A REVIEW OF CURRENT ARCHITECTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND EVENTS IN THE CAMBRIDGE AREA PRODUCED BY MEMBERS OF THE CAMBRIDGE ASSOCIATION OF ARCHITECTS'AS AN INTERNAL NEWSLETTER THE VIEWS IN THIS NEWSLETTER ARE THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS AND NOT OF THE ASSOCIATION PUBLISHED BY IAN STEEN ARCHITECTS, 48 MILL WAY, GRANTCHESTER, CAMBRIDGE Number 2 October 1987
Architects in Schools The RIBA and Regional Arts Association are promoting and supporting'a national programme of architects-in-schoöls. This is where an architect, or nimilar professional, works in school directly with .achers and students. The aims are to increase a critical awareness of the built environment and to involve the students in creative design processed and problem solving. I started to work with Kathy Witt, an art teacher at Netherhall lower school in February 1987. We put together a design programme for the first form students (eleven year olds) that would lead to tangible results. The students immediately started several fund raising schemes with a ElOOO target. The classroom sessions with architect and teacher started after the Easter break. The idea was to take one class each week for the duration of the summer term. This made leven one hour classes. By .e end of the term the students had been taken through all the basic stages of design and, as a group, found a solution to improve the west playground. In conjunction with their own design project the students looked at a finished building and briefly how it was designed and built. They were also introduced to different members of the professionals in the building trade and looked at how the design team works together. The design of the west playground is basically a landscaping scheme which divides the space into three areas. The largest area is for active games. Raised brick planters divide this from a quiet games area and a nature area. Mr E Halford, a structural engineer from Peter Dann and Partners took one class and discussed what an engineer does, how architects and engineers work together, how engineers are appointed and how he might help on the project.
Jack Digby, a landscape architect, took one class to discuss his work and the planting for this scheme. It is hoped that this part of the scheme will form a separate school project which will involve each student selecting and planting one plant. A quantity surveyor, Roger Birchall of Northcroft, Neighbour and Nicholson, talked to the class and priced the scheme. This came out well above the money available, but it is hoped that with more work and a lot of goodwill the scheme will be built in three stages over the next few years. The RIBA have given ESOO towards the scheme and the Cambridge City Council have proposed to give E25O which will make a total of El,75O. Some bricks have been promised from Taylor Maxwell and Co. and Redland Brick, which will help a great deal. The local Education Authority have approved the scheme, so now it is time to start building. We need more funds, good will and a builder. Katie Thornburrow Cambridge Design
Clay Zazm Xousing A
planning application to build 143 houses on land at Clay Farm Long Road, Trumpington was submitted to Cambridge City Council in August. No formal decision on this application has yet been given. Matters raised by officials and interested parties include.... access to and from Lond Road; the protection of the Listed Building and its setting on the proposed site. (Early 19th century farm-house, listed grade II): impact of such development on land of great environmental and agricultural importance fringing an area which is presently to be the subject of Green Belt protection. These and other aspects arisin from this application have doubtlessly prolonged initial negotiations with the applicant, prior to a formal decision being given at Local Planniñg Authority level. George Hamilton
Surgery Following recent concern over the manning of the Architects' surgery at the Citizens' Advice Bureau in Pikes Walk and a timely letter of encouragement frOm Rod Hackney, the CAA want to revitalise the surgery and are looking for a new coordinator and recruits. These are needed in pairs on a rota basis ( for 2 hours max at a lunchtime once a fortnight). Those architects wishing to help with this important service to the community please contact me initially as soon as possible. (C 3 152 6 5 )
David Raven
11 NOv
GonVille Hotel CAA
4 Dec 7
Nov
21 Nov
Langley's Lecture "Ceramics in Buildings"
Ibstock French Evening Cpp CFCI conducted tour by Peter Boston of the new Fisher building St Johns CFCI conducted tour by Jeremy Buckingham of St Johns Innovation Centre
20 Jan CFcI AGM and debate 'on Carbuncles' at the’ Cambridge Union
S. Cambs #anel South Cambridgeshire District Council currently processes around 300 planning applications each month of which the panel usually see and comment on between six of eight. These are generally either major schemes or infill projects or additions needing some degree of architectural sensitivity. This vital work is presently being marred by lack of attendance. One Architect was present for the August meeting which therefore had'to be cancelled. Two were present for the September meeting (brought forward a week at short notice) and the October meeting was cancelled. The DOE does not of course encourage planning authorities to use Aesthetic criteria when considering applications so the architect as advisor has to think objectively and dispassionately about the scheme and give the kind of advice that can be communicated to a lay planning committee and/or taken up by applicants or their agents. On the whole the quality of schemes submitted (by both architects and others) whith is seen by the panel is mediocre to poor. There is an urgent need for a group of interested architects to get together and produce some illustrated guidance on designing buildings in context - with both landscape and associated buildings.
čAA 7alks
One l6th September Ibstock hosted CAA talks by two local architects - Viren Sahai and Clive Nicholson.
Viren Sahai now a few months into his post as an Assistant Director of Property (the old County Architects job) came over very much as a theorist in the modernist tradition with a strong if rather private Commitment to architecture. His earlier background as a chief hospital architect in the South West of England has lead him to develop spatial solutions and an aesthetic fror specific functional requirements; for example the need for good patient supervision. Clive Nicholson came over as the practical problem solving kind of architect, the kind that gives a client immediate confidence. He illustrated and described in detail a wide rangeofwork with striking differences in sophistication from basic housing in Egypt to his floating pier project at Westminster. Perhaps inevitably there was no reference to the work of others and no common theoretical thread except simply to meet the demands of each individual brief. The contrast between the approaches of these architects was interesting and thought provoking. Both came over as people with conviction who recognise and value in their own quite different ways the creative force at work in the design of buildings.
David Raven
David Raven
RIBA Eastern Region hełd a one day seminar ät Newnham College Cambridge on 28 October to bring together practitioners and potential CPD providers to discuss and consider how to implement a CPD strategy within the Region. If you did not know this was happening and are wondering why you were not invited perhaps this is an indication of the likely success.räte of CPD organised at a gegional level.
1. It was generally agreed that a network of councillors, probably full time, would be necessary for a successful system to operate. These would liaise with individuals, practices and branches.
Many (well about 5O) delegates spent the day in a workshop format discussing the following topics: 1. Personal CPD and its management 2. Personal CPD and its provision 3. Practice based CPD and its management 4. Practice based cpd and its provision On all four topics the ' discussion was great and the opinions varied but the Chairman, Oliver Willmore chairman of the RIBA/CPD sub-committee, tried to produce a summary (not an easy task). It went roughly as follows;
Tnäustry Forum Conference What Does rndustry Mean to Cambridge On October 15th the Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry held'a 4 hour coñference at Robinson College on industry and growth in the Cambridge area. It is impossible to summarise a conference of this kind in a few sentences but briefly some points which came out of it were:Cambridge MP Rhödes James in his key note address called for an independent body of consultants who would have an overview of the City's problems to advise on the future development of Cambridge working alongside established Authorities and Industries. John Tweddle of Bidwells argued perhaps predictably for the release of more land for housing, local employment and out of town shopping in order to restore the balance between( supply and demand. He also called for the construction of a south and east byepass to the City and for new carparks in addition to park and ride. He forecast the rapid growth of the Mll corridor following the pattern set by the M4, pointing out that with 4 years Stansted Airport is expected to handle half the amount of traffic which presently passes through Gatwick. Bevan Braithwaite managing director of the Welding Institute at Abington reminded us that not all major industries industries in the area (he employs 600) with a large HighTech or science based element are sited within the immediate vicinity of Cambridge and with improved roads and more sophisticated communications proximity is no longer so important. People are also prepared to travel further to work.
3. More discussion is necessary to define the best role that can be adopted by each of the following; The Institute, The Region, The Branches and the Schools of Architecture. Despite the cynicism of the writèr, it must be said the day wasasuccess in that it set out tO open a discussion rather than conclude one. MOre input is necessary at grass-roots level otherwise the hacks will continue to centralise things and reduce an essentially relevant subject to a level of insignificance known only at Portland Place.
Finally, Cambridge Economist John Eatwell felt by some to be a preacher ot gloom and doom gave a beautifully constructed and brilliant analysis of the Country's current economic ills and the implications for Cambridge growth in the 1990's. One was left with the feeling that the economic fúture of Cambridge is closely tied to the national picture and it may not be so goÕd when we become a nett importer of oil in the early 1990's. There needs to be the kind of national investment now in industry through an Industrial Investment Bank, in education and industrial training and in research and development if we are to keep in step with our main competitors in Europe, America and Japan The annual growth rate in the Hi-Tech industries in Britäin is already falling well behind out competitors.
John Blair
David Raven
2. CPD is most likely to be effective in practical terms if it is organised via the prattices.