

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Forensic Expert We are a firm of Architects, Building Surveyors and Structural Engineers based in Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Chester. We are looking for an experienced registered Architect or Surveyor to expand our Forensic Division in the North West. You must be qualified, have an interest in legal matters relating to buildings and be willing to undertake further study to achieve relevant qualifications for this demanding role. Please provide Letter and full CV to:-

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The City of Edinburgh Council Architecturally led multi-disciplined design team Boroughmuir High School, Edinburgh The City of Edinburgh Council wishes to appoint an Architecturally led multidisciplined design team for a prestigious school design project. Boroughmuir High School is one of the city’s leading comprehensive schools and the project is for the delivery of a new build high school, or remodel and extension of the existing school, for a school roll of 1150 pupils. Confirmation of the approved option shall be subject to a statutory consultation, which is anticipated to be completed in the summer 2012.

To see how we measure up, call us on 0208 543 8884 or visit us at www.callidussurveys.co.uk

The new build school would form part of a wider city centre commercial quarter regeneration strategy in an area known as Fountain Quay. It is envisaged that the school, which would have a unique canal frontage, would be the catalyst to the overall development of the Fountain Quay area. The existing school is listed and situated within an urban part of the city. The remodel and extension option provides an exciting challenge to bring a new approach to school design within an existing protected envelope.

            

Due to the project’s aspirations and unique characteristics of both options, The City of Edinburgh Council are seeking to appoint a Architecturally led design team who can demonstrate the skills to deliver an exemplary urban school, and comparable complex urban projects. For further information and to register your interest in this tender opportunity by midday on the closing date of 24 January 2012, please see OJEU document reference 3564666, or follow the web link: http://www.publiccontractsscotland. gov.uk/search/show/Search_View.aspx?id=DEC105478

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Here’s the ideal sports hall at Maelor School Wrexham. Flooded with diffused daylighting, reducing artificial light, eliminating the sharp contrasts of glass and curtains or blinds, it deserves its BEEAM Excellent rating. Kalwall shows exactly why the cladding and roofing system is so popular for sports halls and pools.

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Ian Martin a bad case of trapped wind mars my towering urban masterpiece monday. Resolve to end the oppression of women

CosT to the average mancunian – completely dominated the city with the sheer quality of its height. Everyone agrees it looks spectacular. darcy Farquear’say of the Creative on sunday wrote ‘its scale is breathtaking… the stylish subversion of type so subtle as to be barely discernible…’ since the building’s completion in 2007, the city has clasped the duckworth to its pneumatic northern bosom. The tower even has an affectionate local nickname, ‘The metal detectoh’, because of its resemblance to those metal detectors they scan your clothes with at the airport. yes, the duckworth had become very much part of new manchester. Worth pointing out too that it’s not just a 22-storey hotel where mancunians are as welcome as anyone else to stay as guests. no. above the hotel, the other floors are full of luxury apartments available for ordinary mancunians to buy. and even if ordinary mancunians can’t afford to go inside the duckworth, they can still look at it for free, which you’d think they’d be grateful for. some people, however, are never satisfied. There have been complaints recently that in high winds the tower makes an eerie ‘farting’ noise that can be heard up to a mile away. of course the press has had a field day. ‘LUXURy FLaT-ULEnCE!’ screamed the headline in the local evening paper, even though we’re still not sure which end of the tower the farting’s coming from. Plus, hello manchester people, you selfish bastards, what about the innocent folk In the duckworth? Even the shadowy occupant of the ‘pluxury bunga-bunga’ penthouse flat is reported to have heard it, although nobody has ever seen him and there are ridiculous rumours that he’s some kind of vampire. To be brutally honest, anyone who believes in vampires doesn’t even dEsERVE a massive farting landmark in their city. as I told reporters, the farting may be caused by a build-up of wind in the duckworth’s environmentallysmart digestive system. It is being investigated. Until that investigation is complete everyone should just shut up.

designers by dividing epic space into patriarchitecture and matriarchitecture. Who knows what matriarchitects could produce? Patriarchitects have had it their way for too long – scribbling cocks, and often balls, all over the skyline. Time for a REVoLUTIon! oh wait, that was last week.

TUEsday Emergency meeting of the Tamworth League to discuss Hs3, the high-speed railway system that will be introduced once the ludicrous Hs2 has been abandoned. Under informal arrangements with the coalition, capital city status will revert to Tamworth after the next general election. This will obviously bring economic recovery to everywhere north of Leicester, leaving Greater London (everywhere south of Leicester) to enjoy a quiet retirement as tax haven, heritage park and European Partner. Hs3 will be implemented as soon as Tamworth picks up from where it left off in the eighth century as the political and administrative hub of mercia/England. There are other major issues to address, such as whether to club together with the rest of The north and join scotland, but in any case Hs3 doesn’t involve laying new track, as the problem’s merely one of under-capacity. We will simply renationalise everything, restrict First Class to one quiet coach at the back, stick an extra two standard coaches on the front and commission a famous architect to design a new sandwich range.

WEdnEsday sketch out my masterplan for a new city in Pakistan accommodating 10 million people. my strategy is very much about encouraging organic urban growth. so instead of a grandiose scheme costing billions, I propose to plant a ‘hamlet seed’ and let everything develop naturally. The cost-benefit analysis looks fantastic, and any growth spurts can be contained in what I am calling a ‘shanty cloche’. more of a niche vibe.

FRIday once, in a spirit of philanthropic sacrifice, I spent literally days designing a landmark 50-storey ‘skycon’ for manchester. I suppose it was only a matter of time before the moaning started. For some time now the duckworth Tower has – at no 66

saTURday Five-a-zeitgeist theoretical football. Contoured neo-Plasticism 0, Tectonic shelf-stacking 0, after unpaid extra time.

Redesign the recession, giving it

Hanna Melin

THURsday.

sUnday. Catch up on paperwork in the recliner. mostly updating my CV, which looks badly out of date now. I’m adding ‘maverick overthinker’ so I sound a bit younger.

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