Scotland + Venice: WAVEparticle attracts dynamic mix of collaborators, including Austin-Smith:Lord, to deliver Scotland’s contribution to the 16th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice, in 2018.

Scotland will be represented as a collateral event at the 16^th International Architecture Exhibition at the Biennale di Venezia starting in May 2018. To engage with the Biennale Architettura 2018 theme of Freespace, and to celebrate Scotland’s Year of Young People (YOYP), the project The Happenstance (curated by WAVEparticle), begins in Scotland with an exploration of how young people in Scotland respond to Freespace.

The Happenstance brings together artists and architects to work with young people nationwide to discover what Freespace means to them and their communities, before bringing a ‘living library of ideas’ to Venice in May 2018. Austin-Smith:Lord’s contribution to this is the ongoing ‘A Town Hall for All’ project, which is inviting young people in Penicuik to start a whole-town debate about how best to adapt Penicuik Town Hall to future needs.

Penicuik Town Hall has been identified as a priority project in the Penicuik Heritage Regeneration project, and it is intended to involve young people in rejuvenating spaces with the town centre. Midlothian Council is in the process of making funding applications to progress these regeneration projects.

Graham Ross, Partner at Austin-Smith:Lord said, “We are delighted to be involved, working with our regular collaborators at WAVEparticle, who are the lead curators for the Happenstance.

“It is a rare privilege and big responsibility to be encouraging young people in Penicuik to share their ideas for A Town Hall for All. It is also an immense honour to be contributing to Scotland + Venice, to showcase working with young people in planning their place.

In this digital age it is important to discuss the role and purpose of public and community ‘Freespace’ now and in the future. We are hoping to start a whole-town debate and consider what a 21^st Century town hall should be a like; a Town Hall for All ages: young and old!”

The A Town Hall for All project is being facilitated by a team at Austin-Smith:Lord, led by Graham Ross, and was launched in all six of Penicuik’s primary schools in the week before Easter. All 1,500+ primary school pupils in the town, and anybody else with a passion for the Town Hall, are being invited to jot their ideas down on paper in a series of ideas workshops in the town. In celebration of the town’s papermaking heritage ideas are being captured on paper people that will be collated into an enormous paper chain of ideas exhibition in the Town Hall later this year.

A film recording the project, alongside a selection of young peoples’ ideas for Penicuik Town Hall, will be shown at the Biennale Architettura 2018 in Venice It is also intended to workshop ideas for A Town Hall for All with young Venetians during the Biennale and share these ideas with young people in Penicuik as part of a cultural exchange.

Rod Lugg of Midlothian Council and the Penicuik Heritage Regeneration project said: “It is hoped that the best proposals from young Penicuikers can help inform exciting future plans for the Town Hall. We’re progressing funding applications to help adapt the Town Hall to meet the local community’s contemporary and future needs. We want this project to ultimately engage everyone in the area to participate in developing ideas for the Town Hall.”

If you want further information you can download ‘A Town Hall for All’ pack online here.

Follow the project on social media at

Twitter :
@ATownHallForAll
#ATownHallForAll
#happenstance18

 

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Architecture & Design Scotland’s press release can be found here:
https://www.ads.org.uk/news_happenstance18/

The Happenstance collaborators: the team selected by WAVEparticle are experts in the art of building Freespaceand each partner has been asked to select examples of their best practice for exhibition in Venice.

Each partner will come to Venice to demonstrate these approaches in a series of workshops, talks, outdoor film screenings and live events. The team includes:

Architects: Graham Ross (Austin-Smith:Lord), Fergus Purdie (Fergus Purdie Architects), Lee Ivett & Ambrose Gillick (Baxendale), Paul Stallan & Keri Monaghan (Stallan-Brand)

Artists: Brian Hartley, Ruby Pester & Nadia Rossi, Tassy Thompson, Emily Speed, Francis Thorburn, Daniele Sambo, Hannah Brackston

Designers: Alberto Lago and Neil McGuire

Film-maker: Basharat Khan, Morwenna Kearsley

The project, beginning in Scotland in early 2018, before participating in the Biennale Architettura 2018, will bring back learning to Scotland in the latter half of the year.

A project by Penicuik school pupils with Graham Ross and Austin-Smith:Lord

Part of The Art of Happenstance

Young people in Penicuik are being invited to participate in an exciting opportunity to help plan the future of the place they live by sharing their ideas for ‘A Town Hall for All’. Every school pupil in Penicuik is being asked to contribute to an ambitious programme of events to explore potential future plans for Penicuik Town Hall.

The Penicuik Heritage Regeneration project has identified the Town Hall as a priority project. It is hoped that exciting ideas, canvassed as part of the Year of Young People 2018, can help spark a whole-town debate about what communities need in a 21st Century Town Hall.

Rod Lugg of Midlothian Council and the Penicuik Heritage Regeneration project said, “It is hoped that the best proposals from young Penicuikers can help inform exciting future plans for the Town Hall. We’re progressing funding applications to help adapt the Town Hall to meet the local community’s contemporary and future needs. We want this project to ultimately engage everyone in the area to participate in developing ideas for the Town Hall.”

The project, ‘A Town Hall for All’, is being facilitated by architect and urban planner Graham Ross, who grew up in Penicuik, and a team of his colleagues from design consultants Austin-Smith:Lord.

Graham explained;

“Penicuik was renowned as a papermaking town. The Town Hall was originally the Cowan Institute; a gift to the community by papermill owners  nearly 125 years ago. Given this history it feels apt to ask folk in Penicuik to get their ideas for ‘A Town Hall for All’ down on paper!

“We intend inviting every school pupil in Penicuik, just over 2,500 across the town’s primary and secondary schools, to sketch or jot down their suggestions on a paper chain person. These will be collected and shown in the Town Hall as part a massive Penicuik paper chain of ideas; big and small. It will reveal the number of young folk in the town, and their hopes for the future of their place.

“We hope fresh ideas from young folk in the town can inspire everyone passionate about Penicuik to contribute. What should a Town Hall for today and tomorrow be like? A welcoming place for folk to come together? A building, an open space, a website? Or all of these and more?”

The project is being launched in schools across Penicuik this week. A day of free workshops will take place in Penicuik Town Hall on Wednesday 4 April 2018 from 10am to 5pm with an open invitation to everyone, especially local school pupils, to drop by and have fun sharing creative ideas.

It is intended to exhibit the ideas as part of a massive Penicuik paper chain in the town hall later in the Spring. The outcomes will also support ongoing funding applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund and others.

The ‘A Town Hall for All’ project will be filmed and shown as part of a prestigious international architecture exhibition and open up opportunities for cultural exchange. Plans are being finalised and details will be announced soon.

If you want further information you can download A Town Hall for All pack online at https://www.austinsmithlord.com/wp-content/uploads/A-Town-Hall-For-All-Lesson-Pack.pdf

Follow the project on social media at:

Twitter :
@ATownHallForAll
#ATownHallForAll
#happenstance18

A team led by Austin-Smith:Lord has been appointed to facilitate the Falkland and Newton of Falkland Charrette.

In collaboration with the Falkland and Newton of Falkland Community Council (FNFCC), the team will be working with local communities to develop a shared vision for the area. The event, running through March and concluding in April, is being delivered with funding from the Scottish Government for community-led design charrettes.

The project team also includes WAVEparticle(artists/facilitators), Transport Planning Ltd (transport consultants, and David Keddie (economic consultant).  Together we bring our recent experience of delivering such events in Elgin, Brechin, Arbroath, Montrose, Monifieth, Kirriemuir, Dunoon, Port Glasgow, Clydebank and Greenock.

A charrette is an intensive consultation that includes planning workshops, walk-and-talk events and presentations around the area to engage local people in the design process for their community. The planning and design workshops will be held in the Community Hall and Old Town Hall in the centre of Falkland over a three-day period running from Tuesday 20th March to Thursday 22nd  March with a final exhibition and report back session on 18th April.

Everyone is very welcome and all the events are free.

Rod Crawford, Vice Chair of Falkland and Newton of Falkland Community Council said “In terms of involvement, we don’t want this just to be the ‘usual suspects’. We want to hear Falkland’s and Newton’s unheard voices.  We want to hear the voices of the whole community.”

Making Falkland’s and Newton’s Future will be an exciting and interactive multi-day planning event to discuss, debate and decide the future of the area. If you live, work or have an interest in the future of Falkland and Newton of Falkland make sure you come along, have your say and share your ideas!

You can find out more about the charrette programme at:

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/FalklandsFuture

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FalklandsFuture

Padlet: https://padlet.com/falklandsfuture/2018

#FalklandsFuture

We are delighted to have been awarded the 2018 BREEAM Award in the BREEAM/Ecobuild Champions Award category. This is a brand new category, designed to recognise the work of architectural practices who achieve high performance and positive results working on behalf of BREEAM clients.

Our shortlisting is based on the number of BREEAM certified projects we have been involved in over the last 3 years and the average rating scores attained. Austin-Smith:Lord has an excellent track record in the design of low carbon, energy efficient buildings, with our recently completed BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ buildings including:

Ysgol Ffwrnes Primary School in Llanelli, which was designed and built for Carmarthenshire County Council. This was the first primary school in Wales to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating at design stage. It achieved a score of 85.9% and pushed beyond the BREEAM rating of Excellent required by the Welsh Government to become an exemplar for future school buildings.

South Lanarkshire College’s Low Carbon Teaching Building, which was the first project in the UK to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating for the design stage under the 2014 standards. The building achieved a score of 90.4% at both design and post-construction stages. In addition to Solar PVs, an energy-efficient external envelope and a ground source heat pump, innovative features include solar chimneys, recycled paper insulation, re-used cycle racks from the Commonwealth Games and an integrated bicycle repair station.

Both these projects were shortlisted in the 2017 BREEAM Awards in the Education & Health category.

Graham Ross, Partner at Austin-Smith:Lord said “We’re thrilled to have received this accolade. Austin-Smith:Lord have long championed low carbon, sustainable design so we’re exceptionally proud to have received the inaugural BREEAM/Ecobuild Champions Award for Architecture.

“This recognises the numerous BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and ‘Outstanding’ rated projects we have delivered for a range of clients throughout the UK. We are privileged to have had the opportunity to work with enlightened clients aspiring to integrate highly sustainable building design solutions and we look forward to applying the lessons we’ve collectively learned to enhance our future environment.”

Austin-Smith:Lord are delighted to be working with Cardiff University on the feasibility study for the expansion of the School of Architecture at the Bute Building. With the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies relocating to a new facility in the city centre, this is a unique opportunity to consolidate the Welsh School of Architecture in a single location and to enhance its already highly regarded reputation within the city and wider architectural academe.

The Bute Building is a Grade II listed building designed by the esteemed welsh architectural practice of Percy Thomas and Ivor Jones, and completed in 1916. It is a key building within the Cathays Park Conservation Area, designed in the classical style, and in keeping with many of the other Edwardian Buildings within Cardiff Civic Centre. The building is formed as a quadrangle, with elegantly restrained elevations, enriched on the east facade with a roman Doric colonnade and Neo-Grecian detailing.

Key objectives for the study are to provide a dedicated zone for the craft and digital fabrication facilities; a new centre for interdisciplinary creative enquiry; a Living Lab to promote innovative forms of collaboration and engagement; and a diversification of the educational offer. The programme is fast-paced and offers a potential alignment with the 100 year centenary of the Welsh School in 2020.

The Austin-Smith:Lord team working on this project are all alumni of the Welsh School and especially proud to be involved with the redevelopment of the building where their architectural careers began.

Austin-Smith:Lord is delighted at having been appointed by Linc Cymru Housing Association to work with them and their project partners Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, ARCH and Bridgend Council, on their exciting proposals for the Bridgend Wellness Village project. The redevelopment of the Sunnyside site is an extremely interesting project of significant importance to Bridgend and its community, aiming to regenerate the site of the old Magistrates Court.

The brief is innovative and forward looking in its aim of providing a vibrant, multi-generational community focussed on integrating Wellness into the design of the mixed use development. The positive impact of good design on health and wellbeing will be actively integrated into the masterplan with the project forming part of a wider network of innovative Wellness facilities to promote health and wellbeing for the people of South Wales.

Wellness is defined by the World Health Organization as; “…a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

The development will provide much needed social housing, supported accommodation, a new primary care health centre and community spaces linked together through landscaping which focuses on the wellbeing of its users, residents and the wider community. The new health and wellbeing centre, comprising of GP surgery and primary care services, will form the new frontage of the site and connect to the existing established leisure facilities, further enhancing the wellbeing approach to the scheme. The design concept for the proposed social housing ‘village’ is based on clusters of different housing units around shared courtyards aiming to foster community engagement and ownership amongst tenants.

Linc Cymru and their project team partners have outlined the following specific objectives for the project:

• A multi-use health and social care building incorporating a GP surgery along with Primary Care facilities for the wider community, with flexibility to deal with future demands
• General needs social housing units for a range of different residents, designed to be accessible for all including those with dementia
• Supported accommodation for those with additional needs, with shared community spaces open to all and encourage social activities and connections to the health centre
• Linkages to the wider community and surrounding amenities to create a sustainable Wellness Village, whilst complementing Bridgend town centre and the established neighbouring leisure facilities
• Integrated site-wide landscaping to include well-designed public open spaces, opportunities for growing, socialising, recreation and relaxation, community events and public arts

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Lead client on the project, Linc Cymru, specialise in the provision affordable housing, social care and health sectors in Wales. They provide homes and services to tenants across the social, intermediate and market rent sectors as well as health and social care support services.

Austin-Smith:Lord has been appointed by Tenovus Cancer Care to design the interior fit-out of their next mobile chemotherapy treatment vehicle (Unit 3).

Our appointment is a departure for Tenovus from previous reliance on the specialist coach-builders who have created their existing pair of mobile units and represents a conscious move to involve professional interior designers in the delivery of this vehicle. It reinforces the ambition to create a unique and cutting-edge patient focussed facility for cancer patients across Wales, and is testament to the reputation of Austin-Smith:Lord’s interiors team to be selected for such a crucial and innovative project.

Transported in the footprint of a standard articulated trailer, the mobile treatment unit will expand to provide approximately 100m2 of internal space comprising reception, treatment area, consultation room, private treatment space, accessible WC and staff kitchen. The focus of the cancer care and treatment facility will be on the patient experience and so whilst being fully compliant with infection control requirements and equipped with state of the art medical equipment this will not be a space with a clinical appearance or ambience.

Following extensive consultations throughout December 2017 involving stakeholders including nursing staff and Tenovus senior management team members, and several sessions on board the existing vehicles with cancer patients undergoing treatment, ASL produced a series of interior layout options supported by sketch ideas for detailing and precedent images to help describe the ambience we propose. A preferred option was selected at a workshop held in mid-January and is being developed to be the final design.

Austin-Smith:Lord’s design will be issued to the specialist coach-builder during the first week of February with construction commencing immediately and delivery of the completed vehicle to Tenovus in July.

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Image: Existing Tenovus Mobile Treatment Unit 2

Austin-Smith:Lord are attending MIPIM 2018. Two of our Partners, Martin Roe and Graham Ross, will join delegates in Cannes from 13-16 March to discuss our ongoing array of urban regeneration, mixed-use, commercial, residential, industrial and infrastructure projects from across the UK.

This year Austin-Smith:Lord are delighted to be supporting the Invest Glasgow delegation. Austin-Smith:Lord, with MVRDV, have led the preparation of city centre district regeneration frameworks for Glasgow City Council. The four (Y)our City Centre frameworks are due for publication throughout 2018, starting with Broomielaw, one of the most significant mixed-use waterfront regeneration opportunities in the UK. Invest Glasgow will be announcing project and investment opportunities in the city centre and elsewhere in the city region during MIPIM 2018.

The Austin-Smith:Lord MIPIM team are looking forward to discussing opportunities throughout the UK, drawing upon our design expertise from our studios in Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool and London. If you would like to meet up please get in touch with;

Martin Roe , Partner
Martin.Roe@austinsmithlord.com
+44 (0)7879 402639

Graham Ross, Partner
Graham.Ross@austinsmithlord.com
+44 (0) 7795 608575

We look forward to hearing from you.

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MIPIM (Le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier) is the world’s leading property event, held annually in Cannes, in southern France. From 13 – 16 March 2018 around 23,000 delegates from over 100 countries are expected to attend the intensive four-day MIPIM programme which includes conference sessions, exhibition areas and networking events. MIPIM aims to facilitate business between investors, end-users, local authorities, construction and property professionals.

Austin-Smith:Lord is a creative design practice delivering excellence in architecture, landscape architecture, conservation, interior design and urban design masterplanning. We enjoy delivering innovative and outstanding design solutions through collaboration.

Austin-Smith:Lord are pleased to announce we have secured Investors in People Standard accreditation.

Investors in People sets the standard for better people management. The Standard defines what it takes to lead, support and manage people well for sustainable results.

The Investors in People Standard is underpinned by a rigorous assessment methodology and a framework which reflects the latest workplace trends, essential skills and effective structures required to outperform in contemporary business.

Graham Ross, Partner said, “we’re delighted to have secured IiP accreditation following an assessment of all of our studios, and involving canvassing opinion from across our talented team.

“The Standard reaffirms our commitment to maintain and improve in the way we work collectively across the practice. Moreover it helps to identify ways in which to do even better as we seek to infuse our working culture with our shared values.

“I look forward to working with colleagues to ensure our clients, collaborators and the communities with whom we work benefit from the ‘creative collective’ approach underpinning our team’s ethos.”

You can find out more about Investors in People here

Graham Ross, Depute Chair at Architecture & Design Scotland and Partner at Austin-Smith:Lord is part of the Architecture & Design Scotland’s team who will be participating in the Social Bite mass sleep-out in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh on 9 December to raise awareness and funds to tackle homelessness in Scotland. The A&DS team are aiming to raise £3,000 to contribute to Social Bite’s campaign to eradicate homelessness in Scotland.

If you are able to support this cause we’d be very grateful for any donations to help reach, and hopefully exceed, this target. You can make donations at;

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/a-ds-sleepinthepark17

Architecture & Design Scotland are the national champion for quality in architecture, design and placemaking. Enabling the delivery of high quality homes to meet Scotland’s housing need is a priority in our new Corporate Strategy. You can find out more about A&DS and our work at; https://www.ads.org.uk/
https://www.ads.org.uk/corp_strategy_17_20/

The Social Bite Fund (SC045232) is a registered charity in Scotland which seeks to alleviate homelessness through innovative solutions from employment and support programmes, to temporary housing. You can find out more at;
https://social-bite.co.uk/socialbitefund/

Sleep in the Park, the world’s largest mass sleepout, is being organised by Social Bite. They hope attract 9,000 people to sleep out overnight in the cold, in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens on 9 December to raise money to tackle, and seek to eradicate, homelessness in Scotland. You can get further information at;
https://www.sleepinthepark.co.uk/

Any support you may be able to offer to this cause will be greatly appreciated. Thanks to those who have already pledged support.