The AIA UK Chapter’s Annual General Meeting

The AIA UK Chapter’s Annual General Meeting was held on 13 January, at Herman Miller’s Showroom. Once again, our members were treated to a generous spread of food and drinks courtesy of Herman Miller. They also introduced us to their on-going research into how to keep employees happy at work. These include the fundamental desires of employees including “Achievement, Security, Purpose, Status, Autonomy and Belonging”. These are true for any type of office, but I personally feel they are particularly true for creative fields, such as our own.

Our 2015 AIA UK President, Brianne Hamilton, recapped the year with a presentation highlighting events, photos and memories from our time together. It was a great year, and we look forward to another ahead.

At the end of the evening, the membership nominated and elected the Board of Directors which now include:

At Large:

• Justin Cratty, AIA
• Mark Kelly, Assoc. AIA 
• Chris Kimball, AIA
• Lester Korzilius, AIA, RIBA
• Michael Lischer, FAIA
• Alex Miller, AIA
• Chris Musangi, AIA
• Amrita Raja, Assoc. AIA
• Robert Rhodes, AIA
• Bea Sennewald, AIA, RIBA
• Fariba Shirdel, AIA
• Ecehan Esra Top, Int'l Asoc. AIA

Correspondents:

• Etain Fitzpatrick, AIA
• Brianne Hamilton, AIA
• Maria Soloviena, AIA
• Elizabeth Waters, AIA

The executive positions were elected as follows:

• President: Frederick Grier, AIA
• Vice President: Fatos Peja, Int’l Assoc. AIA, RIBA
• Secretary: Lorraine King, AIA
• Treasurer: Anna Foden, Assoc. AIA

TWO CHAPTER MEMBERS BECOME FELLOWS

Two AIA UK members recently received one of the AIA’s highest distinctions, elevation to Fellowship.

AIA UK past president and current board member, Lester Korzilius, AIA, has been elevated to the College of Fellows for his many years of service to the AIA UK, the International Region, and the Institute. John McAslan, International Assoc. AIA, has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship for his distinguished achievements in design.

The jury noted Lester’s achievements, “Through his international leadership, service to the Institute, mentoring, and education facility practice, Lester Korzilius, AIA, RIBA has led the profession by advancing the influence of the AIA outside the United States, promoting the values of American architectural practice internationally, and helping shape opinions and actions within the United States towards international practice.”  Lester joins five other AIA UK members that are Fellows.  They are, Jim Baker, FAIA, Lee Polisano, FAIA, Stephen Reinke, FAIA, David Leventhal, FAIA and Michael Lischer, FAIA.

John McAslan’s work has been widely published internationally in professional journals, newspapers and monographs, the most recent of which is Transforming King's Cross, a detailed account of his practice's acclaimed and award-winning redevelopment of the station. John's practice's work has been extensively exhibited and has received more than 75 international design awards including 15 RIBA national and international awards.

Lester and John will be inducted into the College of Fellows on May 20th at the AIA's National Convention in Philadelphia.  The AIA UK congratulates them on this important honour!

Author: Michael Lischer

THE SOCIAL LIFE OF SMALL URBAN SPACES | 10 FEBRUARY 2016

The 2016 Movie series started off with the screening of ‘The Small Life of Small Urban Spaces’ documentary. This documentary is about city spaces-- why some work and some do not, and what the practical lessons may be. In 1980, William H. Whyte published the findings from his revolutionary Street Life Project in The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Both the book and the accompanying film were instantly labelled classics, and launched a mini-revolution in the planning and study of public spaces. They have since become standard texts, and appear on syllabi and reading lists in urban planning, sociology, environmental design, and architecture departments around the world. Attendance was good, and this first urban planning documentary was very well received. Many thanks to all those who attended!
 
We look forward to seeing you at our next screening (title to be announced soon), on Wednesday 16th March at 1900hrs.

Author: Chris Musangi

BEALE & COMPANY: THE FIRE AT THE ADDRESS, DUBAI

Addressing burning issues: Renewed fire safety concerns in the UAE following a major fire at The Address hotel on 31 December 2015.

The dramatic fire at The Address hotel in Dubai on New Year’s Eve has renewed concerns for fire safety in the UAE and high-rise developments in general. 

Beale & Company consider what it means for those working in the UAE. Please click here for the full article.

Author: Michael Lischer

FILM NIGHT: THE SOCIALIST, THE ARCHITECT & THE TWISTED TOWER

The Autumn movie series came to a close with the screening of ‘The Socialist, The Architect & The Twisted Tower.’ This is a dramatic, behind-the-scene-story about the building of Santiago Calatrava's 'Turning Torso' in Malmö, a 190 metre high, twisted residential building which was appointed "World’s best residential building project" at Mipim in Cannes, 2005. Filmmaker Fredrik Gertten documents the construction of the visionary Turning Torso public housing structure. In 1999 Johnny Örbäck saw celebrated architect Santiago Calatrava's "Twisting Torso" sculpture and immediately knew what he wanted for the construction of a proposed residential building. Determined to construct a skyscraper based on the same concept, Örbäck contacted Calatrava and convinced him to design the building. This documentary highlights the difficulty in seeing such an ambitious project through to completion. The attendees loved the movie, and we had our longest post-movie discussion to date! Many thanks to all who attended.

The film nights will commence next year on Wednesday 10 February, 1900hrs at the BFI. Please refer to the AIA website early next year for the film we shall be screening. As always we welcome film suggestions you may have, and we look forward to seeing you at our next screening!

Author: Chris Musangi

AIA UK STUDENT CHARRETTE 2015

On Saturday November 7th, 2015, AIA UK held its 21st annual Student Charrette – a juried, one-day design competition for UK students of architecture.

Kent School of Architecture students with mentor Francis Hur AIA

Taking place at the Zaha Hadid designed Roca London Galley, the Charrette gave students the opportunity to design collaboratively whilst being mentored by an experienced practising AIA UK architect.  The one-day event is intended to encourage students to work as a team and to represent their school or university. The competition, which is also open to individual students, took place in conjunction with the Roca London Gallery exhibition, Childhood Re-Collections: Memory in Design, featuring exhibits from Daniel Libeskind, Kengo Kuma, Zaha Hadid and others.

University of East London students with mentor Pierre Baillargeon AIA

“The AIA Student Charrette is an opportunity for architecture students from across the UK to work together in a fun, creative and competitive environment,” comments Robert Rhodes AIA, organiser of the Charrette, past 

 AIA UK President and current Zone 1 Director of the AIA International Region. “The Charrette is a cad-free event.  Students are required to produce only drawn, modelled or collaged presentations.  Students must rely on essential drawing and modelling skills to communicate their ideas and produce something substantial in a very limited time.  The event enables the tradition of the “charrette” as a friendly, productive competition to continue and gives participants something real to take away at the end of it.” 

University of East London students presenting to the jury

The annual competition is open to all second and third year students enrolled in any UK school of architecture. More than 50 students participated from universities from London, Liverpool, Sheffield and  around the UK. The theme this year was dubbed, “Interrupted Connections” and was focused on civic art, public space, way-finding and identity.  Groups were given the exercise of making sense of the neighborhood surrounding the Roca London Gallery, called the Chelsea Design Quarter.

The jury (R to L) Patrick Lynch, Nicholas Gilliland, Karin Templin

The wining team, mentored by AIA UK Director Bea Sennewald AIA, hailed from The University of the Creative Arts in Canterbury, Kent – with one student joining from University of Kingston (London). The competition was juried by an esteemed panel, chaired by architect and educator Patrick Lynch PhD RIBA (Lynch Architects, London).  Other jurors were Karin Templin, Design Fellow at University of Cambridge Faculty of Architecture and AIA CE member, Nicholas Gilliland AIA of Tolila + Gilliland Atelier d’Architecture (Paris).   

Winning Team University of the Creative Arts + Kingston presenting to jury

This year’s competition was made possible thanks to long-time AIA UK and AIA CE sponsor Laufen, and the generosity of the Roca London Gallery. 

Winners – University of the Creative Arts students, at the pub after the Charrette

Authors: Frederick Grier and Robert Rhodes