Architects Datafile - 02 2020

124 Pages·2020·36.27 MB·English

02.20

ROYAL WHARF PIER, LONDON
A design that delivers ‘two’ piers for the price of one on the
Thames, plus new public space

CITY PLAZA, WUPPERTAL, GERMANY
Revitalising a railway district with a curvy gold Primark store

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NEWS, VIEWS
& INSIGHTS

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Industry News
Site Lines: Nicolas Maari of Pellings
Ask the Architect: Alberto Basaglia of
Basaglia + Rota Nodari Studio
International Focus
CPD Focus
New Arrivals
Appointments & Company News
Futurebuild Show Preview
BREEAM Awards Preview

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Planning & Design
Structural Elements
Groundworks & Drainage
External Envelope
Insulation
Heating, Ventilation & Services
Interiors
Safety & Security
Landscaping & External Works
Classified & Directory

PRODUCTS

INTERIORS: BATHROOMS & KITCHENS
The wellness factor
Sophie Weston at Geberit explains the role that architects and designers can play
in improving wellbeing, by helping create a sensory ‘sanctuary’ in the bathroom

SAFETY & SECURITY: ACCESS CONTROL
Automatic for the people
Ken Price of the Automatic Door Suppliers Association looks at how
access control is fast becoming part of a bigger ‘automatic solution’ – linking
access control with automatic doors for improved safety, security and smart
facilities management

LANDSCAPING & EXTERNAL WORKS: EXTERNAL SURFACES
Sustainable surfaces
Permeable external surfaces provide the starting point for sustainable surface
water drainage (also known as SuDS), but concrete block permeable paving
offers far more than flood prevention, explains Chris Hodson of Interpave

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62

Bold as brass
The project architect in charge of a new architecturally adventurous flagship
retail store in the German city of Wuppertal explains to Jack Wooler how the
practice went about revitalising a large brownfield site, and created a unique
retail environment

Two views of the river
A new pier has opened for the Thames’ main river taxi which provides new
public space as well as vital transport infrastructure, in a design which divides
the structure into two to make the most of its location. James Parker reports

PROJECT REPORTS

FEATURES

CONTENTS
02.20

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ADF FEBRUARY 2020

FROM
THE EDITOR

The ‘Living with Beauty’ report by the Government’s Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission, is the final
part of the legacy of the controversial conservative philosopher Roger Scruton, who died last month. The
document lays down over 100 policy recommendations to planners and government, including planting two
million trees on streets.

For new housing developments, it proposes that developers are incentivised to show a “commitment to quality,”
receiving fast tracked approval for good design. However the report did not pinpoint a specific menu of beauty
criteria to aim for, but critiqued new developments for not being as beautiful as Georgian or Victorian
counterparts, for example because cities are currently designed around cars.

Its approach is uncompromising, but because of that, its aims are certain to be compromised. It proposes a “new
development and planning framework, in which beauty will be “the benchmark that all new developments
should meet.” The definition is broad: “It includes everything that promotes a healthy and happy life, everything
that makes a collection of buildings into a place.” This could be a double-edged sword, meaning beauty remains
in the eye of the beholder/planner, but also perhaps supports a wider idea of beauty than merely established
aesthetic conventions.

The disconnect between architects, as the arbiters of context-sensitive design quality, has led to a drop in quality,
says the report, with developments “cut off from the leadership of the architectural profession” – not news to
ADF readers. They often don’t get as far as being castigated for “pastiche” by using traditional idioms, which the
report says “makes architects’ task harder; they must either work without a determinate style, or invent a style
anew for each commission, rather than being able to fall back on an inherited set of refined solutions.”

There are wide-ranging community-oriented proposals for fixing the problems. But which of these are realistic,
when we have built on average 130,500 homes per year over the last decade – well under half the 300,000
homes per year that the Government wants to see? Modular housing is being seen as the panacea, and a raft of
housebuilders are now jumping on board, some larger players even building their own factories turning out
prefabricated ‘plug and play’ homes.

How do these fit into the aims of ‘Living with Beauty’? There’s no reason why modular homes cannot be made
as context-friendly and aesthetically pleasing as their Victorian counterparts. However this is of course
subjective, and developers’ logistical urges, perhaps for lower-pitched roofs to get under road bridges, may not
chime with what planners demand. This has recently plagued affordable housebuilder Ilke Homes’ efforts to
create more practical modular solutions.

The real world of putting the numbers on the ground required to a good, sustainable standard – and a layout
that works for residents – is a far cry from the higher, some may say idealistic aims of the commission. A real-
world approach is however crucial. ADF will be surveying readers on their views on offsite in coming weeks; the
results should be interesting.

James Parker
Editor

ON THE COVER...
A new pier has opened for the Thames’ main river taxi
which provides new public space as well as vital
transport infrastructure. The design features a folded
steel roof that helps bring light into the space.

Cover image © James Brittain
For the full report on this project, go to page 62

02.20

ROYAL WHARF PIER, LONDON
A design that delivers ‘two’ piers for the price of one on the
Thames, plus new public space

CITY PLAZA, WUPPERTAL, GERMANY
Revitalising a railway district with a curvy gold Primark store

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