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Proposed resi tower to be a beacon for green development!

Plans for a 16-storey residential and office development have been submitted by developer Corona Properties that intends to dramatically improve the Hemel Hempstead landscape.

Called ‘The Beacon,’ the mixed-use tower will house both residential property and office space and has been designed to be the first building of its kind to achieve an ECP A+ rating.

The tower plans also feature:

  • 208 apartments
  • Over 9,000 sq ft of office spacing
  • Gym and leisure facilities
  • Coffee shop
  • Roof garden
  • Internal arboretum
  • Projector room/party room
  • Underground parking for 228 cars.

The innovative building design is ultra-efficient, using 50-60% less energy than other similar projects and, coupled with on-site renewable energy generation, the building emission free.

Corona Properties suggest that the Beacon will improve the overall “character” of Hemel Hempstead town centre.

See the plans in the below video:

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EQUITONE inspires modern design at Ashton Sixth Form College

Photography: Infinite 3D

Ashton Sixth Form College in Greater Manchester is inspiring the next generation of students with a new entrance structure that’s clad in EQUITONE [tectiva] fibre cement facade material.

The new entrance building utilises the translation of the college’s ‘graphic’ logo in a simple extraction of geometry.

EQUITONE [tectiva] was used externally and internally for the new reception building, and executes a striking aesthetic through a series of dramatic fins. The entry axis from the main road brings one into a transitional zone between ‘old’ and ‘new’ architecture, expressing the contrasting textures of the fibre cement material against the existing brick and stone work.

EQUITONE [tectiva] is a through coloured fibre cement facade material that is available in a range of elegant shades of natural colour. Its fine sanded lines and naturally occurring hues within the material enhance its aesthetic appeal, which constantly changes with the effect of light and shade.

It was the crisp, clean and lightweight properties of the fibre cement facade that initially attracted project architects GA Studio. “We specified EQUITONE [tectiva] because of its unique aesthetic properties and its ability to help us create a simple yet, striking, geometric form that would reflect the forward thinking nature of the college and provide a new corporate face,” said Martin James Gibson, managing director of GA Studio.

He added: “By combining a mix of new build and refurbished space we were able to provide a naturally lit, dramatic space that looks impressive during the day and acts as a beacon at night.”

For further information on EQUITONE [tectiva] please visit: www.equitone.co.uk

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Architect Zaha Hadid storms out of BBC interview

2016 update: The amended version of Zaha Hadid’s plans have now also been scrapped in favour of a new model designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. The new design will still come with a hefty price tag of 153bn yen (£825m), however this is a drastic reduction in cost when compared to Hadid’s original design proposal, which would have cost in excess of 252bn yen – giving it the controversial accolade of being the most expensive stadium ever to be built.

Original story:

Starchitect Zaha Hadid cut an interview on BBC Radio 4 short following a disagreement with presenter Sarah Montague.

An interview intended to discuss her winning the 2016 RIBA Royal Gold Medal quickly descended into the British-Iraqi architect fiercely defending her Qatar World Cup stadium against allegations of worker deaths and denying the spiralling costs of her proposed Tokyo Olympic stadium.

Hadid has been announced as the 2016 recipient of the RIBA Royal Gold Medal, making her the first female architect to be awarded considered one of the most prestigious accolades within the profession. However, a little taken back at the questions that the BBC asked, Dame Zaha Hadid said that there had not been a “single problem in the stadium in Qatar” in response to Sarah Montague’s questions regarding the alleged 1,200 migrant worker deaths at the Al-Wakrah stadium for the 2022 football Qatar World Cup.

Zaha responded “It is absolutely untrue; there are no deaths on our site whatsoever. I sued someone in the press for it. You should check your facts.”

Last week heard reports that Zaha had made the decision not to proceed with her bid to construct the Olympic stadium in Tokyo after the scrapping of her original design, which was met with public and professional protest over the £2bn construction costs.

“I didn’t pull out of the Japanese project,” Hadid corrected, “It’s a very serious story. It’s a scandal. We won this competition three years ago, it was an international competition entered by many Japanese architects and we won it.”

The interview ended abruptly when Zaha concluded “Don’t ask me a question if you don’t want me to answer. Let’s stop this conversation right now.”

The Qatari government say that the very serious allegations of 1,200 worker deaths since the country were announced as hosts of the next world cup are categorically untrue. Others argue that the deaths are directly linked to the current construction boom as a result of the pending World Cup, and therefore deaths on projects such as infrastructure and hotels should be included when monitoring world cup fatalities. Either way, Zaha confirmed there have been no deaths on her site.

Listen to the short but heated interview below:

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Slow BIM adoption could harm UK industry

According to new research published by the RICS, 75% of surveyors believe that slow uptake and non-adoption of BIM could seriously hinder construction as an industry over the next 12 months.
The survey also found that although 74% of surveying firms have considered the very real business case for BIM adoption, there are still a large number of firms not using BIM in the day-to-day aspects of their work.
One of the main reasons for non-adoption appears to be a lack of information; 68% of respondents currently not implementing BIM within their organisation say that they don’t feel there is adequate information available for small companies in order to assist them in adopting the new modelling system.
Luddism is also playing its part to some degree; 31% of surveyors claim that there is not a need to use the technology in their organisation, whilst 26% stated that they don’t feel their firm have the technical knowledge, expertise and resources in place to adopt BIM.
55% of those members interviewed revealed that they are currently already doing business with architectural firms that are utilising BIM. Additionally, half of these respondents said that the architects they have collaborated with have been actively encouraging them to adopt BIM within their own organisations.
Global Director of Built Environment Professional Groups at the RICS, Alan Muse commented “Our research clearly shows that the importance of BIM is not being lost on the UK’s surveying sector with 73% identifying that non-adoption is likely to have a negative impact on the industry as a whole.”
“It’s clear from the research that the industry needs to be doing more to help smaller surveying firms – as well as the wider industry – in getting up to speed with the technology, particularly when it comes to how they can implement the technology across their organisation.”

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It’s official: Walkie Talkie is the worst building in Britain

2016 update: Whilst the Walkie-Talkie was awarded the Carbuncle Cup last year for being the worst building in Britain, it appears there could be far worse to come on the horizon – how about a skyscraper that looks like a tin of processed meat, for example? Originally approved back in 2008, work soon stalled on this bizarre tower as it happened to coincide with the UK financial crisis. However, work is now reportedly back on track and the 105m, 24-storey building is due for completion in Summer 2018. The architectural version of spam, perhaps?

Original story:

20 Fenchurch Street, a commercial skyscraper in London designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Vinoly, has been awarded the annual Carbuncle Cup for being the worst example of architecture in the UK.

Nicknamed the Walkie-Talkie because of its distinctive bellowing shape, critics have long since argued that tall buildings should taper inwards elegantly rather than bulge out in order to not litter the skyline.

The shape isn’t the only gaffe made by designers with the Walkie-Talkie; since construction began in 2009 the building has been mired in controversy. First it inflicted solar glare problems on the people of London, burned holes in cars and bicycles parked below its looming stature. Then it became apparent that the placement of the building caused a dangerous wind tunnelling effect that actually blew passing pedestrians off their feet. Then there was the anticlimactic opening of a “sky garden,” which was criticised since opening for the tight restrictions and advance booking requirements placed on the visiting public, and for failing to meet pre-construction expectations of the extent and quality of the “garden.”

Editor of Building Design Magazine (who run the awards), Thomas Lane, said the carbuncle “crashes into London’s skyline like an unwelcome party guest.”

Thomas described the tower in a cutting and succinct manner, saying that “It bulges out towards the top in a cynical move to maximise the amount of high-value space at the upper levels, in defiance of the principle tall buildings should taper elegantly inwards or at least feature parallel sides. The result is Londoners now have to suffer views of this bloated carbuncle.”

Here’s what the people of twitter have to say about this year’s winner:


To see other buildings shortlisted for the Carbuncle Cup, please Click here to visit the site.

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Chernobyl: key milestone reached as two semi-arches join together

The structure designed to contain the crumbling casing surrounding the dangerous ruins of reactor 4 takes another great leap forward in its uncertain journey to completion. It has now been announced that the two sections of the giant containment building have been joined together in Chernobyl.

WALKIETALKIE-BS-ARTICLE
The ‘New Safe Confinement’ now stands at 360ft tall, 541ft long and 853ft wide. Its frame is constructed from a lattice of steel tube sections built on two longitudinal concrete beams – weighing in at an impressive 30,000 tons. To put that into context, it will be almost 4 times the height of Big Ben, over the length of two professional football pitches and nearly as wide as two Westminster Abbey’s. Not to mention a weigh equating to a herd of approximately 6667 fully grown Elephants!
Plans to create a new container to house the poor, leaky structure of the original makeshift sarcophagus were made as early as 1992, but construction work didn’t actually begin until September 2010. Since then it has consistently been plagued by funding issues. The cost of the entire plan is estimated to be €2.15bn, or £1.7bn. A construction such as this has never needed to be built anywhere else in the world, or had such costly obstacles and issues that needed to be addressed throughout every stage of construction.
The structure is comprised of two separate sections that were built offsite at a safe distance from the reactor, so as not to put the workers at prolonged risk of radiation exposure. The building implements two heavy duty cranes on rails that were used to slide the New Safe Confinement into place over the ruins of the reactor. It will purportedly be tornado-proof and will stand efficiently and safely for 100 years. It will also contain all the equipment required to deconstruct the old structure from within, as well as the damaged reactor.
Nuclear Safety Director at the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), Vince Novak said “This is another major step forward. The construction of the steel structure is nearing completion. We are confident that all work will be concluded by end-2017 as planned.”
There is still a lot of work to be done until the structure is completed and can be positioned in its final destination. The official date for completion is now the end of 2017; a two year extension on the original date given of 2015. This is because the project is reportedly currently running short of money, €600m behind by the end of the year, to be exact. Also casting a dark shadow over the project are proposed government sanctions that will freeze construction work within the Ukraine; all alarming obstacles that could potentially trip the Chernobyl Shelter Implementation Plan on its rocky road to success.
On 26th April 1986, during a safety check, reactor 4 of the Chernobyl power plant experienced a meltdown that could not be contained. As a result, it is estimated that more than 100,000 people have died as either a direct result of fallout or from subsequent radiation-related illnesses. It is also estimated that over £111.7 billion worth of damage was caused by the disaster. These astounding figures prove that regardless of who is considered responsible for the accident, cleaning up Chernobyl is of worldwide concern. If another reactor had blown during the meltdown, Chernobyl could have rendered the whole of Europe uninhabitable.
The sheer scale and paramountcy of this project cannot be overstated. As you read this the old sarcophagus is crumbling, threatening to release 200 tons of radioactive material into the environment. All eyes are on the Ukraine as they painstakingly press forward, working tirelessly on arguably the most important structure of the 21st Century.

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Could Battersea chimneys be turned into giant Tesla coils?

Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has revealed an interesting concept to transform the four chimneys at the Battersea Power Station project in London into the largest Tesla coils on Earth.

The purpose of the coils would be as a form of public art, partially powered by the high volume of foot traffic that passes by underneath the giant chimneys. The pavement below could generate a kilowatt of energy from the pressure on plates created by footsteps – known as the piezoelectric effect. This energy would then create a spectacular burst of electricity between the chimneys – a physical testament to the true power of the collective.

Bjarke Ingels unveiled the unusual idea at a lecture at the Royal Academy, saying “We’re working with experts in Tesla coils, looking into how to incorporate them into the chimneys so essentially we might celebrate the transformation from carbon footprint to human footprint.”

“We imagine it like Big Ben; when the clock strikes the hour, we can have this celebration of human energy and human life.”

“It could be interesting to create a public artwork that ties into the heritage of the power plant.”

“We don’t have coal any more but we do have 50,000 people passing by every day.”

A Tesla coil (created by Nikola Tesla around 1891) consists of two parts: a primary coil and secondary coil, each with its own capacitor. (Capacitors store electrical energy just like batteries.) The two coils and capacitors are connected by a spark gap — a gap of air between two electrodes that generates the spark of electricity.

Electrical engineer Greg Leyh and his colleagues in San Fransisco are currently fundraising to construct two 37m Tesla coils in a bid to understand more about lightning. These are on track to be the largest in the world – however, Bjarke Ingels are proposing an astounding 91.5m set of coils.

Whilst unlikely to be approved, the concept illustrates that there are still bright sparks within the world of architecture; pushing boundaries and helping take the artform into the brave unknown.

The Battersea project is due to be completed in 2019.

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Is the built environment making us fat?

According to a 2007 Foresight report from the Government Office for science, approximately 65% of adults and 33% of children in the England are now obese. It is estimated that over half of the UK adult population could be classed as obese in as little as 5 years. Needless to say, tackling obesity has become a major social, economic, health and financial issue. Does the environment we live in influence our fitness habits?

Put simply, obesity is usually caused by eating too much and moving too little. If you consume high amounts of energy from your diet, particularly from fat and sugars, but do not burn off the energy through exercise and physical activity, much of the surplus energy is then stored by the body as fat.

The environment in which people live can directly influence the decisions that people make; often subconsciously. For the vast majority of people, exercise is merely a by-product of a busy day. We burn calories as we are shop, during our commute, play with our children or walk the dog on a crisp winter evening. The hectic nature of British society leaves people often too tired or with simply too little time to pursue the goal of a smaller waistline.

Can architects and designers become fitness instructors?

As bizarre as this question may seem, there is substance behind it. Bearing in mind that 80% of people are currently not undertaking what experts deem ‘necessary exercise,’ designers could play a vital role in keeping Britain slim by reassessing the environments that we all exist in.

In order to do this, planners would be required to collaborate with a wide range of other professionals across the building and construction sector, as well as fitness professionals and experts within the health field.

With obesity figures so high, where do we start?

So do we need to completely radicalise our infrastructure in order to breed a generation of Usain Bolt’s – with cities interlinked with rubberized running tracks? Surprisingly, no we don’t. Massive changes could be made using only small amounts of effort and a little attention to detail.

The idea would be to maximise the potential for casual exercise throughout the course of a normal day. This could be done by implementing very small changes, such as a well-placed sign indicating the direction of the stairs; all-to-often hidden in many public buildings. If a shop is within walking distance, people are more likely to leave the car behind. Offices can be made more fitness-friendly with the addition of a bike park and a few showers.

By incorporating cycle paths and pedestrian areas into urban designs, people would feel more inspired to walk or cycle to work, tackling the increasing obesity crisis, lowing carbon footprints and taking pressure off our roads, which are the busiest and most congested in Europe.

Parks and other green spaces also encourage people to exercise, as well as generally uplifting a person’s wellbeing.

How do we start?

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) have today launched a resource identifying the potential for planners and public health officers to work together to support people to live lifestyles that will help them to maintain a healthy weight. ‘Planning Healthy Weight Environments’ presents an illustration of how a healthy-weight environment could be planned.

TCPA Chief Executive, Kate Henderson said “as the nation faces an obesity crisis, we can see that planning has an important role to play in helping to create high quality environments that offer opportunities for communities to make healthy choices and live healthier lifestyles. By reuniting public health with planning, and bringing together built environment and health professionals, we can work collaboratively to identify local health needs and tackle the obesity challenge.”

In summary

So could architects and planners halt the nation’s obesity crisis? Not on their own, but they can certainly help. Nobody wants to be obese; in order to reduce the alarming figures above the British public will ultimately need to change their behaviour, not just their surroundings. However, it’s very difficult to implement real change if our environment doesn’t encourage it.

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