Architects Journal
May 2012
View all stories from this issue.
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Crash founder Denison dies
Tony Denison, founder of a charity that turned vacant buildings into temporary homeless shelters, has died aged 89 -
Do Architecture adds colour to new wave tenement blocks
Do Architecture has completed this 102-home project in Govan, Glasgow. -
Foster wins museum contest in Narbonne
Number one AJ100 practice Foster + Partners has won an international competition to design a new museum for Roman artefacts in Narbonne -
UEL 'Call for Papers’
UEL ‘Call for Papers’ for international conference and workshops focusing on ‘The Production of Place’ -
Warning to British architects to guard reputation overseas
British architects have been urged to fiercely guard their reputation for seeing designs through to building completion – or lose out in the new world order -
Zaera-Polo sued over unpaid legal fees
Break-up of Foreign Office Architects set to play out in High Court as law firm Mishcon de Reya serves writ for £200,000-plus -
‘Sustainable design. Really?’ The Clerkenwell debate
[Review] Can designers and manufacturers aim for sustainability while trying to sell as many products as they can? -
16th International Passivhaus Conference 2012 – Hannover
Robert Prewett of Prewett Bizley Architects reports -
2012 Ashden awards announced
National Trust Wales region takes gold for 41 per cent energy savings achieved in two years -
3DReid Student Prize 2012: call for entries
3DReid has again launched its search for the best Part II student in the country -
3XN with British team bags Copenhagen arena jackpot
Danes 3XN, working with a team of British architects, landscape specialists and engineers, has won the international competition to design a £120 million indoor arena in Copenhagen -
5plus victorious on problematic east London plot
Manchester and London-based 5plus Architects has won planning permission for this £30 million hotel-led scheme in the south Shoreditch Conservation Area -
6a unwraps V&A fashion gallery overhaul
[First look] 6a architects has completed this £950,000 refurbishment of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s fashion gallery in Kensington, west London -
72 hour architecture challenge launched in Stuttgart
[Applications should be received by 26 May] A competition has been launched challenging design teams to complete an installation in just three days in Stuttgart -
A woman’s place
An AJ trip to Istanbul, courtesy of theTurkish Ceramics Promotion Group, proved rather interesting for many reasons not least among them the sheer number of women involved at high level in both architectural practice and the construction industry -
AA hit by £1m fraud
The Architectural Association has been struck by an alleged scam that has left the school £1 million out of pocket -
Adaptable Futures launch student competition
Loughborough University has launched a student ideas contest for proposals looking at structures’ changing roles over time -
Aedas limbers up for Qatar World Cup work
Aedas chief executive David Roberts hopes the UK-based practice will expand its presence in Qatar – and is sizing up a bid for a World Cup stadium -
Airbrushing people from the landscapes of the past to create a retro-chic version of the future
Ian Martin shouts ‘yay!’ at the mention of the Olympics -
AJ exclusive: Terry Farrell to unveil succession plans at AJ100 Awards
Architectural veteran Terry Farrell will outline plans for his succession and the future of his practice in an exclusive guest speech at this week’s AJ100 Awards -
AJ launches 2012 Retrofit Awards
The AJ has teamed up with Arup, ISG and ZBP to launched its annual Retrofit Awards, championing the best in the creative re-use of buildings and construction -
AJ launches 2013 Retrofit Awards
The AJ has launched its annual Retrofit Awards, championing the best in the creative re-use of buildings and construction -
AJ Retrofit Awards: Deadline 1 June
Join previous winners Bennetts Associates and 5th Studio by submitting your best retrofit schemes -
AJ Specification 05.12 – Timber
Case studies by Burwell Deakins, Murray O’Laoire/A&D Wejchert and Aukett Fitzroy Robinson -
AJ100 Analysis & data
This year’s AJ100 data proves just how resilient and resourceful UK architects have been. It’s remarkable that the gang is (almost) still all here, writes Bruce Tether -
AJ100 Building of the Year
Winner: Central St Martins Arts Campus by Stanton Williams - An award for quite simply the finest building completed by an AJ100 practice in the past year -
AJ100 Client of the Year
Winner: The Olympic Delivery Authority - Nominated by the AJ100 practices, Client of the Year is awarded to an architectural client that has made the greatest contribution to UK architecture over the year -
AJ100 Clients' Choice Award
Winner: Wilkinson Eyre - We asked the clients: which practice have you worked with this year and would like to work with again or would like to work with in the future? -
AJ100 Employer of the Year
Winner: John Thompson & Partners - An award for the best employer in the AJ100, judged on staff satisfaction, workplace culture, benefits and staff turnover -
AJ100 Fastest Growing Practice
Winner: Eric Parry Architects - Awarded to the practice that increased its fee earnings and the number of qualified architects among its employees by the highest percentage. Eric Parry Architects was judged to have excelled on both counts -
AJ100 International Practice of the Year
Winner: Aukett Fitzroy Robinson - Judging for this award is based on key business data from the AJ100 survey, such as the practice’s percentage growth in fee earnings and the increase year-on-year in the number of architects it employs overseas -
AJ100 Key findings: salaries stagnates, redundancies drop, margins cut
Key findings from the AJ100 survey reveal practices have frozen pay and cut margins and fees in response to the economic downturn. However the AJ100 fee scale shows a slight rise in percentage fees for small-scale work, and a fall for large-scale jobs. -
AJ100 Practice of the Year
Winner: Paul Davis + Partners - This prestigious honour is awarded on the basis of employee satisfaction, business growth, design quality and fees per architect -
AJ100 Sustainable Practice of the Year
Winner: Paul Davis + Partners - This award is for a practice’s outstanding commitment to sustainable design, based on evidence of exemplar built work, research, commitment to building performance monitoring and other initiatives -
AJ100 Sustainable Practice of the Year
Winner: Paul Davis + Partners - This award is for a practice’s outstanding commitment to sustainable design, based on evidence of exemplar built work, research, commitment to building performance monitoring and other initiatives -
AJ100: Contribution to the Profession
Winner: David Chipperfield - Over 1,000 AJ100 employees were asked to nominate one person they thought should be recognised for his or her services to architecture - they chose David Chipperfield -
Alumasc Creates Green Space at Belfast Metropolitan College
Hydrotech MM6125 Structural Waterproofing and a ZinCo Green Roof system from Alumasc have been successfully used on the new £44 million campus of Belfast Metropolitan College. -
Amicus – The Quick Change Lighting Solution
New from lighting solutions provider Riegens is Amicus, a slim profile trunking system that can be used with any lamp or gear package to provide continuous row lighting without any dark areas. -
An ambitious plan to twin Tamworth and Los Angeles is put to the test
Ian Martin Road-tests the beta version of the iPad 5 -
An architect on prime-time TV could bring the profession more work
Who really represents the profession to the public? -
An encounter with a high streetist, and a bespoke mansion in the style of Dave
Ian Martin pitches Tamworth’s Plan for Retail Revival -
An interview with Jacques Herzog
Jacques Herzog talks to the AJ’s Rory Olcayto about war, pop-up buildings, fun park offices and why the focus on London is not good for the rest of the UK -
Apologies for absence
It was standing room only at the book launch of Architecture for Humanity founder Cameron Sinclair’s Design Like You Give a Damn 2 in Shoreditch, London, last week, which doubled up with Architecture for Humanity’s ‘Ideas on a postcard, please’ event -
Architect dealt two year ARB register ban
James Burrell has been suspended from the Architects’ Registration Board (ARB) register for two years having being found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct -
Architect needed for Oaklands College extension
[Expressions of interest must be completed by 11 June] County Offaly Vocational Committee is on the hunt for an architect to extend Ireland’s Oaklands Community College -
Architect sought for Oslo interior fit-out
[Requests to participate to be received by 2 July] The Research Council of Norway is seeking an architect to work on an interior fit-out project in Oslo -
Architects sought for Olympic Park legacy design panel
[The deadline for applications is 17.00 on 8 June] The London Legacy Development Corporation is on the hunt for architects for its quality review panel covering the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park -
Architecture Foundation and SCIBE launch Bromley-by-Bow contest
[Registration must be completed by 14 June] London’s Architecture Foundation and Scarcity and Creativity in the Built Environment (SCIBE) are looking to collaborate with design professionals in a two stage contest focusing on Bromley-by-Bow -
Architecture Foundation launches floating cinema design competition
[PQQ’s should be returned by 26 June] The Architecture Foundation and UP Projects are seeking practices to work on a floating cinema project in east London -
Arup Associates wins go-ahead for Broadgate arena revamp
Arup Associates has won planning permission to rework its centrepiece arena at the 1980s Broadgate office complex in the City of London -
Assemble unwraps Olympic fringe cinema
[First look] Assemble has completed this £14,000 independent cinema in a former factory close to the London Olympic Park -
Astudio completes BSF-backed school overhaul in East London
Work has completed on Astudio’s £17 million remodelling of Sir John Cass and Red Coat Church of England Secondary School, Stepney Way, in East London. -
Atkins opens new Qatar outpost
Atkins has opened a new office in Qatar after trebling its headcount in the country in 12 months -
Axter General Fix®
Unique anchoring device for PV amorphous modules, crystalline panels and other roof mounted equipment -
Bartlett crowned top UK architecture school
The UCL Bartlett School of Architecture has come first in a league table of UK architecture schools -
Bauhaus at the Barbican
Joseph Rykwert visits the lively new exhibition at the Barbican and is reminded of the fun and frolics of the Dessau school -
BCO chief Kauntze: ‘Don’t ignore the client’
Richard Kauntze, the British Council for Offices’ chief executive, on the Broadgate controversy, social workplaces and this year’s BCO conference -
BCO: when London came to Manchester
Richard Waite reviews the British Council for Offices’ Manchester conference, where the focus was on supporting regional growth in recession -
BDP bags £237m Alder Hey hospital job
[First look] A consortium, featuring BDP, has been selected to redevelop the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool -
BDP wins Shanghai business district job
BDP has won an international competition to design a new business district in Shanghai, China -
Be clear at the outset what basic services you will render and what will be additional
Legalese: It is good practicefor there to be a clear list of basic services and seperate lists for additional services says Mark Klimt -
Béton beauty
Why we chose a precast concrete prefabricated system for Hill Top House in Oxford. Photography by David Fisher -
BFI seeks architect for office revamp
[Expressions of interest must be returned by 6 June] The British Film Institute (BFI) in London is seeking an architect for the redevelopment of its 21 Stephen Street offices -
BIG reveals tower scheme for Seoul masterplan
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has joined the all-star team working on Daniel Libeskind’s Yongsan masterplan in Seoul -
BioRegional reclamation-led demolition workshop
Tightening the belt on construction waste requires close scrutiny from the outset -
BMJ completes Uni of Warwick double
Work has finished on BMJ Architects’ £4.2 million Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology (CMBC) for the University of Warwick -
Books Received - May 2012
This month’s new green books -
Bristol relaunches architecture centre
The Architecture Centre in Bristol has been relaunched following a major overhaul of its Harbourside home and the arrival of a new programme manager and centre head -
British homes lack basic storage, says RIBA
A new study shows people are unhappy with the amount of storage space in their homes, with some unable to find a place for the hoover -
British Passivhaus stars pipped at post in Bulgarian contest
The Cotswolds-based practice behind England’s first Passivhaus has received an honourable mention in a sustainable design contest in Bulgaria -
Broadway Malyan's South American dream takes shape
Broadway Malyan is seeking more work across South America after securing a masterplanning project in north-east Brazil -
Call for submissions: Open House London weekend 2012
[Deadline for inclusion 31 May] Architecture charity Open-City has invited architects to submit recently completed projects for inclusion in this year’s Open House London weekend. -
Call for submissions: RIBA London launches Architecture Open 2012
[Registration should be completed by 21 June] RIBA London is calling for submissions to its annual Architecture Open exhibition in the autumn -
Cameroon anti-Malaria retrofit housing contest opens
[Registration must be completed by 20 June] Architecture charity Archive has launched an international contest to retrofit 24 housing units in Cameroon to help reduce the transmission of Malaria -
Canada records 14% housing boom
A wave of condo building pushed Canadian housing starts up 14 per cent in April, figures have revealed -
Capita lands office scheme in 'buoyant' Nigeria
Capita Symonds has secured a large office scheme in Nigeria as the practice continues to progress in Africa -
Capita Symonds completes perspex-clad 'pocket' primary school
Capita Symonds’ £7.5 million St Silas Primary School in Blackburn, Lancashire, has opened its doors to pupils -
Carmody Groarke unwraps ‘The Filling Station’ in King’s Cross
Carmody Groarke has completed this project to transform a disused petrol station in King’s Cross into a temporary restaurant -
Cartoon Koolhaas
OMA’s Rem Koolhaas was the latest guest star to appear in Matt Groening’s The Simpsons last week (pictured), joining Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry in the list of architects to be thus honoured -
Cartwright Pickard completes Wakefield civic centre
Cartwright Pickard’s £19 million civic offices in Wakefield have been handed over to the local authority -
Cartwright Pickard lands Poplar job
A developer-led bid, featuring Cartwright Pickard Architects, has been chosen for the £100 million transformation of Chrisp Street in Poplar, east London -
Caruso St John scoops Liverpool Philharmonic contest
Caruso St John has seen off an impressive shortlist of theatre specialists to land the £10 million overhaul of Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall -
Caught green-handed
DSDHA’s Paradise Park Children’s Centre’s infamous green wall, which dried up in 2009, is green again – or at least, it’s been rendered green -
Changing places
Remember Jennifer Dixon? -
Charles and Ray Eames revealed in film
[Review] Eames: The Architect and The Painter reveals the story of the first couple of modern design through photographs, letters, archive footage and interviews -
Chelsea FC confirms Battersea bid
Chelsea FC has confirmed it will make a significant contribution to the Northern Line Extension as part of a plan to buy Battersea Power Station. -
Chelsea’s bid for Battersea ‘still on’
Plans to build a new home for Chelsea Football Club at Battersea Power Station remain on the cards, despite reports that a rival bidder is close to striking a deal for the site -
Chipperfield demands social housing shake-up
David Chipperfield has called for a radical shake-up of how the United Kingdom delivers its social housing. -
Chipperfield victorious in Reims arts museum contest
[First look] David Chipperfield Architects has won a competition to design the Musée des Beaux-arts in Reims, France -
Christine Murray introduces the AJ100 for 2012
The AJ100 has proved remarkably hardy and nimble. Congrats to members and winners -
Cisterns analysis
Under glorious sun, the opening of Mark Power’s ‘Jubiloo’ on London’s Southbank was the perfect opportunity to kick-start the season with a momentous first Pimm’s of the summer -
Cities say 'no' to Cameron's plans for elected mayors
Prime Minister David Cameron’s hopes for a ‘Boris in every city’ were dashed last week after nine out of 11 cities rejected having a directly elected mayor -
City University seeks architect for Sebastian Street new build
[Expressions of interest to be received by 4 July] London’s City University is seeking expressions of interest from architects for a new educational building on its Sebastian Street site -
Clerkenwell hosts Italian Chair Designs
The Norman crypt at the Order of St John has been decked out with 12 concept chairs from Fabrica for Clerkenwell Design Week -
Close call for UK teams in charity contest
A trio of British teams has narrowly missed out in the global contest to design and build a modular school for Burmese refugees in Thailand -
Competition reveals hidden side of Clerkenwell
The winner of the Hidden Clerkenwell photo competition has been revealed -
Competitions: Editor's Pick, 03.05.12
Redesigning Venice’s housing, a touring structure for Retina Dance Company and the Open up contest. The editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Competitions: Editor's Pick, 07.06.12
The Groucho Club, London’s City University and Pembrokeshire College. The editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Competitions: Editor's Pick, 10.05.12
Israel’s ZeZeZe gallery, Knole House and Dunoon Burgh Hall. The editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Competitions: Editor's Pick, 17.05.12
Elgin’s Grant Lodge, sanitation in India and the Architecture Open. The editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Competitions: Editor's Pick, 24.05.12
Open House London, a floating cinema and the RIBA’s photography contest. The editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Competitions: Editor's Pick, 31.05.12
London’s Southbank Centre, the British Film Institute and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Conran and Partners wins approval for Walthamstow Dogs housing scheme
Conran and Partners has won planning approval for a contentious £50 million housing-led overhaul of Walthamstow stadium in east London -
Coventry seeks design team for £4.6m schools extensions
[Requests to participate to be returned by 29 June] Coventry City Council is on the hunt for an architect-led design team for the design and contract management of two proposed school extensions -
CPD: Approved Document L2A
The full title of this CPD is ‘Building Regulations Part L 2010: thermal, solar and air permeability requirements for windows, doors and curtain walling - specialist unit for new build, non-dwellings’, and it is sponsored by Sapa Building System -
Crash feared as Hong Kong market overheats
House prices in Hong Kong could drop sharply, surveyors have warned. -
Creative Connections with Tessera Circulate from Forbo Flooring
Cleverly combining sharp geometric lines with softer contrasting organic curves, new Tessera Circulate from Forbo demonstrates a fresh approach to random lay batchless carpet tile design. -
Creative Connections with Tessera Circulate from Forbo Flooring
Cleverly combining sharp geometric lines with softer contrasting organic curves, new Tessera Circulate from Forbo demonstrates a fresh approach to random lay batchless carpet tile design -
David Lock bags Oxford masterplanning job
David Lock Associates (DLA) has been commissioned by Oxford City Council to masterplan the Oxpens district of the city -
DC CABE praises ‘dramatic’ Chipperfield Waterloo
DC CABE has given its backing to David Chipperfield Architects’ £600 million redevelopment of Elizabeth House near Waterloo Station, London -
Design team sought for Elgin's Grant Lodge
[Tenders must be returned by 19 June] Moray Council is looking for a design team to work on the £2.9 million restoration of Grant Lodge (pictured) in Elgin’s Cooper Park, which is to become part of a new heritage trail -
Design Week: How was it for you?
On the last day of Clerkenwell Design Week, the AJ visits designers at the House of Detention, formerly a Victorian underground prison and now a key hub of the festival, to find out if the week was a success -
Designing the Future
A symposium hosted by Manchester School of Architecture reflects upon urbanism and industry, writes Steve Parnell -
Digital edition: AJ Specification, April 2012
Kitchens & Bathrooms -
Digital edition: AJ Specification, May 2012
Timber -
Digital edition: AJ03.05.12
The Architects’ Journal | 03.05.12 | Number 16 | Volume 235 | Kisho Kurokawa / Garbers & James / Adrian James Architects -
Digital edition: AJ10.05.12
The Architects’ Journal | 10.05.12 | Number 17 | Volume 235 | Rykwert on Bauhaus | Hackett Hall McKnight | 10 Design and Buro Happold -
Digital edition: AJ17.05.12
The Architects’ Journal | 17.05.12 | Number 18 | Volume 235 | AJ100 -
Digital edition: AJ24.05.12
The Architects’ Journal | 24.05.12 | Number 19 | Volume 235 | Future Systems | BFLS -
Digital edition: AJ31.05.12
The Architects’ Journal | 24.05.12 | Number 20 | Volume 235 | Grimshaw | Wilkinson Eyre | Feilden Clegg Bradley | Squire and Partners -
DMFK wins backing for controversial Thierry Henry home
DMFK Architects’ has won planning approval for a contentious proposal to flatten and replace a 13-year-old house designed by MJP founder Richard MacCormac -
Dumbing up the Shard
Overly dramatic music, a constant bombardment of stats and a repetitive narrative (we get it, it’s dangerous to work in high winds) managed to drain any interest from Renzo Piano’s Shard in Channel 4’s much-hyped The Tallest Tower documentary last week -
Dunoon Burgh Hall conversion, Scotland
[PQQs must be returned by 14 May] The Dunoon Burgh Hall Trust is looking to appoint a design team to progress the 1874 Grade B-listed hall’s conversion to an arts venue. -
Eastanbul, Westanbul or just Istanbul? If you’re looking to work there, engage with it like locals
Black Box: Opportunities in Istanbul for British architects and urban designers are huge -
Ecological materials contest launched
[Registration must be completed by 31 July] The Regional Council of Picardie and the Free State of Thuringia have jointly launched an international competition to develop the use of renewable and ecological materials -
Ecophon - Sound style
Ecophon, part of leading international materials company Saint-Gobain, has launched a new range of sound-absorbing wall panels featuring striking digital designs. -
Ecophon - The best acoustic ceiling for schools is now ‘kid-proof’
A brand new acoustic ceiling system specifically designed for schools has been launched by Ecophon. Master™ Rigid sets a new benchmark for performance and durability and has been designed with demanding classroom environments in mind. -
Egghead: Hodder on the telly
Following his victory in the one-horse race to become the next RIBA president, Stephen Hodder has again experienced the unrelenting spotlight of publicity and the pressures of true ‘fame’ -
Elips adds stairway slide and secret doors to house revamp
[First look] AJ Small Projects Award shortlisted-practice Elips Design has completed this refurbishment and extension of a three storey house in East Finchley, north London -
Engineering Environmental Architecture at Bath
Leading practitioners share their journeys -
ESA bags planning for Oxford Street scheme
[First look + project data] ESA Architects has won planning permission for this mixed-use project on London’s busiest shopping thoroughfare -
Euro 2012 kicks off Polish boom time
UK architects have hailed a mini-boom in Poland as it gears up to co-host this summer’s European Football Championships -
Exclusive: sketches of Chelsea's plans for Battersea
The AJ can reveal early concept sketches by KPF for the proposed conversion of Giles Gilbert Scott’s abandoned Battersea Power Station into a 60,000-seat stadium for Chelsea FC. -
Fantastic Factology meanders through Olympic Park
Local artists and designers complete landscape project as part of the Olympic Delivery Authority’s Arts and Culture Strategy -
Farrell draws up fresh plans for Mount Pleasant
Terry Farrell and Partners is working on the latest masterplan to redevelop Royal Mail’s Mount Pleasant site in Clerkenwell, London -
FCBS scoops planning for Bath school
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios has won planning permission for a new junior base for The Royal High School in Bath -
FCBS’ Shrewsbury Flax Mill scheme bags lottery funding
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios’ (FCBS) £52 million Ditherington Flax Mill Maltings redevelopment in Shrewsbury has won Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) backing -
Finalists in Manchester Corridor contest revealed
The shortlisted schemes in the competition to revamp two ‘gateway sites’ on Manchester’s Oxford Road have gone on public display -
First Look: David Morley Architects opens doors to Olympic Water Polo Arena
David Morley Architects’ London 2012 Water Polo Arena opened its doors to the public for the first time last week -
FIRST LOOK: PTEa's Highbury Quadrant housing
Footprint tours Pollard Thomas Edwards architects (PTEa) new EPC-A rated housing development in Stoke Newington -
Five chase Clapham Junction revamp
Hawkins\Brown, AHMM, BDP, Terry Farrell and Wilkinson Eyre have been shortlisted to look at resurrecting the multi-million pound redevelopment of Clapham Junction in south-west London -
Five months of US growth ends with April fall
US architecture workloads fell last month, dampening hopes of a recovery. -
FootprintWire 01.06.12
Today’s green news: CIWEM launch Environmental Photographer of the Year competition -
FootprintWire 14.5.12
Today’s green news: ‘Carbon-neutral’ chocolate sails to the UK -
FootprintWire 15.5.12
Today’s green news: ‘Bamboo masonry’ stand at Vietnam Architecture Exhibition 2012 in Hanoi in April -
FootprintWire 17.5.12
Today’s green news: Maya Lin raises awareness about the mass extinction of species with interactive map -
FootprintWire 18.5.12
Today’s Green News: Fabrikaat construct new habitats for endangered birds in standard brick wall -
FootprintWire 21.5.12
Today’s green news: annular solar eclipse visible from the earth’s northern hemisphere -
FootprintWire 22.5.12
Today’s green news: Epiphany creates interactive UK Energy Consumption Guide -
FootprintWire 23.5.12
Today’s green news: Architecture Sans Frontières – UK ‘urban green’ receive silver award in RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2012 Environmental Awards -
FootprintWire 24.5.12
Today’s green news: NRDC launch ‘killer summer heat’ report, showing projected death toll due to climate change -
FootprintWire 25.5.12
Today’s green news: Scientific American graphic portrays global water usage -
FootprintWire 28.5.12
Today’s green news: 56 years’ worth of tornadoes on a map -
FootprintWire 29.5.12
Today’s green news: Town and Country Planning Association proposes transforming Heathrow into a garden city -
FootprintWire 30.5.12
Today’s green news: A ‘Supergrid’ of the future could supply energy to the UK from abroad -
FootprintWire 31.5.12
Today’s green news: Bristol’s Architecture Foundation launches Bristol Retrofit City exhibition -
FootprintWire 4.5.12
Today’s green news: Time-lapse video of disappearing Alaskan glacier -
FootprintWire 6.6.12
Today’s green news: Infographic comparing carbon footprint by nation and per capita -
FootprintWire 8.5.12
Today’s green news: Norwegian practice stein hamre arkitektkontor design hydraulic power stations -
Foster + Partners tops the AJ100
Foster + Partners has topped the AJ100 league table for the first time since the annual survey began in 1995 -
Fosters gets go ahead for Imperial War Museum plans
Foster + Partners has won planning approval for the first phase of its planned £71 million overhaul of the Imperial War Museum in London -
French housing output drops again
The number of French housing starts has fallen to a 10-month low, official figures have revealed -
Fresh heritage legislation unveiled
Plans to make the UK heritage system easier to use have been revealed in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill -
From the High Line to the AIA convention, the US is beginning to think green
The month of May has been full of high points -
Gates foundation seeks sanitation proposals for India
[Entries should be received by 20 May] The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has launched a design contest to improve sanitation in India’s slums -
Gianni Botsford reveals Taiwan chapel plans
[First look + plans] Gianni Botsford Architects has revealed plans for this chapel in the Jianglang Mountain area of Taiwan -
GKD - Lively outlook in Singapore
Observation tower made from stainless steel mesh as visual highlight of a revitalisation initiative -
'Go to Canada now!', says Ingenium supremo
UK architects have been urged to make the most of the Canadian market while it remains strong. -
Gove names 261 schools picked for £2bn Priority Schools Building Programme
A total of 261 schools, from 587 applicants, will be rebuilt, or have their ‘condition needs met’ under the £2bn Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP) -
Government hints at huge state-funded housing and infrastructure drive
Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has revealed the government is planning a ‘massive’ state-funded housing and infrastructure drive -
Great ruins such as Brighton’s West Pier and Battersea Power Station deserve a future
Does our obsession with the past and period architecture obscure our view of the future? -
Green light for Russell Jones' country home
[Project data + plans] Russell Jones Architects has finally won the go-ahead for this £575,000 home in the Brecon Beacon National Park, Wales -
'Green Premium' and 'Brown Discount' – do they exist?
Sustainablity and value debated at the BCO Conference 2012 -
Grimshaw scoops Tirana boulevard contest
Grimshaw has beaten fellow finalist, Dubai-based studio DAR, to win the competition to masterplan the central boulevard of Albania’s capital, Tirana. -
Groucho Club bike stand contest launched
[Proposals to be received by 18 June] The Aerogenerator Project in association with Grimshaw and the Groucho Club have launched an open contest to design a bicycle stand for the famous London venue -
Grundtvig’s Church, probably the best brick building in the world
Black Box: Which building would have won a Brick Award in 1940? -
Hattie Hartman: London 2012 book launch
AJ’s Sustainability Editor launches book at RIBA event -
Hodder in one horse race for RIBA presidency
Stephen Hodder could be appointed the next RIBA president, without an election, if no other candidates enter the race before 5pm today -
Hopkins wins Broadgate estate overhaul contest
The AJ can reveal that Hopkins has been asked to look at the next stage of the overhaul of the 1980s Broadgate office complex in the City of London -
How to make an Olympic Torch
An exhibition on the making of the 2012 Olympic Torch is being held at Vitra’s showroom throughout Clerkenwell Design Week -
Hunt, Murdoch… at least there’s the British Construction Industry Awards to look forward to
Paul Finch’s Letter from London: As culture secretary is discovering, blaming other people leads to the question of who appointed them -
I reach out to the international merging community, with limited success
Ian Martin re-architecturalises the Coalition’s policy narrative -
Ian Harrabin: 'Riding the perfect storm'
Ian Harrabin, managing director of Complex Development Projects, talks about what he wants from architects and describes the state of play with large urban regeneration schemes -
Ian Ritchie's Fitzrovia science centre to start on site
[First look] Ian Ritchie Architects’ £70 million Sainsbury Wellcome Centre at University College London will start on site later this month following the signing of contracts with Kier Construction -
In pictures: Ai Weiwei and Herzog & de Meuron complete Serpentine Pavilion
The Serpentine Gallery’s 2012 pavilion designed by Herzog & de Meuron and dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has been unveiled in London -
In pictures: AJ100 Awards Dinner
What the architects from the profession’s top 100 practices are saying at the AJ100 Awards Dinner -
In pictures: Architects celebrate World Architecture Festival in Clerkenwell
Architects celebrated the launch of the World Architecture Festival (WAF) at the Figueras showroom last week -
In pictures: West 8 completes Jubilee Gardens revamp
[First look] Rotterdam-based West 8’s £5 million long-running overhaul of London’s Jubilee Gardens has finally opened to the public -
Industry warms to Johnson’s mayoral win
London Boris Johnson’s re-election has received a muted welcome by the profession, in particular the stability it will give to developers and the London Plan -
Infinity Loop bridge
How Buro Happold and 10 Design used two steel parabolic arches to create a vivid landmark for the Shizimen bridge -
Interview: Herzog & de Meuron on why the Serpentine Pavilion is going underground for 2012
The Pritzker Prize-winning duo tell Rory Olcayto why they chose to uncover the foundations of former Serpentine pavilions for their own collaboration with Ai Weiwei this year -
Israeli exhibition design contest launched
[Early registration should be completed by 13 May] Israel’s ZeZeZe Architecture Gallery in Tel Aviv (pictured) has launched a contest to design an architectural exhibition to open in October -
It’s not all happening in Bradford
Bradford’s ‘big hole’ has been a long running embarrassment for the west Yorkshire city -
Jacques Herzog on designing the 2012 Serpentine Pavilion
The full transcript of the interview between the AJ’s Rory Olcayto and Jacques Herzog, the co-designer of this year’s Serpentine Pavilion -
James Pellatt: ‘The end of the office? The reverse is true'
James Pellatt, head of projects at Great Portland Estates, on why he thinks predictions of the death of the office are wide of the mark -
'Jan just liked to draw'
Jan Kaplicky’s last building, the Ferrari Museum in Modena, marks the end of good old fashioned Futurism, writes Jay Merrick -
Jerome Geoghegan: 'We house a family in London every 15 minutes'
Jerome Geoghegan, group director of development and sales, London & Quadrant Housing Trust (L&Q) talks about durable design and not making assumptions about your clients -
Jestico + Whiles bags graphene centre jackpot
Jestico + Whiles has been appointed to design the new £35million Innovation Hub for new super-material graphene at the University of Manchester -
Jestico + Whiles wins funding for Grade-I Pitzhanger Manor overhaul
A team led by Jestico + Whiles and including conservation architects Julian Harrap Architects, has secured Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) support to remodel Pitzhanger Manor House - a Grade-I listed building designed by Sir John Soane -
Just two weeks to go: Developers and architects set sights on BCO conference in Manchester
A raft of high-profile developers and architects will be heading to Manchester for the British Council for Offices conference later this month -
Kapoor and Balmond's Orbit welcomes first guests
Britain’s tallest sculpture, the ArcelorMittal Orbit welcomed its first guests on 11 May, 2012 writes Felix Mara -
Kensington and Chelsea rolls out cultural placemaking strategy
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London has vowed to place culture and creative industries at the forefront of future development in the borough -
KONE sustainability diary: People Flow days
[Sponsored post] Michael Williams, managing director of KONE Great Britain explains why the firm’s People Flow ethos plays such a critical role in its continued delivery of sustainable, cutting edge technology to the 21st-century urban marketplace -
KPF, Patel Taylor and Grid land Shell Centre jackpot
The AJ can reveal that Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF), Patel Taylor and Grid Architects have been appointed to work on Squire and Partners’ masterplan for the redevelopment of the Shell Centre on London’s South Bank -
Lancaster University tenders design services framework
[Requests to participate must be made by 17 May] Lancaster University is seeking architects’ consultancy services for its new design service framework -
Land in sight for RSHP's 02 skywalk
Work is nearing completion on Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners’ new roof walk over the Millennium Dome – now the 02 -
Latest figures shows continued boom in New Zealand housing
The New Zealand housing market has seen its best month since the global downturn began -
Launched: AJ Retrofit Awards
AJ team up with Arup, ISG and ZBP to launch annual Retrofit Awards -
Launched: Bristol Retrofit City exhibition
The Bristol Retrofit City exhibition is the fifth edition of Spring Green and marks the relaunch of Bristol’s Architecture Centre -
Listing to one side
The London Southbank Centre’s high-spirited Festival of the World kicked off last week in a disused space beneath the Queen Elizabeth Hall -
Lochside viewing platform shortlist revealed
Five contenders remain of the 31 small and emerging Scottish practices which entered the competition to build a viewpoint at Larbert Loch -
Long & Kentish takes student residence job
Long & Kentish has won the invited contest to design a 50-room student residency for Green Templeton College in Oxford -
Long-life domes
New research by the Université Paris-Sud has found that architecturally monikered super-substance Buckminsterfullerene, when combined with olive oil, doubled the lifespan of rats -
Louise Harrison: ‘Judges love hand-drawing’
Louise Harrison, of new architecture ‘dating agency’ designed2win, defends the competition process and the dangers of ignoring the rules -
Major contest launched for Greek museum
A major competition has been launched to find an architect for a museum and public spaces at Athens’ largest port -
Make replaces PLP on Rathbone Place
Make has replaced PLP on the high-profile redevelopment of Royal Mail’s Rathbone Place depot in central London -
Mark Power unveils South Bank 'Jubiloo'
[First look + plans] Mark Power Architects has completed ‘The Jubiloo’ - a public WC on London’s South Bank -
Markus Jatsch reveals Abu Dhabi beachfront plans
Emerging London-based practice Markus Jatsch Partners has bagged a deal to rejuvenate 4km of beachfront in Abu Dhabi -
'Melting point': £2bn Priority Schools programme faces further delays
The already long-overdue Priority Schools programme has been hit with more delays, it emerged this week -
Michael Sandel and the moral limits of markets
[THIS WEEK] Sandel is a must-read for those unesy with market forces -
Middlesex University design framework up for grabs
[Expressions of interest must be returned by 14 June] Middlesex University is looking for architects to provide it with consultancy services over the next five years -
MJP wins planning for west London hostel
MJP Architects has won the go-ahead for this new hostel for LHA London, in Harrow Road near Paddington, west London -
National Museums Scotland seeks Chambers Street masterplanner
[Requests to participate to be received by 4 June] National Museums Scotland is looking to appoint a design team to support its phase three masterplan in Chambers Street, Edinburgh -
National Trust seeks architect for Knole House studios
[Expressions of interest should be received by 22 May] The National Trust is on the hunt for an architect to convert a medieval barn as part of its ‘Inspired by Knole’ project in Kent -
New high-yield rice HQ revealed by Broadway Malyan
Broadway Malyan is to design a series of buildings for a rice production firm on a 35-acre site in southern China -
New images of Steven Holl's Maggie's Centres unveiled
Cancer care charity Maggie’s Centres has released new visuals of Steven Holl Architects’ proposals for a new centre at Barts and the London NHS Trust -
New Member of the Year
Winner: Zaha Hadid Architects - Practices that have entered the AJ100 for the first time, or after five years’ absence, are eligible for the New Member of the Year Award, based on business success and the quality of the practice’s work -
New practice: Enjoy Design
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: Jim Duffy 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: Kamvari 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: Peter Morris 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: Sasanbell
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 practices: March & White
The latest in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone either through choice or redundancy -
Nex and Dan Brill among finalists for Littlehampton seafront stage
AJ Small Projects Sustainability Award-winner NEX architecture and up-and-coming outfit Dan Brill have been named on a six-strong shortlist to design a seafront shelter and performance space in Littlehampton -
Nicely wrapped up
If you thought the Olympic Games masterminds couldn’t push sustainability any further, think again -
NORD scoops Wienerberger Brick Award prize
Glasgow-based NORD Architecture has picked up the ‘Non-Residential Building’ prize for its Olympic Park substation at the fifth Wienerberger Brick Awards announced last week in Vienna -
Ollier Smurthwaite unwraps 'seamless' add-on to Victorian semi
Emerging outfit Ollier Smurthwaite has completed this £80,000 brick and glass addition to a Victorian semi-detached house in Chorlton, Manchester -
Olympic stadium bidding process delayed until after Games
The bidding process for the contract to convert London’s Olympic Stadium following the 2012 Games has been extended, after problems emerged with the original tender invitation -
OMA unwraps seven-screen pavilion in Cannes
[First look + plans] OMA has created this raised pyramid structure containing a seven-screen cinema at the Cannes Film Festival -
ORMS launches smartphone photo contest
[Entries must be received by 20 May] ORMS has launched a competition seeking to capture the hidden side of Clerkenwell with images taken from smartphones -
Overseas earnings up for AJ100 companies
This year’s survey shows practices are increasingly running international projects from UK offices, as overseas earnings rise to £86.9 million despite a decline in the number of architects employed abroad -
Pattern recognition is central to what architects do, as the Topkapi Scroll shows
Black Box: Copying patterns is what architects do for a living -
Pembrokeshire College seeks architect for masterplan delivery
[Completed PQQs are due by 13 June] Pembrokeshire College in South-west Wales is on the hunt for an architect to deliver the fourth and fifth phases of a £30 million masterplan -
Picture imperfect
Losing O’Donnell +Tuomey so early in the process has left the Photographers’ Gallery feeling architecturally light. Photography by Anthony Coleman -
Planning portal - A war of attrition and gentle persuasion eventually gets things done
As long as you rigorously meet the rulebook, most applications will get planning consent, writes Matthew Lloyd -
Platform 5 scoops planning for Hertfordshire house
Platform 5 Architects has won permission for this new scheme to replace a house destroyed by the Buncefield oil depot explosion in December 2005 -
PLP’s Blackfriars redevelopment plans revealed
Images showing PLP Architecture’s project to redevelop Sampson House and Ludgate House near London’s Blackfriars Bridge have been unveiled -
Practice of the Year: Regions
Practices are awarded based on the survey responses of more than 1,000 AJ100 employees, who were asked about where they would most like to work, staff satisfaction, benefits, salaries and HR achievements -
Practices must review aggregate material usage in light of new European standards
The Regs: Geoff Wilkinson discusses hardcore -
Pride of place
Good to see two giants of the development world recalling design decisions as well as planning battles at the Urban Land Institute conference in Canary Wharf last week -
Pringle Brandon Drew reveals Shoreditch tower scheme
[First look] Pringle Brandon Drew has unveiled proposals for a 39-storey mixed-use skyscraper in Shoreditch, east London -
Pringle Brandon set to merge with Perkins+Will
Under the deal which is expected to be signed in the coming weeks the company will be rebranded Pringle Brandon Perkins+Will and become the US firm’s main London office -
Project case studies about diffused daylighting
Kalwall project case studies are now a feature on the website. The first ones give architects the chance to see how Kalwall solved the problem - new or retrofit, cladding or roofing - and learn what the architect had to say. These feature a new health centre and interesting warehouse plus two refurbishments, one a public swimming pool and the other a failed pyramid roof. READ MORE > -
Project case studies about diffused daylighting
Kalwall project case studies are now a feature on the website. The first ones give architects the chance to see how Kalwall solved the problem - new or retrofit, cladding or roofing - and learn what the architect had to say. These feature a new health centre and interesting warehouse plus two refurbishments, one a public swimming pool and the other a failed pyramid roof. -
Quicker by rail?
Architects seeking the go-ahead for speedy demolitions beware -
RA judges fall for ‘model in a book’
An ‘exquisite’ laser-cut model by Ben Cowd, Thomas Hopkins and Sara Shafiei has won the £10,000 Architecture Prize at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, sponsored by Lend Lease and supported by the AJ -
Reaction: Liverpool's first elected mayor splits opinion
The election of Labour’s Joe Anderson as Liverpool’s first directly elected mayor has been met with a mixed reaction from the profession -
Reader Offer - UK-GBC's Delivering Sustainable Temporary Venues
Win one of five free tickets for this UK-GBC London 2012 Learning Legacy event -
Reader Offer: Soft Landings Level 1 - new training course
25% offer for all AJ readers -
Recycled steel
So much has been written about the like-it or vehemently loathe-it ArcelorMittal Orbit in the Olympic Park -
Registrations of social housing fall year on year
Social housing registrations are down 49 per cent, compared with last year, according to the National House Building Council -
Renzo Piano beats OMA and Herzog & de Meuron for Selfridges project
Renzo Piano Workshop has won the contest to design the new extension to Selfridges’ flagship store in London -
Reporting from Milan Furniture Fair
Fringe events throughout the city beat the official Milan Furniture Fair for new designers keen to make their mark, but the centre of these activities changes from year to year, writes Rakesh Ramchurn -
Retrofit Awards deadline extended to 31 May
The deadline for the AJ’s annual Retrofit Awards, championing the best in the creative re-use of buildings and construction, has been extended -
Revealed: Adjaye's designs for Liverpool Biennial pavilion
Architect David Adjaye has unveiled the first image of a proposed pop-up pavilion as part of this year’s Liverpool Biennial -
Revealed: Hackney City Farm’s pick of the shop crop
Hackney City Farm in London has announced the winner of its competition to design a new shop and information point -
Revealed: Heatherwick and Foster's Shanghai Bund Finance Centre
The AJ can reveal the first images of Thomas Heatherwick and Foster + Partners’ huge 420,000m2 Shanghai Bund International Financial Centre in China -
Revealed: shortlisted schemes in Peabody's Newham contest
Five design teams have been shortlisted to develop proposals for 150 homes in Newham, east London -
RIAS' all-male list shows either laziness or ignorance. Either way, it’s time for change
The professional body for architects in Scotland must try harder to represent its constituency -
RIAS convention failed to grasp reality
Though big names joined the RIAS for its international conference (10-12 May), the gathering struggled to confront the impact of austerity on the profession, says Penny Lewis -
RIBA announces global membership growth strategy at AIA convention
The RIBA spelled out its strategy for international expansion at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) convention in Washington, DC last month -
RIBA London completes bandstand for Southbank’s Festival of the World
A bandstand designed and built by students with the support of RIBA London has been unveiled at the Southbank Centre in London -
RIBA opens 'Architecture 2012' photography contest
[Entries should be received by the extended deadline 8 June] The RIBA has launched a new ‘Architecture 2012’ photography competition -
RIBA report reveals shocking cost of bidding on Official Journal tenders
Public procurement processes are costing UK architectural practices £40 million a year, according to a ground-breaking survey by the RIBA -
RIBA shoots down conflict fears over NBS-Aecom deal
RIBA Enterprises has refuted claims a new alliance between the National Building Specification (NBS) and Aecom will result in a commercial conflict with members -
RIBA unwraps new BIM guidance
The RIBA has revealed its building information modelling (BIM) overlay to the Plan of Work -
Rights to light cast a long shadow, but insurance can protect against disputes
Planning portal: Compensation claims have soared as a result of the uncertainty that surrounds rights to light -
RMJM in battle to take Sizewell project forward
Original architect RMJM may miss out on further development of the Sizewell nuclear plant after French energy company EDF launched a search for a new lead architect on the scheme. -
Russian property to remain above pre-crash levels
Property investment in Russia is expected to remain above pre-economic crisis levels in 2012, according to new research -
Salford University postpones decision on £32m arts scheme
The contract award for a £32 million Salford University arts block has been delayed, sources have told AJ’s sister title Construction News (CN) -
Sasanbell reveals plans for riverside hotel in Glasgow
Emerging practice Sasanbell Architects has submitted plans for this 12-storey hotel on the site of the historic Custom House in Clyde Street, Glasgow -
Scotland consults on architecture policy
The Scottish government is launching an ‘open dialogue’ consultation on its new architecture policy -
Scottish Venice Architecture Biennale line-up revealed
Glaswegian outfits Do Architecture, GRAS design studio, Stone Opera and Pidgin Perfect have been chosen to represent Scotland at this summer’s Venice Architecture Biennale -
Sea Containers House gets large-scale Royal visit
A giant photograph of the Royal Family has been displayed on Warren Platner Associates’ 1978 Sea Containers House in London -
Serpentine Pavilion architects take on Art Basel 'pop-up'
Herzog & de Meuron has designed a temporary pavilion in Basel, Switzerland, to showcase art belonging to the Schaulager institution -
Seth Stein finishes Jewish cemetery restoration
Seth Stein Architects has completed this restoration of an 18th century Jewish cemetery in the heart of the Mile End campus of Queen Mary, University of London. -
Shapps launches £30m self-build fund
Housing minister Grant Shapps has floated a £30 million fund to provide short-term finance for self-build projects -
Shell Centre masterplan revealed
The first image showing early plans for the redevelopment of London’s iconic Shell Centre has been revealed -
Shuttleworth plot afoot
Ken Shuttleworth’s proposals for a huge, silver-clad block at Broadgate, which was likened to a behemothesque Bakelite radio, caused something of an uproar last year -
Silent night
NORD’s Olympic Substation won the Non-Residential Building category at Wienerberger’s Brick Awards last week, with founder Alan Pert in Vienna to pick up the gong -
Singapore port authority launches ideas contest
[Registration must be completed by 31 July] The Port Authority of Singapore has launched an ideas contest to devise the next generation of container port -
Small firms in Olympic legacy bidding
Muf architecture/art and Karakusevic Carson among the smaller practices linked with major house builders in Chobham Manor tender race -
So Long, farewell
A toast to M J Long, of Long & Kentish, has just retired as chair of design review at DC CABE -
Solar Tree by Ross Lovegrove
Ross Lovegrove has teamed up with Artemide to create Solar Tree, a new sustainable street light in Clerkenwell’s St John’s Square -
Sound resolution
BFLS and Arup skilfully tackled tricky questions of acoustic design in their extension to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama -
Southbank Centre seeks architect for revamp
[Deadline for tenders 6 June] London’s Southbank Centre is on the hunt for a lead architect to revamp the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Hayward Gallery -
Space Group completes south London mixed-use scheme
Space Group Architects has completed this 400m² mixed-use scheme in Vauxhall Bridge Road, London -
Spanish property market slump continues
Spanish mortgage approval rates have fallen to their lowest point since the global economic crisis began -
Spectral sharpens its BLADE with new LED version
The new acoustic BLADE range from Spectral is a combined luminaire and acoustic panel for the modern office or educational buildings with concrete interiors -
Spratley nets planning for rural home
[Project data + plans] Spratley Studios has won the green light for this £750,000 home in a ‘sensitive rural location’ near Henley-on-Thames -
Stanton Williams lands spot on Shell Centre line-up
Stanton Williams has been appointed to work on the high-profile redevelopment of London’s iconic Shell Centre -
Stephen Hodder named next RIBA president
Stephen Hodder will succeed Angela Brady as the next RIBA president without any election after no other candidate decided to stand against him -
Stout effort
Ever fancied downing a pint of the black stuff at the bottom of the sea? -
Student skyscraper contest launched
The US Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat is running a contest to shed new light on the value of skyscrapers in the modern world -
Studio Weave reveals 'giant goalpost' replacement
Studio Weave has drawn up new plans to replace the ditched ‘giant goalposts’ in Aldgate, east London -
Successful photomontages by Foundation CGI
A successful photomontage needs careful consideration from the start. Some frequently asked questions: -
Sun and substance
A remarkable mansard roof comprising 130 solar PV panels caps Squire and Partners’ prestigious mixed-use development at 5 Hanover Square -
Taking the heat out
Through skilful planning, Feilden Clegg Bradley has created a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ Modernist block that avoids the pitfalls of its type -
Terry Farrell reveals succession plans
Terry Farrell has unveiled three new partners and a new structure for his AJ100-ranked practice -
The Apprentice's Gabrielle Omar: 'Architects need a brand overhaul’
As the first architect to appear on The Apprentice, the newly fired Gabrielle Omar says the profession is in desperate need of a redesign -
The concrete cat
Garbers & James’ faithful interpretation of Kisho Kurokawa’s Maggie’s Centre makes clever use of space. Photography by Paul Riddle -
The Cutty Sark afloat
Grimshaw’s masterstroke was to lift the clipper off its dry dock floor, creating an astounding and functional basement space -
The Diary of an Anonymous Architect #10
The latest in an ongoing series about the day-to-day travails of an experienced and embattled practitioner. This week: the president -
The infinite possibilities of Metropolis 3000 and the importance of harvesting ‘sunfall’
Ian Martin converts smartphones into a trope scanners -
The name of the game may have changed, but it’s still musical chairs for space-parcellists
Ian Martin redefines the London property development game -
The need to ‘design in’ sustainability is a recurring theme of Open-City’s global network
The need for sustainability in building is now a given, but sometimes hard to define -
The overpowering fragrance of this year’s Serpentine Pavilion was the talk of the town
Christine Murray visits this year’s Serpentine Pavilion -
Theatre of light
A semi-abstract basalt tower that soars over Belfast: Hackett Hall McKnight’s MAC is a one-off. Photography by Christian Richters -
Treasure chest: The Mary Rose's final resting place
Wilkinson Eyre Architects and Pringle Brandon’s museum will set the Mary Rose in a highly tailored jewellery box -
Two iconic 1960s petrol stations listed
Heritage minister John Penrose has given Grade II-listing to two petrol stations, recognised as ‘rare reminders’ of the UK’s motoring past -
UCL/Lancet Report on Healthy Cities launched
Better urban planning needed to improve health of city-dwellers -
UK Passivhaus conference calls for abstracts
Apply to present at the Passivhaus Trust’s November conference by May 31 -
Union Terrace Gardens faces new threat
Aberdeen’s newly elected council is threatening to pull the rug from under Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s £140 million competition-winning Union Terrace Gardens redevelopment scheme -
University College Dublin seeks campus design team
[Requests to participate to be returned by 2 July] University College Dublin is on the hunt for an architect-led design team to provide services for their Newman Joyce Precinct and similar campus facilities -
Very like a whale
Visitors to the Cutty Sark, which re-opened last week, expressed curiosity, and in one case anxiety for personal safety, about the decision to reveal the underside of the Victorian tea clipper by supporting it off the sides of its pseudo-dry dock setting -
WAF 2011 Awards shortlist announced
The 284-strong shortlist of projects competing for prizes at this year’s World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards has been unveiled -
WAF 2012 Judges
Meet the judges for the World Architecture Festival 2012 -
Walters & Cohen finishes Horniman pavilion
Joint AJ Woman of the Year prize winners Cindy Walters and Michál Cohen have completed this garden pavilion as part of the Horniman Museum’s £2.3 million revamp of its gardens -
Wang Shu’s influence as the antithesis of China’s rush to urbanisation is greater than his output
Paul Finch’s Letter from London: Wang Shu rejected the idea that China had to keep building at its current pace, suggesting there were more than enough houses -
Water should be treated as a condition, not simply as a distant threat to our way of life
Paul Finch’s Letter from London: The ‘fair-weather maps’ are at odds with the way water works, a process which needs to be understood in section -
We should look to Copenhagen’s subtle streets as a model for public realm design
Black Box: How did contemporary public realm design succumb to an overly self-conscious aesthetic? -
Well lit, well read
Barbara Weiss has created a fitting home for Wiener Library, an archive for the study of the Holocaust and genocide -
What does space-time look like? An obscure comic published in 1989 has the answer
Black Box: Architects have never been very good at conveying the passing of time in presentations of the buildings they design -
What is it about concrete?
At the core of concrete’s appeal is the freedom and versatility of ‘liquid stone’, writes Felix Mara -
What to see during Clerkenwell Design Week
Clerkenwell is home to the world’s largest concentration of designers, architects, creative agencies and showrooms, and for three days this week the area will be a hub of activity as Clerkenwell Design Week returns for the third year, writes Rakesh Ramchurn -
White Arkitekter’s Southend Pier scheme craned into place
A prefabricated, 170-tonne section of White Arkitekter’s competition-winning scheme for Southend has been lifted into place -
Who are the architects that define the New Elizabethan era?
Paul Finch’s Letter from London: The major British figures of the past 60 years -
Wilkinson Eyre's London cable car pods begin testing
The 34 gondola cabins on Wilkinson Eyre’s £50.5 million Emirates Air Line cable car have begun testing over the Thames in London -
Wilmotte Foundation launches Venice students contest
[Registration must be completed by 15 May] The Wilmotte Foundation has opened a student ideas contest to re-invent Venice’s water-borne housing -
With the euro looking shaky, it’s time to assess your practice’s exposure to the currency
As I said in this column last week, architects have been remarkably resilient in the face of recession, diversifying and seeking work abroad to make up for the lack of work at home -
Works begins on Groves Natcheva's Brockley homes
Construction has started on this nine home, £1.1 million development by Groves Natcheva Architects in the Brockley Conservation area of Lewisham, South London. -
World Architecture Festival 2012
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