AIA UK Building Tour - The Alphabeta Building

The 2016 Building Tours kicked-off with an exploration of Studio RHE’s Alphabeta Building in Finsbury Square. The building was alive with the creative activity the architects had envisioned. Coincidently four separate events were under way in various parts of the building during our visit.
 
Dickon Hayward (project architect for the project at Studio RHE) led the tour, beginning in the building’s vibrant and transparent central atrium. The architect pushed the developer client (Resolution Property) to change their initial thinking about the project. Rather than gutting and rebuilding the entire interior structure to a standard office module, the architects envisioned a lighter touch which could make use of the building’s existing quirks to create office space with a unique character.
 
Working with the existing structures created several challenges. The architects chose to leave ceilings exposed to maximise height where the existing structures had low floor to floor heights. Additional steel structure was added around the perimeter of the atrium to create more floor space and to form the delicately cantilevered projecting volumes with full-height glazing to maximise light and visual connectivity between the spaces.
 
A unique approach to programming was taken at ground level. The financial benefit of the building’s signature cycle ramp – suggested by the architect – had to be considered carefully by the developer, as it used prime street frontage. The developer also took a gamble by using the majority of the basement to house a co-working space open to all visitors. The building has been a financial success – fully-let months before opening, while other new buildings in the area still sit with vacancy. The developer and architect are taking many lessons from Alphabeta to future projects.
 
The tour concluded with drinks at Flight Club – a popular new pub in the building featuring darts!

AIA UK Member News: When in Rome……

This article has been written as part of the AIA Newsletter’s commitment to up-to-date member news.  If you are aware of UK Chapter members’ involvement in other newsworthy projects or events, please bring them to our attention via a “comment” follow up note at the end of this article and we will endeavor to publish further feature articles.

The AIA UK Chapter first became acquainted with Mark Kelly in 2010 when he was awarded the Noel Hill Travel Award Scholarship as a student at Glasgow’s Mackintosh School of Architecture.  With the aid of his scholarship, Mark visited North-East India on the Tibetan border to study indigenous building design and construction with experienced carpenters, masons, artisans, stone-layers and adobe plasterers for the Tibet Heritage Fund.  You can read about his experience in Asia in the AIA UK Newsletter Number 62 (page 6), December 2010.    

Mark is no longer a student, but is now an architect with Gensler here in London and is active on the AIA UK Board of Directors.  But as many architects have discovered before him, one never really ceases to be a student - although it is probably true that some pursue their continuing education with far less diligence than Mark.  In 2015, recognising that “there are experiences which cannot be read or taught, they must be experienced first-hand”, Mark applied and won the annual RIBA Giles Worsley Rome Fellowship organised by the British Academy.  

This Fellowship (described in more detail here), is awarded annually to architects or art historians to spend three months (October to December) at the British School at Rome (BSR), studying an architectural topic of their choice.  The Fellowship includes accommodation in a large, centrally located artist studio, complete with a generous travel and materials stipend and access to the Academy’s world-class facilities.  Additionally the BSR staff can obtain special access letters from Rome’s Archaeological Superintendent to private buildings and active archaeological sites that are usually closed to the general public. 

The Fellowship holders are expected to follow a self-regulated course of study, and Mark’s successful application expressed a particular goal to investigate Roman concrete construction means and form-work for “cross and barrel vaulting in ancient and modern architectural domes and arches.”  He was not only able to visit multiple surviving examples in Rome itself, but also to investigate Renaissance and Modern buildings and venture outside Rome to the Bay of Naples, Veneto and Umbria.  

Visit to a working travertine quarry in Tivoli, outside Rome.

Mark’s unique study methods involved first sketching in pencil as close as possible to the original building, then preparing orthographic drawings based on-site measurements.  Many of these preliminary efforts were later fed into studio-based hand and digital drawings.   In his 54 days in Rome, Mark completed 197 hand-drawings and scaled up 14 of these into large, measured orthographic drawings. 

Drawing by hand on the roof of the oldest surviving concrete dome in the world – the  Temple of Mercury, Baiae, Bay of Naples (late 1st century BC) - built using pozzolana from Mount Vesuvius 30 miles away.

Measured drawings made at the BSR of San Carlo  alla Quattro Fontane, Rome - December 2015

Early in his stay, Mark set himself a challenge to see something new every day and meticulously recorded his finds in his personal diary, and this informal diary remains a lasting legacy of his stay.  A few drawing examples are included below, but the full scope of his activities and drawings can be found in Mark’s Rome Video Diary (which is well worth the viewing here  (just scroll down to start at week one)). 

Mark returned to the UK in January 2016 “bright and refreshed,” having found Rome a “jam-packed shortlist of sights … a true inspiration.”  Clearly the Rome Fellowship in Architecture was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  As he explained; “I believe that during your time working in practice, it is healthy to think and reflect on why you are doing what you are doing. Taking a focused research trip to an inspiring city brings you back to professional work in a positive frame of mind, to use the knowledge you learned constructively.”

Shortly after the Fellowship work, Mark held a one month solo exhibition in Gensler’s London office. The ‘GenslerOn’ journal publication (available here) engages the theme of “Why Architects Visit Rome in the 21st Century.” 

After seeing the opportunities Mark found in Rome, the rest of us have no difficulty in understanding WHY we might all benefit from visiting the city.

CONTINENTAL EUROPE CONFERENCE: Barcelona, the Compact City

Continental Europe’s long history of holding bi-annual conferences in different host cities started in Paris in 1996, when the International PIA and the CE Chapter met for a weekend series of tours, seminars and lectures interspersed with lunches, dinners and other networking opportunities. Thanks in large part to the event organiser – Françoise Vonier, the architectural journalist and “activist” – the Paris Conference was a tremendous success.

The second CE Chapter conference was held in 1997 in Barcelona, where that successful mix of edifying educational and amicable social events was perfected into a pattern that – with adaptations and variations - has held to this day. What better way is there to earn Continuing Education Units than by visiting in-depth a beautiful, historic city with good friends and local historians, planners and architects as cultural chaperones?

Over the 14-18 April 2016 weekend, the Continental Europe Chapter conference was again held in Barcelona - its forty-first conference since 1997. As well as catering to CE Chapter members, the opportunity to re-visit Barcelona and see how it has evolved was also taken up by multiple US-based friends of Continental Europe - including Robert Ivy FAIA, Chief Executive Officer, and Tom Vonier FAIA, President Elect, of AIA National.

Several UK Chapter members also attended and were able to strengthen bonds with Continental Europe. Lester Korsilius FAIA, International Region Secretary, and Robert Rhodes AIA, IR Zone Representative, were also able to liaise with the International Director, Steven Miller FAIA.

Past AIA UK Chapter Presidents - Lester Korsilius FAIA (with Heather Korsilius); Lorraine King AIA; Robert Rhodes AIA (with Maria Jose); and Liz Waters AIA - attend the Barcelona Conference

The programme included several overview lectures with tantalizing titles such as “A Sectional Palimpsest of Barcelona”, and “Architecture Remembrance and Transformation.” Architect Benedetta Tagilabue’s lecture - rather prosaically entitled as “Social Urban Regeneration” - was in fact a highly spirited account of her work with partner Enric Miralles, touching briefly on the Scottish Parliament, but – at its best - describing the background and rational for Barcelona’s Mercat de Santa Caterina, with its vegetable inspired roof colours.

Benedetta Tagilabue’s and Enrico Miralles’ Mercat de Santa Caterina

Other lectures were given by local Architects involved in specific projects in different parts of the city that were then followed by building or site tours. These lecture/tours included new-build projects at major developments in Plaça Gloiries and District 22@, plus small scale interventions in older neighbourhoods. After a technical explanation of the Barcelona Roca Gallery’s unique glass wall, a cocktail break was hosted by AIA Continental Europe sponsor, Laufen – which is also an AIA UK sponsor.

The Canopia Urbana at the Plaça Glories Flea Market (left) and the glass wall of the Barcelona Roca Gallery (right)

Historic preservation and renovation work were investigated at the Museu Maritim and Born Market. The recently renovated hospital complex of Sant Pau was the magnificent venue for the Saturday morning lectures, garden tour and lunch.

The Hospital Sant Pau

Special features of the Continental Europe Conferences are the sponsorship lectures and presentations, particularly those of local sponsors. The Collegi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya – the local architectural professional organisation - opened its archives for a special viewing of original Catalan architectural drawings. In her lecture “Places and Horizontal Surfaces of Barcelona”, architect Mariona Aguilera from Escofet, highlighted Barcelona’s unique paving tiles and her company’s current and historical work in architectural concrete and stone.

The Saturday night Gala Dinner is the highlight of any CE conference. This year’s dinner was held in Mies van der Rohe’s original - but relocated - Barcelona Pavilion from the 1929 World Exposition. The Pavilion has lost nothing of its modernist allure in the intervening 87 years and provided a spectacular backdrop for the AIA dinner.

Photo credit: AIA Gala Dinner at the Barcelona Pavilion, 16 Apr 2016, Rebecca Ryburn

Special reference should be made to the conference organiser, Sophia Gruzdys AIA NCARB (with help from Dominique Tomasov Blinder AIA and Thomas Valentine Groner). All in all, the conference generated a grand total of 18 CEUs along with many memories of good friends, brilliant weather and fantastic architecture.

The next CE conference – to which AIA UK Chapter members are granted reciprocal CE membership rates – will be held from 29 September to 2 October 2016 in Girne, North Cyprus.

Author: Lorraine King AIA

THE ELECTRONIC VOTING OPTION FOR THE ELECTION OF THE 2017-2018 SECRETARY OF THE AIA INTERNATIONAL REGION CLOSING FRIDAY 06 May

Candidate profiles and position statements are available for review here.

2016 ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS: WHO IS ABLE TO VOTE AND HOW TO VOTE

1. Eligible Members.  You are eligible to participate in the 2016 Annual Meeting of the members of the AIA International Region if:

a)      You are in good standing as an Architect member, Associate member, International Associate member, Fellow, or Emeritus member of the American Institute of Architects; and

b)      You reside or work outside the United States; and

c)      You are not assigned to any AIA chapter, or you are assigned to one of these AIA chapters:

• AIA Continental Europe
• AIA Hong Kong
• AIA Japan
• AIA Middle East
• AIA Shanghai
• AIA UK

1. Participation in the Meeting. The meeting will begin promptly on Thursday, May 19, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Daylight Time).  If you are eligible to participate in the meeting (see Item 1, “Eligible Members,” above), you may attend in any of these ways:

• In Person.  You may attend the meeting in person by going to Room EV214, Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA, at the date and time shown above.

• By Telephone.  You may also participate by telephone.  If you intend to participate by telephone, please contact AIA Senior Vice President and General Counsel Jay Stephens, Hon. AIA, at jstephens@aia.org or by fax to +1-202-626-7426 no later than Friday, May 6, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Daylight Time). We will then provide dial-in instructions to you.

• By Proxy.  If you are unable to attend the meeting in person or by telephone, you may select an eligible member attending the meeting to represent you by proxy and to vote on your behalf. You may do so by printing, filling out, and signing the proxy form found here or at www.aiainternational.org, and sending it to AIA Senior Vice President and General Counsel Jay Stephens, Hon. AIA, at jstephens@aia.org or by fax to +1-202-626-7426. (If you are unable to use the proxy form, you may simply send your proxy instructions in an e-mail or fax to Jay Stephens.) All proxy forms/instructions must be received no later than Friday, May 6, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Daylight Time).

• By Electronic Vote/Proxy.  If you are unable to attend the meeting in person or by telephone, you may also indicate your preference for a candidate for Secretary electronically and select an eligible member attending the meeting to represent you by proxy and to vote on your behalf. To exercise this option, use the electronic ballot here.

All electronic voting/proxying must be completed no later than Friday, May 6, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Daylight Time).

AIA UK - NCARB Update

The AIA UK Chapter recently caught up with Stephen Nutt, AIA (Sr. Architect / Advisor to the CEO of NCARB) on his recent trip to Paris and London. Stephen met with several international architecture groups on his visit including the Architects’ Council of Europe, International Union of Architects, ARB and RIBA. The relationships between these groups, NCARB and AIA are very complex and potential for reciprocity arrangements are still somewhat distant. However Stephen did update us on a few relevant items in which NCARB is involved.

The Intern Development Program is being repositioned and renamed as the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) on June 29.  Those on the path to licensure are able to complete the program while working abroad if their supervisor is licensed in the U.S.  Half of the program (1,860 hours) can be completed if the supervisor is a foreign architect.  Candidates can also sit for the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) in test centers in London, Abu Dhabi, and Hong Kong.  NCARB believes in and supports the international experience of emerging professionals and strongly encourages their regulatory counterparts in other countries to follow their lead.  

NCARB will offer a new program for foreign-licensed architects seeking licensure in a US jurisdiction. The Foreign Architect Certification Path begins July 1, and will replace the current Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect Program (BEFA). The new path recognises the education  of foreign-licensed architects and requires the completion of the AXP and the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®). More information here

This could set a precedent for other countries to grant similar arrangements for foreign architects, including American architects practicing abroad. However it is unlikely that RIBA or ARB would grant a similar arrangement for American or other foreign (non-EU) architects, given their current relationship with the EU. 

If the UK decides to exit the European Union (referendum vote on 23 June), there may be an impact on agreements between international licensing bodies, including relations between NCARB and the ARB. This may speed up discussions toward mutual recognition of architectural education, i.e. NAAB-accredited programs in the US equivalent to RIBA-accredited programs in the UK.

NCARB currently has recognition arrangements with Canada and Mexico.  And is finalizing a new arrangement with Australia and New Zealand, as both countries’  path to licensure is closely compatible with that of the US.

 
Thank you to Stephen for this valuable update. We will stay tuned to developments in international reciprocity.

Beale & Company: Reports from the Courts - April 2016

Publication: This article was first published in Construction Law's April edition.

In our regular round up of court decisions, from Andrew Croft (Associate) and Natalie Ledger (Assistant Solicitor) of Beale & Company, examines a cautionary tale of the dangers of giving informal advice as it may create a tortious duty of care; a court ruling on whether a variation can be agreed by email; and a Scottish case where the court was willing to uphold obligations to provide collateral warranties.

READ FULL ARTICLE

Authors: Andrew Croft and Natalie Ledger