NEWS City architecture
championed British Land has been presented with the New City Architecture Award for its 201 Bishopsgate and Broadgate Tower. The Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman David Wootton, was joined by British Land Chief Executive Chris Grigg and David Cole-Adams of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects, to unveil a plaque marking the award.
The New City Architecture Award is given annually for the building or structure that, complete and free of planning conditions in the qualifying year, makes the most significant contribution to the
streetscape and skyscape of the City of London. Judges commended the
development for its powerful design, attention to detail and the drama of the space between the buildings The Lord Mayor said: “These stunning buildings reflect the vision, creativity and energy of developers British Land. It is essential that the City continues to showcase innovative and exciting architecture to further enhance its reputation as the world’s leading financial centre. Substantial private investments, such as the development of 201 Bishopsgate and the Broadgate Tower, coupled with Government
infrastructure projects such as Crossrail, ensure the City continues to provide the right environment for business growth.”
Empty homes adviser appointed
Architect and TV presenter George Clarke has been appointed as an independent adviser to the Government to help bring thousands of empty homes back into use. Although the numbers of empty homes have fallen to their lowest level since 2004, there are still 720,000 homes sitting empty across the country - with 280,000 left vacant for six months or more. Ministers have already announced £150million to bring empty homes back into use as affordable housing - including £50million to tackle clusters of empty homes. Clarke’s role will involve; promoting the bringing of empty homes back into use; raising public awareness of the benefits of bringing empty homes back into use and encouraging people to report empty homes in their area; encouraging councils, housing associations and voluntary groups to identify innovative and good ideas and sharing this across communities; challenging Government and other public bodies to ensure publicly-owned homes are not left empty; and exploring whether current plans for demolition in councils could be scaled back. Commenting on his appointment Clarke says: "There are hundreds of thousands of empty homes that could and should be saved from the bulldozers and refurbished. I totally support the building of new homes when it's necessary, but not when it's cheaper and quicker to refurbish empty homes than to build from scratch. It can be kinder to communities and the
environment - and it makes sense in these tough economic times. I care passionately about this subject and I'll leave no stone unturned in my efforts to find a solution to the problem and get these houses back into use for the families who need them." Housing Minister Grant Shapps adds: "George Clarke has been a phenomenal campaigner against the scourge of Empty Homes. His popular Great British Property Scandal programme raised the issue up the agenda. I'm pleased to report that the number of empty homes has fallen in the two years since this government came to office. Now, we hope to accelerate that work further with £150million of investment and Clarke as our Empty Homes Adviser."
Architect, TV presenter and empty homes advisor, George Clarke, speaking at BRE Watford.
Crowd funding takes localism to new level
In the face of government cuts, an ex-mining town in South Wales has come together to secure funding for a £792,000 community centre. After spending seven years chasing state cash for the much-needed centre, Glyncoch residents became unlikely pioneers of a ‘crowd-funding’ movement. With tens of thousands to raise before their grants expired, the town appealed to local families, celebrities and businesses to fill the void. Using
Spacehive.com - a new online hub allowing communities to fund public developments - the town was able to garner support from an unlikely array of places.
Spacehive allows anyone to pitch proposals for community building projects and anyone to pledge funding. The model, co-designed by Deloitte, means the cost of popular projects can be split between hundreds of individuals, businesses, and councils. Founder Chris Gourlay says: “This isn't about privatising planning. The state mustn't shrink from its responsibilities. It's just an approach that allows communities to cut through the inertia and make popular projects happen. We think town planning should be faster, more people-powered, and more fun."
It’s hoped that Spacehive's model could help revive hundreds more community building projects hit by the economic downturn. Given that state spending on such projects is estimated to have halved from a pre- recession average of £500million a year (according to the British Property Federation (BPF)), this may provide a lifeline for hundreds of projects across the country. Liz Peace, Chief Executive of the BPF says: “We support the government’s intention to create a planning system that supports growth, but the reality is nearly £300million of funding for capital public space developments has been lost. Enabling the public to take direct action through
Spacehive.com could help ensure vital improvements go ahead by channeling funding." Through
Spacehive.com Glyncoch’s campaign was boosted by comedian Stephen Fry who asked his four million Twitter followers to each donate “the cost of a cucumber sandwich.” Corporates including Deloitte, Asda, and Wales and West Utilities quickly added to the pot, alongside local businesses. The final donation of £12,000 bestowed by Tesco Charity Trust, means the Glyncoch Community Centre now has the backing needed to progress.
Work hard
to come by It seems even being a Pritzer Prize winner doesn’t guarantee a steady stream of work these days. In a recent interview with El Mundo, 59-year-old Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura has revealed that
he’s finding it hard to find work in Portugal and Spain and so is being forced to extend his search to other parts of Europe. Souto de Moura was honoured with
the Pritzer Prize in 2011 for his iconic works - which include the Braga Stadium (2004) and Casa das Historia Paula Rego (2011). Throughout his career he has won approximately one in every
eight contests, with one in four of those projects reaching fruition and being realised. Since opening his own practice in 1980, Souto de Moura has completed over 60 buildings mostly in Portugal. But, with unemployment in Spain
reaching 23 percent, finding work is proving challenging for even the most talented of architects.
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