7 - AIA International LONDON 2022 - Day 3 – Colour, the City & Beyond

Photo credit: E Fitzpatrick (AIA UK)

Sunday, 2 Oct 2022, was Marathon Day, meaning more closed roads, more traffic congestion, more people piling into central London, but also adding a cheery, sporty atmosphere to London’s historic financial district - the City - which on a weekend can otherwise be drearily depopulated.   

All Day Venue – Convene at 22 Bishopsgate

22 Bishopsgate is one of London’s – and Europe’s - newest and tallest buildings.  It was described by the London Times in 2018 as the City’s ‘smartest building’.  Convene at 22 Bishopsgate proved to be the perfect venue for a day filled with seriously good talks.

Photo credits: (top) S Gold (AIA I) and (bottom) L King (AIA UK)

Talk – ‘Beyond the Surface – Transformative Colour’, Fiona McLachlan, Professor of Architecture Practice, UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

Photo credit: P Salathe (AIA CE guest)

FIONA McLACHLAN was selected by AIA CE as an inspirational speaker on the topic of colour.  In introducing her, Bari Wetmore Salathe (AIA CE) related how McLachlan was put forth by Sheila Farouk, an AIA CE emerging professional who was unfortunately unable to attend the Conference.    

Colour is a topic dear to ALL designers, but – admittedly – it is often sadly neglected. Perhaps, suggested McLachlan, ‘architects are nervous about colour’?  Then, to dispel any idea that using colour was EASY, she baldly stated, ‘get this from the start – colour does not make bad architecture good’.  Fundamental to understanding colour is to know that ‘colour is dependent on context’.  Surely that maxim is akin to ‘water runs downhill’.  It should never be forgotten. 

Giancarlo Alhadeff (AIA CE) summed up the mood of the audience most eloquently when he saluted McLachlan at question time with a simple ‘THANK YOU’.   She certainly had the audience on her side so that - all through break time - everyone could only talk COLOUR, showing off their most extravagant contributions.  

Talk – ‘Exchange Place’, Deborah Saunt, Co-Founder, DSDHA

Photo credit: L Petruso (AIA UK)

DEBORAH SAUNT, from DSHDHA, ran through her various urban design successes and kept the audience fully on her side.  The overall mood can accurately be described as one of laughter and bonhomie.   

Saunt started with poignant pictures of stragglers huddled around the edges of an empty, circular plinth and an end-of-the-week, testosterone fueled drinks party at the pre-improved Broadgate Bearpit. 

Photo credit: G Alhadeff (AIA CE)

‘Let’s get out of our silos and invest in landscaping!’ was Saunt’s call as she talked through her design methodology for a safer more sociable Bradgate Exchange Place - including CCTV footage, movement studies, ‘smile tests’ and student interviewers, etc.  

Is landscaping cost effective?  Yes, it appears that the improvements at Exchange Place paid for themselves through increased square footage rents.  ‘People’, says Saunt, ‘divert to greenery’.  

Talk – ‘22 Bishopsgate – A Vertical Village’, Karen Cook, Co-Founder SPICE

Photo credits: H Giblin (AIA CE)

KAREN COOK – architect of 22 Bishopsgate – has been a member of AIA UK since the early 1990s, and the Chapter has watched with pride as her career progressed over the last three decades.  She is now one of AIA UK’s most illustrious and well known designers and co-founder of one of London’s newest architectural practices, SPICE. 

Her talk included a technical summary of 22 Bishopsgate’s history, design, sustainability credentials and construction, and highlighted aspects that set it apart from other high rises – particularly the humanistic touches.  ‘Quality of living’ - even at the scale of 12,000 occupiers and 62 floors – was an ever paramount consideration.  The project has been honoured by the International Well Building Institute in terms of ‘air, water, nourishment, light, fitness and comfort’ control. 

Special features include among others: A tenant’s gym with climbing wall; retreat spaces; a free public viewing gallery; a private food market (open to public in non-office hours); a large cycle park and associated changing areas; personalised control of one’s workspace environment….

The developer’s approach to its tenants is also unusual.  Construction proceeded without a major pre-let.  Instead, the developer concentrated on multi lets for smaller – even start up - companies, with all tenants treated equally.  

Panel Discussion – ‘Façade Design in the Age of Sustainability’, Karen Cook, Co-Founder SPICE; Claudia Farabegoli, Design Director, THORNTON TOMASETTI; Julian Sutherland, Building Services Partner, CUNDALL; Chair - Cedric Hamers, DOW.

Photo credit: K Storr (AIA UK)  

In a departure from the typical Conference talk format, after lunch focused on a panel of experts addressing aspects of façade design.  As CEDRIC HAMERS, representing the Conference sponsor, Dow, was unable to attend at the last minute, LESTER KORZILIUS (AIA UK) took over as chair.  

Although Dow was not in attendance, a video which highlighted its newly developed, carbon neutral silicone was presented on its behalf.  Dow emphasised that it aims to have its entire business carbon neutral by 2050.  Currently, it takes a project-by-project approach to offset silicone’s carbon footprint, with audited Carbon Certificates coming from upstream operations.

KAREN COOK spoke first, describing in detail 22 Bishopsgate’s full-height triple-glazed façade with internal blinds controlled by the Building Management System - in short, a closed cavity system. The panel debated the merits of a traditional insulated glass façade compared to a closed cavity system.  Surprisingly, the two approaches are nearly equal in life-cycle carbon usage.

CLAUDIA FARABEGOLI – who has more than 20 years’ experience in façade design – also talked about the life cycles.  She made the somewhat challenging assertion that timber facades, and the use of timber generally, is not necessarily a sustainable approach to material selection, given that - at the end of a building’s life - timber is typically burned, releasing all embodied carbon back into the atmosphere.  

JULIAN SUTHERLAND, who spearheads sustainability efforts at Cundall, identified a 7-step program to achieve Net Zero Carbon.  He used the Grade I listed Palm House at Kew Gardens – a Victorian, single glazed greenhouse currently being renovated – to highlight several steps, including façade replacement, improved lighting, and heat pumps.  Fortunately, heritage officers are now becoming more flexible on how historic buildings might be adapted to suit net zero aspirations.  

Talk - ‘Quay Quarter Tower: Lessons in Transformation from Sydney to London’, Audun Opdal, Senior Partner, 3XN

Photo credit: S Gold (AIA I)

AUDUN OPDAL addressed another aspect of the sustainability debate – what to do with existing, ofttimes obsolete - building stock?  His personal, practical solution is to ‘demolish, retain and expand’ – save energy, save carbon, save time by revitalising ‘old buildings with good bones’.  

He provided multiple examples of how to do this – from simple to complex projects.  His most complex example, Sydney Quay Quarter Tower, looked like a project that could have gone seriously out of control during construction, but Opdal managed to pull it off by relying – as he recommends - on a strong, collaborative team of designers, engineers, and specialist consultants.  

Not all old buildings can be saved, so Opdal’s advice for the future is ‘to design new buildings that will be easy to change’.

Opdal is from Denmark, but he has lived long enough in London to know that the English can imbue words such as ‘nice’ and ‘interesting’ with subtle insults - ‘Oh, that’s interesting…..’ - sounds good superficially, but can be downright insulting.  

So, when he described the subject of his talk as ‘interesting’, he had to clarify that he meant ‘interesting’ in the Danish sense of – well –  just interesting, without recourse to quotation marks.

Opdal’s talk was the last of the day and last of the Conference, but - for those attendees who found AIA International LONDON 2022 truly interesting - there is more to look forward to at AIA International MEXICO CITY 2023.  

Please see below Jose Luis Salinas’ (AIA I) video preview of next year’s Conference – 2 to 6 Nov 2023.

Fortunately, Salinas did make it back to Mexico - complete with his wayward luggage - and he can now concentrate on his upcoming year of detailed planning. 

Written by: Lorraine D King, AIA (aka Secretary@AIAUK.org) with input from L Korzilius, FAIA, on the Facades Panel.

6 - AIA International LONDON 2022 - Saturday Night on the Dixie Queen

Photo credit: A Arditti (AIA I)

Talk – ‘Architecture & the River Thames’, Benedict O’Looney, Founder BENEDICT O’LOONEY ARCHITECTS 

At International Conferences, it has been a long standing tradition that Saturday night is reserved for a PARTY.  Aboard the river boat Dixie Queen, the London riverfront skyline and BENEDICT O’LOONEY’s commentary – including highlights of American influences - offered a gentle background to a gigantic architectural get together. 

View the video below, ‘Under the Bridge,’ captured by Laura Petruso (AIA UK) as the AIA and guests start their nighttime journey.

However, few attendees were aware of how close the Dixie Queen came to being trapped downriver of Tower Bridge when an accident closed the bridge. Pierre Baillargeon (AIA UK) would have it that Michael Lischer (AIA UK) and his wife, Sue, magically raised the bridge, rescued the boat, and steered it pier-wise ‘with Titanic theme music in the background - stirring our hearts towards the brave lovers’. Thankfully, the police had just cleared the accident in time for a slightly delayed departure.

Photo Credits: B Hamilton, AIA, and R McMahon (AIA UK guest)

AIA I President, Scott Gold  – enjoying the cheerful ambiance and crowded decks – remarked that such a gathering should dispel any critics who queried the existence or value of the international chapters.  

‘Look at all these people,’ he said, while looking at the audience at large, ‘you are getting THEM’. To prove his point that there was – collectively - a distinguished group, he then introduced a few of  the International FAIA participants from around the world (from left to right): 

• Tom Vonier, FAIA, RIBA, Past President of the AIA

• Jane Duncan, OBE, RIBA, Hon. FAIA

• Nela De Zoysa, Hon FAIA, AIA International Country Representative to Sri Lanka

• Jose Luis Salinas, Hon. FAIA, AIA International Treasurer

• George Kunihiro, FAIA, FJIA, AIA International Representative to the Council of Fellows

• Ishtiaque Zahir, Hon. FAIA, UIA Vice President for Region IV (Asia & Oceania)

Photo credits: Bojidar Dimitrov

Continuing a theme of ‘Friendship of English Speaking Peoples’, invitations to the Gala Dinner included a range of other distinguished guests and friends of the AIA - AIA UK Design Award Winners; many additional FAIA and Hon FAIA members; RIBA representatives; Conference speakers; and – of course – partners of AIA members. In total, over 160 guests were registered.

The relaxed atmosphere of the boat trip encouraged international exchanges of architectural goodwill with all benefiting from AIA hospitality.  

The newly named RIBA President Elect, Muyiwa Oki, and AIA UK President, Anna Foden discussed plans for future AIA/RIBA collaboration at the annual Keynote Lecture in November.  

Please find more Boat Trip PARTY photos HERE.  If you attended, you are more than likely to be included…

Photo credit: L Petruso (AIA UK)

Written by: Lorraine D King, AIA (aka Secretary@AIAUK.org)

5 - Day 2: AIA International LONDON 2022 – Aldwych Quarter and LSE

Photo credit: L Jorgensen (AIA Alaska)

Saturday, 1 Oct 2022, was Train Strike Day, making it difficult for many UK members to reach central London.  But somehow a host of protesters did make the trip and managed to block multiple streets, bridges, and squares.  London was severely congested.  

However, the LSE Campus and the nearby Lincoln Inn Fields have always been partially sheltered from the general London hurly burly and this originally recommended it to the Planning Committee.  As one attendee said, it is an area ‘hidden in plain sight’ that visitors often overlook. 

Morning Venue – LSE Centre Building

As pointed out by Robert Rhodes (AIA UK), the Conference attendees went ‘back to university’ and met in a London School of Economics lecture hall usually host to future architecture clients – investment bankers, managers, world leaders in general.  

The LSE Centre Building, by Rogers Stirk Harbour, features an immense, steep stairway cum seating platform cascading through the entire building, symbolising ‘connectedness’.  Etain Fitzpatrick suggested a Conference group photo to be taken on the amphitheatre steps after the morning talks. Oscar Cabeze (AIA CE) then rallied attendees via WhatsApp to the perfect setting.   

Talk – ‘Bush House / King’s College Campus’ / John Robertson, Founding Director, JOHN ROBERTSON ARCHITECTS

Photo credit: A Miller (AIA UK)

The day’s first speaker was JOHN ROBERTSON, whose talk on the history and refurbishment of the iconic 1930s Bush House, was arguably one of the best of the Conference.  

Appropriately for an AIA event, both the developer for Bush House, Irving Bush, and its architect, Harvey Corbett, were Americans who brought American expertise – grid construction, flexible planning, concealed heating pipes, high speed elevators, etc. – to the UK.  

The two sculptures under the grand entrance archway were designed by the American sculptress, Malvina Hoffman, and portray American and British collaboration.  The building is also embellished with the welcoming inscription, ‘to the friendship of English speaking peoples’. 

Robertson discussed not only the history and conservation of Bush House, but also its eventual fit out on behalf of King’s College London’s School of Business.  The transformation from 1930s trade centre and later BBC World Service headquarters into a modern teaching facility has given the building a totally updated character.  

Photo credits (from JRA slides): S Zettersten (AIA CE)

Talk – ‘Development of the LSE Campus’ / Julian Robinson, Director of Estates, THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS

Photo credit: Y Kinksky (AIA CE), LSE Centre Building

Robinson’s talk took listeners through the LSE campus and its catalogue of buildings that includes anomalies such as the Dickensian Old Curiosity Shop, a theatre and at least two pubs.  

However, the three more recent buildings on campus – the Saw Swee Hock Building, the ‘brick origami’ building by O’Donnell + Tuomey, the CGB Building  by Rogers Stirk Harbour, and the Marshall Building by Grafton Architects – are testament to Robinson’s collaborative approach using high-profile design competitions to ensure quality. 

The LSE is a preeminent, international university that is also in the process of transformation.  JULIAN ROBINSON is a town planner, not an architect, but as the Director of Estates, he holds the envious position of being able to ‘enable good architecture using someone else’s money’.  As a client, he offered a different perspective on design competitions and the subsequent design process.  Fittingly, he was named AJ100 Client of the Year in 2014.  

When he first came to LSE, he discovered a culture of ‘academic slumming’.  ‘Did it feature’, he asked, ‘shabby chic, or was it just plain shabby’? Whichever, Robinson has accomplished a change in culture which has reversed the university’s shabby appeal and opened it to the whole of London with an aura more appropriate to its academic reputation.

Photo credit: E Fitzpatrick (AIA UK) Saw Swee Hock Building

Talk – ‘The Marshall Building at LSE and Kingston Townhouse’ / Gerard Carty, Director, GRAFTON ARCHITECTS and Gerry O’Brien, Founding Partner & Design Director, AKT II

Photo credit: B Coldefy (AIA CE)

The final morning speaker – GERARD CARTY – travelled from Dublin specially to address the Conference.  His talk concentrated not only on one of the newest LSE facilities – the Marshall Building – but also reviewed other recent Grafton academic projects, including among others the Kingston University Town House and the Toulouse School of Economics.  In 2022, Kingston University won the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture (the Mies van der Rohe Award) and, in 2021, Grafton Architects won the RIBA Stirling Prize. 

A consistent feature of all Grafton’s designs is the penetration of light through the buildings. A special feature of the Marshall Building is its unique structural system.  Grafton’s structural consultant - GERRY O’BRIEN – explained the complex ‘tree structure’ which allowed the transition from big spaces on the upper floors to the smaller spaces on the lower floors – a reverse of the usual arrangements.

The attendees were able to walk through the LSE campus and visit the Marshall building and its surprising interior. Whereas the Richard Rogers LSE staircase impressed with its immense scale, the Grafton staircase inspired with its dramatic curvature, daylight and sheer audacity, challenging attendees to capture it on film along with its other features. It generated more images than any other single Conference building.

Slideshow contributors include (in no particular order) K Madigan (AIA guest), H Giblin (AIA CE), Y Cheong (AIA I), A Arditti (AIA I), B Coldefy (AIA CE), K Storr (AIA UK), Y Kinksky (AIA CE), G Alhadeff (AIA CE), L Petruso (AIA UK) and B Hamilton (AIA UK). 

Lunch & Afternoon Venue – Herman Miller Showroom, 2 Kingsway 

HERMAN MILLER – AIA UK’s long term corporate sponsor – provided a lavish lunch in its comfortable showroom across from Bush House and in close proximity to the LSE campus.  

As usual, Herman Miller simply outdid itself in corporate hospitality

Talk – ‘Designing a Better Tomorrow’ / Bertie van Wyk, Workplace Specialist, HERMAN MILLER

Photo Credit: K Storr (AIA UK)

BERTIE VAN WYK’s most recent talks are based on research into how people work in the post pandemic world.  They come complete with statistics, explanatory graphics and images supporting all the latest trends, and they leave plenty of time for debate and discussion. 

Van Wyk’s talk highlighted the value of breakout spaces - places where workers can feel safe and unwind, and which promote interpersonal connections.  Herman Miller’s own showroom offered an excellent example, containing comfy sit-down spaces, little tables, big tables, privacy screens, and – of course – a plethora of chair types.  

A Herman Miller’s chair raffle always raises intense – even frantic – expectations.  Philip Salathe, son of AIA CE’s Conference organiser, Bari Wetmore Salathe, won the iconic Aeron chair in the 3rd round after a few absentees.  

Photo credits: L King (AIA UK)

Walking Tours – Kingsway & Surrounding Area, guides from OPEN CITY

Graphic credit: A Miller (AIA UK)

Kingsway was created at the start of the 20th Century and became a confluence between the City of Westminster to the West – representing government and entertainment - and the Roman extant of the City of London to the East – representing banking, commerce and insurance.  It provided an excellent departure point for Saturday’s walking tours.  

The large group of up to 90 attendees who left Herman Miller’s Aldwych showroom were split into five manageable subgroups.  However, instead of the five groups all following the same tour in different sequences, five different tours encircling Kingsway were selected, each focusing on a different aspect of London, with routes and landmarks all captured in a Google Map.  Limiting the size of each tour maintained a personal scale and created a walking dialogue between local experts and curious international architects.

Four of the tours were led by an all-star group of guides working with the charity Open City, which is dedicated to making architecture and neighbourhoods more open, accessible and equitable.  Find out more HERE.

NICK EDWARDS is an architectural educator with 20 years’ experience creating innovative opportunities to encourage greater understanding of architecture, regeneration, planning, placemaking, active citizenship and sustainability. Edwards led his group eastward into the City of London.  His focus was on new architecture in the financial and insurance district – the ‘Square Mile’. 

SARAH JACKSON is an architect, director of the Townscape Consultancy, and trustee of the 20th Century Society. Her group discussed how London's vistas were influenced by the C20 townscape movement. 

MADELEINE KESSLER is a founding Director of Unscene Architecture and co-curator of the 2020 British Pavilion at the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale.  Kessler's tour discussed the architecture of London's pubs and the operation of privatised public spaces within the community.

AIDAN HALL is a co-founder of social enterprise, Okra, and leads projects in the fields of architecture, design, research and education. He has taught architecture at schools and universities across the UK and Europe. Hall led a tour westward, focussing on the historic buildings of the City of Westminster.

Supplementing the Open City guides, ALEX MILLER (AIA UK and current Secretary AIA I) led a fast-paced loop through the immediate area of Kingsway, terminating at Somerset House.  He concentrated on the acutely different character and scale of the area’s streets, thoroughfares, alleyways, courtyards, and passages – all leading up to the cumulative assemblage of thousand-year-old churches to modern mixed-use schemes.  

Written by: Lorraine D King, AIA (aka Secretary@AIAUK.org), with input from Alex Miller,  AIA, on Saturday Tours.

4 - AIA International LONDON 2022 - International Design Awards

Valle San Nicolás Clubhouse, Honor Award for Architecture.  Photo Credit: © Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos, photo by Rafael Gamo

Evening Venue – Storey@100 Liverpool Street

Photo credit: B Hamilton (AIA UK)

After Day 2 spent at King’s Cross and Camden, the London 2022 Conference attendees transferred to the City for a special evening devoted to design excellence courtesy of AIA International. 

The Elizabeth Line – the not quite tube, not quite train line that opened in late May 2022 – formed a convenient link across London to 100 Liverpool Street, designed by Hopkins Architects.  

Given the night’s pouring rain, the new shopping centre’s dedicated, covered entrance to the Line was particularly welcoming, while the spectacular street atrium was overwhelming – a fitting backdrop for Storey’s hospitality.

Presentation – ‘AIA International Design Awards’ / Christine Bruckner, Steven Miller 

The Conference was delighted to welcome attendees and invited guests to the ninth annual AIA International Design Awards. The awards recognised outstanding projects in multiple categories - Architecture, Interior Architecture, Urban Design and Unbuilt. Winners were eligible for further recognition for combining exceptional design with sustainability, in the form of the Sustainable Future Award.  A new Inclusive Design Excellence Award to honour projects which excelled in this important area was also introduced.  

Photo credits: Bojidar Dimitrov 

The presentations were made by Design Awards Chair, Christian Bruckner (AIA I), seen above with the current AIA I President, Scott Gold, and Steven Miller (AIA I) among others.  

Please refer to the AIA International website for the full details of the winning projects HERE. A running Slideshow of the event can be found HERE.

Honor Awards for Architecture | Open International

• Valle San Nicolás Clubhouse, Javier Sordo Madaleno Bringas, Hon. FAIA; Mexico

• The World Internet Conference Center, Philip F. Yuan, Intl. Assoc. AIA; China

Merit Awards for Architecture | Open International

• In Bamboo, Philip F. Yuan, Intl. Assoc. AIA; Chongzhou, China

• Churchill Meadows Community Centre, Ted Watson, Intl. Assoc. AIA; Canada

• Planar House, Marcio Kogan, Hon. FAIA; São Paulo, Brazil 

• Yangliping Performing Arts Center, Pei Zhu, Intl. Assoc. AIA; Dali, China

• Micasa Vol. C, Marcio Kogan, Hon. FAIA; São Paulo, Brazil

Commendations for Architecture | Open International

• Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank Headquarters, SOM; Shenzhen, China

• Rejuvenation of Shajing Ancient Fair, Han Jing & Zhang Yuxing, Intl. Assoc. AIA, China

• Forest Tower, Jacob Spruit III, AIA; Rønnede, Denmark

• Shajing Village Hall, Han Jing & Zhang Yuxing, Intl. Assoc. AIA; Shenzhen, China

Honor Award for Interior Architecture

• Dyson Global HQ , M Moser Associates; Singapore

Merit Award for Interior Architecture

• Banu Restaurant, Letty Lau, AIA; Zhengzhou, China

• China Resources Archive Library, Letty Lau, AIA; Zhengzhou, China

Commendation for Interior Architecture 

• Oksu Elementary School Library, In Situ Architecture; Seoul, South Korea

Honor Award for Urban Design 

• Hsinchu East Gate Plaza Revitalization, Wen-Chieh Chiu, Intl. Assoc. AIA; Taiwan

Merit Award for Urban Design 

• Along the Ganges: Patna Riverfront Revitalization, Nishant Lall, Assoc. AIA; India

Honor Award for Unbuilt

• Preservation of a Tulou in Nanjing County, Zhixi Ouyang, Intl. Assoc. AIA; China

Commendation for Unbuilt 

• The Old Dam Foundation Post Station, Wei He, Assoc. AIA; Hangzhou, China

• Aojiang Community Cultural Center, Ping Jiang, AIA; Wenzhou, China

Firm Award

• Atelier Ping Jiang @ EID Architecture

Although there was not a UK winner for 2022, CSK Architects with Bartlett UCL were able to collect their 2020 awards for Cork House –  the Sustainable Future Award and an Honor Award for Open International | Architecture.  

Qualifying UK architects should be on the lookout for the next International Design Awards Call for Entries in Summer 2023. 

Photo credit: Bojidar Dimitrov 

3 - Day 1: AIA International LONDON 2022 – King’s Cross and Camden

Photo credit (from Argent slide): Y Kinksky

At the AIA London 2014 Conference, a full day had been dedicated to developments at  King’s Cross.  Since then, this north London area has continued its transformation from a derelict industrial landscape into a thriving, vibrant mixed-use London district.  It was, therefore, agreed that a return visit for London 2022 was in order on Day 1 of the Conference – Friday, 30 Sep 2022. 

Morning Venue – Samsung KX, Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross

The 2022 Conference venue – the Coal Drop Yards – prosaically described as a ‘shopping destination and foodie hotspot’. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick and opened in 2018, Coal Drop Yard retains the charm of its industrial heritage, while the Samsung XX showroom provided state of the art presentation facilities.

Photo credits: L Jorgensen (AIA Alaska)

Talk - ‘King’s Cross – Ten Years On’ / Morwenna Hall, COO and Partner, ARGENT 

Photo credit (from Argent slide): L Jorgensen (AIA Alaska)

MORWENNA HALL displayed a graphic ‘timeline’ summarising developments that have been completed in the past two decades at King’s Cross - ‘a traffic free oasis in the heart of London’.  

This includes an impressive array of open public spaces, repurposed industrial buildings, and modern interventions - many of which were viewed in the afternoon’s walking tour with Argent. 

From the start, Argent developed an impressive, long term master plan and stuck with it. Its ten ‘principles for a human city’ which underpin King’s Cross served the project well.   

Photo credit (from Argent slide): L Jorgensen (AIA Alaska)

Talk - ‘Context in Architecture’ / Alison Brooks, Founder & Creative Director, ALISON BROOKS ARCHITECTS

Photo credit – Y Cheong (AIA I)

ALISON BROOKS revealed her design philosophy by taking attendees through her earliest experiences.  As a Canadian, she was familiar with natural wilderness; on moving to London, she learned to love London squares, cloisters, and Georgian terraces.  Urban design and context represent ‘everything’ to her and continue to influence her designs.  

For example, the neoclassical courtyard at Somerset House provided part inspiration for her work at King’s Cross.  Brooks eloquently described how the design of her King’s Cross residential project, Cadence, evolved – the layouts, the arches, and – of course – the context.   

Similarly, the philosophy behind the other project highlighted in her talk – Cohen Quad, Exeter College, Oxford – also evolved from early influences.  Oxford with its abundance of squares and cloisters was a perfect location for Brooks.  However, the typical Exeter College square was pulled apart – transformed - to fit the linear site. A system of wood arches turned the project’s internal circulation route into a modern cloister.   

Photo credits: L King (AIA UK)

Presentation – ‘The Path Towards Decarbonisation’ / Andrea Allievi, IRIS CERAMICA GROUP 

ANDREA ALLIEVI, representing the AIA UK Chapter and Conference sponsor, Iris Ceramica, celebrated his company’s 60 years ‘Shaping the Future’, through sustainability, beauty and innovation - values which he stressed, ‘have always been in our DNA’. 

As part of ICG’s long term transition to the exclusive use of renewable energy for zero emissions, Allievi highlighted a new, Italian factory opening in 2022.  Instead of using just natural gas, the new factory combines native technologies that mix gas with green hydrogen.  By 2050, it will function on hydrogen alone.  Active Surfaces®️ is another ICG zero emission project.  

Photo credit: Andrea Ricco (AIA UK guest)

Talk - ‘Captured Light – 22 Handyside’ / Phil Coffey, Founder, COFFEY ARCHITECTS

Photo credit: ©Tim Soar, courtesy of Coffey Architects

As a child, PHIL COFFEY travelled extensively with his photographer father while he worked, and that experience has stayed with him.  His architectural work is imbued with modulated light, and he remains intimately connected to the visual environment.  Coffey’s talk – replete with remarkable imagery - was described by one attendee as ‘coherent from end to end’.

22 Handyside is a building that ‘considers the health of its users’, and – as expected from his photographic backstory – its massing and façade generate interactions of shadow and light.  The building’s form was orientated to optimise heat gain, directional flow, and outward views – all part of Coffey’s quest for BREEAM Outstanding recognition.

The building’s position over train and underground tunnels determined a super lightweight structure.  This has given the building an airiness and elegance unusual in a King’s Cross setting. 

During construction, one irate and not particularly discerning passer by expressed concern that the building would be ‘just another parking lot’.  However, as witnessed on Argent’s afternoon walking tour, the lightweight office building with its filigree façade literally sparkles in sunshine.

Walking Tour – ‘King’s Cross Centre’ – ARGENT Team

Photo credits: B Coldefy (AIA CE) and L Jorgensen (AIA Alaska)

Although almost completed, there is still considerable ongoing construction at King’s Cross. Whereas the near environs to St Pancras and King’s Cross stations is now well-known, many of the buildings at the northern site observed on the walking tour are newly – post pandemic – completed or still under construction, including Alison Brook’s Cadence project. 

At the southern site close to King’s Cross station is the Google Headquarters – described as being, ‘ a ground scraper, because it is as long as the Shard [one of Europe’s tallest buildings] is high’.

Photo credit: L King (AIA UK) 

Lunch Venue – St Pancras Hotel, Gallery / Ladies Smoking Room

Lunch was served at one of London’s most prominent Victorian legacies – St Pancras Hotel – which offered a pleasing contrast to the modern buildings on the Argent walking tour.

Photo credits: (top) L King (AIA UK) and L Jorgensen (AIA Alaska) / (bottom) S Gold (AIA I)

Conference attendees S Gold (AIA I), C Musangi (AIA UK) and L King (AIA UK) captured the atmosphere – the Gothic charm, Victorian engineering, modern elegance – of St Pancras International Station in the Slideshow below.

Afternoon Venue – Hawley Primary School at Hawley Wharf

The Camden district is ranked as one of London’s most frequented tourist centres. Surprisingly, it is still immersed in the 1960s hippy scene, complete with multiple markets, Venturi inspired store fronts & an aura of social unrest.  The charming wood columned courtyard of the Hawley School proved a welcoming staging point for a walking tour of the Hawley Wharf district and AHMM’s remarkable architectural interventions.

Walking Tour – ‘Hawley Wharf Masterplan’ / Will Lee, Director and Anita Howard, Project Architect and Associate, AHMM 

Photo credit: Y Cheong (AIA I)

WILL LEE and ANITA HOWARD walked the attendees through a part of Camden dominated by the Regents Canal and a triangular segment of railway viaducts, pointing out AHMM’s new components - including public spaces and revised pedestrian routes; canal access points; under arch businesses and cinemas; underground venues; new residential halls and the primary school.  Somehow the interventions maintain the ad hoc character of Camden - ‘they reboot and restore Camden’s chaotic charm’.  

Photo credits: L King (AIA UK) and B Hamilton (AIA UK)

Lee took the group to view the penthouse of one of the new residential buildings and introduced non Londoners to London property prices.  The luxury flat was tastefully furnished, had extraordinary views, three ensuite bedrooms and a pleasing layout, but its market driven rent of ‘£12,000/month’ seemed extraordinary – even for a packaged deal aimed at an exclusive clientele.

The highlight of the tour – unfortunately marred by increasing rain – was the centrepiece of the area – the Market Hall itself.  As a foodie venue, it perfectly suited its location on the canal and its function.  

Photo credit: L Jorgensen (AIA Alaska)

The Camden walkabout – despite the deteriorating weather - was one of the most photographed events of the Conference.  Contributors to the Slideshow include, in no particular order:  L King (AIA UK), L Jorgensen (AIA Alaska); Y Cheong (AIA I), B Hamilton (AIA UK), L Petruso (AIA UK) and Y Kinksky (AIA CE).  The close up photo by ©Timothy Soar of a Haley Wharf corridor on a – contrasting - sunny day was provided courtesy of Hallford Hall Monaghan Morris. 

Written by: Lorraine D King, AIA (aka Secretary@AIAUK.org), with input from Chris Musangi, AIA, on Iris Ceramica.

2 - Opening Day: AIA International LONDON 2022 – Design Museum and Japan House

AIA International LONDON 2022 / Opening Day – Design Museum and Japan House

Opening Day – Thursday, 29 Sep 2022 - was AIA CE’s contribution to the 2022 London Conference, with assistance from AIA UK.  On first reflection, it seemed an unusual choice, but it was recognised that a guided tour of a building originally steeped in international symbolism could set the tone for an INTERNATIONAL Conference. 

Afternoon Venue – Design Museum, Kensington High Street Guided Tour – ‘Design Museum: Designer, Maker, User and the Building’

What is now the Design Museum opened in 1962 as the Commonwealth Institute - with its large central atrium reserved for educational displays - as the British Empire was transforming into the modern Commonwealth.  The exhibits were removed in 1997, and by 2008, the Design Museum took over an essentially derelict building.

When the Museum opened in 2016 - despite its Grade II* listing - the only part of the original building retained was the conical roof enclosing a central atrium.  Conference attendees were reminded that the roof structure was conceived in the 1960s, long before modern computer aided design made dramatic roofs commonplace.  The remainder of the tour explored displays of everyday objects that have achieved icon status.  

Photo credits: P Salathe (AIA CE guest) and S Gold (AIA I) x 2

Although difficult without special equipment, several Conference attendees managed to capture the dramatic impact of the Design Museum’s atrium and roof.  In any event, its popularity is evident in the many photo attempts.  Slideshow contributors include (in no particular order) A Arditti (AIA I), L Jorgensen (AIA Alaska), P Salathe (AIA CE guest), S Zettersten (AIA CE), Y Kinksky (AIA CE) and Y Cheong (AIA I).

Evening Venue  – Japan House, Kensington High Street

Japan House also added to the evening’s international character as Conference attendees moved there for an opening reception.  It did not take long for them to intermingle, for conversation to pick up and buzz with general enthusiasm.  

Even the small font size and lack of detail on the name tags proved a social asset.  Asking someone - ‘and where are you from?’ - turned out to be a simple and successful conversation starter. New friendships were already beginning to prosper.

Talk - ‘Sustainable Building Innovation: The Path to Achieving Net Zero 2050 Targets’ / Ascanio Vitale, CEO STOP CO2

 Photo credit: L King (AIA UK)

Despite attendees being jet lagged and hungry – and in the middle of a social whirl – conversation stopped, and the mood turned respectful and serious for ASCANIO VITALE’S riveting talk.  He first gave a summary of the current state of climate change and then focused on the construction industry’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. 

Vitale had something not only important to say, but also practical as he introduced examples of his own projects that used new technologies and engineering solutions to achieve net zero targets – including sustainable materials, passive solutions, new-gen heat pumps, solar cooling, novel semi-transparent photovoltaic panels, radiant cooling systems, phytoremediation, etc.

While making it abundantly clear that relying on gas and nuclear power was not acceptable, he encouraged architects to work closely with engineers from the earliest project stages to develop ever more innovative solutions to an increasingly serious climate change crisis. 

Written by: Lorraine D King, AIA (aka secretary@aiauk.org), with input from G Alhadeff, FAIA, on Sustainable Innovations.