Architects Journal
October 2010
View all stories from this issue.
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‘Pevsner for the PFI generation’
Owen Hatherley’s latest book is an attack on the buildings that have transformed Britain’s cityscapes during the reign of New Labour. He talks to James Pallister -
‘Phoenix project’: CABE battles to resurrect quango in new form
Senior commission staff are in top-level talks to resurrect CABE in a new guise once it is officially wound up in March next year -
New Practices #46: Ansham
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 #48: 5plus 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 Practices #50: Meldarchitecture
The latest in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone either through choice or redundancy -
Woodland Trust HQ, Grantham, by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios’ low-energy construction and simple plan make this an office you want to work in, writes Kester Rattenbury. Photography by Peter Cook -
[The Critics 21.10.10]: ‘Performance’ was the theme of Norman Foster's RIBA lecture last week
The lights dimmed, the crowd hushed and the synth music started. And from a side door in the RIBA’s lecture theatre, Norman Foster entered the room. -
‘Alarm’ as number of women architects falls for first time in nearly a decade
Statistics from the Fees Bureau show only 19 per cent of the profession is female, and twice as many women architects are unemployed compared to men -
‘New generation’ of Idea Stores set for east London
[FIRST LOOK + PLAN + FACTFILE] Bisset Adams has submitted plans for a new Idea Store in Tower Hamlets, east London -
‘New’ Ecophon’s Focus™ Fixiform
Ecophon’s Focus™ Fixiform is an efficient product for use when creating sharp vertical transitions in ceilings. It is a solution that enables the ceiling contractor to carry out every stage of installation and provides a finished result that perfectly matches the rest of the ceiling. -
‘PRESENCE’ The Luxurious new ‘Living’ surface from Strata
A luxurious blend of aesthetic design and mix of material give this new surface ‘living qualities’ through its incredible ability to control humidity, reduce odours and absorb harmful substances. -
£11m needed to complete Zaha’s Aquatics centre on time
Zaha Hadid Architects’ 2012 Olympics park aquatics centre is behind schedule and needs an extra £11 million in ‘accelerated costs’ to finish on time -
5 Merchant Square, London, by Mossessian & Partners
[BUILDING STUDY] Mossessian & Partners’ intriguing workplace fuses the conceptual with the practical, writes Edwin Heathcote. -
50-50 campaign for equality launches
Women in Architecture sets a 50 per cent target to address the profession’s gender imbalance, which Angela Brady argues will only be achieved with a grass-roots change, reports Mary Murray Brown -
A Room for London
Living Architecture and Artangel with the SouthbankCentre have launched a design competition for a temporary, one-bedroom structure to be built in Queen Elizabeth Hall on the Southbank Centre, London -
A world first for Kalwall
The Kalwall diffused daylighting system is lighting up the world’s biggest Audi centre in West London. Specified by Wilkinson Eyre architects, the translucent cladding is a major feature of this state of the art architectural design. -
AHMM lands Lord's cricket ground bonanza
AHMM has been appointed to take on a major role in the £400 million redevelopment of Lord’s cricket ground -
AJ Jobs Board blog: Adrian Dobson on starting a new practice
Adrian Dobson, director of practice at RIBA, has written this week’s AJ Jobs Board blog on why now could be a good time to start a new practice -
Aliva UK - Gres covering
Aliva UK, leaders in rainscreen and envelope solutions and part of the Ivas Group of companies (San Mauro Pascoli, Italy), is announcing the launch of the IMOCO Grescovering façade systems. -
Allies and Morrison submits Woolwich DLR scheme
[FIRST LOOK] Allies and Morrison has submitted a planning application for this £80 million mixed-use scheme above a Docklands Light Rail (DLR) station in Woolwich, south London -
ARB fines architect over ‘aesthetic disaster’
A Hertfordshire architect has been fined £4,000 after the flawed construction of two houses led to an ‘aesthetic disaster’ -
Architect reprimanded for misconduct
A north-west London architect has been reprimanded after being found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct -
Architects’ fees plummet and hourly rates fall
Architects’ hourly rates have dropped for the first time in a decade, while fees have continued to plummet, new figures show -
Architecture schools, museums, iconic lumps of Birmingham – everything’s popping up roses
Ian Martin watches AAAble Builders Yes We Can accidentally go into administration -
Architype reveals two new 'PassivHaus' school projects
Architype has revealed designs for two new ‘PassivHaus’ schools, just weeks after landing the RIBA Sorrell Foundation Award for its £6 million St Luke’s Primary School scheme -
Autistic artist draws London's skyline from memory
Stephen Wiltshire has drawn the city of London from the roof of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust hospital -
'Automated Facade Control’
The bringing together of adaptive natural ventilation control systems as used on glazed facades can offer huge benefits to building owners. -
Balancing Barn, Suffolk by MVRDV with Mole
MVRDV’s Balancing Barn in Suffolk is bold and brash with a real sense of fun, says James Pallister. Photography by Edmund Sumner -
Benjamin Garcia Saxe wins WAF 2010 best house award
Benjamin Garcia Saxe’s bamboo home in the Costa Rican rainforest has won this year’s best house award at WAF, impressing judges on both ‘a practical and emotional level’ -
Bennetts Associates to build council offices in ex-supermarket
Work has started on this £4million conversion of a disused supermarket in Elgin, Scotland into a ‘environmentally efficient’ office building -
Benoy bags hat-trick of Chinese mega-projects
Benoy has bagged three major contracts in China worth around £4 million in fees to the practice -
BEST 2010: Birmingham City Council's BREEAM Excellent new offices
New BREEAM Excellent offices for Birmingham City Council are helping the city meet its CO2reduction targets. -
BEST 2010: Birmingham’s low-carbon vision; Hattie Hartman introduces the Low Carbon Hub at BEST
With few exceptions, Birmingham is dominated by the car, and the A38 cuts through the heart of the city centre. The city wants to build on the successes of the regenerated canal district around Brindleyplace and begin to reclaim the city centre for pedestrians. -
BEST 2010: Home is where the heat is
Most UK homes need low-carbon retrofitting, so the government must develop a coherent national programme, says Andrew Mellor -
BEST 2010: Road map to a vibrant city
Birmingham’s Big City Plan provides a much-needed framework to repair the urban fabric torn apart by motorways -
BEST 2010: The Big City Plan
Launched on 29 September, the Big City Plan sets out urban design and development aspirations for Birmingham city centre. Hattie Hartman interviews Andrew Round, head of the city’s 12-strong Urban Design Unit -
Big practices sought for Little and Large 'speed dating'
The AJ is on the hunt for large practices to take part in the upcoming Little and Large ‘speed dating’ event at Guerilla Tactics 2010 -
Bushboard Deliver The Optimum Pre-Plumbed Duct Solution
Bushboard Washroom Systems have developed the design of their Ready Plumbed Module™ (RPM) framing system to deliver improved panel alignment, simpler on-site installation and a reduction in the number of loose parts delivered to site making RPM one of the most complete ready to install framing systems available. -
Bushboard Washrooms are Pitch Perfect for Leisure!
Bushboard Washroom Systems stylish Profiles cubicle range is proving very popular with a Northamptonshire family theme park. -
CABE backs £520 million bio-medical research centre
CABE has thrown its weight behind PLP and HOK’s £520 million bio-medical research centre in Camden, London -
CABE design review lives on – here’s how
Paul Finch’s letter from London: The future role of Design Council CABE -
Campaign group for 'architectural assistants' launched
Campaigners last week launched the Association of Part Two Architects (TAPTA), a new organisation to fight the profession’s ‘bias’ against architectural assistants -
Can Magic Arborealism overcome the Architecture of Absence?
Ian Martin comforts Isis de Cambray after the demise of the Commission for Arborealism and the Barked Environment -
Capita Symonds in Cirencester College win
Capita Symonds has been appointed to design a £3.8m ‘Sports Hall Plus’ project in Cirencester, Gloucestershire -
Cardross in line for 'Neues-like' restoration
New plans have emerged to resurrect Gillespie Kidd and Coia’s crumbling St Peter’s seminary at Cardross through a 20-year ‘Neues Museum-style’ redevelopment programme -
Careyjones renames and reveals new succession plan
AJ100 big hitter Carey Jones has re-branded itself and unveiled a new ‘succession plan’ after shedding almost half its board of directors two months ago -
Charles Knowles completes cattery in Battersea
[FIRST LOOK + PROJECT DATA] Charles Knowles Design has completed this £4 million Cattery for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in south London -
Chipperfield and Harrap kick off the World Architecture Festival
The World Architecture Festival 2010 in Barcelona began today with an opening session by David Chipperfield Architects and Julian Harrap Architects discussing their restoration of the Neues Museum in Berlin -
Church grant cuts a ‘kick in the teeth’
Architects have branded the government’s decision to cut back the Listed Places of Worship grant scheme ‘a kick in the teeth’ -
City of London Academy by Swanke Hayden Connell Architects
[FIRST LOOK + PROJECT DATA + PLANS] Swanke Hayden Connell Architects has completed the second phase of the academy in Islington -
'Classic Zaha' design set for new Serpentine
Zaha Hadid Architects has been appointed to design a second home for the Serpentine Gallery, just metres away from its Kensington Gardens base in west London -
Coalition drops Severn barrier but backs new nuclear plants
Plans for a massive electricity-generating barrage across the Severn estuary were today given the thumbs-down by Energy Secretary Chris Huhne -
Coalition drops third-party rights from Planning Bill
Third-party rights of appeal on successful planning applications will not be introduced in November’s Localism Bill, the Government has announced. -
Coe hints on stadium wrap reinstatement
A last-minute offer could see a multi-million pound plastic wrap around the Olympic stadium reinstated, Sebastien Coe said today. -
ColladoCollins wins planning for £20 million Olympia overhaul
ColladoCollins has landed planning permission for its project to upgrade the Olympia exhibition centre in west London -
Competitions: Editor's Pick 04.11.10
Design new housing at Hillington Square, a £75 million framework agreement, and a European housing design competition; the editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Competitions: Editor's Pick 21.10.10
Design new housing in Upton, the Hastings Pier competition relaunch, a new loft tower in Peru, and a landscape consultancy framework for the University of Reading; the editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Competitions: Editor's Pick 28.10.10
A design competition for a temporary structure in London, a Foreign & Commonwealth Office framework agreement, and housing design for the Swaythling Housing Society; the editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Connected, Consultants Framework Agreement
Housing group Connected seeks an architect in order to implement a £75-150 million Consultants Framework Agreement (across three lots) to facilitate delivery of their new build and refurbishment projects in line with their rolling annual capital programme. The housing associations predominately work in north and west London and the northern home counties. -
Construction to start on Rogers’ £340 million ‘cheese grater’
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners’ 47-storey ‘cheese grater’ tower in the City of London will start on site in early 2011 -
Costs: Lighting and Signage
For enlightened estimating, BCIS signpost the way. Here, Neil Barnett, resource cost services manager of BCIS, the Building Cost Information Service of the RICS, provides the latest sample cost breakdowns for various types of lighting and signage -
Design and construction of new housing units in Upton, Northampton
Architects are sought for the £10m design and construction of 149 new residential units, including all external works in Upton, Northampton -
Diana Balmori: A Landscape Manifesto
New York based landscape designer, Diana Balmori presents a lecture on the virtues of a greener city -
Dimplex welcomes announcement on RHI
Dimplex has welcomed the announcement in the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review that the Renewable Heat Incentive will be introduced as planned in 2011. -
Donald Insall scoops Blackpool Winter Garden jackpot
Blackpool Council has selected Donald Insall Associates to begin the restoration of the iconic, Grade II-listed Winter Gardens building -
Doolan Prize: Elder and Cannon's Glasgow offices win £25,000 first prize
Elder and Cannon has won the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award 2010 with its Shettleston Housing Association Offices in Glasgow -
Douglas and King wins go-ahead for 'free school'
[FIRST LOOK + PLANS] Douglas and King Architects has won planning permission for this £2.1 million primary school in Barnet, North London -
Dow Building Solutions - Effective insulation key to England's first certified Passive House
STYROFOAMTM-A from Dow Building Solutions has been used to extensively insulate the first certified Passive House in England, Underhill House – a project recorded for the latest Channel 4 Grand Designs series. -
DSH Architects reveals earth-sheltered PPS7 house
Gloucestershire-based DSH Architects has submitted plans for this ‘completely self-sufficient’, earth-sheltered house near Cheltenham -
Dyson reveals washroom winners
Paul McAnerney Architects and Brunskill Design have won top prizes in Dyson’s competition to design the washroom of the future -
Ecophon - Solstice Park – a synopsis
Solstice Park is a brand new £250 million mixed use business park situated just off the A303 in Amesbury, Wiltshire. -
Energy efficient Dimplex air curtains can help hit CRC targets
With the government’s CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme now in effect, large organisations across the public and private sectors are actively looking for ways to reduce their energy consumption -
English Heritage cuts grants by a third
English Heritage has said it has to slash its grants by a third and shed almost 200 staff in the wake of the government’s spending review -
European competition for low-cost housing
As part of a European competition to form a directory for high-performance, low-cost housing, the Department of Local Development of the Municipality of Milan, Assimpredil Ance, the Order of Architects of the Province of Milan, IN/ ARCH, Lombardy Section and FederlegnoArredo have launched a design competition to promote high-quality, low cost housing design. -
Evelyn Grace Academy in Brixton, south London, by Zaha Hadid Architects
[FIRST LOOK + PROJECT DATA + PLANS] Zaha Hadid Architects has completed this £36.5 million academy for 1,200 pupils in Brixton, south London -
Evelyn Grace Academy, Brixton, south London, by Zaha Hadid Architects
[TECHNICAL & PRACTICE] Zaha Hadid’s Evelyn Grace Academy in Brixton survived a highly managed design and procurement framework, discovers Felix Mara -
Facing up to Mackintosh
Steven Holl’s proposed new £50 million Glasgow School of Art redevelopment requires a lot more work, says William JR Curtis -
Facing up to Mackintosh (Part 2)
The case for the defence: the Glasgow School of Art has chosen the right man to mastermind its £50 million redevelopment, says David Porter -
Farrell to oversee Holborn revamp
The London districts of Holborn, Bloomsbury and St Giles are set to be revitalised by architect and urban designer Terry Farrell -
Farrell’s Earls Court masterplan safe from Chelsea stadium bid
Fears that plans for a new Chelsea stadium could send Terry Farrell’s Earls Court masterplan back to the drawing board, have been played down by the club -
First look: RIBA unveils Whitehaven contest finalists
The AJ can exclusively reveal the five shortlisted schemes in the competition to design a £10 million mixed-used luxury apartment and office scheme in Whitehaven Harbour, Cumbria -
Floor glazing detail: Balancing Barn, Suffolk by MVRDV with Mole
[WORKING DETAIL 21.10.10] Hermetically sealed double-glazed floor -
Foster + Partners owner considers sell-off as Camp Nou stadium scheme shelved
The company that owns part of Foster + Partners is considering selling its practice share, while the practice’s 250 million euro stadium project in Barcelona has been scrapped -
Foster to make Luxembourg debut with regeneration scheme
Foster + Partners has won an international competition to redevelop the Royal Hamilius ‘block’ in Luxembourg City -
Framework agreement, Foreign & Commonwealth Office
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office seeks an architect-led design team to support their worldwide property portfolio -
Freebridge Community Housing redesign
Freebridge Community Housing seeks an architect to lead the redesign of 15 blocks of flats comprising 320 units of social housing at Hillington Square -
Frequently Asked Questions
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Funds pulled from architecture centres as CABE winds down
The architecture centre network will lose almost £1 million a year with the forthcoming closure of CABE -
Gagosian Gallery, Paris, by Caruso St John
The fifth of seven Gagosian galleries designed by Caruso St John Architects, this latest is a consummate work of art, writes Christine Murray -
Gaudi on track for sainthood
The Pope’s consecration of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona this weekend has raised campaigners’ hopes Antoni Gaudi could be the first architect to achieve a sainthood -
Geoff Wilkinson’s Regs: Part L arrives
The controversial new Part L is not only confusing, parts aren’t even ready -
Gerry Judah creates Remembrance day 'crucifix'
[FIRST LOOK} Sculpture Gerry Judah has created this 7m-tall crucifix for the Imperial War Museum North (IWMN) in Manchester to mark this year’s Remembrance memorial day -
GKD - Metal mesh for interior design
With more than 150 years of history and over 280 attorneys, Phelps Dunbar located in the south of the USA is a top-notch law firm. The most recent success of the prospering chancellery is the honouring of five Dunbar Partners as “Lawyers of the Year”. -
Government scuttles RIBA hopes of ARB takeover
The Government has officially confirmed the ARB will be retained, ending the RIBA’s hopes of taking over its functions -
Government to end Pathfinder programme
The government has revealed plans to wind up its controversial £1 billion Housing Market Renewal ‘Pathfinder’ programme -
Government unveils growth plans
The government’s white paper on ‘local growth’ contains the names of 24 local enterprise partnerships (LEP) which will replace the soon-to-be-abolished regional development agencies -
Green light for Allies & Morrison's £4.5 billion Brent Cross project
Allies and Morrison has won outline planning permission for its £4.5 billion Brent Cross regeneration project in north London -
Green roofs
[Sustainable products] Easy to install and delivering real benefits, green roofs are more popular than ever, says Sandy Patience -
Green shoots? Construction boosts UK economy
The construction sector grew by 4 per cent in the third quarter of this year significantly boosting the UK’s overall GDP, according to official figures -
Haworth Tompkins’ RCA campus scheme wins funding boost
[FIRST LOOK] Haworth Tompkins’ project to build a new £37 million Royal College of Art (RCA) campus in south London has received a funding boost following an auction of art -
Heatherwick’s pavilion rods up for sale
A number of acrylic rods from Thomas Heatherwick’s Shanghai ‘Seed Pavilion’ have been put up for auction today on a Chinese website -
Heatherwick’s Shanghai pavilion wins 'best in show' Expo prize
Thomas Heatherwick’s ‘seed cathedral’ has been named top pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo -
Herzog & de Meuron's 'Shardettes' towers face the chop
Herzog & de Meuron’s controversial Three Spires skyscraper scheme in Southwark, south London, is facing a huge redesign following plans to overhaul the area’s strategy for tall buildings -
High Court defeat on housing ‘changes very little’ says government
The government has announced it will press ahead with the abolition of regional spatial strategies despite a high court defeat over the contentious issue -
HLM, Capita and Scott Brownrigg hit as £13bn defence scheme dropped
A planned £13 billion defence training academy has been cancelled after the Ministry of Defence said Metrix, its preferred bidder, had not come up with affordable proposals -
Hodder's Wigan redevelopment plans approved
Wigan Borough Council has approved a Hodder + Partners’ £200 million scheme to redevelop the town centre -
Hugh Broughton unveils new Antarctic lab design
[FIRST LOOK] Hugh Broughton Architects has revealed this image of its latest Antarctic research centre project designed for the Korean Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) -
Ian Martin: My alternative to alternative energy
Ian Martin harnesses the power of human neuropathy -
Ian Simpson rethinks Grasmere school
Ian Simpson Architects has gone back to the drawing board after its ‘radical’ proposals for a school in Grasmere after an appeal was rejected by the planning inspector -
Industry Reaction: What next for CABE?
The profession reacts to news that the government has withdrawn its funding for the 11-year-old Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment -
Isle of Wight green light for Fletcher Crane
[FIRST LOOK] Up-and-coming practice Fletcher Crane Architects has landed planning for this 400m2house in Ryde, on the Isle of Wight -
Kengo Kuma wins V&A Dundee contest
[FIRST LOOK] Japanese practice Kengo Kuma and Associates has won the high-profile contest to design a new £47 million outpost for the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in Dundee -
Landscape Framework, University of Reading
The University of Reading in Berkshire is seeking an architect for its four-year landscape consultancy framework -
Local-level resurrection for CABE mooted
CABE could be reborn as ‘a more industry led, local partner-based model’, according to the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) -
Loft Boutique Competition, Lima, Peru
ARQUIA in conjunction with Arquitectum have announced a competition to design a new kind of ‘Lofts Tower’ for a residential district in Lima, Peru -
London Planning Awards shortlist revealed
Renzo Piano, dRMM and Shepheard Epstein Hunter have been named amongst the nominations in this year’s London Planning Awards -
Make completes ‘glistening’ Birmingham Cube
[FIRST LOOK] Make’s £100 million, 23-storey Cube development in Birmingham is finally complete -
Make reveals East London university plans
A design team led by Make has submitted plans for a new joint facility for the University of East London and Birkbeck University of London -
Make submits redesigned Croydon tower scheme
[FIRST LOOK + PLANS] Make has resubmitted plans for its mixed-use skyscraper development in east Croydon -
Malcolm Fraser wins RIAS Whitecross housing competition
Malcolm Fraser Architects has won the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland’s (RIAS) contest to design a sustainable housing development in Whitecross, west Lothian -
Marley Eternit fibre cement cladding shows its colours
Natura Plus from Marley Eternit has once again demonstrated how fibre cement wall cladding can add form and function to a building, this time on a new property in Highbury, North London. -
Mastertint coloured tarmac Discover a world of colour event
We’re pleased to announce the forthcoming opening of our new asphalt plant dedicated to the production and supply of our coloured asphalt range: Mastertint. The plant will be open early 2011 and to mark this occasion we’re holding a launch event at London Zoo on November 10 2010. -
McAslan completes Olympic Park Energy Centre
[FIRST LOOK + FACTFILE] Work has completed on John McAslan & Partners’ energy centre in the London 2012 Olympic Park -
MCS certification for Dimplex Lab M heat pumps
The popular Dimplex LAB M range of air source heat pumps is now MCS certificated, showing it meets robust criteria for quality and performance and extending choices in renewable heat for public sector organisations as well as the private domestic sector. -
Minimalist fathering?
John Pawson vs David Chipperfield in the parenting stakes -
National Trust reveals its top ten terrifying buildings
From Dinefwr in Carmarthenshire to Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk visitors face warnings of headless ladies, grieving ghosts and a phantom Roman Army -
New outfit Dainow&Dainow helps young architects' crack the art market
[THIS WEEK] A new generation of architects is cashing in on illustration, writes James Pallister -
New Practices #49: Pringle Brandon Drew
The latest in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone either through choice or redundancy -
Newton Architects reveals PPS7 farmhouse conversion
[FIRST LOOK] Newton Architects has unveiled these images of its low carbon project to revamp a disused farm building in Northumberland -
Niemeyer meets Pele: Brazilian Greats 2 New Museum 1
Work has started on a new museum in honour of 70-year old Brazilian soccer star Pele designed by 102-year old architectural star Oscar Niemeyer -
NiUU Cubicle System
Clear lines and the stringent emphasis on verticals defines the new cubicle system by Kemmlit. NiUU provides the perfect solution for public and office washrooms. -
NORD’s Olympics substation lands top brick award
NORD Architecture’s Kings Yard substation for the Olympic Park in east London has won the 2010 Brick Awards prize for ‘best brickwork in Britain’ -
Norman Foster on 'Performance' at the RIBA
[THIS WEEK] The lights dimmed, the crowd hushed and the synth music started. And from a side door in the RIBA’s lecture theatre, Norman Foster entered the room, writes James Pallister -
Nouvel completes ‘stealth bomber’ shopping centre in City of London
Jean Nouvel’s first permanent project in the UK, the £500 million One New Change shopping centre threw open its doors to the public today -
One New Change, London, by Ateliers Jean Nouvel/ Sidell Gibson Architects
[BUILDING STUDY] Most iconic architecture is downright rude – but One New Change is (almost) polite, says Rory Olcayto. -
Open House photography competition winners revealed
A view from a 14th-century human bones store up to Foster + Partners’ 1 Bishops Square development in east London has scooped one of two prizes for this year’s Open City and AJ photography competition -
Parametric partying
Despite a Stirling Prize-winning-year, things haven’t all been going Zaha Hadid’s way recently -
Patricia Cain and Alan Dunlop on architectural draughtsmanship, painting and the city
Alan Dunlop quizzes artist Patricia Cain on her creative motivation, technique and prize-winning work portraying Zaha Hadid’s Glasgow Riverside Museum -
Penoyre & Prasad lands Solent Design award
Penoyre & Prasad’s Portsmouth University library extension received a top prize this week at the inaugural Solent Design Awards -
Penrose lists Stratford's 1960s Shakepeare centre
The Laurence Williams-designed Shakespeare Centre in Stratford Upon Avon has been listed by architecture minister John Penrose -
Pensions set to squeeze small firms
Small practices are bracing themselves for extra administrative burden following the news every employee will have to be enrolled into a pension scheme by the end of 2016 -
PLP unveils Farringdon Crossrail proposal
[FIRST LOOK] PLP Architecture has revealed these images of the proposed Farringdon Crossrail over-station development project in the City of London -
Plymouth to sell listed Civic Centre
Plymouth Council has put its crumbling Civic Centre up for sale, three years after the iconic Hector J W Stirling-designed structure was listed -
Populous unveils Horse Guards volleyball arena plans
[FIRST LOOK] Populous has revealed plans to transform the Horse Guards Parade in central London into a temporary beach volleyball arena for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics -
Quango cull: CABE in purgatory
CABE’s future is hanging in the balance as the government revealed its official list of quangos facing the axe -
Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility, Motherwell, North Lanarkshire
[Technical & Practice 21.10.10] Populous’ vast sports hall at Ravenscraig is light, spacious and a striking new emblem for the regenerated steelworks site -
Recession: Make sheds 17 staff
Make Architects has laid off 14 per cent of its London workforce, shedding 17 staff last week -
Restoration of Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, by Peter Inskip + Peter Jenkins Architects
Peter Inskip + Peter Jenkins Architects’ restoration of Strawberry Hill is as affectionate as it is remarkable, writes Felix Mara. Photography by Ben Blossom -
Retrofit Awards winners announced
The eight winners of the inaugural Retrofit Awards were announced at a ceremony in Birmingham on 19 October -
Revealed: Double winners in Royal Park fountains contest
[FIRST LOOK] Moxon Architects and Robin Monotti Architects with Mark Titman have both been named as winners in the contest to design the ‘next generation’ of drinking fountains in London’s eight Royal Parks -
Revealed: New Crossrail plans for Tottenham Court Road
These are the first images of Hawkins\Brown and Arup/Atkins has revealed its latest proposals for the new Crossrail station at Tottenham Court Road in central London -
RIBA denies library and collections move to northern HQ
The RIBA has denied reports it is intending to relocate its library and permanent collections to a proposed new northern regional headquarters in Liverpool -
RIBA hits out at Prince's Foundation's design review bid
RIBA president Ruth Reed has spoken out against the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment’s bid to take over the design review role currently run by the soon-to-disappear CABE. -
RIBA relaunches Hastings Pier competition
The RIBA has relaunched its Hastings pier regeneration contest, just two weeks after a fire destroyed 95 percent of its structure -
RIBA to freeze fees again
The RIBA has announced it will freeze its annual membership fee for the second year running -
Richard Murphy in final two for China whisky project
Richard Murphy’s ‘zigzag’ proposal for the Lang-jiu Whisky Headquarters in China has made it to the final two of the international design competition -
Rising star Hancock to design 40m-high Spitfire memorial
Nick Hancock Design Studio has won a competition to design a £2 million memorial to the Spitfire aeroplane and its designer in Southampton -
RMJM quells fears over late pay and staff walkouts
RMJM has played down fears of turmoil at the practice following a spate of staff walkouts and claims employees at its Dubai office have been left unpaid -
Saemangeum: The vision of a city
The design for a new island city in South Korea perfectly showcases the Architecture Research Unit’s rich imagination and ambition, writes Andrew Mead -
SAS International's innovative mesh ceiling panels
SAS International provided innovative mesh ceiling panels and concealed suspension for eye catching mixed-use development, One New Change. -
Schmidt Hammer Lassen reveals Halifax library plans
[FIRST LOOK] The London-office of Schmidt Hammer Lassen (SHL) has unveiled these designs for a new central library in the Canadian port city of Halifax, Nova Scotia -
Scott Brownrigg and the Stephen Lawrence Trust showcase student work
An exhibition of work by architecture students who have gained from the Stephen Lawrence Bursary Award Programme opened in London this week -
Seilern wins go-ahead for Vilnius overhaul plans
London’s Studio Seilern has won planning permission for this 13,265m2 mixed-use development in the Old Town of Vilnius in Lithuania -
Sheppard Robson submits Hammersmith town centre regeneration project
Sheppard Robson has finally submitted a planning application for the regeneration of Hammersmith town centre in west London -
Simpson's Blackfriars tower in doubt
The future of Ian Simpson Architect’s 52-storey skyscraper project on London’s South Bank is hanging in the balance after the project was put into administration -
Speaking a new language
Jane and Mark Burry’s book exploring the interface between mathematics and architecture is vital to the future of architectural dialect, says Lionel March -
Spending review: £16 billion to build new schools
The government has announced plans to revive 600 schools buildings projects from its abolished BSF programme and the academies framework -
Spending review: £2 billion capital boost saves flagship projects
The government today (20 October) unveiled plans to boost capital spending, safeguarding a raft of cultural and infrastructure projects -
Spending Review: CABE closed down
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) is to be wound-up after the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) pulled its funding for the quango -
Spending Review: DCMS budget cut by £300 million
Chancellor George Osborne has slashed the budget of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) from around £1.4 billion to £1.1billion -
Spending review: English Heritage budget cut by 30 per cent
English Heritage (EH) has had 30 per cent sliced off its budget, creating ‘exceptional challenges’ for the organisation -
Spending Review: LDA in funding black hole
The London Development Agency has had its £480 million annual budget pulled as a result of the government’s spending review -
Spending review: Social housing cuts are a ‘dereliction of responsibility’
Architects have criticised the government’s ‘socially and economically short-sighted’ decision to slice around 50 per cent off the affordable housing budget as part of today’s Comprehensive Spending Review -
Spending review: the architects' reaction
The Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) has provoked a wide-ranging response from AJ readers. Here are a selection of the comments received -
Spending review: The Chancellor's speech in full
Chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne today unveiled the coalition government’s comprehensive spending review -
Sperone Westwater Gallery, New York City, USA, by Foster + Partners
It’s hard not to have a moment of nostalgia when approaching Foster + Partners’ recently completed Sperone Westwater Gallery in Manhattan, New York City, says Jaffer Kolb -
Stealing sustainability
Architects may never get project management back, so let’s not give away sustainability too, says Rory Olcayto -
Studio Octopi to design Olympic kiosks
Studio Octopi has won the Architecture Foundation’s competition to design kiosks for Meridian Square, Stratford – the gateway to the Olympic Park -
Suicidal-fee bidders could face insurance premium hike
Practices found to be undercutting fees and consistently bidding at unsustainable levels could face higher insurance premiums and a dwindling pool of underwriters willing to cover their risk -
Sutherland Hussey bags £3m prize for arts centre in Edinburgh
Sutherland Hussey has beaten stiff competition to win the £3 million ‘Arts Funding Prize’ for its Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop (ESW) expansion scheme -
Swaythling Housing Society Framework Agreement
The Swaythling Housing Society is looking to establish a framework agreement for architectural services worth £8m over a four-year period as part of a development programme which will see the construction of 2,000 new housing units -
Thames Gateway, Mark Brearley and a call to arms
[THIS WEEK] At London Met, Mark Brearley urges young architects to become planners, writes James Pallister -
The 7 sins of architects, according to Robert Adam and Louis Hellman
[THIS WEEK] Robert Adam’s new book affectionately takes architecture to task, writes James Pallister -
The next generation of PassivHaus design
Beautiful and low-carbon: three very different projects showcase the current state of PassivHaus design -
The Regs: Foundations
Clear guidance on low-rise house extensions is lacking, so know your foundation depths, says Geoff Wilkinson -
The Spending Review: what it means for architects
Last week’s £80 billion spending cut put the UK on the hard road to economic recovery. Merlin Fulcher investigates the impact on architecture -
The Stirling Prize was right to ignore the Scots
The Doolan shortlist is worthy of attention, just don’t pretend it’s world class, writes Rory Olcayto -
The Teenage Cancer Trust Ward, Birmingham Children's Hospital, by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands
The Teenage Cancer Trust Ward is a light and informal environment for its young patients, says Felix Mara -
Toilet Cubicle and Washroom Systems for Education
The Bushboard range of toilet cubicle and washroom systems for education have been specifically developed to provide well designed, fit for purpose and cost effective washrooms from nursery to university. -
Two-thirds to be made redundant at LDA
The London Development Agency (LDA) has announced it will shed more than 200 jobs in the next five months, following the government’s decision to pull its funding -
Universal PQQ mooted to reduce bid burden
The coalition’s new business czar wants architectural practices to only have to pre-qualify for public work once, regardless of how many local authorities they work for -
Velfac natural ventilation helps Innovation Park achieve breeam excellence
A natural ventilation system, using VELFAC glazing, installed at The Innovation and Business Base (IBB) in Luton, was an important energy saving feature contributing towards the project’s BREEAM Excellent rating. Designed by Hopkins Architects and built by Marriott Construction, the IBB houses office space and business support facilities. -
Viñoly’s Battersea Power Station set for green light
The Rafael Viñoly-masterplanned project to redevelop the Grade II-listed Battersea Power Station in Nine Elms, south London, is recommended for approval by planning officers -
WAF 2010: Barcelona-based practices showcase new projects
New Barcelona-based practices showcased their projects today on the first day of the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona -
WAF 2010: Sean Griffiths and Bjarke Ingals on 'Putting the meaning back into cities'
Sean Griffiths of FAT and Bjarke Ingals of BIG launched into a heated debate on the transformation of modern life in their seminar today on the first day of the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona -
Warner Bros unveils plans for new studio
[FIRST LOOK] Hollywood giant Warner Bros has revealed these images of its proposed new ‘major production base’ in Watford, north London -
We have lift off: Foster's spaceport completes
[First look] These are the first pictures of Foster + Partners’ Spaceport America which has officially opened in New Mexico -
We must fight to preserve the level of architects’ fees
Research by the Fees Bureau has revealed that hourly rates by sole principals, and the architects’ fees index, have both fallen for the first time in a decade, says Christine Murray -
Work to start on Viñoly's Walkie Talkie tower
Work is to begin on Rafael Viñoly’s stalled Walkie Talkie tower following a deal struck between Land Securities and Canary Wharf Group -
Works begins on Redbox's Northern Design Centre
[FIRST LOOK] Construction has started on Redbox Architecture’s proposed new £10 million Northern Design Centre, Baltic Business Quarter, Gateshead -
Works begins on Sheppard Robson's £30 million Staffs Uni scheme
[FIRST LOOK + PROJECT DATA] Construction has started on Sheppard Robson’s new £30 million Science and Technology Centre at Staffordshire University -
Zaha to design second Serpentine Gallery
Zaha Hadid has been appointed to design a second home for the Serpentine Gallery, just yards away from its Kensington Gardens base in west London -
Zaha wins WAF's World's Best Building award
Zaha Hadid’s MAXXI museum in Rome has been named as the World Building of the Year at the 2010 World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Barcelona
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