Architects Journal
November 2009

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A sounding board for what sounding boards ought to look like

A very congenial six-hour ‘thinking lunch’ helps Ian Martin formulate a 10-point plan
Anger at funding cut plans for architecture courses in Scotland

Scottish architects have reacted angrily to plans that would cut funding for architecture students by 22 per cent
Architects feel the loss of RIBA fee survey chart

Britain’s leading architects have railed against RIBA’s decision to abandoned fee survey graphs from the official publication A Client’s Guide to Engaging an Architect, with David Chipperfield describing it as a ‘policy against quality’
Bridgewater Bridge, Stoke-on-Trent by NORD Architecture

Structural design and architectural expression synthesise in NORD Architecture’s Bridgewater Bridge, writes Felix Mara
Diverted funds kill Marks Barfield’s Ryde Gateway plans

Marks Barfield’s iconic Ryde Gateway scheme on the Isle of Wight (IoW) has been canned in favour of spending £1.5 million on other projects in the area.
Insiders predict Dubai crisis could boost London’s fortunes

The UK construction industry is set for an investment boost from the Middle East as a result of Dubai’s debt crisis, say insiders.
New Practices #4: AU Studio

The fourth in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone either through choice or redundancy
New Practices #6: Shape

The sixth in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone either through choice or redundancy
Oxford Circus gets Japanese-style ‘desire line’ crossing

The remodelled Oxford Circus, based on the diagonal Shibuya crossing in Tokyo, Japan, opened this week
Peabody housing vision unveiled in Clapham

Hawkins\Brown Architects has designed a 650-home estate for Peabody at Clapham Junction, South London that more than doubles the capacity of the existing development
Revealed: Grimshaw and Carillion coughed up £7m over Bath Spa

Grimshaw and contractor Carillion paid Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES) nearly £7million in settlement of the Thermae Bath Spa project dispute
RIBA’s school PFI model finally gets the thumbs-up

The government could adopt the RIBA’s proposed Smart PFI model for its £45 billion Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme – despite having previously branding it illegal
Studio Bednarski wins Copenhagen inner harbour bridge contest

London-based architecture practice Studio Bednarski has seen off the likes of Zaha Hadid Architects to win the two-stage contest to design an opening bridge in Copenhagen’s inner harbour
UK architects criticise Swiss minaret ban

British architects have slammed a vote in Switzerland blocking the construction of minarets
‘Deptford Update’ design exhibition extended

‘Deptford Update’, an exhibition outlining all new design projects for the Deptford area at the APT Gallery in South East London will be extended til 6 December. Photography, excluding opening night and other event photos, by Ioana Marinescu
1 The Avenue, Spinningfields, Manchester by Sheppard Robson

[FIRST LOOK + PROJECT DATA] Sheppard Robson has released the first official pictures of its 1 The Avenue office and flagship store building, in Manchester’s Spinningfields business district
3DReid completes Oxford Street scheme

[FIRST LOOK] 3DReid has completed this five-storey, 2,690m² office and retail scheme, two doors from Future Systems’ 2007 glass-fronted shop on London’s Oxford Street
50 New Bond Street, London by Eric Parry Architects

Eric Parry Architects’ latest office scheme on New Bond Street reflects the charm and elegance of its Mayfair location, says Patrick Lynch. Photography by Timothy Soar
ACME misses out on £17.5 million UN Memorial master plan

[FIRST LOOK] London-based practice ACME has released this image of its competition entry for the UN Memorial Peace Park master plan in South Korea
Adam Caruso on the Nottingham Contemporary art gallery

Adam Caruso provides his insight into Caruso St John’s Nottingham Contemporary, an art gallery which pays homage to its lace-making heritage.
Advancing civil architecture, one compound noun at a time

Ian Martin has his brutalist makeover for Buckingham Palace Gardens thwarted
AECOM unveils Hampshire eco-town plans

At least 5,300 new homes may be built as part of the Government’s so-called Whitehill-Bordon eco-town under development plans proposed by East Hampshire District Council
AJ exclusive: RCKa scoops Preston Guild housing design contest

RCKarchitects has won the RIBA-organised competition to design new social housing in Preston city centre
AJ Exclusive: Ian Simpson lands prize Manchester town hall job

Ian Simpson has scooped the highly prized project to refurbish the Grade II*-listed extension to Manchester town hall as part of a larger £165 million overhaul
AJ Exclusive: Lynch Architects wins Abbey Green design competition

Lynch Architects has won the AJ/Design for London competition to redesign Abbey Green in East London
AJ interview: how the KPF 'breakaway five' became 65

Since controversially breaking away from former practice Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects to found PLP Architecture, how are Lee Polisano and his team getting on in their bid to build a new firm?
Alfriston School Swimming Pool and Sports Department, by Duggan Morris

[FIRST LOOK + PROJECT DATA] Up-and-coming practice Duggan Morris Architects has won planning the go-ahead for this revamp and extension to Alfriston School, Buckinghamshire
Alsop paintings on show at London hospital

Will Alsop will open a show of his paintings this week at the South Kensington and Chelsea Mental Health Centre
Amanda Levete and Anish Kapoor collaboration goes on site

The design for the new £50 million Monte St Angelo subway station by Amanda Levete Architects and artist Anish Kapoor is now on site in Traiano, Naples
Amanda Levete's Wapping plan approved

[FIRST LOOK] Tower Hamlets has granted permission for the re-modelling of the main building at the News International Wapping compound
Amusement park receives £3.7m regeneration funding

‘Dreamland’, a derelict 16-acre amusement park in Margate, Kent has received confirmation of government funding for a planned retro-regeneration by Levitt Bernstein Architects.
Ancon Low Thermal Conductivity Wall Ties

Helping to Deliver Energy-Efficient Buildings. Literature is now available on Ancon’s range of low thermal conductivity wall ties. These ties minimise heat loss through thermal bridging, improving the energy efficiency of a masonry cavity wall.
And the most sustainable city is... Newcastle!

Newcastle has been crowned the UK’s most sustainable city according to a new league table drawn up by development organisation Forum for the Future
ARB slaps architect with fine for 'hopelessly unsatisfactory' conduct

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has fined an architect from Tyne and Wear £750 for ‘hopelessly unsatisfactory’ conduct after failing to provide a client with the correct terms of engagement
Architect plans massive man-made mountain

A 900m-tall snow-capped artificial mountain has been proposed by architect Jacob Tigges as a landmark for the German city of Berlin
Architect unemployment continues to fall

The number of unemployed architects has fallen for the second month in a row, with the dole queue levels now back to where they stood in May (2009)
Architects sought for Elephant & Castle regeneration

Lend Lease will launch a hunt for architects to help transform Elephant & Castle in South London.The first design contracts will be available next year
Architects to miss out as Mayor reveals vision for London public spaces

The Mayor of London has set out his vision to transform London’s public spaces - but not all schemes will feature input from architects
Architects, coming to a high street near you

The creativity of artists and architects is a valuable tool in reviving struggling high streets, says Andrew Brown
Architectural PR Deborah Stratton dies

Deborah Stratton, who represented some of the country’s biggest practices over a 25-year PR career, has died after a long illness aged 54
Ardrossan beach pavilion, Ayrshire

Architects are invited to register their interest for a proposed development in Ardrossan, Ayrshire, Scotland
ASFP - Fire and your legal liability

2008 witnessed the highest UK peace time fire losses of all time; rising by more than 16% to a record £1.3bn. Now, if you are involved, at any level, in the provision of a fire protection package, you share the liability for its usefulness and its operation. This is no longer simply a duty of care, it is a legal obligation. In the event of a fire and as a result, a death, a court will want to know every detail. No ifs, no buts. Be aware! The time to consider this obligation is be
Bauman Lyons completes Dark Arches revamp

[FIRST LOOK] The long-awaited ‘light and sound’ overhaul of the area known as the Dark Arches underneath Leeds stations has completed
BDP lands first project in India

[FIRST LOOK] BDP has bagged this 150,000m² shopping-centre scheme in Mumbai - its first commission in India
Birmingham New Street Station plans submitted for planning

Detailed plans for Birmingham’s £600 million New Street train station overhaul have been submitted to the city council for planning approval
Bond Bryan bags £25 million Sheffield Hallam faculty

[FIRST LOOK + PROJECT DATA] Bond Bryan Architects has landed the £25 million project to design Sheffield Hallam University’s new Faculty of Development & Society
Bonn Square, Oxford by Graeme Massie Architects

Graeme Massie Architects’ design for Bonn Square has encouraged the public to reclaim the historic but neglected space for itself, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by David Stewart
Book review: 'Volume' and 'Stanton Williams'

Felix Mara reviews two new monographs on the work of architect Stanton Williams
Book: Critical Cities from This Is Not A Gateway

Critical Cities: Ideas, Knowledge and Agitation from Emerging Urbanists, a new publication from This Is Not A Gateway presents a collection of critical papers, transcripts, and visual essays by progressive urban thinkers from around the world
BOOK: Pattern Place Purpose: Proctor and Matthews Architects

Satwinder Samra on this book marking 20 years of Proctor and Matthews architects
Breaking the ice at the Germany Embassy

Astragal was delighted to take up an invitation to a soirée at the German embassy to celebrate the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall
BSF procurement review: RIBA's Smart PFI takes step closer

Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is to look again at its procurement process in bid to slash timescales and reduce costs across the £45 billion Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme
Buoyant Derwent London set to build more offices

Derwent London is to submit plans for two new office schemes in the capital, designed by AHMM and Piercy Conner Architects, before the end of the year
CABE rejects calls for specialist supermarket review panel

CABE has said it had ‘no intention’ of setting up a review panel specifically to look at superstore design – despite calls from the supermarkets themselves
CABE to to design review proposed eco-towns

The government’s design watchdog will give specialist advice to local authorities working on four new eco-towns, it was announced today
CAD: Point Cloud technology

Using point cloud readings, it is possible to include 3D-scans in CAD models
Chanarin Residence, London by Chris Dyson Architects

[FIRST LOOK + IMAGES] Chris Dyson Architects has completed this conversion on a 1720’s house in London
Check out the AJ's new website and win a copy of 60 Innovators

Join the AJ’s new site NOTEBOOK now for your chance to win one of 10 copies of 60 Innovators: Shaping our creative future
Chelsea Barracks chapel: Hodge ignores English Heritage again

Architecture Minister Margaret Hodge has gone against English Heritage (EH) advice for the second time in a week after refusing to list a chapel at the heart of the controversial Chelsea Barracks scheme
Chelsea Barracks masterplan team revealed

A team of three architects has been chosen from 10 shortlisted firms to masterplan the new redevelopment at Chelsea Barracks
China tower win for Bartlett practice

The London-based practice Metamode has won first prize in the A8 Tower Competition in Shenzhen, China
Chipperfield's Kent gallery tops out

The David Chipperfield Architects-designed Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate, Kent, has topped out – a year after building work began
Colour Futures 2010 competition

Win a copy of Dulux Trade’s guide to 2010 colour trends
Conservation survey, Worksop priory

Worksop Priory requires an architect/building surveyor to prepare a condition survey to include a measured survey, a photographic survey, an architectural and archaeological analysis, a detailed assessment of timber and stone conservation requirements and a fully costed repairs specification
Conservatives rubbish eco-towns plans

The Conservatives have attacked the government’s plans for a second wave of eco-towns, which they say have been announced to ‘save face’
Controversial skin of Mecanoo’s Birmingham City Library goes on

These are the first pictures of the contentious façade of Mecanoo’s £188.8 million Birmingham City Library which began being lifted into place yesterday (10 August)
Copenhagen digest 11/12/09

DAY FOUR: America under pressure; Japan demands action; Geo-engineering plans * The climate change summit as seen in the world’s newspapers, magazines and websites
Copenhagen digest 14/12/09

DAY SEVEN: Crunch time in Copenhagen as hopes for a deal fade * The climate change summit as seen in the world’s newspapers, magazines and websites
Copenhagen digest: 09/12/09

Rows erupt on day two of the climate change summit – as seen by the world’s newspapers, magazines and websites
Copenhagen digest: 10/12/09

Day three of the climate change summit sees scientists rally in response to the doubters, which include Sarah Palin – round-up of coverage in the world’s newspapers, magazines and websites
Copenhagen digest: 8/12/09

The climate change summit - as seen through the world’s newspapers, magazines and websites
Council joins efforts to save Lighthouse centre

Glasgow council is pushing a rescue plan for the celebrated Lighthouse that would involve building a new bookshop, a café and expanding the role of Architecture + Design Scotland (A+DS)
Council saves Trellick Tower's 'Goldfinger's Babies'

Kensington and Chelsea Council has said it will not demolish any of the buildings surrounding Erno Goldfinger’s Trellick Tower in West London
Councils get 1-2-3 Core Strategy guide from CABE

Local councils have been urged to prioritise good design when planning out their vision for their areas over the next two decades by CABE
Croydon and the future of British town planning

The UK’s youngest local urban design team is using speed-dates to map the future of London’s southernmost borough. Rory Olcayto reports. Portrait by Richard Nicholson
Darwin cocoon structure wins at Concrete Society Awards

The Natural History Museum’s Darwin Centre - an eight-storey concrete shell – has been awarded Overall Winner at the Concrete Society Awards 2009
Deal signed for £1 billion Manchester City scheme

Plans, understood to have been drawn up by BDP, for a gargantuan Las Vegas-style leisure complex next to the City of Manchester Stadium have taken a major step forward
Departing CABE head tells architects to resign from 'bad schemes'

John Sorrell, the outgoing CABE chairman, has urged architects to walk away from ‘bad’ schemes and challenged the profession to stop being the servant of poor quality development
Design Museum seeks design team for its new home

The Design Museum is seeking an architect and design team for its new Kensington home, at the former Commonwealth Institute
Design teams for Roman Gateway project, Carlisle

Proposals are sought from suitability qualified and experienced design teams to progress the detailed design and delivery of the Roman Gateway project at Tullie House, Carlisle
Doolan Prize 2009: finalists named in battle for Scotland’s best building

[IMAGES + COMMENT] The AJ can exclusively reveal the 11-strong shortlist vying for the largest cash prize contest in UK architecture - this year’s RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award
Doolan Prize: Archial's Small Animal Hospital lands £25,000 first prize

Archial Architects has won the 2009 RIAS Andrew Doolan Award Best Building in Scotland Award with its ‘unique and ingenious’ new veterinary hospital in Glasgow
Downturn will mean fewer social homes

The government’s social housing programme looks set for serious cuts as ministers seek to rein-in public spending in light of the recession and a slump in house building
Duggan Morris' Bexhill-on-Sea windshelters lifted in

A pair of seafront shelters designed by Duggan Morris Architects have been craned in at Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex
Dutch outfit Group A wins Dance4 contest

Dutch practice Group A has won the competition to draw up plans for the new Nottingham Creative Village (NCV)
EcoLogicStudio unveils redesigned PPS7 house

London-based ecoLogicStudio has revealed its revised proposals for a woodland home in Haslemere, West Sussex
Ecophon - Acoustic problems in schools?

Many schools suffer from poor acoustics. Several research projects have proven that high noise levels in classrooms lead to poor concentration, disruptive behaviour and high degrees of stress for both students and teachers. This is clearly not supportive to a positive educational environment.
Ecophon Focus Ds XL – attractive solution for office corridors

Focus Ds XL gives you a hidden grid with a symmetrical edge design in which only a discreet v-joint reveals the join between the panels. The ceiling thus gives an even, smooth impression.
Ecophon's Smart Solutions for Corridors

Corridors are often the busiest rooms in a building. Not only are they used as transitional spaces allowing people and goods to move between rooms, they are often spaces where people meet in passing and where conversations take place. These activities can result in high levels of noise.
Everton's new stadium dream dashed

Any dreams of a new stadium for Everton Football Club look set to vanish into thin air as plans for their new ground are expected to be turned down
Exclusive: ReardonSmith luxury hotel plans unveiled

Plans have been unveiled for a five-star boutique hotel and luxury spa at Hersham Golf Club, Surrey designed by architects ReardonSmith
Ex-HOK figurehead Berry joins Woods Bagot

James Berry, the ex-HOK, Skanska and British Rail architect, has joined global giant Woods Bagot to spearhead the outfit’s expansion into the transport sector
Existing stock could save planet says top developer

Development Securities director Julian Barwick today turned the tables on the sustainability debate by highlighting the potential role of the existing building stock
'Expect another two years of recession', warns Atkins chief

The chief executive of global giant Atkins has said the industry is still in ‘turbulent times’
Experimental dance school seeks architect for new £10m home

Experimental dance organisation Dance4 has launched the search for an architect to design its proposed new Nottingham Creative Village
Fake 'architect' to cough up £2,000 for misusing title

A London man has been ordered to pay almost £2,000 after pleading guilty to misusing the title ‘architect’
First look at Zaha's Olympic Aquatic Centre roof

Work has completed on the installation of the wave-like roof, the crowning glory of Zaha Hadid’s London Olympics Aquatics Centre
First Look: Sheppard Robson to design Hulme campus for MMU

Sheppard Robson has been chosen to design a community campus for Manchester Metropolitan University in Hulme, Manchester
Five Winds House, South Crosland, Huddersfield by One 17

[FIRST LOOK + PROJECT DATA] These are the first images of Huddersfield-based practice One 17’s proposals for a new house in a former quarry
Foster and Rogers battle it out for £1 billion Barangaroo project

Big-hitters Norman Foster and Richard Rogers are going head to head for a huge project in Sydney Harbour, Australia
Foster replaced on project to design new Routemaster bus

Foster + Partners has been dropped from London mayor Boris Johnson’s project to design a new Routemaster bus for the capital
Foster's partner snaffled up by burgeoning Atkins

Peter Ridley, formerly of Foster & Partners, has been picked up by global giants Atkins as part of its mission to exploit the ‘staggering’ potential of work in China
Further upheaval at Hamiltons as founder leaves

Tim Hamilton has followed Robin Partington out of the door at Hamiltons, leaving the practice he founded 43 years ago
Gensler unveils massive expansion plans for southern Mecca

Gensler Architects has released images of its proposed 1km² Darb Al-Khalil redevelopment in southern Mecca
George Bush goes to the library

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a US President, upon retiring from political office, must be in want of a library
George Ferguson moves to block Bristol City ground supermarket plans

Former RIBA president George Ferguson has resorted to ‘guerrilla architecture’ to try and block a supermarket proposed for Bristol City’s Ashton Gate home
Glasgow site cleared for Nightingale’s £842m hospital

[New images] Demolition experts have begun clearing the site for Nightingale Associates’ future ‘super hospital’ project at Govan in south Glasgow, Scotland
Glenn Howells wins scheme to rework Armed Forces arboretum

[FIRST LOOK] Glenn Howells Architects has been chosen to oversee the £8 million remodelling of the The National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) in Alrewas in Staffordshire
Government action plan: 'minimum design threshold' for all public buildings

The Government has unveiled its new World Class Places Strategy Action Plan, which includes a ‘challenging’ design threshold for all new building programmes
Government to unveil nuclear fast-track plans

Plans for fast-tracking a new fleet of nuclear reactors is to be announced by the government today
Green light for AHMM’s Olympic Village academy

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris has landed crucial government backing for its Chobham academy scheme at the 2012 Olympic village
Green shoots? Number of new homes on books hits yearly high

The number of registrations to build new homes has reached 9,163 – its highest level since July 2008
Greengate public spaces, Salford by Whitelaw Turkington and Arup

Whitelaw Turkington and Arup have had designs approved for two new public spaces at Greengate in Central Salford
Grimshaw's workforce up by nearly a third and still hiring

Grimshaw’s workforce has risen by 30 per cent in the past year and is continuing to look for staff across its three offices
Hamiltons is no more – meet BFLS

After the departures of several senior members of staff, the practice formerly known as Hamiltons has relaunched under the name BFLS. Richard Waite talks to the directors about the firm’s future
Harbour redevelopment, Tolo, Norheimsund, Norway

Small boat harbour and housing redevelopment, Tolo, Norway
Haworth Tompkins raises the curtain on National Theatre plans

Practice reveals the first stages of refurbishment for Denys Lasdun’s Grade II* listed National Theatre
HCP, a division of SAS International

Radiant Heating Panels from HCP, the specialist heating division of SAS International, have been tested to BS EN 14037, the dedicated British and European standard for ceiling mounted radiant panels supplied with water at temperatures below 120°C.
Heatherwick heads to Teesside to design biomass power station

[FIRST LOOK] This is the first image of Heatherwick Studio’s 49 MW biomass power station on the banks of the River Tees in Teesside
Henry Moore Textiles at Pallant House Gallery

Pallant House Gallery’s new exhibition shows over 100 of Henry Moore’s fabric designs and textile drawings
Herzog & de Meuron upgrade for Lord's cricket ground unveiled

Images of the improvement plans for Lord’s cricket ground by Herzog & de Meuron have been revealed in The Times today
High Street 2012 Public Realm Improvements, East London

Tower Hamlets Council is seeking to appoint design teams to help deliver high quality public realm improvements at Aldgate, Whitechapel, Mile End Waste and Mile End, as part of the High Street 2012 programme
High Street 2012 public works jobs up for grabs

Small practices have the chance to win their work global exposure with this four part competition for the public works on London’s 2012 marathon route
Hodge refuses to list Birmingham Central Library

Architecture Minister Margaret Hodge has gone against English Heritage (EH) advice and rejected a bid to list Birmingham’s 1970s central library
Hoskins lands Aberdeen Art Gallery jackpot

Gareth Hoskins Architects has landed the £20 million scheme to redevelop Aberdeen Art Gallery
House in Lincolnshire by Adrian Watson

[FIRST LOOK + IMAGES + DRAWINGS] Adrian Watson of Hopkins Architects is undertaking a solo project to build an artist’s house and studio in Lincolnshire
Hugh Broughton wins funding for Maidstone Museum

Hugh Broughton Architects’ competition-winning Maidstone Museum extension scheme has bagged almost £2 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund
In Pictures: Architect's Eye photography contest winners

The competition, which was open to all qualified architects in the UK was split into two categories: Architecture and Place and Architecture and People
In pictures: David Chipperfield's Hepworth Gallery

David Chipperfield Architects’ much-anticipated Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield is to open to the public on Saturday (21 May)
In Pictures: Hackett Hall McKnight’s Copenhagen square

Belfast practice Hackett Hall McKnight has won a competition to design a new public square in Copenhagen, Denmark.
In Pictures: New aerial images reveal progress of London Olympic Park

Photographs showing the progress of construction work on the ‘Big five’ venues of the Olympic Park have been unveiled today
In pictures: New community hub for Portsmouth

Househam Henderson Architects has drawn up concept plans for a new community hub in Somerstown, Portsmouth
In pictures: New vision for Manchester civil campus

Bennetts Associates has revealed its vision for how the area surrounding Manchester’s Piccadilly station could look
In pictures: Weston Williamson's Paddington station

Images of Weston Williamson’s plans for Paddington station in west London have been released
Irish World Heritage Centre, Manchester by EWA

[FIRST LOOK] Manchester City Council have given the emerald light to this new £7m development
It's Memetrope 2, Hashtag Cloud 1 in the five-a-zeitgeist Theory League first leg playoff

Ian Martin meets Hugh Grantley, the beleagured new secretary of state for fun
Johnson Community Hospital, Lincolnshire, by Watkins Gray International

[FIRST LOOK] The new £23m Johnson Community Hospital has opened in Spalding, Lincolnshire
Kalzip’s ‘Best of the Best’ !

Portsmouth’s Mountbatten Leisure Centre has been crowned ‘Best of the Best’ at Kalzip’s recent Teamkal Conference and awards ceremony. An external panel of distinguished judges described the impressive new sports facility as, “A beautifully conceived and detailed project demonstrating excellent use of Kalzip in a curved application.”
Kalzip’s flying high in Dublin

Over 50,000m²of straight, curved and tapered convex curved Kalzip aluminium standing seam sheets have been installed on Dublin Airport’s impressive new Terminal 2 building, Pier E and associated buildings.
Kalzip’s flying high in Dublin

Over 50,000m² of straight, curved and tapered convex curved Kalzip aluminium standing seam sheets have been installed on Dublin Airport’s impressive new Terminal 2 building, Pier E and associated buildings. Arup and lead architects Pascall+Watson specified a full acoustic Kalzip system for T2 which was installed by Portuguese building envelope project manager and contractor, Martifer.
KPF completes Imperial College Eastside Residence

London’s Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects (KPF) has completed its £64 million Eastside Residence in South Kensington, housing three student halls for Imperial College, London
Lakeside Adventure Centre, Crosby Marine Lake by Owen Ellis Architects

[FIRST LOOK] Owen Ellis Architects has completed this £7.5 million watersports centre at Crosby Marine Lake in Waterloo, Liverpool
Langley Academy, Slough by Foster + Partners

[FIRST LOOK + PLANS] The AJ can reveal the first photographs of Foster + Partners £23 million Langley Academy in Slough
Levitt Bernstein wins troubled Islington contest

Islington Council has chosen Levitt Bernstein Associates to take forward designs for a new affordable housing in north London
Lignacite Press Release - November 2009

Lignacite are a leading, facing masonry manufacturer and are continually striving to build a brighter, better and sustainable future.
Liverpool 'mega-library' set to win green light

Austin-Smith:Lord’s plans to overhaul Liverpool’s Central Library are expected to be given the go-ahead tomorrow (12 January).
London 2012 emissions 'cut by 15 per cent'

Organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games have announced that carbon emissions during the construction of the Games’ numerous sites in the capital have been reduced by 15 per cent.
London Underground project prepared for life by Wheelabrator

A regeneration project at London’s Wood Lane Underground Station, including the complete refurbishment of the station interior, platform and concourse, has been recently completed. The predominant feature of this project is the impressive shot peen finished stainless steel cladding.
Longest bench in the world gets green light

Plans to create an international tourist attraction in Littlehampton by building a record-breaking bench, have been given the go ahead
Make wins luxury resort in Montenegro

Practice wins competition to masterplan and design a luxury resort in Montenegro, fending off rival bids from Foreign Office Architects, MVRDV and Heatherwick Studios
Make wins planning for contentious London Wall scheme

Make has won planning for this ‘evolvable’ office scheme on the site of the 1950s St Alphage House, at London Wall in the City of London
Malawi schools project by John McAslan + Partners

When John McAslan + Partners was invited to develop a prototype school building in Malawi, the team went back to basics in its approach. Photography by Eldson Chagara
MAXXI museum, Rome by Zaha Hadid Architects

True to form, Zaha Hadid’s long-awaited MAXXI museum in Rome is bold, demanding and provocative, says Rowan Moore. Photography by Roland Halbe
Merton Sea Cadet Corps Hall, Mitcham, London by Godsmark Architecture

Work has completed on the new home for the combined Mitcham and Wimbledon Sea Cadet Cadet Corps
Middle East investors looking to kickstart stalled UK projects

A London-based investment company, backed by wealthy Middle Eastern clients, is asking architects to come forward with mothballed schemes with an eye to pumping in ‘kickstart’ cash
Mixed-use project, Upper Clapton Road, London by Stephen Davy Peter Smith Architects

[FIRST LOOK] Stephen Davy Peter Smith’s has revealed the first images of this part-new build, part-conversion of an industrial building at Upper Clapton Road, Hackney
MUMA's new gallery opens at the V&A

London based architects MUMA (Mclnnes Usher Mcknight Architects) have completed a new £30 million medieval and renaissance gallery at the V&A museum
NBBJ cancer centre gets green light

Middlesbrough Council has granted planning consent for the development of NBBJ’s new oncology centre at the James Cook University Hospital
NBS Plus for Fakro Roof Windows

Fakro GB specification clauses are now available via NBS Plus. This enables concise, technically accurate and up-to-date information in relation to the company’s extensive and growing range of roof windows and roofing accessories to be copied and pasted including its newly launched solar system.
Network Rail announce £3.25bn station improvements

Network Rail today announced a £3.25 billion investment programme for UK train stations and a pioneering survey of passenger opinion
Neu Architects’ competition winning design for Bacup, Lancashire

Images of Neu Architects’ winning proposal for the Pennine Lancashire Squared Competition are unveiled
New CABE guidance as number of design review panels balloons

The government’s design watchdog CABE today launched a new guide to ensure high standards across the UK’s growing pool of design review panels
New dawn for Blackpool: Raft of design contests promised

A wealth of new competitions is on the cards for Blackpool and the Fylde coast following the creation of a new umbrella development agency
New heritage guidelines condemned

Planning and conservation organisations are lining up to attack the government’s proposed new national heritage planning guidelines
New Practices #5: MatchBox Architects

The fifth in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone either through choice or redundancy
New Practices #7: Robin Partington Architects

The seventh in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone either through choice or redundancy
New Practices #8: Oliver Houchell

The eighth in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone either through choice or redundancy
New records set at BFL awards

Record breaking high scores were awarded to two winning schemes at this week’s Building for Life (BFL) awards
NORD City Waterside development to get £6m funding

The next phase of NORD’s City Waterside development in Stoke-on-Trent is set to be approved next week when the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and RENEW North Staffordshire confirm nearly £6 million of investment
Nottingham Contemporary art gallery by Caruso St John Architects

Caruso St John’s Nottingham Contemporary art gallery pays an elegant homage to its lacemaking heritage, says Kieran Long. Photography by Hélène Binet
Nottingham Contemporary art gallery: Engineer's account

Arup’s account of its work on Nottingham Contemporary art gallery by Caruso St John architects, photography by Helene Binet
Nottingham Creative Village, dance studios

Dance4 wish to procure an architect to initially create designs for the Nottingham Creative Village. The Nottingham Creative Village is a concept that incorporates a home for Dance4 (including dance studios, offices, cafe) and business units for other creative firms
Office building, Govan, Glasgow by gm+ad

[FIRST LOOK + PROJECT DATA] Glasgow-based gm+ad has submitted plans for this 4,500m² speculative office building in Govan
Olympics: David Morley bags water polo venue for London 2012

David Morley Architects has been appointed to design the temporary water polo venue for the 2012 Olympic Games
OMI Architects' football museum to close

OMI Architects’ National Football Museum is set to close its public galleries following a decision to move the attraction to Manchester
Page\Park reveals Glasgow's Theatre Royal revamp plans

Glasgow-based architects Page\Park has submitted plans for a £10 million extension and upgrade to the city’s Theatre Royal
Panter Hudspith reveals Elephant & Castle tower

[FIRST LOOK] Panter Hudspith Architects look set to make its high-rise debut with this 22-storey tower in London’s Elephant & Castle
Parry and Farrell join Boris Johnson’s Design Advisory Panel

Eric Parry and Terry Farrell will join Nicholas Serota as new members on Boris Johnson’s Design Advisory Panel
Passmores School, Harlow, Essex by Jestico + Whiles

[FIRST LOOK + VIDEO] Jestico + Whiles’ plans for a 1,200-student technology college in Harlow, Essex received planning permission this week
Paul Morrell appointed government construction tsar

Paul Morrell has been appointed as the first government chief construction adviser (CCA)
Peter Rich interviewed at WAF
Pierside leisure centre, South Shields

Leisure complex development including swimming pool at pier parade
Planning applications fall by nearly a quarter over past year

English district council planning authorities received 507,000 applications during the past financial year – 22 per cent fewer than the previous year
Planning refused for Robert Adam's Witanhurst House

Camden Council has refused all six planning applications to remodel North London’s Witanhurst House – the largest private residence in London bar Buckingham Palace
Planning rejected for NBBJ’s €650m Irish children's hospital

NBBJ’s ‘overscaled’ design for the huge 445-bed Childrens Hospital of Ireland has been refused planning permission by An Bord Pleanala
Plans for biggest Tesco in Ireland thrown out

Tesco has suffered a blow after plans for its largest store in Ireland were rejected for a second time
PLP replaces HOK on Camden superlab exterior

PLP has been appointed to re-design the exterior of HOK’s £520 million UKCMRI research lab, following opposition to the scheme by planning officers
PPS u-turn: Minister promises heritage planning policy redraft

Planning minister John Healey has said he would look again at the government’s controversial new national heritage planning guidelines
Pre-budget report: key points and industry reaction

The Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling has been accused of ‘tinkering around the edges’ after failing to announce any major incentives to reduce carbon emissions from the existing housing stock
Pre-budget report: new infrastructure body unveiled

Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling has announced the creation of Infrastructure UK (IUK) to advise the Government on its national infrastructure programmes over the next 50 years
Prime Minister: 'British design and architecture are second to none'

Gordon Brown’s remarks from a reception held at Downing Street last night
Prints by David Chipperfield, Konstantin Grcic and Margaret Calvert up for grabs

David Chipperfield, Tord Boontje, Margaret Calvert and Konstantin Grcic have made limited edition prints to celebrate the Design Museum’s 20th anniversary
Private House, Mayfair, London by Squire and Partners

[FIRST LOOK + PROJECT DATA] Squire and Partners has won the green light for this Virginia Creeper-inspired, metal shingle-clad house in Mayfair, London
Profession to reap benefits of £1 billion school jackpot

Architects could benefit from a raft of work following the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme’s decision to bankroll 12 school projects across the UK
Projects galore: Huge cash injection for England’s youth centres

Work is still out there for a series of new small- to medium-sized youth centres under the government’s Myplace programme, the nation’s largest investment in under 20s
Queen's Speech: the industry's reaction

The Queen has announced new legislation to give local authorities new powers to tackle flooding - but the proposed Heritage Protection Bill has again been left out
RCA's Sackler Building, Battersea by Haworth Tompkins

Haworth Tompkins’ building for the Royal College of Art both regenerates Battersea and honours its manufacturing past, says Edwin Heathcote. Photography by Philip Vile and Helene Binet
Recession hits Make's almost-built Cube as developer goes under

The team behind Make’s landmark 23-storey Cube tower in Birmingham has today plunged into administration
RIBA introduces prize for elderly housing

The RIBA is introducing a new category in the 2010 Housing Design Awards in a bid to get architects thinking about innovative homes for the elderly
RIBA launches Hereford Buttermarket competition

The RIBA this week launched a new design competition to regenerate the historic Hereford Buttermarket
RIBA urges ‘star rating system’ for UK homes

The RIBA has called for a ‘kitemark system’ to improve housing design standards after reviewing the nation’s latest residential projects
RIBA votes to take powers from the ARB

The RIBA’s council has voted to take on the ARB’s role following the findings of an independent report into the regulation and registration of the profession
Richard Wilson at Works|Projects gallery

Force Quit, the latest exhibition at the Bristol gallery Works | Projects, features drawings and models from the artist’s recent projects
Round, like a circle in a spiral, like the windmills of your mind…

Ian Martin thinks mini-icons for the masses and using martial arts on developers
SAS International

Aedas Architects specified over 1,000 sqm of SAS International’s System 200 metal ceiling, featuring a bespoke perforation pattern for the recent Manchester Airport Terminal 1 retail refurbishment.
Scots call for freedom of information to extend to contractors

Private companies in Scotland that build and run schools, hospitals and prisons may soon have to answer to freedom of information laws under plans for greater transparency
Scottish War Blinded facility, Scotland by Page/Park Architects

[FIRST LOOK + IMAGES + PLANS] Charity the Scottish National Institute for War Blinded has commissioned Page/Park Architects to design its new facility in Wilkieston, West Lothian
South Tyneside Council in hot water after South Shields pool snub

South Tyneside Council is in hot water for putting out a public tender for its proposed South Shields leisure complex without approaching its own in-house design team
Street kiosks, Westminster, London

Westminster council is calling on designers and architects to create a new focal point for the West End as part of a wider project looking to transform street trading across the West End
Swiss mosque minaret ban is tragic legislation

Switzerland’s ban on minarets is a bizarre and troubling piece of law-making, says Rory Olcayto
Swiss vote to ban minaret construction

Swiss voters have overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on minarets, barring construction of the iconic mosque towers in a surprise vote
Take our Part 1 student sustainability survey and win a book

The AJ is conducting a survey of Part 1 students about the way they are taught sustainability. Take the survey for a chance to win one of 15 books
Tate chief Serota joins London design panel left by Rogers

Architectural champion and Tate director Nicholas Serota has been appointed to Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s Design Advisory Panel
Tesco’s Liverpool proposal rejected whilst Bromley-by-Bow site goes for planning

ColladoCollins’ massive regeneration scheme for a Tesco store at Bromley-by-Bow, London, was this week submitted to Tower Hamlets planning officials
That 'one per cent margin' - it's blarney

Don’t believe the rumours – the design team for the Children’s Hospital in Dublin isn’t working for a one per cent margin
The editor's pick - South Shields public realm

In the first of AJ’s competition roundups, we start off at the seaside.
The Edred Wright Music School for King's School, Canterbury by Clague

[FIRST LOOK + PROJECT DATA] Kent-based multi-disciplinary practice Clague has completed this £1.45 million conversion of a listed tower into a new music school
The freedoms of suburbia

Forty years on from his 1969 co-published esay ‘Non-plan: an experiment in freedom’, Paul Barker’s new mission is to rehabilitate the reputation of suburbia. Here, he explains why architects need to engage with this much-maligned space
The Regs: Disabled WCs

Architects must check new regulations for disabled WCs, says Geoff Wilkinson
Thumbs up for BDP's 'radical' overhaul of Old Trafford

A £32 million redevelopment plan for Lancashire’s Old Trafford cricket ground has been given the green light by Trafford Council
Tonkin Liu wins green light for Dover seafront scheme

[FIRST LOOK] Kent County Council has given the thumbs up to Tonkin Liu’s competition-winning scheme to revive Dover’s esplanade
Top 5: Rollercoaster architecture

Following the announcement that Dreamland in Kent will be renovated, the AJ looks at the most extreme and inventive architecture-themed rollercoasters in the world
Tories 'approve fewer new homes'

Conservative planners are much less likely to approve housing developments than their political rivals, research suggests
Tories will rethink 'flawed' PFIs

The Conservatives have said they will abolish the private finance initiative (PFI) method of funding major infrastructure builds if they are elected
UKGBC: Industry must cut carbon emissions by 50 per cent over next decade

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) is calling on the construction industry to cut carbon emissions from the built environment by 50 per cent over the next 10 years
University of Bath framework agreement

The University of Bath, Department of Estates, seeks Architectural Services under a 4-year framework agreement
Unloved in Birmingham: Why modernism has so few defenders

Modernism’s radical manifesto causes its buildings to be misunderstood, says Kieran Long
Urban Splash submits proposals for Irvine harbour

Developer Urban Splash, working with Edinburgh-based Reiach and Hall Architects, has submitted a planning application for the development of Irvine Harbour in North Ayrshire, Scotland
US tycoon set to restore St Andrews landmark

Hamilton Hall, one of the most iconic buildings at St Andrews Golf Course which famously appeared in the film Chariots of Fire, has been bought by American tycoon Herb Kohler.
V&A Ceramics Gallery Bridge, London by Wilkinson Eyre

[FIRST LOOK] Wilkinson Eyre has completed this new 7.5m-long footbridge at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum
Video: Architect behind the World Building of the Year 2009

The AJ interviews South African architect Peter Rich, winner of World Building of the Year award, and Rafael Vinoly, chair of the WAF judging panel
Video: Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre wins World Building of the Year

South African architect Peter Rich is the second winner of the World Building of the Year award, for a building on the site of an ancient civilisation
Video: RIBA awards 2009 President's Medals

The RIBA, together with Atkins, has awarded its RIBA President’s Medals to students who excel in the study of architecture
Video: RIBA Host Practice scheme puts students in the workplace

Host Practice is a new RIBA initiative where practices offer architecture students desk spaces or research opportunities
Video: The AR Emerging Architecture Awards 2009

Interviews with the winning architects, plus Architectural Review editor Kieran Long recaps the night at the AR’s Emerging Architecture Awards 2009
WAF Awards: Best buildings in the world

Prizes for best buildings in all 15 categories have been awarded at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona
Walters and Cohen's Ryde School officially opens

[FIRST LOOK] Walters and Cohen’s £5.5 million extension and refurbishment of Ryde School on the Isle of Wight has been officially opened
Wanted: Derelict building for artist's project

Arts producer Artangel requires a municipal building awaiting demolition for a project with a British artist
Why we should recycle our airports

Foster + Partner’s proposal for Heathrow Terminal 2 ignores the possibility of the zero-carbon airport, says Hayley Chivers
Will Alsop: A retiring fellow

Will Alsop has another reason to be cheery after his early retirement from… retirement
Wolf Hall, Staffordshire by Broadway Malyan

[FIRST LOOK + PLANS] Broadway Malyan has revealed images of this 120m² extension to a post-war cottage in Staffordshire
'Work in Progress' - The Berlin Wall in ice

These pictures show the construction of artist duo Awst & Walther’s installation commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Work up for grabs as taskforce targets church regeneration

A taskforce to find new community uses for historic churches at risk of closure has been set up by the Churches Conservation Trust
Zaha Hadid's journey to the top

To Rome for the opening of Zaha Hadid’s splendid MAXXI, which has had critics metaphorically trampling over each in other in the crush for superlatives

Architects JournalNovember 2009

Architects Journal
November 2009