2021 Keynote Lecture Featuring Tatiana Bilbao

The 2021 Keynote Lecture Featured Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao.  The event was jointly hosted by the AIA UK and the RIBA, and it was held at the RIBA headquarters on September 27th.  The event was the AIA UK’s first hybrid event, in that it was held-in person and simultaneously broadcast online.  The evening was opened by welcoming addresses by RIBA President Simon Allford and AIA National President Peter Exley.

Tatiana Bilbao presented a range of her projects – from a botanical garden, an urban aquarium, a large university building, a Cistercian monastery, a community-based project designed around a San Francisco substation, and a house in Germany.   The work is personal, bespoke, and carefully crafted to the client’s situation.

Interestingly, Tatiana Bilbao avoids the use of computer renderings, particularly in the early stages of a project.  Instead, she has developed a unique ‘collage’ style of drawing that attempts to indirectly convey the essence of the project through an assemblage of disparate images.  The collages are artworks in themselves.

Tatiana Bilbao teaches at Yale University, and has taught at Harvard GSD, Columbia, and Rice in the US, as well as other universities internationally.  She has been recognized with the Kunstpreis Berlin in 2012, was named in 2010 as an Emerging Voice by the Architecture League of New York.

AIA UK President Katharine Storr, AIA moderated the event and hosted the Q&A.  Drinks and canapes were served after the lecture.

The event was sponsored by Iris Ceramica.

Written by Lester Korzilius; FAIA, RIBA

Widening the Range of CES Credit Opportunities

Detail from a Traditional House in the Old Jewish Mahallah of Bukhara

The AIA UK Chapter’s commitment to offering its members a wide range of Continuing Education opportunities has received a boost this year via our arrangements with other organisations that also have an interest in the built environment. 

Two virtual lectures - coincidently both aired on 30 Sep 2021 (13:00 and 17:00) - took viewers through projects in distant Jordan and Uzbekistan, addressing conditions far outside the usual London architectural experience. 

ARTICLE 25 / Make Design Matter Lecture Series – Azraq School and Za’atari Classroom, Jordan.

AIA UK Board member, Bea Sennewald AIA – a Director at Article 25 - has been able to use her position to monitor the charity’s on-going lecture series ‘Make Design Matter’ and ascribe CES credits to their latest events.

September’s event – introduced by Denise Bennett, Chair of Article 25’s Board of Trustees - focused on the work of Emergency Architecture & Human Rights (EAHR) and their project in a Jordanian camp to create a multi-use public space and a classroom for refugees fleeing Syrian hostilities.  The discussions centred on methods of working with local communities to elicit their involvement in planning, designing, constructing, and using public spaces.   Refugees do not generally have a say in their own wellbeing; this initiative gave them a voice and - however narrowly focused – their involvement was productive.

The speakers included: Michael Ulfstjerne, EAHR’s CEO and Assistant Professor at Aalborg University; Chiara Garbelotto, Architect and Project Manager at EAHR; and Kotaiba Alabdullah, the founder of Acting For Change International.  Learn more about Article 25 by visiting its website HERE.

Azraq School in Jordan Refugee Camp

WORLD MONUMENT FUND® / On My Watch Series - Traditional Houses of Bukhara's Old Jewish Mahallah, Uzbekistan 

This lecture was the 2nd in the ‘On My Watch’ lecture series made available to AIA UK members through Lorraine King AIA’s involvement with WMF in London.  Whereas the 1st lecture focused on the building and conservational techniques for traditional mud architecture in Africa (see HERE), the 2nd one discussed the complexities of international research and planning, and the collaboration required to bring a large conservation project into being. 

In doing so, the lecture opened a window on a little know aspect of isolated Jewish culture along the Silk Road.  Less than 200 Bukharian Jews remain in the city and their traditional homes - with exceptional representations of woodworking craft - are in danger of serious decline and degradation. A video of the lecture summaries the situation of the vernacular architecture HERE.

The speakers included: Dr Ona Vileikis, University College London, and Sukhrob Babaev, Director for Strategic Development, both with the International Institute for Central Asian Studies; and Javier Ors Austin, an architect working with the World Monument Fund Modern Architecture Initiative and Jewish Heritage Program.

Housing Deterioration in an Abandoned Traditional Bukharian House

There are clearly other opportunities to widen our range of CES credits through collaboration with likeminded outside organisations.  In 2016 – for example - we promoted the 20th Century Society’s lecture series on Overseas Architects Working in Britain (see HERE) and we have also joined with INTBAU (see HERE) for their World Congress event.  

We welcome your introduction to other organisations that might be of interest to our membership.  Please contact us on secretary@aiauk.org with your suggestions.  

Written by: Lorraine King, AIA

Photo images curtesy of World Monument Fund and Article25.

Meeting With AIA National President, Peter Exley FAIA

This year’s Keynote Lecture with Tatiana Bilbao brought the current AIA National President, Peter Exley FAIA, to London.  Despite his busy schedule meeting with the RIBA on the day after the lecture, he was able to attend a leisurely breakfast with AIA UK Board Officers and Directors. 

Discussions on a wide variety of topics –  promoting diversity and equity; strategy for COP26 and sustainability; reciprocity; lines of communication with AIA National; and cooperation with other design professionals, etc. – were open and enlightening.  It was heartening to hear that Exley was fully aware that the AIA UK Chapter had maintained its momentum on both events and our policy initiatives throughout the pandemic. 

From left to right: Bea Sennewald AIA, Robert Rhodes AIA, Peter Exley FAIA (National President), Adelina Koleva AIA, Chris Musangi AIA, Mark Breeze AIA, Katharine Storr AIA (President), Lorraine King AIA (Secretary) and Anna Foden Assoc AIA (Vice President).

MEMBER NEWS / Who Plans Our Events and Conferences? Are You Up for 2022?

Etain Fitzpatrick (on the right) at the Cambridge 2012 City Excursion. Image by: Robert Rhodes AIA, past president.

Do you remember when AIA UK used to organise away day Saturday Events and balmy, late summer City Excursions replete with copious Continuing Education credits?  Do you remember when we used to have balmy summers?  It wasn’t – in fact – ALL that long ago…

Etain Fitzpatrick AIA, past UK Chapter President (see HERE), and a fellow guest enjoy a leisurely punting trip during our Cambridge 2012 City Excursion.  We have had plenty of other successful Excursions since then – Bath (2013), Lille (2015), Liverpool (2016), Dublin (2017) and Newcastle (2018) – so why does this feel like a photo from another planet?

Etain – one of the Chapter’s premier event planners (See Dublin HERE) - was finalising plans for a  2020 City Excursion to Cork when the Covid pandemic put paid to international travel.  She would like to have resurrected the Excursion for 2021, but it was a forlorn hope.  Still – Etain expects a future convenient date to be found for what looks like one of the best City Excursions ever.  Such events will happen eventually as assuredly as the sun will shine again … just don’t hold your breath too long.

In the meantime, Etain is currently co-chairing the PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR THE 2022 AIA UK / LONDON CONFERENCE, being co-sponsored by the International Region and the Continental Europe Chapter.  This major event – for which well over a hundred international architects are expected to attend – is in its early planning stages.  Active proposals for  2 of the 3 conference days already promise exciting opportunities, but there are still plenty lectures, tours, etc., to initiate as well as the essential venues, menus, graphics, maps, pre/post conference events, etc., to organise. 

Etain’s fellow PLANNING COMMITTEE co-chair is Wade Scaramucci AIA, Director at AHMM (see HERE), Wade Scaramucci – Directors – People – Allford Hall Monaghan Morris | AHMM who re-joined the AIA UK Board in 2021 after several years of separation.  One of his principal achievements in his earlier tenure was establishing the original format for the Chapter’s continuing, ever successful building tours.  His recent design projects at Hawley Wharf and Hawley School will provide a dramatic backdrop for 1 of the conference days.  

Etain and Wade are supported by other UK and CE Chapter members on the PLANNING COMMITTEE who bring a wealth of event organisation experience to the team. 

The answer to our title question ‘Who is Up for 2022?’ is of course – ‘Any volunteer who wants to help’. To pull off such a major event, the Chapter Board needs help with ideas, feedback, advice, and organizational skills.  It is hard work, but it can be fun, and it offers a golden opportunity to contribute to a successful Conference. 

Any AIA UK member can volunteer to join the Committee.  Just contact secretary@aiauk.org and we will get back to you.

Written by: Lorraine King, AIA 

Summer Gala – The Soiree in the Jungle!

After cancelling the 2020 event, the AIA UK was excited to host its first in-person event in over 12 months.  The 2021 Summer Gala took place on the evening of the 10th of September!  Our Soiree in the Jungle was held at the wonderful London Zoo in Regents Park.  Attendance exceeded expectations with many guests indicating this was the first in-person event they had attended in a long time.

The historic Mappin Pavilion, located in the Zoo grounds, was a perfect venue for a pleasant late-summer evening gathering.  The outside deck overlooked the Zoo’s Outback enclosure that contained a number of wallabies and emus.  Hopefully, our festivities did not disturb them too much.  Our “animal experience” was further enhanced when a zookeeper brought a young owl to the party! 

In addition to the usual comradery, the highlight of the evening was our much anticipated raffle sponsored by Herman Miller, HAY, and Colebrook Boson Saunders.  This year Herman Miller donated not one, but three chairs for the raffle!  And a number of other great prizes were donated by HAY and CBS.  Our lucky (and worthy) winners were Lester Korzilius, FAIA winning a unique new model Aeron Chair, Daniella Marshall from ID:SR winning a COSM mid back chair, and Fatos Peja, AIA winning a COSM low back chair.  A special thank you to Shazia Sheikh from Herman Miller for organizing such fantastic prizes and congratulations to all of the winners!

A number of the 2021 AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards winners were in attendance.  During the evening they were honoured with the presentation of their award certificates.

The food was tasty and plentiful, and the drinks kept flowing while guests were entertained throughout the evening with live music and singing provided by Ollie Atkins.  

All too soon the evening was over, and the last guests departed for home at 11 pm.  No doubt, a great relief to the wallabies and emus!  Thank you to all those who attended and thank you to Herman Miller for their support of the Gala and continuing support of the AIA UK.  We are all looking forward to next year’s Gala and we hope to see you at an AIA UK event soon!

Written by: Michael Lischer, FAIA

AIA BIKE TOUR / Exploring Peckham & South London

Last year’s Bike Tour on 12 Sep 20 was the first face-to-face AIA UK Event after 6 months of the 1st Covid-19 lockdown.  Addressing the uncertainty of the times, the Newsletter tour follow-up included the note: ‘we still do not know at the time of writing whether this bike trip was a brief interlude in the world of social distancing or a foretaste of normality’s return’.  

Unfortunately, it proved to be a brief interlude… It took a 2nd lockdown and a full year’s wait until  AIA members would meet up again first at the 10 Sep 21 Summer Gala and then on the 18 Sep 21 Bike Tour.  After those further 12 months of Zoom meetings, gusts of fresh air were finally in the offing.  

Unlike those of previous years, the 2021 Bike Tour included an in-depth review of one location and one architect’s work before venturing off to explore South London’s architectural heritage. 

Ben O’Looney is known to AIA members as the guide to past bike and walking tours; as an architectural lecturer for New York University’s London programme; and as leader of  architectural River Tours for Open City.  However, he is also a practicing architect, with a busy office in Peckham.  That location is important because O’Looney is pre-eminently a community architect –  the kind who is greeted by local clients and friends as he walks along the streets, who designs local shop signs as a favour, who delights in local diversity, who immerses himself in local architectural history…   

The highlight of this year’s tour was a comprehensive visit to the Peckham Rye Victorian train station (C H Driver FRIBA/1866), currently undergoing the initial stages of serious preservation work under O’Looney’s guidance.  As he opened the ornately railed stairwell wing to the station’s otherwise inaccessible waiting-room-cum-ballroom, an assortment of station users asked to join our mini ‘tour’.  Station preservation works – in addition to the recently approved (and much needed) renovation of the working parts and the removal/replacement of semi derelict, surrounding buildings – has generated wide public interest.

With our bikes safely tucked away for the duration, and accompanied throughout the technical discussions by one willing local resident who recorded our session, we were treated to a tour and an enthusiastic critique of all aspects of the Station’s revival – including, inter alia (!) - local material sourcing; colour selection; insulation solutions; access limitations; replication v conservation dilemmas; brick cleaning, structural analyses; commercial concessions…  the whole gamut of project details. 

A short tour of other O’Looney projects down the currently (but unfortunately only temporarily) pedestrianised Rye Lane followed the Station visit, including renovations to a 1930s retail façade at the former Holdrons Department Store (T P Bennett/1935); a new build residential/retail unit; various shop front interventions; and a mosque addition.  There was insufficient time for further O’Looney locations in the area (see HERE).

After a brief visit to the popular Peckham Festival at the Bussey Buildings - former industrial buildings saved from demolition in 2009 via a local campaign and now an increasingly popular destination for the young and trendy  – bike touring started in earnest, with a leisurely meander from Peckham via Goose Green to Dulwich, Forest Hill and then – for the more intrepid only – to Bromley. 

Scattered among residential and all too busy South London streets there was a catalogue of architectural projects to wonder at – the local prize winning Bellenden Primary School and Nursery (Cottrell & Vermulen/2019); a modern housing development (Tikari Works/c2020); a modern church (HOK); the Victorian East Dulwich Hospital (H Jarvis & Sons/c1885); clapboarded, vernacular houses; an unusual Victorian all concrete house; the Victorian masterpiece of Dulwich College (C Barry Jr) alongside a modern teaching laboratory (Grimshaw); and the Royal Bell Hotel in Bromley (E Newton RA /1989).  

The belated – we were behind schedule by at least 2 hours – picnic lunch was held in the grounds of the Dulwich Gallery, where the local staff allowed us a brief look-in to Soane’s 1810 Georgian masterpiece, its  fantastic art collection and unusual mausoleum – with American architect, Rick Mather’s, 2000 café addition nearby.

The final push – literally for some of us (there is a rather steep hill along the South Circular Road) – took us to the Horniman Museum (C H Townsend/c1890s) with its spectacular trio of Art Nouveaux, Arts and Craft and modern (Allies & Morrison) façades and its equally spectacular views of London.  A long day, but an eye opener.  London’s diverse architectural heritage never ceases to amaze…

Follow the route via the ‘Slide Show’.  Pictures contributed by the AIA Chapter Board member participants, including - Etain Fitzpatrick AIA, Lorraine King AIA, Maria Loring AIA, Joerg Matthaei, Alex Miller AIA and assorted guests.  Look out for the surprise guest appearance of past UK Chapter President, Robert Rhodes AIA, and family. 

Written by Lorraine King, AIA