Abell & Cleland House Apartments

Last night was the launch of our apartment design in Abell and Cleland House – a new housing development near Westminster. The interiors have been beautifully made with really interesting joinery detailing – with curved bolection mouldings around doors and architraves. Only thing is you will have to win the lottery to be able to afford one! Lets hope that some real people manage to live there!

UKTI visit to India with David CameronThis special report is from India where I am on the UKTI’s business delegation to India with David Cameron. Apart from the extraordinary logistics, and the way the roads were cleared for the 100+ Delegates to travel across the city, the thrust of the visit is to energies the connection between UK and India. In this regard history may not be on our side, and the PM has stressed it’s all about partnerships for the future. If they are to be believed the figures are staggering: in the next 5 years India plans to spend $1 Trillion on infrastructure, by 2020 it targets 40m new university places and by 2025 it will be the world’s fifth largest consumer market. All well and good, however beneath the headlines there are some deeper questions that need answering. While infrastructure is acknowledged as being important to make cities function, no one seems to be discussing the vision for what India wants to be. At a very interesting meeting with the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, it was acknowledged that the system of governance made it difficult to implement joined up thinking. Yet this is exactly what is needed along with a critical response to current urbanization trends, and a rethink as to what is being borrowed or copied from the West. Infrastructure should not be seen as a solution to a problem, it needs to be understood as part of a synthetic and integrated approach to making cities places that allow people to work, live well and thrive.

58 Barnes High Street

Been a busy (dry!) January and things are getting even busier. Next week is an important planning consultation meeting for our Barnes Project. If you are in the area drop in on 7th February (5.30-7) at 58 Barnes High Street. The idea is to create some elegant, innovative and contextual apartments in the manner of an artisan mews.

Moscow House

Following a recent trip to Moscow, before the snow hit, we were very excited to see our first new build project in Russia taking shape. The Siberian Larch cladding is all in and the windows are being put in place. Last week all the planting was put in before the big freeze – the temperature differential is amazing – from minus 30 in winter to plus 30 in summer! Means buildings move a lot! The other fact we discovered is that there is no decent translation for the concept of ‘sustainability’. That speaks volumes. Still pleased to say that we have been able to design a building which meets UK criteria so that is a start. Watch this space….

Sheffield Star article

You have got to laugh when you get some not-so-good-press. Today the Sheffield Star found it difficult to like 192 Shoreham Street (“Awful,” is how one letter to The Star described it.)

http://www.thestar.co.uk/community/the-diary/a-shore-fire-winner-1-5177897

However it’s good that the end users are happy….

Shoreham Street – Award

Great buzz last night at the RIBA Yorkshire/Sheffield Design Awards as 192 Shoreham Street won BEST BUILDING. This is the third building we have worked on for the same client – the other two being Cemetery Road and Glossop Road (both of which have also won RIBA awards). It is a great testament to the vision of the planning department and the client that new architecture can be commissioned and built to a sensible budget and supported by the city. 

Antwerp/Amsterdam/India

Been a very busy few weeks with lots of trips abroad….3 weeks ago I was luck enough to attend a conference at Artesis in Antwerp “Theory by Design” and presented a paper on our work/thinking. Saw over 30 presentations so was awash with big ideas and impressed by the range and articulation of the speakers. Next stop Amsterdam – favourite city – and some great new architecture, fabulous lunches and late night beers. Next stop India and a big presentation for me of a new hotel concept in Delhi plus a visit to Dehradun in the Himalayas. Finally a night in the Park Bangalore for some snagging and briefing. Still looking good after 12 years!