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01.03.12

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09Frontpage ARB email leak prompts resignations12Newsfeature DC CABE to refresh design panels18Competitions&wins Hugh Broughton scoops 5m art gallery20People&practice Charles Walker: I wont dismantle the RCA22International Wang Shu wins 2012 Pritzker Prize30Buildingstudy Amin Taha Architects Ada Street development 38Buildingstudy David Kohn Architects boat hotel 42Technicalstudy Davy Smith Architects Digby Road 48Culture James Pallister reviews the RIBA housing exhibitionThisweekonline Read the AJ as a digital edition, available to subscribers from Thursdays at 8.30am. TheAJ.co.uk/AJdigital

COVER phOtO

gRaphy: ChaRlEs hOsEa, and faR Right phOtO

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TheArchitectsJournal

lEft: lyndOn dOuglas

A 10,000 prize for the design of A one-off house

architectural-review.com/arhouse2012priority code: ARH12

The private house occupies a unique position both in the history of architecture and the human imagination. Beyond its core function of shelter, it is an object of fantasy, a source of delight, a talisman and a testing ground. From Le Corbusier to Rem Koolhaas, the progress of modern architecture can be traced through a succession of pioneering houses. Regardless of scale, site or budget, the house offers the potential for genuine innovation and is critical to the ferment of architectural ideas.

AR House celebrates this wellspring of creativity with

a major award of 10,000 for the design of the best one-off house. All projects must be built. There is no age limit. Entries will be judged by an international jury, including Sofia von Ellrichshausen (Chile) and Peter Salter (UK), chaired by Catherine Slessor, AR Editor. Entry deadline is 27 April.

For more information email melissa.mcchesney@emap.com or call 020 7728 5511 For sponsorship opportunities email nick.roberts@emap.com or call 020 7728 4608

One thing I like about the current AJ editorial team is that we share with our readership a particular

nostalgia for back issues of this magazine, and distaste for unnecessary changes to the AJs design and content. Art editor Brad Yendle is not an architect, but is

known for buying up old copies of the AJ on eBay, including the edition published on the day he was born which inspired the cover of our 6 houses by 6 practices issue, AJ 14.04.11. For the past two years, Brad has played caretaker to

the AJs graphic identity, evolving the design in keeping with the tradition of this title. This week, we introduce a few more subtle

interventions. Most notably, after more than 30 years, weve restored this page to its home at the front of the magazine. The spring clean is in response to the pages weve added into the magazine this year a bigger AJ is another tradition were bringing back.As for our typeface, Brad has preserved the use of

Caslon, the historic English serif font dated to 1722, designed by gunsmith and typeface craftsman William Caslon (1692-1766). In the news section, we have augmented the use of

Akzidenz-Grotesk, a typeface released within a year of the establishment of the AJ in 1895. This German font was the first sans-serif typeface to be widely used, and is the precursor to the modern-day Helvetica the architects favourite.Weve also rationalised the page structure, using a

four-column grid for news, as well as for comment pieces such as Paul Finchs Letter from London, and Rory Olcaytos new column Black box, on architectural design culture. Last year we introduced a seven-column page layout for the features section, which includes a seventh column for annotations. The test of a good design is whether it interferes

with your enjoyment of the magazine. Brad would welcome your feedback on the AJs design please send comments or questions to brad.yendle@emap.com

After 30 years, this page has returned to its home at the front of the magazine, writes Christine Murray

01.03.12 05

From the editor

THE AR

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Product designAllgoods ow handle from concept to delivery

James StirlingA review of the Tate Britain retrospective by John Allan of Avanti Architects

14.04.11

6 houses by 6 practices

Top tips for MIPIMIts that time of year again: next week, the AJ is off to MIPIM, the international property fair in Cannes where cities, investors, developers and architects network the old-fashioned way, holding up the bars on the various city stands. For those of you about to embark on your first

MIPIM, here are some top tips. Firstly, set up meetings with key clients at least one a day. If you cant get any meetings, attend the right breakfast, lunch and speaking events based on the people you want to meet it is easy to approach them on their descent from the podium. Evening drinks on the London stand is a great networking opportunity, as most people congregate there in the late afternoon. Practice selling your business in 20 seconds, so that you know exactly what to say when you find yourself standing next to a potential client. Dont trap anyone in a long conversation: impress them quickly with a single scheme on your iPad, then hand them a business card, all the better if it includes a project image. If they indicate theyd be willing to meet with you back in the UK, follow up a week later. Hopefully, youll leave MIPIM with a few meetings in the diary, a revitalised contacts book and invaluable market knowledge. Ill see you there. christine.murray@emap.com

Week in pictures

06 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

london RIBA president Angela Bradys practice

Brady Mallalieu has won planning permission to convert a 1960s office block in Shepherds Bush into 30 new flats. The Apex Court scheme for developer Pocket Living is aimed at young homebuyers and features grow your own allotments

dublin NBBJs proposed 445-bed Childrens Hospital

of Ireland has been refused planning by An Bord Pleanla. Irish Trust, An Taisce called the 16-storey scheme seriously over-scaled, while the countrys health minister called for plans to deal with the scale and height problems as a matter of urgency

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Proposed Amenity Space & Courtyard FlatsApex Court, Sheperd's BushLondon W12

Brady Mallalieu Architects

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london Scott Brownrigg has completed the new

16 million home for the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Woolwich. The mounted unit moved into the stable complex, which will run on its own bio-fuel made from horse manure and bedding, earlier this month from St Johns Wood

manchester Maurice Shapero, with Bolton-based

Bradshaw Gass & Hope, has completed the new headquarters for mental health charity, 42nd Street. The 600m2, 750,000 scheme on Great Ancoats Street, features a wall of interlocking steel-plate screens that can open up when the building is in use

london Riot police have evicted Occupy London

protesters, who had been camped in front of St Pauls Cathedral since last October. Police reported that 20 people had been arrested in the largely peaceful operation to remove the activists who had been protesting against corporate greed and economic inequality

3 4 5

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Re cReDitS: 01 BRaDy Mallalieu 02 NBBJ 03 PhiliP DuRRaNt 04 getty iM

ageS 05 MauRice ShaPeRo/BRaDShaw gaSS & hoPe

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arb elections The ARB board has accepted the resignations of members George Oldham and Ruth Brennan, who mistakenly sent private emails to the AJ that included an attack on RIBA president Angela Brady.The two ARB Reform Group

members stood down last Friday at a board meeting in the wake of the embarrassing email blunder, which also saw Oldham refer to Stephen Lawrence Trust-backed candidates in the ARB elections as the ethnics. The ARB distanced itself from

the leaked emails in a press release sent to all members, saying they were not sent on the ARBs behalf or as part of any of its activities. Chair Beatrice Fraenkel told the

AJ: George Oldham and Ruth Brennan were right to resign. It is very important that there should be no doubt as to the principles by which ARB operates.At the time of going to press,

the ARB had not received formal notification from Brennan, who is standing for re-election, concerning withdrawal from the election before the polls close at midday today (1 March). However if she were to quit, any votes cast in her favour would be disregarded.The ARB Reform Group also

distanced itself from the leaked emails, saying they did not reflect

Front page

the views of the group, which it maintained was committed to supporting and assisting the RIBA in benefiting the profession.In a letter to the AJ (see page 28),

Oldham hit back at extraordinary allegations, saying: I abhor

discrimination and it should be clear in the context of my email that, ironically, it was the RIBAs endorsement process

that was the cause of my complaint.

Oldham, an original member of the group set up in 2006, said in his email: Bradys support for the ethnics is as inappropriate and irrelevant as is to be expected from her.

I had been looking forward to returning to the civilisation of the RIBA Council from the bureaucratic inanities of the ARB. Now Im profoundly depressed, and am simply feeling a plague on both your houses.In reply to this email, also

sent to the AJ, Brennan called Brady a prat and possibly the worst ever RIBA president. She said: Is Ms Brady

the worst ever RIBA president? I think she might be. What a prat. A plague on the RIBA indeed at least us at the ARB are acting in a professional manner.Brennan was one of five

ARB Reform Group members who petitioned Brady to back their candidacy.Last month, Brady came out in

support of candidates endorsed by the Stephen Lawrence Trust. Elected board members will be

announced next week. Merlin Fulcher TheAJ.co.uk/ARB2012

24Candidates in the ARB elections

ARB email leak prompts resignationsGeorge Oldham and Ruth Brennan resign from the ARB board after leaked emails revealed an attack on RIBA president Angela Brady

Plans to erect a 50-metre, half-size Skylon replica near Hereford designed by RRA Architects have been announced. The sculpture would sit at the entrance to the citys proposed Skylon Park enterprise zone, for which a masterplanning competition has been launched. Powell & Moyas original cigar-shaped Skylon was built in Hereford by engineering firm Painter Brothers, and was installed on Londons South Bank as part of the Festival of Britain in 1951.

Skylon to be reborn as half-size replica

RRA ARchitectS

RiBA liBRARy photo

gRAphS collection

Morris,Pie Robin Lee Architecture, BDP, Konishi Gaffney, and Lee Marsden with Ben Adams develop schemes for six key sites around Rye Lane. The brief, drawn up by AJ deputy editor Rory Olcayto, was based on Southwark Councils Peckham and Nunhead Area Action Plan and also called for a lighting strategy to link the projects.Kicking off the event was

Southwark cabinet member for regeneration, councillor Fiona Colley. She said: I hope the work you do today will contribute to

making it happen.Projects were reviewed by a crit

panel led by DC CABE chairman Paul Finch, and included Duggan Morris scheme to transform the

Aylesham shopping centre into a food distribution and restaurant area; BDPs plans for Eagle Wharf as a cultural and residential quarter; and Pies vision for Rye Lane

station.Robin Lee Architecture

proposed a gateway live/work block at the south end of Rye Lane, while Konishi Gaffney designed a cultural district around

Plans for Paradise Circus are at the forefront of Birminghams new enterprise zone and our Big City Plan. They have the capacity to create a high-quality commercial, retail and leisure development that will encourage visitors, open up other parts of our city and return our historic buildings to a more suitable setting.The development team, headed

by Argent in collaboration with Altitude Real Estate, hopes to submit an outline planning application this summer after a series of consultation events, the second phase of which was held last week. Richard Waite

UK news

2.5mPeople who use

Peckham Rye station each year

Paradise Circus plans revealedGlenn Howells Architects vision for Birmingham includes new streets, squares, and commercial space spread over 12 new buildings and will replace John Madins Brutalist central library in the city centre

london Six architecture firms and six lighting designers joined forces last week to make Peckham even better during a day-long design event at Will Alsops Stirling Prize-winning Peckham Library (below).The AJ/Philips Peckham

Charette saw architects Duggan

AJ hosts design day in Peckham the Hannah Barry Gallery.Lee Marsden with Ben Adams

suggested a cultural development and top floor spa with panoramic views for a multi-storey car park.Crit panel judge Pankaj Patel of

Patel Taylor said he was really impressed by the sensitivity from micro to macro-scale.Southwark Councils design and

conservation manager Michael Tsoukaris, also judging, said: The challenge for the council is to take these ideas, run with them and see how far we get.Fellow judge Olcayto added:

Its great to see how each team approached the task, with individual building proposals and long-term design strategies tailored to suit each site.An exhibition of the projects

will open at the end of March. Merlin Fulcher

birmingham Glenn Howells Architects has revealed its latest vision for a replacement of John Madins soon-to-be-demolished Brutalist 1974 central library in Birmingham.The Paradise Circus scheme

includes new streets, squares, 160,000m2 of commercial space housed in 12 new buildings, as well as a new 450-seat home for the Birmingham Conservatoire, whose Adrian Boult Hall will also be relocated as part of the 15-year plan.Council leader Mike Whitby

said: This is one of the most strategically and historically important sites, not just for Birmingham, but for the UK. GLE

NN HOWELLS

bEN bLO

SSOm

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10 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

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News feature

12 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

MERLIN FULC

HER

Design Council CABE (DC CABE) is refreshing its network of design review panellists and enablers as part of a wide-ranging overhaul of its business and operating model. The former government

design watchdog has appointed regeneration expert Nahid Majid to carry out a reappraisal of its activities, following the end of its role as the government voice on design.Majid, who replaced architect

and former design review chief

Diane Haigh, said DC CABE was creating a self-sustaining enterprise and considering a range of potential new products including design visioning and design procurement.Were looking at creating a

self-sustaining enterprise and one of the things we are really keen on is getting the right sort of people involved, she said. Majids last job was programme

development director at the Mayors Fund for London and her CV includes appointments

DC CABE to refresh design panelsRegeneration expert Nahid Majid has been tasked with revitalising the now-independent design body, adding faith and community advisors to its 450-strong network of architects, designers and academics

at Turner & Townsends, the Princes Foundation and the Department for Work and Pensions. The new direction comes

after Peter Bishops DC CABE review recommended greater devolution, more design support, and services aimed at both private and public sectors. Architects and designers will

remain crucial to design review but, Majid argued, flesh blood was needed to demonstrate DC CABEs broad commitment.

The fact that we are independent and not just the government voice anymore, we want to develop that by refreshing our family and getting more skills, she said. Architects, planners, landscape

architects and academics traditionally made up the bulk of DC CABEs 450-strong network of enablers and design review panel members.That make-up could be revised

to make way for DC CABEs new, more flexible and diverse network of Built Environment Experts (BEEs) which, according to Majid, would include faith and community experts, not just designers and architects. Architects are not just architects

anymore, she said. When we are developing spaces we need to understand the cultural issues, particularly if we are designing for communities.Recruitment starts today

and closes on 30 March. The BEEs would be at the forefront of DC CABEs work on communicating policy and building trends to local authorities, developers and communities, but they would also operate in a new world where the organisation has to charge for design review.Majid was unable to say how

many design reviews DC CABE would need to carry out each year and how much it would have to charge in order to survive. By

CABE

In the future, there is likely to be much more flexibility as to how local authorities access design review, whether that is via their own panel, a shared panel with other local authorities or via a national service. It may well be that design review will start to be a service that is paid for. If developers, architects and local authorities are clear what service

they are receiving and the benefits of doing so including, ideally a smoother passage to planning if the panel outcome is positive then there is likely to be little resistance to this. The problem will be if it is seen as an extra hurdle without any gain. Were hopeful that the national planning policy framework may provide some of that certainty.

Anna Scott-Marshall, head of public affairs at the RIBAIts clear that

with fewer in-house resources in local authority planning departments, extra support for design quality such as design review will continue to be incredibly important.

cost-effective way for resource-strapped local authorities to bolster their in-house design advice. For developers, paying for a design review service would help ensure that their product is the best possible in a very competitive market, while also helping fast-track the planning process. To become a more effective

tool for clients, potential failings

needs to be addressed. Review teams must remain consistent for repeat reviews and have good local knowledge. However, the key aspect of design review that needs to change in the UK is its planning status. Design review needs to at least become a material consideration. It also needs to happen at an early stage, before applications are made.

Matt Brook, director of global architecture, urbanism and design

at Broadway Malyan There are two potential paying audiences for design review: local authorities and private developers. Paying for external design reviews would be a very

complexity. Some of them had clearly never even been to Birmingham. They also dismissed the economic and enabling arguments that underpin the scheme, choosing to look at pure design issues in isolation. I have great respect for the

professionals that make up the DC CABE design review panel, but I think some of them

are detached from reality. I find a structural engineer expressing negative opinions about the fenestration of our building bizarre. Call me old fashioned, but surely it would be more appropriate for another architect to peer review this aspect of design. DC CABE could learn a lot from some of the regional panels.

Bob Ghosh, director of K4 ArchitectsI can only speak from my own

experience. When we took the Birmingham Central Fire Station to DC CABE design review, I felt the panel demonstrated an extraordinary lack of appreciation of the site, its context and its

independent processes like design review can be helpful. The question is who should

pay and how much? Much design review today occurs through the pro bono time of design professionals. Such time is scarce, so we should only design review where there is a dispute or potential dispute. Design review does require administration and

that needs paying for. It shouldnt be a significant burden though. A few hundred pounds for a simple design review at most. Should developers pay? My view is, absolutely. On the whole, only the bad developers in dispute with communities (or those seeking outstanding design sign off ) will need to pay, the costs will be small and a design OK valuable.

Chris Brown, chief executive of IglooMost people welcome

development when it is well designed. As all good developers know, planning is easier when developers design with communities. However, when there are differences of opinion

1301.03.12

January this year it had completed 189 design reviews since the Design Council and CABE were combined. Majid also dismissed the threat

of competition from organisations such as the Princes Foundation, which underwent a communities-focused rebrand earlier this year and was chosen to roll out the governments Localism agenda. Its great that lots of

organisations are doing this work, said Hajid. Were working very closely with the Princes Foundation. The more people that buy into this agenda [the better] Its fantastic. Last summers riots in the

capital also boosted demand for design services at Design for London, which started hiring new staff as a result. But Hajid was cautious

about linking design problems to Londons social and economic divides. There are numerous factors

that contribute to riots. Design is one element of that and it can be a process that can reconcile social and economic problems. I dont think it was the main reason for what happened. Merlin Fulcher

Recruitment to DC CABEs new Built Environment Experts network opens today (Thursday 1 March) and will close on Friday 30 March at 5:30pm.DC CABE is holding an

introduction event for those who want to find out more on Monday 19 March from 6pm to 8pm at the Design Council offices in Covent Garden, London WC2. Visit designcouncil.org.uk/cabe to apply.

the new built environment experts network

the future of design review

First look

14 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

shropshire Emerging practice Studio Meda has completed this 165m2 timber-framed swimming pool and gym for a retired couple in the Shropshire Hills.The distinctly contemporary

350,000 scheme in the historic village of Cardington, Church Stretton, is built on a sandstone base and features untreated timber cladding and oak window frames.Studio founder Martin Ebert,

a former associate director at David Chipperfield Architects, said: The predominant building

Studio Medas 350k dipforms in the village, which dates back to the 11th century, are simple cottages built from local gritstone and barns clad in rough-sawn oak or larch board.The pool includes ideas

from the local barn structures and strikes a balance between the local vernacular and creating a distinctly contemporary and independent structure.He added: The simple timber

framework provides a flexible structure opening up views to the surrounding hills. Richard Waite

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copenhagen A number of high-profile British practices are among the teams shortlisted in the competition to design a 120 million indoor arena in Copenhagen. The five finalists are teams lead by Foster + Partners, Hopkins Architects and Populous, as well as collaborations between Grimshaw and CF Mller, and 3XN and HKS. The winner will be announced in May and the 15,000-seat venue will be run by entertainment firm Live Nation, which operates Dublins O2 and Wembley Arena. TheAJ.co.uk/LiveNation

aberdeen Half of Aberdeens population has voted in the referendum on controversial plans by US practice Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) to transform

Union Terrace Gardens. At the time of going to press, independent officers said 50 per cent of residents had turned out to decide if the scheme, backed by millionaire Ian

Wood, should go ahead. A victory could see the firm,

with Scottish practice Keppie Design, build its first permanent building in Europe. The result of the vote is due tomorrow (2 March). TheAJ.co.uk/UTG

london Design Council CABE is leaving its Covent Garden base for the 2011 Stirling Prize-shortlisted Angel Building in north London (above).Design Council and DC

CABE will move into Allford Hall Monaghan Morris 1,000m BREEAM Excellent-rated retrofit this summer. TheAJ.co.uk/CABEAngel

British practices vie for Danish stadium

City turns out to vote on Union Terrace Gardens

DC CABE to move to AHMMs Angel Building

News on TheAJ.co.uk

16 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

liverpool The Peel Group has said it is not afraid to walk away from its 5.5 billion development (right) of Liverpools waterfront, should the Chapman Taylor-designed project go to public inquiry. Last week the Peel Group released its latest images of the scheme showing how Liverpools skyline could change over the next 30 years. Set to go before the councils

planning committee 6 March, the project features 9,000 apartments, hundreds of offices, hotels, bars and a cruise terminal, as well as the 55-storey, so-called Shanghai Tower. However, speaking to The Business Desk, Peel developments director Lindsey Ashworth said: If there is [a public enquiry], then

thats it. Im not spending any more money on it. Critics of the project believe

the scheme is too big and does not respect the history of the docklands, which sits partly within the citys World Heritage Site. Last month, DC CABE called the scheme weak. English Heritage has also formally objected to the

Peel Group may walk away from LiverpoolDeveloper says it wont spend any more money on citys 5.5bn waterfront redevelopment if scheme goes to public inquiry

project on the basis that it fails to harness and celebrate what is special about this historic site and to create the type of much-needed development that will enhance and underpin this significant part of the citys heritage. The watchdogs objection means that, regardless of next Tuesdays committee vote, the scheme will be referred to communities secretary Eric Pickles who will decide if there should be a public inquiry. Wayne Colquhoun, of the

Liverpool Preservation Trust said: Call my Bluff is a game the Peel Group is used to playing. Only this time, they are playing it with a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city council. Richard WaiteTheAJ.co.uk/Peel

this week online

1 Experiencethethrilland

champagnespillsoftheannualMIPIMpropertyshowcourtesyoftheAJMIPIMblog.OurspiesinCannesincludeformerRIBApresidentJackPringle,CanyAshofAshSakulaandRichardScottofSurfaceArchitectsTheAJ.co.uk/MipimBlog Exclusiveimages, drawingsanddetailsofTemplewoodAvenuebyMJP,thehousethatThierryHenrywantstoteardownAJBuildingsLibrary.co.uk

3 Followarchitectural

developmentsfromaroundtheworldincludingPRPsmassiveRussiantheatreprojectandfinalistsfortheCarlsbergBreweryinCopenhagenTheAJ.co.uk/international

4 Browsetheshortlistforthe

Saint-GobainIsover2012StudentArchitecturalDesignCompetition,whichaimstodesignasustainablecommunityforNottinghamsTrentBasinTheAJ.co.uk/Isover

5 Join@ArchitectsJrnals

30,000Twitterfollowerstodebatethenewsasitbreaks.TweetyourthoughtsdirectlytoAJeditorChristineMurray,@tcmurrayandnewseditorRichardWaite,@waiteyTwitter.com/ArchitectsJrnal

Public turn out for Aberdeen vote

50%

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TiM soAr

Competitions & wins

18 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

Hugh Broughtons Welbeck design winsPractice came top of shortlist featuring Caruso St John, Dow Jones and Gianni Botsford for 5m gallery on historic estate

haworth tompkins architectsgianni botsford architects

tony fretton architects

COMPETITIONS FILE

The University of Edinburgh is on the hunt for an architect with conservation accreditation to manage the 3.2 million redevelopment of concert venue St Cecilias Hall, Edinburgh. The contract covers interior and exterior refurbishment, with improved seating, sound insulation and wheelchair access. [PQQs must be returned by 16 March]Imperial College London is calling for architectural design services as part of an eight-year framework agreement. Experience of scientific research projects is necessary, as the job covers the design of laboratory and teaching facilities. Up to 40 projects a year will be included, with budgets ranging from 100,000 to 15 million. [Expressions of interest must be received by 2 April]Camden Council is seeking multidisciplinary teams for the design and construction of its Centre for Learning. Fee bids are currently being sought for the project, which could have a budget of between 1.9 and 4.3 million and covers RIBA Stages C to L. [Requests to participate must be received by 19 March] Sean Kitchen TheAJ.co.uk/competitions

nottinghamshire Hugh Broughton Architects has won the contest to design a new 5 million gallery on the historic 15,000-acre Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire.The practice beat runner up

Caruso St John Architects, as well as finalists Dow Jones Architects, Gianni Botsford Architects, Haworth Tompkins Architects and Tony Fretton Architects in the invited competition organised by Malcolm Reading Consultants.The new building for the Harley

Foundation, a charitable trust set up to improve public access to the arts, will house Welbecks

Portland collection of paintings and decorative arts.The victorious scheme will

knit together a collection of buildings already on the site of the estates Victorian gasworks, next to the existing Harley Galley and 386 metre-long Tan Gallop equestrian exercise area, caf and farm shop. Malcolm Reading said: The

winning concept draws from the eclectic surroundings, bringing a sense of order and connectivity.A planning application is due to

be submitted later this year. The gallery is scheduled to open in early 2015. Richard Waite

hugh broughton architects

caruso st john architects

dow jones architects

THe AJ does noT orgAnise, e

ndorse or TAke responsiBiliTy for compeTiTions

Industrial is on the up UK industrial sector planning approvals increased by 28% last year. There was a 59% increase in the underlying value of contracts awarded in the six months to November 2011 compared to 2010

1,244New admissions to the ARB register in 2011, down from 1,261 the year before

33,456Total number of UK registered architects at the end of 2011, up by 391 or 1.2% last year

20.8%Percentage of registered women architects at the end of 2011, up by 8.5% 10 years ago

60%Overall pass rate for ARB-prescribed examinations in 2010. The ratio remained static last year but was 63% the previous year

The value of industrial sector planning approvals and contracts awarded January 2010 to December 2011 Source: Glenigan

620.2m

2010 2011

346.3m

Statistics

offices Commercial property giant Hammerson is to sell off its office portfolio to concentrate on shopping developments. The group announced a drop

in its profit before tax from 620.2 million in 2010 to 346.3 million for the year ending 31 December 2011.Hammerson confirmed it

would be selling its existing offices in the medium term, but said it had a small number of London office projects and mixed-use sites generating high returns where it would continue to invest.Makes contentious high-rise

46,450m London Wall Place project will remain on hold until

a pre-let tenant can be found.However, its major Acme-

designed Eastgate Quarters scheme in Leeds will move ahead.TheAJ.co.uk/Hammerson

scotland New figures released this week show that commercial development and refurbishment work in Scotland has fallen by a third since 2007.According to property

consultants GVA, the drop is equivalent to 2 billion lost to the wider Scottish economy.The Scottish Property

Federation said that and around 28,000 jobs had been shed in the commercial sector over the last five years.At the federations annual

conference this week, it called for reform of the planning system and pragmatic climate change regulations in light of continuing economic fragility.

Hammerson to sell off office portfolio

Commercial work drops by a third in Scotland

HammerSon

all fiGureS: a

rb

Jan - mar 2010

1,000m

600m

400m

200m

0

800m

apr -Jun 2010

Jul - Sep 2010

oct - Dec 2010

Jan - mar 2011

apr -Jun 2011

Jul - Sep 2011

oct - Dec 2011

386

976

403366

169

453

170

301

411457

323

516

383

462

344

967

Hammersons profits before tax in 2010 and 2011

Contracts awarded Planning approvals

01.03.12 19

People & practice

20 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

Where have you come from? I made film sets before studying architecture, then worked on urban refurbishment and new-build housing at Prime Meridian Architects for five years. What work do you have? I am building my portfolio across a range of building types through competitions and by approaching clients, and have recently been appointed by a large developer for a project in Chinatown, London. Ive also collaborated on different competitions and am shortlisted for a small project in New York below the High Line (pictured above).

What are your ambitions? I operate from a desk space, so have low overheads. Its made me realise that you can do an awful

lot with limited means. My intention is to grow the practice, focusing on international and housing work. Having live projects allows me to think about what area of the practice I want to develop next, but I have to be careful where I put my energy. How optimistic are you? Ive found it useful to mould my business model to clients, rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach. I put myself into as many diverse situations as possible to network. Having an established network within academia gives opportunities to discuss, design and develop research material. There are many benefits for clients working with smaller firms, one of them being that they get to work closely with the architect.

East West Architecture Studio

east w

est

london The Royal College of Arts incoming head of architecture

Charles Walker has been criticised for a proposed shake-up of the School of Architecture. The AJ speaks to the Canadian-born engineering whizz, who starts his role in September, about his plans.

Your presentation with RCA dean Alex de Rijke received negative feedback from students. Did it go how you planned?To be honest, it could have gone better; it came across as if we wanted to dismantle the school, which isnt the case. We both think that due to major global cultural paradigm shifts, architectural education is undergoing serious self-examination, which the RCA needs to be part of. The RCA has a great legacy that we hope to build on expand, not replace.

Many prospective students are worried about the new direction of the school. How would you define its key characteristics?Before I do that, its really important to stress that change will be incremental. Now that the senior team is in place, we can begin a consultative process with staff and students. The idea is to enhance and evolve the school, not impose immediate wholesale change. We want to retain the RCAs best characteristics while adding a new layer of the culture of construction: what you propose

to build with and why, not just how. There will be an added emphasis on collaborative working, and a holistic approach to the process of making architecture.

How many of the existing staff are you hoping to replace?Thats a mischievous question. I have no plans to replace staff.

You said that you hadnt read a good book in 15-20 years. What did you mean by that?That was a quip a provocation. There is a reciprocal relationship between practice and theory. However in the past 15 years, developments and experimentation in avant-garde design practice have led the way. There have been many great texts written in this period, but in my view practice has developed in advance of the critical theory. This may shift.

Some students may be worried that you are mainly an engineer. Do you have a record designing buildings? Which ones? As both architect and engineer, my ability is to help distil and crystallise ideas within a team environment, and enable complex, challenging projects to come to fruition. While at Atelier One I was project director designing the dome roofs at the Singapore Arts Centre. Later, after founding the Advanced Geometry Unit at Arup with Cecil Balmond, we were consultant architect/engineer for the Battersea Power Station masterplan with Parkview International. TheAJ.co.uk/Walker

I wont dismantle the RCaAfter a lukewarm reception from students, new head Charles Walker explains his plans for the RCAs School of Architecture

main people Dean Smithbased Hackney, London founded Summer 2011contact www.ew-as.com

NEW PRACTICES

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Following on from the success of last years contest, Saint-Gobain Isover will once again be hosting the UK fi nal of its Architectural Student Design Competition at Ecobuild. The leading developer of sustainable insulation solutions to protect both the natural and built environments will be announcing the UK winners on stand N230 at Ecobuild. The award ceremony, which takes place at 15.00 on Wednesday 21st March, will also be streamed live on the Architects Journal website.

Eight student teams will be battling it out for a top prize of 1,000 and one of three places in the international fi nal, which takes place from 22nd 25th May in Bratislava, Slovakia.

This years competition requires students to createa sustainable community living plan for around 12 to 15 families, located in Nottinghams Trent Basin on the border between the city and the industrial zone. The development must be designed in accordance with Saint-Gobain Isover Multi-Comfort principles, which build on Passivhaus components.

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It builds on the Passivhaus principles of delivering the highest thermal comfort while reducing energy use and CO2 emissions by considering occupants wellbeing, taking into account acoustic and safety features, indoor air quality and energy saving measures. It can be applied to any building style and is suitable for use in both new and retrofi t construction. For more information visit www.multicomforthouse.co.uk.

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diversion jobs and main building works are on hold, according to an update circulated this month.Enabling works began in 2009,

and are now complete on phase 1A, as well as more than 90 per cent complete on phases 1B and 1C.The scheme, similar in size to

the Kings Cross regeneration project, will house nearly 25,000 people and was scheduled to complete in 2016.Musheireb is described as

bridging the gap between the historic Doha of the past, and the leading, global metropolis it is today.A spokesman for developer

Musheireb Properties said: We are working in phases, beginning with phase 1A, then B, and so on. The project is on schedule. Greg Pitcher TheAJ.co.uk/MDoha

tiles from demolished traditional houses.The 49-year-old architect,

whose practice was founded in 1998, is best known for the Wenzheng Library at Suzhou University, the Historic Museum in Ningbo (pictured) and the Xiangshan campus of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou.The formal ceremony will be

held in May in Beijing, and Wang Shu will be presented with a $100,000 prize and a medallion.The Pritzker Prize generally

recognised as architectures highest honour is presented annually to a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture. Sophia Kelleher TheAJ.co.uk/Shu

International

50.9AIA Architecture Billings Index score

for Jan 2012

Wang Shu wins 2012 Pritzker PrizeArchitectures highest honour is awarded to Chinese architect Wang Shu for his sensitive and meticulously constructed projects. He will be presented with the prize in May in Beijing, along with a $100,000 cheque

Major construction work on the final phase of the 3.5 billion Qatari Musheireb development is on hold. The masterplan for the

development in the Qatari city of Doha features more than 100 buildings for a range of uses over 31 hectares. Several UK-based firms have won work on the huge scheme, including Davis Langdon, Arup, Allies and Morrison, Mossessian & Partners, Adjaye Associates, John McAslan + Partners, Squire and Partners.Demolition works have been

completed for phase 4, which has been designed by HOK, Ramboll and Mossessian & Partners, and includes retail, commercial, leisure and health facilities, as well as further residential apartments.But enabling works, utility

Delays to Doha project

awards Chinese architect Wang Shu has been awarded the 2012 Pritzker Prize.The architect joins IM Pei,

Rem Koolhaas and Oscar Niemeyer in receiving what has been described as the the Nobel Prize of Architecture.Wang Shu, who is director of

Amateur Architecture Studio with partner Lu Wenyu, has designed a number of buildings known for their sensitivity to site and meticulous construction. Among his most famous projects is the Ceramic House, which involved salvaging more than two million

Signs of recovery in USUS architects have reported a third consecutive month of improved demand, giving further impetus to belief of a recovery in the country.The American Institute of

Architects (AIA) recorded a score of 50.9 on its Architecture Billings Index for January 2012.It was the third

month in a row to see a score above 50, which reflects a growth in trade for design practices from the previous month.It follows The Associated

General Contractors of America reporting earlier this month that construction employment rose at its quickest rate for four years in December 2011.AIA chief economist Kermit

Baker said: This recent showing is encouraging because it is being reflected across most regions of the country and across the major construction sectors.However he warned architects

not to get carried away.Because we still continue to hear about struggling firms and some continued uncertainty in the market, we expect overall economic

improvements in the design and construction

sector to be modest in the coming months.The Midwest had the greatest

improvement, but the west of the country saw demand tumble with an average of 45.6. Greg Pitcher TheAJ.co.uk/USboost

Lv HengzHong

22 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

Pride of Peckham

competition Delighted that Architects Journal and Philips have chosen Peckham for their Liveable Cities design contest, hoping for some creative ideas. at was architecture-loving Southwark councillor Fiona Colley on Twitter just moments before she introduced the day-long event, giving vital background information on the south-east London hot spot to the architects and lighting designers gathered in Peckham Library for the charrette. e evening before, Colley attended the launch of Elephant and Castles 1.5 billion masterplan, and bemoaned the Standards cliched coverage:

Not a fan of the headline: Makeover of muggers paradise Heygate estate. at was still on her mind when she addressed the charrette design teams the following morning. Peckham is not broken, she said. It has a reputation that is not deserved. We are passionate about changing that perception. Colley went on to talk about the sites selected for the charrette. For me, the sites around the station are the most interesting. Peckham Station Square, for example, is going to happen. eres 10.5 million attached to that project but no architect yet. Cue audible gasps from the assembled architects: is is an opportunity to show us your ideas. Indeed.

Astragal

Rocky foundations

archeology What will Ai Weiwei and Herzog & de Meuron nd when they excavate the foundations of the former Serpentine Pavilions? According to ore Garbers of Garbers & James, who was project architect on Daniel Libeskinds metal spiral in 2001, there are around 10 steel torpedoes buried ve-metres deep around the site. Attached to hemp ropes, the projectile missiles were shot like harpoons into Kensington Gardens when an engineer feared the pavilion touched the ground so lightly, it just might take o given the right wind conditions. Happy hunting!

Stamp of approval

philately Stamp collectors and fans of Basil Spence behold: the Scottish Brutalist architect has been commemorated on a special Royal Mail postage stamp. His 1962 Coventry Cathedral (below) is featured as part of the Britons of Distinction series, which also includes the work of Gothic Revivalist Augustus Pugin. Six years ago, buildings by Norman Foster, Frank Gehry, Future Systems, Edward Cullinan and Sutherland Hussey featured in Royal Mails Modern Architecture series. Perhaps an Olympic stadium series would bring fresh names to the fold.

Hair today...

hot air You can see why Donald Trump who sports a combover might nd wind farms a nuisance. is week, he described plans for 11 new wind turbines close to his 750 million Aberdeenshire golf resort as ugly and horrendous. So strong is Trumps dislike for these renewable energy sources that he has personally agreed to sponsor a campaign group known as Communities Against Turbines Scotland or CATS against the 33 million o shore wind farm. e claws are out. WW

W.LOUISHELLMAN.CO.UK

01.03.12 23

Headlines about the Architects Registration Board (ARB), the Reform Group, the RIBA, its president and

the forthcoming election only serve to mask the real truth about compulsory regulation of the profession. That truth is that the ARB should be abolished.To deal with minor points: first, if George Oldham

is a racist then I am Rem Koolhaas. Second, I have no idea why the RIBA is promoting its own special slate of candidates for the ARB elections, but it is perfectly entitled to do so. As a long-time contributor to the life of the institute and as people who have long campaigned for a rational registration board, Oldham and others also have a right to express their concerns.The real question is why the board is needed at all.

The conventional argument, trotted out ad nauseam when deregulation was mooted in the early 1990s, is that it protects the public thanks to the Hercule Poirots of Hallam Street. Of course this is all baloney. Lets remember that the ARB is in no position to

compensate a client who has been really badly served by an architect; they would have to go to court to get damages. But anyway, is it the case that aggrieved construction clients are mainly upset over the service delivered by architects? Certainly not. It is builders, in all their myriad forms, that attract the ire of the general public. Is there an equivalent of the ARB for constructors? No. Is there one for engineers, who actually make buildings stand up? No. Is there one for surveyors, including the valuers who have landed the property sector in one of its highly predictable messes? No.So why are architects picked on? It is because ideas

about professionalism and the professional status of architects are hopelessly mired in the past, specifically 1931 when legislation created the ARBs predecessor, the unlamented Architects Registration Council of the UK. There may have been a case for it when architects ruled the roost, acted quasi-judicially, and operated in the sort of hierarchical social structure that was

The ARB should be abolished. Why do architects need a regulatory body at all? Paul Finch

01.03.1224 theaj.co.uk

commonplace in the 1930s. A permanent reminder of that period is the appointment to the ARB of non-architect members by the Privy Council.These days, the consumerist arrangement looks

increasingly irrelevant, with the audit ideology beloved of accountants, lawyers and project managers shot to pieces after 2008. The ARB now finds itself cleaning up where somebody has been prosecuted, like the road-sweeper after Trooping the Colour. Where it takes up a case independently, it is usually architects one has never heard of being disciplined under procedures that look as though they have been invented by Mr Pastry. Complaints can be brought by vindictive people who dont have a case in civil law, but risk nothing by going to the board.

So the ARB plods on, judge and jury, chief prosecutor and witchfinder general, in a fantasy world where sloppy record-keeping and processes have to be rooted out so the public can sleep safely. As for architectural education, the board merely replicates and irritates to no effect.The board handles a minute number of mainly

tin-pot disciplinary cases each year at extraordinarily disproportionate expense. The government is not interested in doing anything about it because it is architects, not taxpayers, who foot the bill. Edwin Lutyens was right in opposing regulation when it was first proposed; I would love to think the profession might one day get off its knees, collectively refuse to pay the uncapped tithe that the ARB imposes, and watch it end up in the dustbin of history where it belongs.

The ARB now finds itself cleaning up where somebody has been prosecuted, like the road-sweeper after Trooping the Colour

Letter from London

jons pics/flc

kr

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If you could use your antique 1918 Underwood typewriter and Louis XIV-style mirror to Google or tweet from

your living room, rather than your beige Packard Bell, you would. Im taking that as a given, whether youre a Postmodernist, Metabolist or even a Gothic Revivalist. Thing is, with Invoked Computing, you can. Sustainability has found its killer app: why make new things when we can retrofit everything we already have?Invoked Computing (IC) is a pervasive computing

technology that changes household objects into communication devices. Developed by Alvaro Cassinelli and Alexis Zerroug at the University of Tokyo, two proof of concept prototypes were demonstrated at Tokyos Digital Content Expo last year. The first turned a banana into a telephone and the second saw an old pizza box used as a laptop. Magritte would love it. Its all based on gesture. If you swipe a banana to

your ear, local ambient computing recognises the action and uses parametric speaker arrays (Google it) to make sound apparently emerge from the banana. Its the same deal with the pizza box; open it like a laptop and video and sound are projected onto the cardboard. IC inverts our relationship with tools: instead of having to master a device, IC tailors them to suit your behaviour.IC is an outgrowth of Ubiquitous Computing (UC),

a term coined by Silicon Valley visionary Rich Gold,

robin LEE architEctu

rE

Heres a way to ease off the carbon: retrofit everyday objects as well as buildings, writes Rory Olcayto

01.03.1226 theaj.co.uk

Black box

whose 1993 essay, This is not a Pipe, described the speculative technology as an enchanted village in which common objects have magically acquired new abilities. It also recalls Richard Brautigans 60s beat poem All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace (I like to think (right now, please!)/of a cybernetic forest/filled with pines and electronics/where deer stroll peacefully/past computers/ as if they were flowers/with spinning blossoms.)IC is the punkier version of the UC, which so closely

resembles Brautigans hippy future. Design critic and sci-fi author Bruce Sterling is convinced. He blogged on Wired, Im pretty much buying this vision of future computation, not because its all fubar sci-fi awesome, but because its so plausible and, most of all, cheap. Sterling calls it sustainabilitys killer app. Youve got no material footprint. Youve got a recyclable cardboard pizza box to your name, basically.Its the next step in our deepening relationship with

the past. Maybe writing on a typewriter is more efficient than using an iPad. IC gives you the opportunity to use what you know best and continue to use it, even if it doesnt work any more, Cassinelli told the Observer. Its like having an old car you like very much; you dont want to throw it away but there are no spare parts to repair it. Never mind lets just make it work from the outside. Its using powerful resources to make things live again. The future is cheap. The future is vintage. The future

is a banana retrofit. See the video at TheAJ.co.uk/IC

Inbox Heres a snapshot (left) of Robin Lee Architectures latest project: a live/work tower and podium block in Peckham, one of six schemes designed during the AJ/Philips Peckham Charrette last week (see p10).

Its warehouse-style form and stacked elevations draw upon the industrial buildings and wholesale shops of nearby Rye Lane, whose shopfronts are hidden behind stacked goods. Constructed from locally

sourced recycled brick, the facades incorporate a lighting strategy that frames each opening.The tower is located on a car

park site designated for residential use, where Peckham Rye Park blends with the townscape. Lee, chose to work within Southwark Council guidelines during the day-long event. Its a gateway building, marking the entrance to Rye Lane, he said.

Tarkett, a worldwide innovator in fl ooring and sports surface solutions, has achieved unequalled indoor air quality classifi cation for its homogeneous vinyl fl oorings. With VOC emissions below quantifi able levels (TVOC

Last issueAJ 23.02.12Established 1895

4.95 THE ARCHITECTS JOURNAL THEAJ.CO.UK

De Matos Ryan renews Home Farm sustainability in practice

23.02.12

C16 retrofit

e Architects JournalGreater London HouseHampstead RoadLondon nw1 7ej eAJ.co.uk020 7728 4574E rstname.surname@emap.comT 020 7728 plus extension

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Social mediaTwitter @ArchitectsJrnalFacebook/ eArchitectsJournalLinkedIn Architects Journal group

George Oldham writes

Rory Olcaytos leader (AJ 23.02.12) charging the ARB board with

prejudice, stupidity and hypocrisy and depicting me as some sort of reactionary is simply bizarre. Putting aside what appear to be the writers own prejudices, and I quote: old white boys, his absurdly extrapolated conclusion that my private email, (not an ARB email incidentally) suggest(s) that there is a layer of prejudice and amateurism within the body that regulates this profession, is just deranged.I am well known as one of

the ARBs most outspoken critics, but I would never accuse the eight members appointed by government and the seven elected by the profession as having anything other than the most liberal sensitivities. Furthermore, I am on record as strongly supporting its outstanding chair, Beatrice Fraenkel, particularly in her achievements in improving relationships with the RIBA.As a supporter of the Stephen

cease being so. I am truly sorry for inadvertently causing any embarrassment; my only interest is in supporting candidates who want a minimalist ARB.George Oldham, Prestwick

ARB recidivism

Rorys editorial is spot on. Gerald Kaufman MP once alleged that the Labour Party manifesto under Michael Foot was the longest suicide note in history. Now equalled in the profession by 90 per cent of the current ARB election statements. Admitting to 30 years in the profession is surely its own type of recidivism. Gordon Murray, via email

Board representation

What is the Architects Registration Board exactly, if not the elected people who comprise it? Board members are representative of the ARB. The ARBs fatuous attempt to distance itself from these emails (TheAJ.co.uk, 23.02.12) rather than taking responsibility for them, is very disappointing.Oliver Houchell, via TheAJ.co.uk

Lawrence Trust, and also as a member of the RIBA Council who was once on a government list as an anti-apartheid campaigner, I fi nd these extraordinary allegations, based on one word taken out of context, as fanciful as they are hurtful.I hold my hands up to an

accusation of not thinking in not noticing your reporters name when I hit the reply all button when sending a note of support to the seven Reform Group members, who understandably felt neglected by an RIBA establishment, which had endorsed others while ignoring their outstanding achievements in helping the ARB more positively recognise the role of the RIBA.However, I completely reject

the allegation that I referred to Lisa Basu and Kirk Ray Morrison as the ethnics. I abhor discrimination and it should be clear in the context of my email that, ironically, it was the RIBAs endorsement process that was the cause of my complaint. However, a private gripe on a single issue does not constitute a public condemnation. Angela Brady is a campaigning president; I like and respect her for it, and would not want her to

LETTER OFTHE WEEKLETTER OFTHE WEEK

Letters

28 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

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 Sophia KelleherTechnical 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) Designer Ella Mackinnon (4567) Production editor Mary Douglas (4577) Sub-editor Abigail Gliddon (4579) Contributing editor Ian Martin Editorial director Paul Finch Group chief executive Natasha Christie-Miller Managing director of architecture and media Conor Dignam (5545) Group commercial director Alison Pitchford (5528)

Commercial director 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) Classi ed and recruitment sales Ashley Powell (4518)

e Architects Journal is registered as a newspaper at the Post O ce. 2012. Published by Emap Inform, a part of Emap Ltd. Printed in the uk by Headley Brothers Ltd. aj (issn 0003 8466) is published weekly except Christmas and August. Subscription price is $420. Periodicals postage paid at Rahway, nj and additional mailing o ces. Postmaster send address corrections to: aj, c/o Mercury International Ltd, 365 Blair Road, Avenel, New Jersey 07001. Distributed in the us by Mercury International Ltd, 365 Blair Road, Avenel, nj 07001.

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

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Post to the address below or email letters@architectsjournal.co.uk

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This RIBA Award-winning four-bedroom holiday home is situated on the vast shingle beach at Dungeness and is available to rent as part of the Living Architecture programme. Search for shingle to see 11 photographs and seven drawings on AJBuildingsLibrary.co.uk

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01.03.12 29

CHARLES HOSEA

Project of the WeekShingle HouseNORD ArchitectureKent, 2010

roadway Market, in the east London borough of Hackney, has everything young

professionals could wish for: a bookshop, a delicatessen, a cycle repair shop (with caf) that sells second-hand bikes and cycling helmets disguised as trilbies, an old-fashioned toy shop, and now, at its junction with Ada Street, a mixed-use development with inclined black rendered walls and a random arrangement of large, reflective windows by Amin Taha Architects.

The client, a friend of practice director Amin Taha wanted an inexpensive development with a gallery at ground floor level and flats above, and a utilitarian quality that would appeal to thirty-something professionals. The outcome has three two-bedroom flats on one side of a

Abstract and asymmetrical, Amin Taha Architects mixed-use development makes a flamboyant and frugal addition to its hip East End neighbourhood, writes Felix Mara. Photography by Charles Hosea

Off Broadway (Market)

B central staircase, and the same number of three-bedders on the other, with two retail units below. Because there are less than 10 units, the local authority did not stipulate affordable flats. None are designed to Lifetime Homes standards, nor as accommodation for disabled residents, and the client did not want to pay extra for environmentally responsible design beyond the statutory essentials.

The site is in a conservation area and Broadway Market, a parade of ground floor A1-5 units with flats above, is unusual because of the way it is embedded in a predominantly residential district. Hardly any of these units belong to chains, and the parade starts at a hump bridge over the Grand Union Canal 1 at one end and is terminated by London >>

30 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

Building study

0 10mN

Location plan Right Ada Street elevation a facade in constant motion

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Broadway Market

1. Grand Union Canal2. Regents Canal3. Works

01.03.12 31

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Fields at the other. The architect and planning theoretician Camillo Sitte might have referred to this as an urban corridor and, with its secluded, convivial atmosphere, it resembles a long external room. The planners did not regard Tahas site in Ada Street as high-street development, but there was a height restriction hence the flat rooftop and they expected it to be ground-floor-plus-one. They got ground-floor-plus-three.

Embedded between buildings on either side of its Ada Street frontage, and with further development to the south expected, Tahas addition deliberately stands alone and makes no attempt to ape its 19th-century

32 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

neighbours in Broadway Market, where there is a pronounced horizontal line between shop fronts below and flats above. We didnt want the windows to align with the other buildings as this would have connected the dots, says Taha. Although European architects are understandably proud of their traditional urban heritage of streets and squares, perhaps the backlash against the type of Modernist town-planning which endorsed stand-alone buildings went too far.

Tahas building has none of the traditional detail of the brickwork facades of Broadway Market, with no projecting copings or window sill drips, and this gives it an abstract quality similar to, but much more pronounced than, the white-rendered iceberg on its west flank. Theres an abstract quality in the distorted clock-face pattern of its windows, like a levelled-out version of Henri Matisses painting The Snail. Theres also a timeless, enigmatic quality, like a Giorgio de Chirico painting. It could as well be in outer Tokyo, and the narrow retail units and flats on its east side and meagre courtyard reinforce this impression. Rather than simply

Ground floor plan First floor plan

Ada Street mixed development, LondonAmin Taha Architects

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From far left Henri Matisses The Snail; Render to north-facing walls absorbs light while windows refl ect colour; Before photo with typical Broadway Market facades (right)

01.03.12 33

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drawing on the genius loci, Tahas addition, with its strong presence and subliminal re nements, actually helps to rede ne it.

e Ada Street frontage is gently cranked on plan and, more noticeably, in its section and elevation. You can soften the mass by tilting the facade, says Taha. e vertical windows sink into and contrast with these soft, matt, battered walls, and rather than absorbing most of the light that hits them, they variously re ect the sky and the warm hues of neighbouring brickwork, giving the facade life and a quality of realism that verges on the surreal. Alternating positions of ventilators in the large apertures add further animation. e speci ed window manufacturers products are available with black frames, and Taha took the opportunity to match them with the nish to the render, although at one point he dabbled in a colourful paint-pour treatment.

Like the guardings behind the full-height opening windows, the gates at the main entrance to the ats and the adjacent cycle store door are bespoke, with black perforated metal sheet, which also forms the balustrade on the top landing of the staircase

serving the ats. is staircase is treated with loving attention to detail and is meticulously set out. Its ights are precast concrete with fair-faced so ts, and this has made it possible to work to exacting tolerances, with 30mm gaps between these units and the skylight-washed blockwork walls. An o set on plan of only 10mm between ights, leaving clearance for 3mm diameter stainless steel tension cables at 50mm centres which form the staircase guardings, strung like a harp between springy laser-cut frames at ground oor level and a V-beam at roof level with an integral gutter between the polycarbonate roo ights. Stainless steel eyelets, forming guides

for these cables, and brackets for the cantilevered CHS handrails are xed to the faces of the precast ights. e landings are nished with screed and grout, and they span between the stairwell walls, so there are no awkward downstand beams. Because the budget was tight and procurement was Design and Build, the blockwork is not fair-faced and the riser cupboards in the staircase do not, as intended, read as a simple, continuous black wall there are too many vertical joints. But at least the key-clamp balustrade proposed by the contractor was rejected.

e interiors of the deep-plan ats do not shy away from this hardcore >>

Second fl oor plan Third fl oor plan Legend

0 2mN

1. Entrance to fl ats 2. A1 unit 3. Courtyard 4. Kitchen 5. WC 6. Bin store 7. Cycle store 8. Letter boxes 9. Kitchen/living/

dining10. Bedroom11. Bathroom12. Ensuite

AMIN TAHA ARCHITECTS

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Guardings are strung like a harp between the staircase flights

from inclined timber framing to the battered walls, there are no columns: most of the vertical structure is load-bearing blockwork, and this expedited construction. Its insulated render has an additional layer of reinforcement at ground level and, although some would prefer the resonance of three-part render, no one could deny that it sounds and feels like what it is.

For us, its just sensible building you have to spend 3,500 per square metre to get architecture with a capital A, says Taha, perhaps thinking of other projects in his office or Zaha Hadids MAXXI in Rome (AJ 19.11.09 and 30.09.10), which he worked on. But on the levels of design and technology, which are always at one in the best architecture, Ada Street succeeds precisely because of its extraordinary economy of means. footnote1 The south side of this waterway is actually part of the Regents Canal

minimalism, eschewing skirtings, false ceilings and radiators. Ceilings are precast fair-faced hollowcore planks, carefully installed with canvas straps rather than chains to prevent damage. It would be difficult to install downlighters without a bodged conduit detail. Floor surfaces are polished, power-floated concrete with embedded underfloor heating pipes, which provide thermostatic control in each room, but the client insisted on a varnished finish which is inconsistent with the soffit treatment. Gypsum board wall linings have 10mm shadow gaps where they meet the floor and ceiling, and Taha also designed cabin-like kitchen units and fitted cupboards with concealed lighting in the recesses at their junctions with the ceilings. We didnt have much control

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1. Entrance to flats 2. Ada Street 3. Andrews Road 4. A1 unit 5. Kitchen 6. WC 7. Bedroom 8. Ensuite 9. Bathroom10. Rooflight11. Fitted cupboard

Section A-A

Site plan

Above CHS handrails cantilever from fixing points on precast flights either side of harp-string guarding

over detail, says director Richard Cheesman (who, interestingly, worked as the contractors novated architect while Taha remained client side), but although sanitary fittings are very basic, the interiors are nothing to be embarrassed about, and are enhanced by the way their windows frame external views.

The project was on site for just nine months and although the contractor chose a share of the overall profits from the development in lieu of payment for preliminaries, overheads and profit, the cost of 850 per square metre is still remarkable. Tahas commitment to the project helped to make this possible. We had to draw everything up, if only to give us something to argue with, even if we ended up painfully losing time and money, he says, but you sense that he prefers this to the embarrassing alternative of bastardised conceptual design completed by others. Some astute decisions also helped. Apart

Ada Street mixed development, LondonAmin Taha Architects

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Project data

start on site April 2010completion January 2011gross internal floor area 635m2

type of procurement Design and Buildtotal cost 540,000 (excluding OHPP taken as part of a financial agreement with client)cost per square metre 850architect Amin Taha ArchitectsclientJack Burnsstructural engineerWebb Yatesm&e consultantSyntegra Consultingquantity surveyorCedarmillacoustics consultantRBA Acousticscontractor, project manager and cdm coordinatorCedarmillapproved building inspectorPG Surveyorscad software used Variousestimated annual co2 emissions52kg/m2

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Top Typical living/kitchen/dining room with concrete floor and soffit, no skirtings and full-height opening window with

perforated metal guarding Left The third-floor kitchen snuggles up against the battered external wall Above Ada Street elevation

Ada Street mixed development, LondonAmin Taha Architects

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Our client expressed an ambition for utility and unadorned domesticity. The practices general strategy is to find a binding aesthetic form with a reduced material palette. The detail illustrates the extension of this logic through the use of fewer, yet standard products to reduce construction junction types, associated specialist trades, their time on site and associated costs.

Externally, the Dryvit insulated render system, certified to 24 degrees from the horizontal, is used to perform a number of roles, avoiding the need for copings, sills, external gutters and drains. First, it was used to weather external walls and the upper pitched roof, and around window openings to form reveals, returning to an integral sloping sill. At roof level the system alone forms the parapet and coping, terminating against the roof coverings. Finally, the integral DPC at the base avoids an overlap of trades when sealing the building. Together with Velfacs glazing and Guaranteed Asphalts inverted flat roof, the external envelope is reduced to three products and trades, contributing to the coherence of the form.

This reduction is followed through internally, where precast concrete planks are left as exposed soffits, and floors are power-floated concrete. This standard floor build-up was engineered to meet acoustic performance requirements without the need for suspended plasterboard ceilings or raised floors. The resultant savings permit the use of underfloor heating and 5 amp lighting circuits throughout, allowing better room layout flexibility, without radiators or pendants determining furniture arrangements.Richard Cheesman, director, Amin Taha Architects

Ada Street mixed development, London Amin Taha ArchitectsWall-window-roof-floor detail

1. Underfloor heating 2. Isorubber Base

acoustic resilient layer

3. Hollowcore RC plank with fair faced soffit

4. Concrete topping 5. Rigid insulation 6. Power-floated

screed 7. Sealant on closed

cell backer rod 8. Polyurethane

expanding foam insulation

9. Galvanised fixing lug

10. Shadow gap bead 11. Moisture resistant

MDF sill with eggshell finish

12. Dryvit Outsulation insulated render

13. Breather membrane

14. EPS insulation15. Dryvit Outsulation

rail system 16. Rendered sloping

sill with Dryvit Dryflex base coat

17. Reinforcing mesh18. PPC pressed metal

flashing to match window frame

19. Velfac 200 window. PPC finish to outer frame. Factory applied paint finish to timber inner frame

20. Raking timber stud21. Insulated render 22. Roller blind reveal23. Metal bead 24. Skimmed

plasterboard 25. Regulating asphalt 26. Two-coat mastic

asphalt27. Polyester fleece

isolating membrane28. Filter membrane29. Stone gravel

ballast30. Pressed metal

flashing31. Two-coat asphalt

skirting 32. Parapet render

on shaped EPS insulation

33. Dryvit Outsulation rail system T spline

34. Dense blockwork35. OSB

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Working detail

Legend

iving Architecture is a social enterprise dedicated to the promotion and enjoyment

of world-class modern architecture. Thats what Living Architectures website says. Sounds great. And creative director Alain de Bottons proposed method of promoting modern architecture, which involves renting out specially commissioned buildings for short, reasonably priced, breaks, seems very noble. But are all these buildings world-class modern architecture? Peter Zumthors Secular Retreat, scheduled to open at the end of the year, promises to be a cracker,

David Kohns boat hotel for Living Architecture is pure whimsy, writes Felix Mara. Photography by Charles Hosea

Cabin fever

L but most of the completed buildings are either neo-vernaculars or follies. David Kohn Architects A Room for London, designed in collaboration with the artist Fiona Banner and opened in January, falls into the second category.

Living Architecture, who collaborated with the arts organisation Artangel on the project, boasts of exceptional contemporary architecture in unusual settings. Seemingly washed up atop a post-diluvian Queen Elizabeth Hall, a concert hall in the Southbank Centre complex, Kohns folly certainly has the unusual setting. He says: Living Architectures

38 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

agenda is to provide an experience of architecture that isnt going to an exhibition, looking at a magazine or seeing a fragment of it, but actually to experience it to live in it for a night. The brief was to make a room that was an invitation to be removed from the city and be contemplative. As required by the brief, the refuge was fabricated off-site, in three sections, which were craned in and assembled on the roof, where it will remain until the end of the year before being dismantled and either reassembled elsewhere or recycled.

Given this strategy and site, Kohn and Banner set about dreaming up a narrative surrounding the rooms provenance, and hit on the idea of a boat which had sailed down the river and, after a flood, been washed up on an asphalt beach. And so it sits, a very nice pseudo-boat as pseudo-boats go, or rather dont go. A temporary lift hoists guests up to the roof and they enter the boat at its lower level, passing through a lobby and a passage between a shower room and a WC, then between a kitchen and library into the sleeping and living accommodation, with >>

Building study

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1m 5m

David Kohn Architects _ 511 Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Road, London NW5 1TL _ 020 7424 8596 _ Room For London _ Lower Level Plan _ 1:100@A4

1m 5m

David Kohn Architects _ 511 Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Road, London NW5 1TL _ 020 7424 8596 _ Room For London _ Upper Level Plan _ 1:100 @A4

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David Kohn Architects _ 511 Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Road, London NW5 1TL _ 020 7424 8596 Room For London _ Long Section_ 1:100@A4

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A Room for London, LondonDavid Kohn Architects with Fiona Banner

Previous spread, from left The brief used the word perched to describe the installations rooftop location; Guests proceed through a Russian doll-like sequence of spaces upon entering; The external cladding to the diminutive tugboat-like vessel is spruce ply Left The tower, octagonal library tower and hull, seen here, were craned in separately

Opposite Internal joinery is stained birch ply and

Douglas fi r. Sound

is absorbed by felt ceilings

40 theaj.co.uk 01.03.12

Search David Kohn for more drawings and data

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views of the ames and the London skyline on three sides. A ladder leads up to a larger octagonal library, opening onto the upper level decks.

We de nitely didnt want it to feel like a modern interior, says Kohn, ignoring the brief and Living Architectures manifesto. In some ways its contemporary and in some ways old. Steampunk, you might say. But it would be rash to dismiss A Room for London as purely mimetic. You could level similar criticisms at examples of more contemporary-looking architecture which are inspired by the imagery, rather than the performance, of shipbuilding or yachts. Whats distinctive about much of Kohns work is its qualities of steadfast originality and abstraction, and this comes across in the boats simple, stylised, toy-like form.

e boat is listing under the weight of its literary and artistic cargo, arguably Banners main contribution to the venture. e

Upper level plan

Lower level plan

SectionLegend

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1. External lobby 2. Hallway 3. Kitchen / dining 4. Bedroom 5. Seating area 6. Library 7. Front deck 8. Roofl ight 9. Rear deck10. Hatch to fl oor

below11. Desk12. WC13. Shower14. Kitchen cupboard15. Drop-down ladder

above

DAVID KOHN ARCHITECTS

notion of a ship led to musings about Joseph Conrad, whose novel Heart of Darkness begins on the banks of the ames and, as a continuation of this shaggy dog story, Kohns boat takes its name from the Roi des Belges which Conrad captained on a voyage to the Congo. eres plenty of onboard memorabilia surrounding this myth and King Leopold II of Belgium. You can read as much history as you like into it, says Kohn. en theres the whole John Soane element, which inspired Kohns sequential, layered planning. Soane has a small-scale intensity, and there are lots of small spaces that give views on to much

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See detail opposite

Queen Elizabeth HallBelvedere RoadLondon SE1 8XZ

Drawing no. Revision152/C32/01

Drawn by:

Checked by:

Scale:

Drawing title

Project address

ProjectRoom for London

Date:

1:5@A3

Issue:

Notes :

- Do not scale from this drawing

Client

A

Living Architecture

Banquet Seat Detail Plan

For Construction21.10.11

SHDK

A 21.10.11 General* 21.10.11 For construction

Rev. Date. Changes.

38

Louvre Location Diagram1:100

Queen Elizabeth HallBelvedere RoadLondon SE1 8XZ

Drawing no. Revision152/C32/01

Drawn by:

Checked by:

Scale:

Drawing title

Project address

ProjectRoom for London

Date:

1:5@A3

Issue:

Notes :

- Do not scale from this drawing

Client

A

Living Architecture

Banquet Seat Detail Plan

For Construction21.10.11

SHDK

A 21.10.11 General* 21.10.11 For construction

Rev. Date. Changes.

38

Louvre Location Diagram1:100

Queen Elizabeth HallBelvedere RoadLondon SE1 8XZ

Drawing no. Revision152/C32/01

Drawn by:

Checked by:

Scale:

Drawing title

Project address

ProjectRoom for London

Date:

1:5@A3

Issue:

Notes :

- Do not scale from this drawing

Client

A

Living Architecture

Banquet Seat Detail Plan

For Construction21.10.11

SHDK

A 21.10.11 General* 21.10.11 For construction

Rev. Date. Changes.

38

Louvre Location Diagram1:100

Louvre detail (closed)

Louvre detail (open)

0 100m

01.03.12 41

larger ones, through oculi or heavily layered frames. This certainly chimes with Kohns intention to create a sense of being apart from the outside world. It fee