Chapter Member Sheila O’Donnell named Architect of the Year in 2019 Women In Architecture Awards

Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey

Irish architect Sheila O’Donnell, of O’Donnell and Tuomey, has been named the Architect of the Year at the 2019 Women in Architecture awards in London. The awards are an international program organized by the UK-based publications The Architectural Review and Architects’ Journal.  

Sheila and partner John Tuomey are Honorary Fellows of the AIA and are strong supporters of the AIA UK. They help with the chapter’s emerging professionals programme and hosted us at their office and took us on a tour of several of their buildings in Dublin during our city tour last autumn.

Sheila and partner John Tuomey established their practice in 1988 after both working in the office of James Stirling in London. They have been described as the “godfathers of contemporary Irish architecture” by Architecture Today magazine.

Sheila won the prize for her work on the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. The practice produced a master plan to consolidate the university into a single campus. The first phase of the project is a new limestone-clad building that includes a lecture theatre, cafes, offices, classrooms and a library.

“O’Donnell’s passion for the buildings of the Central European University was rewarded with an exceptionally high-quality building which she evidently fought hard for,” said the jury. “She is a role model for young women in architecture. Sheila O’Donnell did not have to break the glass ceiling – her and John Tuomey created a new reality.”

Five-time contenders for the prestigious Stirling Prize, the duo was named the recipients of the 2015 RIBA Gold Medal, only the third and fourth Irish architects to receive this accolade. They have also exhibited at Venice Architecture Biennale three times. The pair spoke at the 2017 National Architecture Conference in Sydney.

O’Donnell and Tuomey have completed a number of projects across a diverse range of typologies both in Ireland and abroad. Their Stirling Prize finalist projects include the London School of Economics Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, the Irish Language Cultural Centre, the Ranelagh Multidenominational School, the Lyric Theatre and the UCC Glucksman Gallery. In an interview with Tania Davidge for ArchitectureAU, O’Donnell said, “I think we enjoy working in all contexts. We start projects with what we call a process of immersion, where we try to immerse ourselves in all aspects of the question being asked. One of those aspects, of course, is the place and every place is interesting because you are trying to imagine what makes a place a site, rather than just a place.”

“In what way is this a place where a building could be, what is the relationship with its use – because that is really part of the context as well. What is the function that the building must achieve and also embody? What is the physical context, what is the shape of the ground, the neighbouring buildings and also the history and the culture, who has been there before? What marks are there on the ground?”

Written by: Michael Lischer

Source: Architectureau

'Sleek and modern' or 'wonky and industrial': A reminder of an architect's duties

This is another article in our legal series provided by AIA UK partner, Beale & Co.

A recent decision in the English Technology and Construction Court has found that an architect was A recent decision in the English Technology and Construction Court has found that an architect was negligent for altering the design of a cinema room without first informing or agreeing the changes with his clients.

Although it is a fact specific case, it provides useful guidance on the duties and obligations that the court expects an architect to meet. This includes the importance of a formal appointment, clear and accurate record keeping and ensuring that architects have finalised written briefs prior to commencing work on a project, as well as complying with the RIBA Code of Professional Conduct and the ARB Code of Conduct.

Nathan Modell and Priya Thakrar provide more detail in their article here.

Written by: Nathan Modell and Priya Thakrar

Global Architecture Billings Index (GABI)

The AIA – in coordination with partner organizations around the world – is looking to expand the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) into the international realm. To help the architecture profession better understand business conditions, opportunities and risks around the world, the new Global Architecture Billings Index (GABI)initiative will help monitor design markets across the globe to assess the construction outlook in key countries and regions.

We are currently signing up firms to join the GABI survey panel. As a GABI panelist, you will be asked to complete a brief survey on the firm billings (to indicate if billings have increased, decreased, or stayed the same – we will not request proprietary data!) and business conditions on a quarterly basis. You will receive early access to the survey results before they are published, and may have access to the survey data in the future. 
 
If you would like to join the GABI survey panel, we ask that you complete a brief background information form. This information will be kept confidential and will not be shared with others or linked back to your firm; it will only be used for analytical purposes and your responses will only be reported in aggregate with others. If you are not the correct person at your firm to provide this type of information and participate in the survey, please share this invitation with the appropriate colleague.

Thank you for your interest, and please contact economics@aia.org if you have any questions.

Sign up for the GABI survey panel: Background Information Form

AIA Fellowship – UK Update

The 2019 crop of AIA Fellows and Honorary Fellows has been announced and includes two UK-based architects. Congratulations to Jane Duncan and Amanda Levete on their elevation to Honorary Fellowship!

Former RIBA President Jane Duncan received an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of her contribution to the profession including being the Champion for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion on the RIBA board.  She established student and practice mentoring guidelines and set priorities for mental and physical health initiatives. She also initiated the publication of a guide for those with disabilities wishing to enter the profession and supported development of a financial assistance fund for deserving architecture students.  Following her election as RIBA President she advanced her initiatives with a new five year Strategic Vision for the RIBA, International Women in Architecture Day, and she constructed a review of Council make-up to bring in a greater proportion of student and young people, launching the Young Architects & Developers Alliance (under age 35) to bring equality, diversity and inclusion to a level never before seen.

Amanda Levete also received an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of her design work, both at Future Systems with Jan Kaplicky, and latterly as Amanda Levete Architects.  Her work frequently involves the creation of buildings that create new or positively impact existing urban spaces. Whether the waterfront esplanade at Lisbon’s MAAT complex or the city centre redevelopment of Selfridges Birmingham, her work reaches out to the public, engaging them in a carefully considered dialogue between building and site. She is adept at integrating heritage structures into her work; the recent Victoria and Albert Exhibition Road Quarter skilfully inserts contemporary form and function into a 19th century courtyard, creating a new vibrant entry plaza while respecting the resonance of the museum’s historic architecture.  

Written by: Lester Korzilius; FAIA, RIBA

Board Members Meet with AIA CEO

AIA National EVP/Chief Executive Officer, Robert Ivy, FAIA, took the opportunity to meet AIA UK board members while in London on business.  Robert hosted the board members for lunch on the 26th of February.  Among the topics discussed were the AIA UK’s liaison with the RIBA and the AIA’s national convention.   This takes place on June 6-8 in Las Vegas.

L to R: Michael Lischer, Bea Sennewald, Robert Ivy, Lorraine King, Lester Korzilius, Robert Rhodes, Etain Fitzpatrick, Amrita Raja

Written by: Michael Lischer, FAIA

Document Retention under the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018

The Data Protection Act 2018 came into force on 25 May 2018. It implements the General Data Protection Regulation as well as, supplementing and bolstering it.

In this article, James Hutchinson, partner at Beale & Co., explains how document retention has changed due to this new legislation, and what it means for policy standards and data sharing in the future.

To read the full article, please click here.

Written by: James Hutchinson , Beale & Co