Architects Journal
April 2011

View all stories from this issue.

‘Pioneers of the Downtown Scene’

‘Pioneers of the Downtown Scene’ throws up the question of whether street art can be shown in a gallery, writes Crystal Bennes
AJ100 practices shed fewer jobs

The number of UK architects employed by the country’s top 100 practices continues to fall – but the rate of decline has slowed significantly, according to the 2011 AJ100 survey results
Cedric Price: Think the Unthinkable

An exhibition in Glasgow dedicated to architect Cedric Price shows how the heritage of Modernism can be made to serve divergent present-day ends, writes Miles Glendinning
Glenigan: Housing market slumps

The housing market has suffered a dramatic slump since this time last year, according to construction industry tracker Glenigan
Pioneering champion of disabled access dies

Architect Selwyn Goldsmith, author of the groundbreaking Designing for the Disabled (1963) has died, aged 78
#Milanuncut: an end to paltry fees?

[THIS WEEK] Very occasionally, new platforms facilitate new discussions, writes James Pallister
6 houses by 6 practices

Rory Olcayto introduces six recently built homes by six British architects: three urban, three rural, each in distinct locations across the British Isles
A building alone cannot remake a town

A long day out proved that the Bilbao Effect is dead, if it ever existed at all, writes Christine Murray
A road trip round the Midlands' galleries

The Midlands has plenty to offer the touring gallery visitor, writes James Pallister
Accentuating the vernacular, eliminating the publicly accountable, latching on to the hortus conclusus

Ian Martin reluctantly cancels the Festival of Mercia
Acme reveals Leeds city centre power station

Acme has submitted plans for a Low Carbon Energy Centre (LCEC) as part of Hammerson’s huge £600 million Eastgate Quarters retail-led development in Leeds city centre
ADAM Architecture, student travel scholarship

[The closing date for entries is 30 June] ADAM Architecture is calling on students to apply for its £1,500 student travel scholarship
ADAM unveils huge Dover homes masterplan

Robert Adam’s practice ADAM Urbanism, working with Barton Willmore, have revealed details of an ambitious project to build 5,750 new homes outside Dover
Aedas opens first Canadian outpost

Aedas has set up its first office in Canada after bagging two station commissions as part of Toronto’s Transit City 2050 masterplan
Airtightness

[Sustainable products] Revisions to Part L have caused a surge in products concerned with airtightness, says Sandy Patience
AJ Buildings Library: Editor’s Pick, 27.04.11

This week in the AJ Buildings Library: Sir Edwin Lutyens’ Castle Drogo, a PassivHaus in Scotland and the shortlisted 2010 Manser Medal houses
AJ100 building of the year shortlist revealed

The full shortlists for this year’s AJ100 awards, including the building of the year prize, have been unveiled
AJ100: Overseas earnings plummet

Early results from the AJ100 annual survey have revealed a shocking drop in overseas architecture fees of 18 per cent, and a smaller drop in UK architecture fees of 5 per cent
Allies and Morrison sets up new urbanism offshoot

AJ100 big hitter Allies and Morrison Architects has joined up with long-term collaborators Urban Practitioners to form a new ’ integrated’ urbanism practice
Architect fined £3,000 for ‘incompetence’

Oxfordshire architect Frances Morrow has been fined £3,000 after being found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and serious professional incompetence
Architects remain uncertain while unemployment continues to fall

Architecture practices are still uncertain about the sector’s prospects, but government statistics show unemployment among architects is continuing to fall
Architectural clues to Bin Laden's hideout

An architect’s eye for detail helped locate al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden in his Pakistan hideaway, US officials have revealed
Atkins wins RIBA Competition for new Qatar school

Atkins has won the RIBA contest to design the new Sherborne Qatar School in Doha
Baltimore Red Line, infrastructure challenge

Urbanite Baltimore has launched an open design competition calling for architects to think up ways to deal with everyday construction problems encountered during the building of Baltimore’s proposed Red Line railway
BDP completes BSF school in Teddington

[First look + plans + project data] BDP has unwrapped this £29 million BSF school in Teddington, west London
BDP launches Joanna Yeates cycle tour

BDP has officially launched ‘Cycle for Jo’ – a fundraising cross-country cycle ride in memory of murdered landscape architect Joanna Yeates
BDP’s Manchester Victoria revamp unveiled

Network Rail has unveiled these images of BDP’s £20 million project to overhaul Manchester Victoria Station
Belfast masterplanning framework

Belfast’s Central Procurement Directorate is seeking architects to work on its new masterplanning framework agreement
Bellis Cooley submits mixed-use St Pancras plans

Bellis Cooley Architects has submitted a planning application for this 564-unit student accommodation building and timber yard in St Pancras, London
BFAW completes £9m MOSI refurbishment

[First look + plans] Buttress Fuller Alsop Williams Architects has completed its £9 million redevelopment of the Grade II-listed Great Western Warehouse at Manchester’s Museum of Science?& Industry (MOSI)
Biotechnology building, Cambridge University

The University of Cambridge is on the hunt for architects to design a new building for its Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
Breaking the boundaries of creativity in the ceiling

Ecophon Solo™ has been part of our creative design solution for many years. We’ve now expanded this product range and present new opportunities for creative sound absorbent solutions.We call the new opportunities Ecophon Solo™ Regular and Ecophon Solo™ Freedom.Ecophon Solo™ Regular introduces geometrical shapes. Within the range you will find 10 regular shapes such as ellipses, pentagons and circles.
Burren House, Dublin, by Niall McLaughlin Architects

[Images + plans + credits] Private residence in Dublin
Capita Symonds to shed 40 staff

Capita Symonds’ managing director Jonathan Goring has blamed the collapse of its Maghull Prison and St Athan MOD schemes for its decision to axe 40 jobs
Casper Mueller Kneer's White Cube gallery scheme scoops planning

Casper Mueller Kneer has won planning permission for a project to build a new White Cube gallery in Bermondsey Street, south London
CBRE poll questions housing bonus

CBRE has carried out research which shows uniform scepticism among the property industry, councillors and the public about the Government’s New Homes Bonus
Chanel donates Zaha pavilion to Paris' Arab World Institute

Zaha Hadid Architects mobile art pavilion, built for Chanel in 2007, has found a permanent home in front of Jean Nouvel’s Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris
Chapman Taylor 'confident' despite posting big losses

Retail expert Chapman Taylor remains optimistic for the future despite seeing its turnover half from £38.6 million to £18.8 million in 2010
Coe Design to overhaul Chesil beach visitor centre

[First look] Landscape architects Coe Design has netted Heritage Lottery cash for its planned £1 million revamp of the visitor centre on the 17-mile long Chesil Beach
Comment & reaction: The Prince’s Foundation role in the localism agenda

The profession reacts to the government’s decision to fund a new role for The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment
Competitions: Editor’s Pick, 21.04.11

Aberdeen’s Union Terrace gardens design competition, Passive House dwellings for New Orleans and proposals for a London vertical farm; the editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions
Competitions: Editor's pick, 02.06.11

Helsinki bridge designs, Welsh town centre improvements and a new capital for Australia. The editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions.
Competitions: Editor's pick, 14.04.11

New ideas for Belfast’s Dundonald International Ice Bowl, Taiwan’s Taichung Gateway Park competition and futuristic bath tubs designs for Kaldewei; the editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions
CoRE, Stoke-on-Trent, PRP Architects

CoRE A derelict pottery works is being rebuilt as a college dedicated to excellence in refurbishment, writes Martin Spring
Councils selected to pilot neighbourhood planning powers

Seventeen local authorities across Britain have been selected to trial the coalition’s new neighbourhood planning powers
Criticality: notes on an ugly word

[THIS WEEK] James Pallister looks at a new platform for critical ideas
Cronocaos: Heritage and heresy

Change and chaos are natural parts of the human psyche. How can we reconcile this with the desire to preserve, asks Jay Merrick
D5 Architects completes Milton Keynes coach station

[First look + project data] These are the first photographs of D5 Architects’ now completed coach and bus station in Milton Keynes
Demolition starts on Southwark's iconic Heygate Estate

The destruction of the Heygate Estate in Southwark, south London, began today (15 April) in the first stage of the site’s redevelopment which is scheduled to complete in 2026
Design team named for Welsh attraction overhaul

Purcell Miller Tritton (PMT) and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS) will oversee the redevelopment of Wales’ most visited heritage attraction, St Fagans National History Museum.
Devereux completes Bexhill High School

[First look + plans] Devereux Architects has completed the new high school building in Bexhill, East Sussex
DLG to overhaul landmark Leeds nightclub

[First look + plans] Work is to start this month on DLG Architects’ revamp of the abandoned Majestic nightclub in Leeds city centre
Dublin Airport - Ecophon

The concourse in Dublin Airport which serves the brand new terminal 2 building, is the focus of heavy pedestrian traffic, and as a wide open space with a ceiling height of more than 5m, the potential for excessive noise is high.
Duggan Morris submits SLaM hospital plans

[First look + plans + project data] Duggan Morris Architects has submitted plans for this £7 million learning centre for South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Trust on the Maudsley Hospital Campus in Camberwell, London
Dundonald International Ice Bowl revamp, Belfast

Castlereagh Borough Council in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is on the hunt for a design team to revamp the Dundonald International Ice Bowl
Egret West lands ‘biggest ever’ job

[First look + video] Studio Egret West has been selected as part of a team to deliver a £347 million residential scheme in Gateshead
EPR's Gatwick hotel cleared for take-off

[First look + plans] EPR Architects has won planning permission to convert Longbridge House, an office block at Gatwick airport’s North Terminal, into a 192-bedroom economy hotel
Eric Parry completes Holburne museum extension

[First look] Eric Parry Architects’ has completed its contentious extension to Bath’s Grade I-listed Holburne Museum
Façades with a climatic factor: woven sun protection

Metal mesh as the exterior skin of a building provides a constantly changing stage for architecture by light interplay and gives form to architectural visions. In doing so it fulfils many functions: the resilient and low-maintenance material offers reliable fire, fall and weather protection, takes over climate regulation as well as energy functions and serves as aesthetically-appealing sun protection.
Fears over post-war listings as CABE role is axed

Fears have been raised about a lack of architectural expertise in the listed building process after it emerged that CABE will no longer advise on decisions
Feilden + Mawson completes Czech mountain retreat

[First look + plans] Feilden + Mawson has completed this £88,500 house in the Krusne Mountains in west Bohemia, Czech Republic
Foster unveils Hong Kong cruise terminal project

[First look + project data] Foster + Partners has revealed these images of its 143,600m² Kai Tak Cruise Terminal scheme in Hong Kong
Foster's CITIC bank headquarters takes shape

[First look] Work has started on CITIC Bank’s new headquarters in Hangzhou, China - a 100m-tall skyscraper designed by Foster + Partners
Goldfinger cottage re-build wins planning

Stanway Little Associates has won planning permission to rebuild a listed Erno Goldfinger-designed bungalow which was illegally demolished in 2007
Goodbye Alsop, hello Careyjones in Salford

[First look] Careyjones chapmantolcher has submitted this plans for a 1,091 student bedroom development in Salford once earmarked for a 26-storey tower by Will Alsop
Government launches consultation on office-to-residential conversions

The government has launched a consultation on its plan to scrap the planning requirement to convert disused offices into homes
Government opens door for more self-builds

Plans revealed by the Government yesterday (3 May) will make it easier for people to build their dream home
Government picks Prince’s Foundation to advise public on planning

The government will fund the Prince’s Foundation to provide free planning advice to neighbourhood groups as part of a £3.2 million programme announced today
Government urged to axe poor-value PFI schemes

Major PFI projects should be called off or renegotiated if they do not represent a good deal for the Government, a watchdog has said
Green light for Squire and Partners’ Piccadilly scheme

[First look] Squire and Partners’ plans for a mixed-use scheme in Piccadilly, London, have been granted planning permission by Westminster City Council
Grimshaw bags Brazilian mobile art pavilion

[First look] Grimshaw has won the prize project to design a 500m² mobile art pavilion in Brazil
Grimshaw's London Bridge station revamp unveiled

Designs for the redevelopment of London Bridge railway station have been published by Network Rail
Halliday Clark launches 'off-the-peg' Hunt House business

Bradford-based Halliday Clark has set up an offshoot company to sell ‘off the shelf’ versions of its SIPS-built Hunt House
Hampshire planners face axe as council architects accept redundancy

Hampshire County Council (HCC) is set to cut its planning team by a quarter in a bid to offset a £55 million reduction in government funding while offering voluntary redundancy to staff in its architecture office
Haver & Boecker wraps the Odysseum in Cologne, Germany

The Science Adventure Park Odysseum in Cologne, Germany is a place where people of all ages can go to learn interactively; where scientific knowledge is wrapped inside a shell of black brickwork behind a semi-transparent façade of wire mesh from Haver & Boecker.
Healthy Daylighting

This Health Centre at Thetford in Norfolk is a community hospital. The brief was to design a new facility which combines consulting rooms with a variety of different treatment facilities, from general practice to chiropractor, from exercise to child care. The 2555sqm building replaces an existing and outdated community hospital in the town. Funded through the LIFT programme, the design development process included a raft of consultations with prospective users.
Heatherlands, Uplyme, Devon, by Satellite Architects

[Images + drawings + credits] Extension to an existing house located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Heatherwick and Foster line up for Shanghai skyscraper

An extraordinary collaboration between Thomas Heatherwick and Foster + Partners is in the running for a skyscraper scheme in Shanghai, China
Helsinki bridge design competition

[Prequalification submissions must be made by 3 August ] An international competition has been launched asking for designs for new pedestrian, cyclist and tram bridges in Helsinki which will connect a new residential area to the city centre.
Heneghan Peng's Greenwich architecture school recommended for planning

Heneghan Peng’s project to build a new home for the Greenwich school of architecture has been recommended for approval by planning officers
Holder Mathias wins go ahead for East Sussex seaside flats

[First look + plans] Nine luxury apartments in Rottingdean, designed by Holder Mathias, have been granted planning permission by Brighton and Hove Council
In pictures: World Architecture Festival launched

Architects gathered in Clerkenwell last week to celebrate the official launch of the fourth annual World Architecture Festival
'Intimidating' architect suspended by ARB

Michael Phillips has been suspended from the Architects Registration Board (ARB) for four months after being found guilty of four allegations of unacceptable professional conduct
James Review calls for greater schools role for councils

More budget control for councils is among a list of recommendations that the James Review says can shave 30 per cent off school building costs [download full report]
James Review: CABE's design standards had 'little affect' on quality

The James Review into the the ditched BSF programme and the future of schools building has said CABE’s design standards had ‘little effect’ on the quality of schemes
James Review: RIBA says 'pupils deserve better than flatpack schools'

The RIBA has hit out at the the Review of Education Capital led by Sebastian James, urging the Government against building overly-standardised ‘identikit’ schools
James Review: the industry's reaction

After months of waiting and numerous leaks, the government finally published its report on the ‘time-consuming, expensive and opaque’ £55 billion Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme last Friday (8 April)
James Stirling: Notes from the Archive

James Stirling’s Clore Gallery at Tate Britain is an unintentionally fitting venue for a retrospective of an architect whose work continues to divide opinion, writes John Allan
Kaldewei bathtub design competition

Bathroom supplier Kaldewei has invited architects and professional designers to come up with ideas for a ‘futuristic’ bathtub using the company’s hallmark 3.5mm enamelled steel material
Kalzip’s ingenious rainscreen system

The bi-directional Kalzip FC rainscreen system is stylish, non-penetrative and extremely cost-effective. Installed on vertically fixed modular click rails, each lightweight panel is simply hooked at the top and then clicked into place at the bottom - quick, easy and ingenious.
Last chance to register for Forgotten Spaces competitions

The final deadline for registration to the London and Sheffield Forgotten Spaces competitions is Wednesday (13 April) this week
Legal ruling boosts historic building protection

A landmark legal case has given ‘greater protection’ to buildings which could be defined as local heritage assets but are threatened with demolition
Legalese: Joint ventures

We can’t live without joint ventures, but can we live with them? By Mark Klimt
Library Headquarters and Branch Library, Clones, Ireland, by Keith Williams Architects

The rural Irish town of Clones is the surprising setting for cutting edge civic architecture, writes Stephen Best
Lighting tower detail: The Olympic Stadium by Populous

[Working detail 07.04.11] Sports lighting towers
Localism: the dangers of X-Factor planning

Will the Government’s drive to give locals more influence over what is built lead to unhelpful, Eurovision-style voting on design, asks HOK’s Sherin Aminossehe
London vertical farm competition

Designs for a London-based vertical farm with a residential use are sought by AWR Competitions as part of an open contest
Look again...this is single ply membrane at its innovative best

Funded by North Lincolnshire Council, Yorkshire Forward and Sport England the £21m Pods and Central Park project will become a sporting centre of excellence; a hub that will function not only as a leisure facility for the whole community surrounding Scunthorpe, but will also deliver sports education and leadership training.
Low-tech Olympic Games

It’s been a tough, back to basics past two days at LOCOG, Astragal hears
Maccreanor Lavington bags planning for King’s Cross homes

[First look] Maccreanor Lavington Architects has won planning permission for this ‘affordable’ housing scheme in King’s Cross, north London
Mae bags Hillington Square job

Mae has landed the commission to redesign the 1960s Hillington Square housing estate in King’s Lynn, Norfolk
Make back in profit as revenue balloons

Ken Shuttleworth’s practice Make has witnessed a 34 per cent increase in turnover just 12 months after posting huge losses
McAslan’s unwraps latest Lancaster University Campus building

[First look] John McAslan + Partners’ has completed this 4,000m² addition to Lancaster University campus - the practice’s fifth project for the institution
McDowell and Benedetti bags planning for massive JCB job

McDowell+Benedetti has secured outline planning consent for the redevelopment of JCB’s Heavy Products site in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire - nearly three years after winning the project
Merthyr-Treharris town centre improvements, Wales

[Requests to participate must be made by 27 June] Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has issued a tender seeking consultancy services for building improvements within Merthyr and Treharris Town Centres
Monument Circle ideas competition

The city of Indianapolis in the United States is on the hunt for plans to revamp its downtown Monument Circle area
Moving the Aldgate Goalposts

Astragal understands the future of the proposed Aldgate Giant Goalposts, a 60m-tall ‘gateway’ in London’s East End, could be in doubt
Mumbai student scoops Norman Foster scholarship

A student from the Rizvi College of Architecture in Mumbai has landed the 2011 RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship
New Australian capital city, ideas competition

[Stage one submissions must be made by 31 January] The Australian Institute of Architects has launched an international competition for ideas for a new capital of Australia
New London plan clears major hurdle

The replacement London plan has been declared sound by an inspector after a public examination
New practice #65: Bellis Cooley Architects

The latest in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone, either through choice or redundancy
New practice #66: Paul Testa Architecture

The latest in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone, either through choice or redundancy
NORD to split

The founders of award-winning Scottish practice NORD are about to go their separate ways
North House, North Cheshire, by Roger Stephenson Architects

[Images + drawings + credits] Private residence in the heart of a conservation area
One small blob for starters, one giant leap for Mankind in due course

Ian Martin develops the revolutionary building material Kryptogel
Part II activist abandons ARB high court action

A campaigner for part II architects’ equality has walked away from a High Court challenge against the ARB after learning the legal costs could leave him a ‘Pyrrhic’ victor
Passive House designs for New Orleans wanted

A competition has been launched asking participants to develop a series of affordable, ‘Passive House’ standard homes for the displaced communities in New Orleans
Peter Barber unveils arch-fronted Shoreditch homes

[First look + plans] Peter Barber Architects has submitted plans for this 43-home scheme in east London inspired by the Bishopsgate Goods Yard
Peter Cook to judge Stirling Prize

Archigram founder Peter Cook is on the list of judges for this year’s RIBA Stirling Prize, announced today
Planning portal: The problem with PPS5

Current planning guidance for the historic environment is urgently in need of a robust review, says Paul Velluet
Plans for summer ice rink at Marble Arch unveiled

Plans for a temporary ice rink and pavilion which will be built at Marble Arch in London in time for the 2012 summer olympics have been revealed
Plant binder reduces Ecophon’s environmental impact

Saint-Gobain Ecophon, the leading manufacturer of acoustic ceilings and wall panels, has developed a new revolutionary binding technology to further reduce the environmental impact of its recycled glass wool acoustic ceiling systems.
Practice Architecture completes South Kilburn Studios

[First look] Practice Architecture has completed this transformation of a disused temporary building on a council estate in South Kilburn into studios
'Proactive' NPPF recommendations welcomed by architects

Architects have welcomed the ‘proactive’ design policy set out in the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which was published last week
Product design: Door handle

After winning an AJ/Allgood competition, Stuart Martin set about turning his design into reality - with much tweaking along the way. By Felix Mara. Photography by Gareth Hacker
Qatari Diar eyes up Battersea power station

Battersea Power Station could be sold to the Qatari royal family as a result of ongoing discussions about the £500m site’s future
Reed warns of storm over student low pay

RIBA president Ruth Reed has warned of a potential ‘perfect storm’ in response to new data which shows that more than a third of post-Part 1 students earn below the minimum wage
Regional arts cuts and two shows at the Design Museum

[THIS WEEK] A regional cuts-roundup, plus 6a take on Wim Crouwel and David Kohn the Brit Design Awards
Revised definition of 'zero carbon' and The Green Deal

The housing sector is struggling to keep up with the ever-changing emissions standards, says Andrew Mellor
Revised velopark plans spark objections

British Cycling and Sport England have lodged joint objections to changes made to AECOM’s Olympic Park masterplan
RIBA opens Manchester ‘hub’

The RIBA has reopened its Manchester bookshop as a multi-use space called the RIBA hub
RIBA to ‘lead by example’ on social mobility

The RIBA has pledged to boost social mobility within its ranks, joining a government ‘compact’ aimed at promoting fair access to the professions
Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games masterplan contest launched

Architects have been invited to masterplan the 2016 Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
RMJM could lose Europe’s highest tower job

RMJM’s involvement in plans for Europe’s tallest tower looks uncertain after energy giant Gazprom revealed it will talk to other practices about redesigning its controversial Okhta scheme on a new site in St Petersburg
RMJM fails to pay staff on time - again

RMJM has again failed to pay its staff at its Hong Kong office on time despite bringing in new principals to sort out its Asian operations
RTPI demands planning policy to be included in Localism Bill

The long-awaited planning policy framework must be referred to in the government’s flagship Localism Bill for it to be effective, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has claimed.
SAS International launches Double Hook System for its Panels and Rafts

SAS International has introduced a new Double Hook System for its System 205 and 600 ranges. The ceiling panels and rafts from these ranges are now demountable from either side meaning this small, but significant, alteration will lead to greater speed of installation and ease of access for essential maintenance.
Searching for architectural meaning and salvation in a dogless world

Ian Martin sneers at the Association of Atheist Architects
Shelter launches online 'housing opposition' aid

A new online resource aimed at helping planners and developers gauge opposition to housing developments has been launched by national charity Shelter
Sheppard Robson scoops huge Masdar job

Sheppard Robson has won a design competition to build a new headquarters for Siemens in Masdar, Abu Dhabi
Sheppard Robson unveils plans to overhaul Leeds landmark

[First look] Sheppard Robson has unveiled its plans to overhaul the 14-storey City House office building above Leeds train station for developer Bruntwood
Shock as deputy mayor Simon Milton dies

London mayor Boris Johnson has paid tribute to his deputy mayor for planning Simon Milton, who died yesterday aged 49
Shuttleworth on 5 Broadgate: ‘a sea change in modern architecture’

Make founder Ken Shuttleworth talks exclusively to the AJ about the practice’s controversial scheme at 5 Broadgate for British Land
SLANT: Student design competition

The SLANT design competition invites students to submit concept designs for a public park in an imaginary city
Snohetta's stunning Zero unveiled for Milan

The concept for ‘Zero’ came to Snohetta on a visit to a marble quarry where a tunnel led to a large room
SOM bags Vietnam ‘eco’ masterplan

[First look] SOM has been appointed to design this 375 hectare ‘eco-urban’ mixed-use development in Danang, Vietnam
Something rotten in Denmark

With excitement, Platform 5 found out last week that its Mapledene Road project (AJ 15.01.09) had won a competition hosted by a Danish homes and gardens website – www.bolius.dk
South London and Maudsley NHS, remedial building works

[Requests to participate must be made by 6 June] South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLAM) wants to procure an experienced and well-resourced project manager to work on its estate
Southbank celebrates Festival of Britain’s 60th anniversary

The Southbank Centre in London has created a series of installations to mark 60 years since the opening of the Festival of Britain
Specifier Support from F. Ball

F. Ball and Co. Ltd. is the UK’s leading manufacturer of flooring adhesives and subfloor preparation products. The company’s total commitment to the flooring industry has resulted in the development of a range of products carefully matched to the requirements of flooring professionals worldwide.
Stephen George completes £5 million 'green' construction academy

[First look + plans + project data] Stephen George & Partners has completed this £5million sustainable construction training and research centre in Dartford
Studio Bednarski unwraps west London Double House

[First look] Studio Bednarski has completed this 280m² scheme in Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill featuring two stacked maisonettes
The estate we're in

What a relief to see ‘The Great Estate: The Rise and Fall of the Council House’ on BBC Four this week
The inside story of the death - and re-birth - of CABE

Paul Finch’s letter from London: CABE’s transformation over the last five months has produced a fully-fledged phoenix
The James Review calls for an intelligent client; Saudi Arabia opts for dimwitted hubris

Governments should make use of architects, but architects should be wary of governments, writes Rory Olcayto
The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Stadium: Introduction

Ahead of our building study, Rory Olcayto remembers the critical reception the London Olympic Stadium received when the first images emerged in 2007.
The Olympic Stadium, London, by Populous

An AJ exclusive: the first building study on Populous’ 2012 London Games showpiece. Populous’ London 2012 Olympic Stadium works beautifully and, on an architectural level, goes beyond problem-solving, writes Felix Mara. Photography by Morley von Sternberg
The spirit of Milan is alive; the spirits, sadly, have gone

Paul Finch’s letter from London: Thirsty journalists had to leave the Salone to find the heart of the Milan furniture fair
This school-building review merits an A for economics, but an F for history

Paul Finch’s letter from London: The James Review is sensible in parts, but a history-free zone
Tigh Port Na Long, Isle of Skye, by Dulchas Architects

[Images + dawings + credits] Scottish private residence
TP Bennett strengthens interior design division

Design practice TP Bennett has recruited former Scott Brownrigg interiors director Pernille Stafford to help expand its interior design division
Traditional architects reveal 'six immutable principles' for profession

Six ‘immutable’ principles to be adopted by all architects and urban designers have been drawn up by a thinktank of the world’s leading traditional architects
Trentham lands planning for mixed-use church building

[First look + project data + plans] Michael Trentham Architects has won planning permission for this project to build a church and apartments in Southwark, London
Turner Contemporary, Margate, by David Chipperfield Architects

With Margate’s Turner Contemporary, David Chipperfield proves he is as much a master of light as the gallery’s namesake, says Christine Murray
Twenty/ten, Cliftonwood, Bristol, by Rob Gregory and Paul Halford

[Images + drawings + credits] Private residence in Bristol
Ty-Hedfan, Pontfaen, Brecon, by Featherstone Young Architects

[Images + drawings + credits] Riverside private residence in Wales
Union Terrace Gardens competition open for entries

A two-stage design competition for the contentious redevelopment of Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen, Scotland was launched today (19 April)
Union Terrace Gardens design competition, Aberdeen

Malcolm Reading Consultants has launched a two-stage competition to transform Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen city centre
Velodrome minds thinking alike

From Amsterdam Astragal has received an email from one Stephen Lawrence, RIBA, praising Hopkins’ design for the 2012 Olympic Velodrome
Venice City Vision Competition

The Venice City Vision open competition asks for urban development ideas aimed at stimulating and supporting Venice
Video ‘fly-through’ recreates Bartlett summer show

ScanLAB Projects has revealed this ‘millimetre perfect’ visualization made from 3D scans of last year’s summer exhibition at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London
Water conservation

[Sustainable products] Since last year the Building Regulations cover water efficiency. Sandy Patience looks at water-saving taps
Work begins on Keith Williams’ Athlone Art Gallery

[First look + plans] Construction work has started on a new art gallery overlooking the River Shannon in Athlone, Ireland designed by Keith Williams Architects
World’s most powerful laser building to be designed by BFLS

The world’s most powerful laser will be housed in a building designed by BFLS after the European Commission gave the green light to its construction
Yeang: 'We need more bioclimatic buildings’

Architects and developers remain completely in the dark about the cost and energy-saving benefits of self-sustaining ‘living buildings’ according to eco-tower pioneer Ken Yeang
Zaha Hadid reveals Tide shelves in Milan

Zaha Hadid Architects present “Tide”, a modular shelf made for Italian design company Magis

Architects JournalApril 2011

Architects Journal
April 2011