AIA Continental Europe Conference - Girne, North Cyprus

AIA Continental Europe held its latest bi-annual conference in Girne, North Cyprus, from 29 Sep to 2 Oct 2016.  Whereas this latest CE event generally followed the traditional conference format – a series of tours, seminars and lectures interspersed with lunches, dinners and networking opportunities – the Girne Conference also added a new, parallel event to the format, while North Cyprus lent its own particular flavour to the mix. 

Student Charrette - The CE Chapter held its first Student Design Charrette during the Girne Conference at the nearby Girne American University.  The students and faculty came locally from the American University, Cyprus International University and other invited schools of architecture in Spain, the Czech Republic and Hungary.  Some of the students attending these universities came from even more diverse locations in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, insuring a multicultural atmosphere.

The 4-day Charrette focused on the adaptive reuse of the Old Bazaar in the centre of Girne. Selected conference attendees mentored the students over the 4 days, and all conference attendees were able to interact with them during evening sessions and the jury presentations. This allowed students and attendees alike to benefit from this alternative method of exploring Cypriot culture. 

The Student Charrette was sponsored locally by the Girne American University, the Cyprus International University and Girne Municipality, with support from Graphisoft.  As part of its mandate to promote education, additional financial support came from Laufen, which – along with the London Roca Gallery – also sponsors the UK Student Charrette held this October. 

North Cyprus – Girne is a city with a long and fascinating history.   Perhaps better known by its English name, Kyrenia, the Mediterranean harbour town has been home successively to ancient Egyptians, Hittites, Persians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Lusignans, Genevans, Venetians, Ottomans and most recently the British.  It is certainly a good place to observe the effect of different cultures on the built environment over time; however, the current divide between the two halves of Cyprus also rendered a special poignancy to universal cultural identity issues. 

Antiphonitis Monastary, part 12th , part 15th Century Byzantine Monastary, in the remote Karpaz Peninsula, North Cyprus

Since the civil strife and mass relocations of citizens in the 1970s, the island of Cyprus has been partitioned between the Turkish speaking populations in the north and the Greek speaking populations in the south. South Cyprus (the Republic of Cyprus) is predominately Greek Orthodox, and is part of the EU; however, North Cyprus (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) is Muslim, and is recognised internationally only by Turkey.  

Although there is positive talk of reconciliation and reunification, the current relationship with South Cyprus remains unresolved.  In the context of the volatile eastern Mediterranean, peaceful North Cyprus has a vague feeling of remoteness, even isolation, but this can be misleading. As the welcome and participation of the local government and institutions in the conferenced demonstrated, the country is energetic, well-educated and keen to encourage visitors and cross communication. For whatever reason, the attendance at this year’s conference was a little less than for previous ones.  Those that did not attend missed a compelling experience.

Seen positively, the smaller group gave an intimacy to the conference that was well appreciated.  Most of the group stayed in one hotel – a large, well-run resort hotel complete with a Mediterranean beach, multiple pools, a casino, a conference centre, etc. – and were able to eat together, learn together, and chill out together while tightening bonds of friendship. Without a doubt, the feel good factor, nurtured by Turkish hospitality was high. 

AIA UK Board Directors, Chris Musangi, AIA, and Lorraine King, AIA, relax in the Cyprus sunshine.

Two lectures on historical architecture familiarised the conference with local heritage.  A panel of speakers from both sides of the divided city of Nicosia, spoke on the difficulties and challenges of town planning in a city split down its centre by a barricaded, international border - the Green Line - and called for reinforcement of their bi-communal, team work recommendations.

Local lecturers and guides were supplemented by Continental Europe AIA members speaking of their own experiences on universal topics such as adaptive reuse of buildings, sustainability, rural architecture and decay, acoustic environments, public spaces and floating bridges.  As is customary with CE Conferences, two chapter sponsors – Graphisoft and Swiss Pearl – gave short talks. See HERE for full Conference programme and other details. 

Conference tours were taken to see the Old Bazaar and historical harbour of Girne and the vernacular buildings in the nearby Karmi Village. In Nicosia, a walking tour explored architectural highlights in North Nicosia, before crossing the Green Line into South Nicosia, to experience the different architecture and atmosphere between the North and South sides of the city

Tower 25 / White Walls by Atelier Jean Nouvel, South Nicosia

Special reference should be made to the Conference Committee, including, Ali Yapicioglu, AIA, (Chair) and Bari Wetmore Salathe, AIA, with help from Sandra Zettersten, AIA.  The Student Charrette Coordinator was Dr Balkiz Yapicioglu.  All in all, the conference generated a grand total of 19.75 (+ 4 for Monday extension) CEUs along with many memories of good friends, brilliant weather and a brilliant programme. 

Chapter Board Members Meet AIA President

While in London for meetings with the RIBA, National AIA President Russell Davidson, FAIA took the opportunity to meet with AIA UK board members. Bea Sennewald, Robert Rhodes, and Michael Lischer, all AIA UK past presidents and Fatos Peja, current AIA UK president elect met with Russell for a lunch meeting on the 3rd of October.

Russell described the AIA's efforts to raise the profile of the profession and make the AIA more inclusive. Efforts include launching programs for kindergarten through 12th grade students to introduce them to the profession and the importance of good design. This program is particularly appropriate for Russell as his 35 person New York practice specializes in education.

Another initiative currently being studied by the national board is to open the AIA's annual convention to the general public. The goal is to engage all those with an interest in architecture, including building owners, developers, contractors, users, and the public. This may require changes to the continuing education program and the design exposition.

The meeting with Russell was very informative and left us with the impression good things are happening at the AIA and the next few years promises to be very interesting for the AIA and its members.

By Michael Lischer FAIA

Construction payment charter updated – a missed opportunity?

The Government’s Construction Leadership Council has published an updated Construction Supply Chain Payment Charter to reflect commitments in the original charter. In our view much more could have been done to strengthen the updated charter; the onus remains very much on the industry to tackle the issue of late payment.

READ our article which details what's new and what impact the new charter will have.

By Will Buckby and Andrew Croft

King's Cross Gasholders Tour - 16 September 2016

On Friday the 9th of September 2016, AIA UK members and guests met at Argent's King's Cross redevelopment scheme to tour the Gasholder residential buildings. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre, the three building 145 unit apartment project is scheduled for completion early next year.  The tour was led by Wilkinson Eyre's project architect, Jeff Lee.  Tour attendees earned 1 continuing education learning unit for participation.  

The Gasholder project is the "jewel in the crown" for developer Argent and provides the developments high end luxury residential offer.  The estimated construction cost for the three buildings is circa £125m.  This figure includes £16m for the restoration of four gasholder structures.  Studio apartments start at £800,000 and prices rise to over £10m for a three bed penthouse.

The key feature and design driver of the project is the reuse of three 1867 grade II listed gasholders.  Although not reconstructed in their original position, the gasholders really define the project's design.  The design concept provides three drums of accommodation at differing heights to suggest the movement of the original gasholders, which would have risen up or down depending on the pressure of the gas within.  A fourth gasholder structure is located at the centre of the gasholder structural frames and forms an open courtyard.  

The building volumes are contained within each of the gasholder structural frames.  This structural expression is further enhanced by a system of operable and static metal panels that can be used to control the environmental conditions inside the apartments.  The dark steel cladding contrasts with other elements of brass and bronze. 

Inside, the apartments are linked by a series of circular walkways around a central courtyard in each building.  This brings natural light into the building's core and circulation corridors. Rooftop landscaping connects nature with the surrounding urban landscape. 

The project presented real challenges for the design team, as everything was dictated by the gasholder structures.  The result is a fantastic celebration of King's Cross' industrial heritage. Wilkinson Eyre's design has brought the gasholders back to a new life and Argent is to be commended for having the courage to undertake such a unique project!

Article by Michael Lischer FAIA

AIA UK Membership Reaches 230

The AIA UK continues to grow and reached a new high of 230 members in August! The Board of Directors would like to welcome the following 30 people that joined so far in 2016. We look forward to seeing you all at an upcoming event!

• Keith Cady AIA
• Yi-han Cao AIA
• Samantha Cooke AIA
• Andrew Court Int'l Assoc, AIA
• Ozlem Tugba Ergen Int'l Assoc, AIA
• Carolina Filippini Int'l Assoc, AIA
• Paul Fincken Prof. Aff, AIA
• Saumya Ganguli AIA
• Karen Hassey AIA
• Kevin Hayes AIA
• Ashraf Ismail Int'l Assoc, AIA
• Eric Kirwan Prof. Aff, AIA
• Dragan Krstevski Assoc. AIA
• Benjamin Lee AIA
• Dong Min Lee Assoc. AIA
• Ting Li Assoc. AIA
• Patrick Magness AIA
• Wai Sem Morris Int'l Assoc, AIA
• Takeshi Obata AIA
• James O'Callaghan Prof. Aff, AIA
• Jose Marcos Silva Casimiro Palma AIA
• Sara Pearce Prof. Aff, AIA
• Nicole W. Portieri Int'l Assoc, AIA
• Anna Reiter Assoc. AIA
• Frederick Shands Assoc. AIA
• Lucy Swift Other
• Natalie Ward AIA
• Lulu Yang Assoc. AIA
• Madani Y. Zakri Int'l Assoc, AIA
• Thomas Zapoticzny AIA

By: M. Lischer FAIA

AIA UK 2016 Bike Tour - Windsor and The Thames

Departing from the recently restored grandeur of Paddington station, this year’s attendees arrived at Slough station for the first leg of the trip.
 
Arriving at often-derided Slough, we began unceremoniously with the recent improvements including the bus station, and the new cultural centre, the Curve. From there, we passed onwards towards Eton and noted the brief and sharp transition to more picturesque surroundings as we cross the bridge with its views of Eton College Chapel.

Arriving in front of Eton College Chapel, we ventured and viewed as much of the quadrangle as is permissible and ambled around the chapel itself. With a dash we took in the sights of the early 20th century library which drips with ornamentation.

At the suggestion of Chris Kimball AIA, we delved into the side streets of the town into which the Eton campus spills, to inspect the ‘Eton Fives’ courts. The courts are specific to this handball game which developed at the college in the Victorian era. Each court includes a buttress and step feature based on those found on the chapel itself.

Noting that the requirements of the college have continually contributed new architecture to the town, we paused to assess the crisp and modern contribution of Powell & Moya to the campus with their Bekynton dining hall (1972-1974).

Venturing outwards along Eton Wick, to meet the national cycle network route 4 as it follows the broad curve of the railway viaduct, Brunel’s oldest surviving railway bridge and take in the view of Windsor castle from this approach, before rejoining the Eton high street.

In Windsor, after ascending from the river bank to the castle, we were greeted by the Changing of the Guard marching down the high street, with a prime viewing spot secured in the porch of Windsor Guildhall.

Taking in the neat presentation of Georgian houses along Park Street, we previewed the next leg of the journey by viewing the northern end of the Long Walk, itself upon which cycling is forbidden.
 
Making our way down its length, we entered the Great Park at the far end and looped inwards to take in the 2.6 mile back towards Windsor Castle along the walk from the Copper Horse statue, framed by the double row of trees.

The park itself reveals the Grade I-listed Saville Gardens and its Stirling Prize shortlisted entry pavilion. All were pleasantly surprised to encounter the timber gridshell structure. The building is commended both for its design, and its condition nearly 10 years after completion. 

After this intensive morning, we stopped for a collegiate lunch at the Bailiwick to fortify ourselves for the afternoon of cycling and the return leg of the loop.
 
Sticking to the side streets of Englefield Green, we glimpsed the variety of the local architecture on our way to the Royal Holloway campus.

The gem of the Royal Holloway campus is surely the Founders Building. We took in both its elaborate Victorian Gothic facades, and the beauty of its heavily decorated chapel.

Riding downhill, and onwards chronologically, we stopped briefly at the Grade II-listed art deco Tower Garage to take in its well preserved 1930s streamlining and crisp white facades.
 
The next bend found a climb more arduous than its appearance on the map and perhaps a less paved (or traveled) section of the cycle network.
 
Again, moving chronologically, we visited the RAF memorial with its formal arrangement and its views framed to  encourage contemplation. Its vistas and viewing deck overlook the river valley from a high perch, with the constant stream of aircraft taking off from Heathrow. 

Author: Alex Miller AIA