question time
uestiontime
This month’s question: Discusses predictions for the
New Year and our Panels’ New Year resolutions for 2010.
PHILIP RICHARDS
what did that produce? The with uncomplicated healthy
Figures of late have
ARCHITECT AT WOODS BAGOT
cuckoo clock.’ ingredients and more impor-
shown a small in- I think the reference to the tantly, without any aftertaste.
crease in starting cuckoo clock and post-mod- In terms of a new horizon –
projects and it seems
Following the patterns of
ernist architecture is quite apt Let’s hope that people don’t
that construction is in
time, architecture has always
and hopefully the post reces- look forward to the New Year
recovery mode for responded to the good and
sion will encourage a new for a new start on old habits;
the New Year, after bad economic situations. In
perspective for architects to the new year is another chance
all, buildings still the pre-recession, we experi-
produce designs that will for us to get it right.
need to accommo-
enced some architectural
become timeless and engrained
date and designers
gems, iconic and small scale.
into the urban environment.
will always be
Unfortunately these gems
With any luck some of the well JACK PRINGLE
needed for crucial,
were engulfed by a mesa of
designed schemes that got put PARTNER AT PRINGLE BRANDON
urban enhancing de-
architectural nightmares,
on hold due to the down turn
signs. It will be a re-
designed by ‘form follows
will re-emerge and inject a pos-
freshing change to
investment’ which now scar
itive feel to the urban New Decade, New Blood.
the skyline and urban environ-
environment and the up and Indicators do suggest that
see buildings being
ment, reminding us of the
coming architectural commu- things have stopped getting
erected for cultural,
good old boom time.
nity. The others hopefully will worse, but that still leaves us
societal and artistic
Post- recession with 2010
remain in the filing cabinet. at the bottom of a recession
pleasure as well as
around the corner, it is difficult
With the grounding of the and the climb out may be
just the necessity.
to predict the future course of
iconic buildings, perhaps a new more painful than the descent.
With a slight increase architectural design, one can
modest architecture will On the ascent, architects will
in activity brings just be optimistic. The gloom of
emerge, which will stand the inevitably be relying on diffi-
greater hope for the the post war era gave us some
test of time and not display the cult new jobs won at super
future of the built en-
great straight forward mod-
architectural excess we have competitive rates.
vironment, we can
ernist buildings by some daring
experienced in the last couple Unfortunately, there won’t be
of years, before it all went a bit much public, cultural work as
begin to lift the coun-
state spending gets tightly
try and in fact, the
squeezed by the Tories. There
world out of this
“With any luck some of the well designed won’t be much commercial
comatose state of
building affairs.
schemes that got put on hold due to the down
new build either because, with
occupiers reducing their space
turn will re-emerge and inject a positive feel
take up by about 25 per cent
With the New Year per employee, we’ve got as
horizon in sight, what into the urban environment.” Phil Richards many offices as we need for
do you predict we
the near future.
will be seeing in 2010
But, barring a double dip, there
in terms of Architec-
architects only to be followed pear shaped. It will be good to will be urban regeneration
tural design? Will we
by the concrete high rise see the new emerging build- probably led by housing, imagi-
see a move away
estates that now blot the urban ings that will be built next year native refurbishment, new build
from our recent style
landscape. The boom time in to contain a fine balance of and infill as leases come to an
and change in per-
eighties provided us with post modesty, modernity and tradi- end and opportunities and
modernism, creating a new tion that will kick start and set needs reappear.
spective for archi-
form of circus architecture. an precedent for the next gen- Emerging IT trends including
tects? And, what is
Architecture, recession and eration of buildings to come. small cool, often wireless kit at
your architectural
boom time in this current world This kick start has happened the user end and remote power-
new years resolution?
situation always reminds me of before, but unfortunately did ful data centers accessed
the quote by Harry Lime in the not have the impact and through fiber optic or cloud net-
1948 film ‘The Third Man’ momentum that is required, works will mean that old build-
directed by Carol Reed. Set in right now! ings can perform just about as
Vienna after the Second World My architectural new year’s res- well as new buildings for IT-de-
War. ‘In Italy for 30 years under olution will consist of a simple pendent occupiers.
the Borgias they had warfare, rational architectural diet with These smaller projects will be
terror, murder, and bloodshed, no added trimmings and good news for new practices to
but they produced absolutely no ornamentation, cut their teeth on. Clients will
Michelangelo, Leonardo da combined with a large side feel that it’s less of a risk com-
Vinci, and the Renaissance. In platter of green sustainability. missioning young architects on
Switzerland they had brotherly No architectural excess and no refurbishments and infill and
love - they had 500 years of architectural saccharine. A will be attracted by the promise
democracy and peace, and Healthier menu, combined of something new and fresh to
12 Architects Choice
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