Studio UrbanArea

Low Income Recycled Housing

2012-03-01T11:32:00.002Z

Window Farming

2012-02-28T18:22:00.001Z

Open-source designs for urban [window based] farming, or edible gardening. Simple and slightly beautiful approach to filling up your window space ...

Air Hotels

2012-02-26T13:31:00.002Z

Low impact hotel rooms hanging [and thus having living trees as foundations?] from a set by Timecircus. Alternative albeit temporary means of drawing interest to a site.

Straw Bale Dance Studio

2012-02-26T12:40:00.000Z

One of the most unique straw bale construction projects was this dance studio in a rural Hertfordshire setting. Famously the cheapest lottery funded project it is possibly more interesting for the construction material being sourced [grown] from the next field. There are still a few links to show how the building is improving with age ...

Growing a building

2012-02-26T12:20:00.002Z

Lots of recent movement[s] and ideas regarding the re-emergence of self building and systems for self building in the Segal tradition. A few articles have pointed towards the work of Dominic Stevens and the clever use of natural and cheap building materials - including plant based roofing / cladding products and soy based blown insulation. Starting ideas for growing our own buildings. Hopefully more thoughts on this to follow ...

Paper Architecture Patternbook

2012-02-20T21:45:00.001Z

Extract from a paper architecture of Prague. A bit retro and not at all comparable with 3 dimensional printing but as amazing and possibly more understanding.

Mapping stereotypes

2012-02-19T10:31:00.000Z

Amusing way of finding your way around America. This is probably the least offensive example of mapping stereotypes from alphadesigner, probably because I don't fully understand all of the references.

Prefab Retrofit Pigsty

2012-02-17T11:14:00.003Z

One of the best examples we have found for how modern methods of construction / off-site methods can be the ultimate in bespoke responses - in this case a listed farm building acting as the external shell with existing openings for timber frame internal structure.

UK's First Floating House

2012-02-16T14:14:00.001Z

Interesting and innovative [but slightly Dutch?] scheme from Baca Architects. It is suggested as the first planning permission for a floating house and being located in a flood plain with anticipated rising sea levels and increased flooding it could be one of many.

Middlehaven and St Hilda's Church

2012-02-16T13:38:00.000Z

Really useful link when exploring old Middlesbrough and historical images of Middlehaven, including this amazing Lowery picture of the old Town Hall and the now demolished church.

East German Instructional Art

2012-02-15T23:54:00.002Z

Just an East German 'instructional art' version of Keep Calm and Carry on - unless you hear the air attack warning. Nice example of signage.

Folk the Banks

2012-02-14T12:45:00.000Z

Occupy records have done an amazing thing in getting Jamie Reid to design their artwork. Once again, social protest, music and art combine to make something memorable with an impact.

Art of Investment

2012-02-13T21:23:00.001Z

It seems that 'patient money' still works in property but does much better when commodities are limited, like vintage cars and work from dead artists. Have a look at the entire article here.

Henley, John [2012] "Where's the best place to put your money?" The Guardian G2, 8th February p2.

Vernacular Music

2012-02-13T20:27:00.003Z

Just a really nice example of vernacular architecture suggesting the style and genre of music by Iron and Wine.

Bringing Economics Down to Earth

2012-02-10T13:58:00.002Z

Stamp Scrip Local Currency

2012-02-09T22:19:00.000Z

Several references to local currency and the historical first - the 'stamp scrip' printed by the Mayor of the Austrian town of Worgl in 1931. There may be a direct relevance to new forms of local currency because it is more than local, it is based on an idea of 'demurrage' [paying to keep the currency valid or negative interest] that created an incentive to circulate rather than save. Find out more here or in; Grant, John [2010] Co-opportunity: Join up for a sustainable, resilient, prosperous world [Wiley, Chichester].

Feelgood Art

2012-02-04T11:32:00.000Z

The best of the feel good art by Martin Creed and soon to be followed by 'Be Happy'. Read more about the 'trend' here.

Materials into details

2012-01-31T16:01:00.000Z

Some nice details that we have noticed recently ...

A simple but beautiful idea of a single sheet of rolled cold steel folded into a stairway - half up and half down. The full details and other great details from Knott Architects ... and glass marbles filling the holes left my metal concrete ties on an internal exposed concrete wall. Nice to be watched.

Back to the Future with Electric Dreams

2012-01-30T19:17:00.002Z

Such a cool reinvention in the form of an electric De Lorean that it makes the Belfast boy in me think back to the good old days of the 1980s when this was the car of the future the first time around.

Season's Greetings

2011-12-20T12:23:00.005Z

Hunsett Mill, Norfolk

2011-12-12T14:23:00.000Z

Something impressive about the simplicity of this low energy conversion or extension [what do you call it whenever the new build is larger than the house?] by acme architects. Mostly we like it because it demonstrates the flexibility and low impact of modern methods of construction and how considering the method of construction for a one-off property might still make you think about quality control and standards that you can achieve within a factory setting.

Alex Hartley's Geodesic Dome

2011-12-04T21:56:00.001Z

Artist Alex Hartley blurs the line between installation and life in his use of a geodesic dome that is full of retro references to hippy lifestyles for the 1970s. Look out for his work as part of the Cultural Olympiad next year.

Futuro House

2011-11-20T22:47:00.001Z

This is just the most inspiring [and pedantic] site for homage to pre fab architecture in the form of the Futuro House. It is a design classic and really needs a fresh look at updating for the 21st Century.

180 Year Old Toy Train

2011-11-20T09:51:00.001Z

The story is of a father and a son living in a property backing onto the Stockton to Darlington Railway that opened in 1825. A toy was modeled on the passing trains from old bits of scrap wood and somehow it has survived around 6 generations of children playing with it. Now it has shown up on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow.

Think Low Carbon Centre

2011-11-18T16:44:00.001Z

In a partnership with the BRE, Barnsley College is setting out on a programme of new build sustainable housing and retrofit in an interesting collaboration between modern methods of construction, supply chain, skills providers, construction industry and hopefully some interesting designers. The process sounds more innovative that the video but all worthy.

Retro Architectural Modeling

2011-11-13T21:53:00.001Z

Image advertising a new architectural modeling system from 1931. A kind of retro-revit? Makes you question whether we are still allowing our modeling systems and software to restrict our approach and process to design.

Banksy does Moneybags

2011-10-26T21:18:00.001+01:00

Don't you just wish you had thought of it first? Just goes to show that anti-capitalism can be funny when making a point. Now what we need is someone to make a monopoly hotel tent to go with the game ... although for a more informed understanding of why social protest is happening where and how, have a read of Anna Minton's blog - save you paying for the Guardian this week.

Feats per minute

2011-10-11T14:40:00.000+01:00

A vinyl player that requires you to cycle at the appropriate speed to get the best from it. Very cool idea. Find out more here.

Happy Birthday Christiania

2011-09-28T13:51:00.001+01:00

Christiania turns 40 this month and has been subject to a radio 4 review. Catch it while you can.

Pixels

2011-09-14T12:02:00.003+01:00

Pixel Post-it note Art

2011-09-03T11:23:00.003+01:00

Have too much time on your hands at work during the current recession? Have a draw full of post-it notes? Why not have a look at post-it war and be inspired to your own creations ... cheaper than space invader tiles ...

I Love Park Hill

2011-08-28T15:39:00.004+01:00

A 1980's icon - not Park Hill [although that isn't a bad icon in itself], but the graffiti plastered on the concrete to be visible from the city centre. Recently subject to a radio show all of it's own. Now lit up in neon for all to still see - probably the nicest and most humane touch of the reinvention of Park Hill.

Alien Architecture

2011-08-26T09:31:00.008+01:00

There have been a couple of articles recently that have caught my eye regarding sci-fi architecture and climate change. The headline "Cut carbon to avoid alien attack, says NASA" is based on the observable scale of the impact of environmental change and one possible scenario for meeting extraterrestrials. The mothership in Cowboys and Aliens description ... "... it's a great big lump of a thing; it looks like the multi-storey car park in Get Carter, designed for throwing dodgy Newcastle businessmen to their deaths."

And I think the new Business School for Newcastle University has been inspired by the Star Wars Sandcrawler ... even down to the cladding.

References: Sample, Ian [2011] "Cut carbon to avoid alien attack, says NASA". p19 and Bradshaw, Peter [2011] "Gunfight at the ET corral". p12 both in The Guardian 19th August.

Wiki House

2011-08-19T00:11:00.002+01:00

You have to have a look at this! The Wiki House is another great look into the future of the house building industry? Printed rather than prefabricated building elements taken from an open-source kit of parts. Nice idea, although it would probably need a lot of support. Not just a technical factory but some way to overcome the barriers to delivery - statutory planning, financing and mortgage providers, insurance, reselling, occupant preferences ... etc. Yet the principle is great ... free access to design. Just let's not forget about local variety and identity as this develops into something bigger.

The Tunnel of Love

2011-08-11T14:58:00.003+01:00

Milton Keynes Methods of Construction

2011-08-03T20:43:00.002+01:00

Recently can across this oldish article on Richard Rodgers & Partners MMC 'Design for Manufacture Project' at Oxley Woods, Milton Keynes. Designed for an above-ground cost of £60,000 ... or $118,000. They seem impressed by the cost, the speed and the Ref: Blum, Andrew [2008] "7 Days Later" Wired, June p86.

BREEAM Sustainable Communities

2011-07-25T23:29:00.000+01:00

News that Malmo Western Harbour has just been awarded the first BREEAM Sustainable Communities Standard outside of the UK and I have mixed views about the award of a badge of sustainability. The mixed perspective is due to the need for branding on top of the expo credentials and the actual investment, including the cost, of gaining such a 'brand' badge. It should be a positive step to set an objective standard for area based sustainability but it does seem to conflict with LEED ND standard, which is in effect a more co-operative standard. A good thing if you are the BRE but important to remember there are other sustainability badges and franchises.

Reference: Young, Karen [2011] "Assessing the Sustainability of a Major Swedish Development" Constructing the Future, Summer 48 p13.

Off Sites: Spaces of Possibility

2011-07-25T16:48:00.005+01:00

Urban planners have an existing concept around Third Place Theory where public arts venues fit into a wider theory. Basically, first place is 'home', second place is 'work' and the third places are ...? And here you enter into a simple set of rules about what are the essential and desirable components of a 'third place'. In practice these turn out to be beer gardens,public houses, pavement cafes as well as the art gallery and public spaces. They are places where the different members of the community can hang out. The rules [according to Oldenburg] of 'Third Places' are free and open public access on neutral ground to somewhere the principle purpose is conversation, debate and exchange of ideas. At a local level some of these rules have made in into formal policy and practice - one example is the promotion of 'Neutral Spaces' in contested public areas in Belfast. And a lot has been written [best account by Anna Minton] around the

trend to privatise the so-called public realm and gated communities. From these rules it is clear that not every public space is neutral or even public. It also seems significant that digital exclusion makes web spaces more exclusive then they need to be, and social networking has a geography very different to any individual city.

The challenges seem to be for creative individuals and arts collectives to explore how they can use non-gallery spaces more effectively. While there are recognizable trends for pop-up shops, theatre, cinema and gallery space, these are still based on a update of an existing and widely recognized concept of a shop, theatre, cinema etc....

Off site galleries have the potential to be more than galleries. What is preventing a building or space already occupied from extending the current use into that of an art gallery? Or visa versa? Interested to look at the possibilities and support the debate.

References: Oldenburg Ray [1989] The Great Good Place [Marlowe & Company, New York]. Gaffikin, Frank et al. [2008] Public Space for a Shared Belfast: A research report for Belfast City Council. Minton, Anna [2009] Ground Control: Fear and happiness in the twenty-first century city [Penguin, London].

The Raveonettes cover the Stone Roses

2011-07-23T18:42:00.001+01:00

Architects of Air

2011-07-20T22:22:00.001+01:00

Traffic Barrier Seating

2011-07-20T19:15:00.001+01:00

I'm not really sure where this is from and who made it ... but nice and simple enough as to not require any instructions if you want to make your own.

Leo Fitzmaurice

2011-07-16T18:46:00.002+01:00

While the idea of deconstructed packets by artist Leo Fitzmaurice made me smile, the purpose behind it is as to the point as any art can be. In the words of Robert Clark ... "This is the kind of daft thing artists do: adapting the cast-offs of consumer culture through a process of determined and obsessive repetition to an agenda that is all the more delightful for being so utterly futile". [Ref: Guardian Guide 16-22 July 2011 p36].

Junction Box Art

2011-07-15T16:28:00.003+01:00

Nice article about Leeds Junction boxes that make sense of some of the images we shot last week or so in Leeds City Centre. Download a map of the locations here.

Allotment Art

2011-07-03T22:05:00.003+01:00

Have a look at this article for a look at more images of art based on an allotment. Strong images of an attractive do-it-yourself lifestyle.

Talibansky

2011-07-03T21:42:00.003+01:00

Interesting movement in political messages in a creative manner on the streets of Kabul. This seems to be the real point of public art - in seeking to promote debate in an alternative way. Much better than political posters on lamp-posts. Reference; Burke, Jason [2011] "Grafitti guerrillas: Kabul's writing on the walls". Guardian 13th June p19.

Lilac

2011-06-29T12:07:00.000+01:00

Metatron's Cube

2011-06-27T23:25:00.003+01:00

When I first saw this image by Michael Paukner I though it was an art print based on Central Place Theory. Turns out it is Metatron's Cube, something of a sacred geometry behind the Giant's Causeway and other naturally occurring phenomena. For the record, Central Place Theory looks like this ...

Salford Lads Club

2011-06-27T22:50:00.002+01:00

Remembering a classic shot by Stephen Wright from the inside of "The Queen is Dead". Nothing new about this except that I've just discovered the shot is now part of the National Portrait Gallery ... the 3rd most iconic location in the country by popular vote and listed by English Heritage [love to look at the listing in detail to find out how important The Smiths were in making it happen].

Yellow Shutters

2011-06-26T23:27:00.002+01:00

A simple floor plan of three different house types on each storey have been combined with one of the most elegant facades that I have seen for a long time. Always nice when it gets built and it looks like the initial drawings. Cost effect and cleaver use of colour to establish a strong identity. More on the development at 2+1 officina architettura.

Visualising Sustainability

2011-06-26T12:34:00.004+01:00

A range of different definitions of sustainability that have attracted our attention .... visualising sustainability using a couple of Venn diagrams through to retro ethical diagrams pretending to simplify the world system in one page ... worth an exploration to reassure you there is nothing new under the sun ...

Virtual Band

2011-06-26T10:41:00.001+01:00

Creative Stuff

2011-06-07T11:53:00.003+01:00

The purpose of a small debate held at CultureLab OnSite last week was to rethink the approach to public art - commissioning, curating and producing.

One of the ways the discussion responded was in highlighting distinctions between 'art' and 'public art' and the underlying key performance indicators [KPIs]. Thinking about KPIs for art forces us to think about the type of output and outcomes that are required as part of a public art project. On reflection, this idea actually translated well into the work of the individual artists and the work put into the initial brief and commission. So, the key idea was that [1] public art commissions have a different starting point from 'art' in that they are driven by outputs and outcomes that are in some manner 'measurable'.

At a basic level, public art has to have some measurables, be it the number of visits to museums or the percentage of people enlightened by the work or the percentage improvement on levels of visual conginance - whatever the sense of the measure, ther always seems to have to be a measure in order to justisify the investment of time, money and resources. We have to be able to audit the investment put into public art and provide some justification. There were some concerns that actually ignoring this point and lacking empirical [for this 'economic'] justification for the arts is one of the reasons behind the current level of cuts. Any suggestions for national indicators for the arts would be useful - one recent write up suggested the most common web searches, that results in Banksy being the most popular artist in the world. Or what about the resale value value of the work - a case for Hirst?

Given this starting point, the next question was [2] how do we do more with less? And in so doing, help to justify investment in the arts. One of the reasons behind the recent collaboration between the local authority and the University, was exactly addressing this - how do we make more of what we have within the existing public art collection within the city and get more people involved? Having a target group in mind was a strong starting point, with students apprecipating the requirement to undertake background market research with their choice of 'public' to ensure what they are proposing is about public outputs rather than the personal outcomes that every artist has.

Enlightened self-interest in building a body of work within public art should always require a different method of working that is centered around the target audience. One of the key observations on the above distinction, was that the medium is not the message. Those artists who focus on a media, in many of these projects it was about the technology, tended to miss the target group and outcomes.

The next area explored was [3] how the creative element, the ideas, fitted into public art commissions? An equation emerged suggesting that "Public Art = Idea + audience + funding" - or put another way, "Public Art = Creativity + market research + business plan". In both of these thoughts, public art does appear to more than just art within a public location. It has at heart, a different audience in mind. Whether individual works actually hit their target audience is actually an experiment in market testing. But at least the public audience are always clear within the brief.

Tiltshifting

2011-06-01T11:13:00.001+01:00

So, this new photo rendering package fakes a tilt shift lens and claims to make your images look like models. My first go with an image of the new pedestrian scheme in Northumberland Road, Newcastle looks very impressive [as a first go] ... all very interesting but go me thinking if tilt shifting your models would make them look even more like a model?

Street Street Art

2011-05-29T09:22:00.004+01:00

Classic iconography slightly reinvented and put back onto the street ... I like the idea that you can visit the entire 'set' around the streets of Miami. Every city should have one.

Iconic Site

2011-05-11T11:12:00.004+01:00

I've seen this project a few times and this location reminds me of the final rooftop fight scene in Highlander ... still love the idea by sans facon that challenges clients on regeneration and reuse.

Title Deed

2011-05-10T18:11:00.003+01:00

Another lovely example of monopoly iconography put into public art as one of the most meaningful and visual forms of property and finance. Make it big and make it green. Work is by Canadian artist An Te Liu.

Community Memorial

2011-05-09T11:06:00.005+01:00

Collaborative work between artist, Maggie Smith, and Cutler Anderson Architects. Nice simple idea of real life and real people becoming an interactive memorial and artwork. Came across this example when thinking about how individual thoughts can be collected together to create a greater and more significant whole. It is the Armed Forces Memorial at Norfolk, Virginia. Reference: Kennedy et al [2008] The Best of Culter Anderson Architects [Rockport, Beverly].

No Impact Man - The Movie

2011-04-28T09:42:00.001+01:00

Have a watch at ... No Impact Man - 1 Translation(s) | dotSUB ... and think about how it makes you think ... trying to live according to your values.

Box House

2011-04-25T10:37:00.001+01:00

Just a really simple collaboration between artist and architect ... much more attractive form of shed design.

A New We

2011-03-17T17:31:00.001Z

A Framework for Standards for the North East

2011-03-16T23:59:00.002Z

There are recent questions and much professional outrage over the public subsidy given for poor quality housing as part of the HCA Kickstart programme, with Housing Minister Grant Shapps stating that... 'Government needs to lead by example'(1) ...in relation to this Kickstart programme. Yet in another statement Shapps has stated that '...it is an unfair and unnecessary expense for developers to require additional building standards for public build, at a time when the country desperately needs to build more homes'.(2)

This is just part of the current paradox evident in the resulting discussions and implications that we should lower the minimum quality standards for housing in order to stimulate the level of activity within the housing market. While we wait for central government and quango guidance, built professionals are left with a set of inherited and sometimes contradictory standards(3) that have in effect been developed for different reasons, by different organisations, with different statutory status and just package together. Indeed, a '... [c]lose examination of recent housing quality standards indicates a tendency to adopt a piecemeal approach that relies on outdated data sources and references... [a] process of cobbling together existing standards.'(4)

Yet this paradox isn't new. Since the formation of the Homes and Communities Agency there has been a constant tension between the slightly conflicting remits of promoting quality and sustainability through the inherited design standards of English Partnerships, and the delivery of housing completions against Housing Corporation indicators. Despite the evidence that housing quality has historically been higher and benefits from voluntary and organisational standards(5), on balance there still appears to be an obsession with housing numbers(6) and using the confusing term 'delivery' as a trump card rather than quality, giving the impression that making something or anything happen today is always better than waiting for the right quality development to happen at a later date. This empirical and short term emphasis has continued within the north east(7); although some localised studies(8) within the region's communities show that qualitative issues such as flexibility, size, security and build quality are significant differentials between developments within a neighbourhood, with most having a minimum level of 'expected' standards on energy performance and public realm quality at the same time. Yet the normative bias continues in almost every scheme where short term thinking, suggesting that development quality costs, continually results in watered down proposals.

Nationally the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment has argued for consistency over a basic minimum level of quality(9) and, in a considered response to the impact of the credit crunch on the house building industry(10), made significant points around the unique nature of the housing product as part of a localised 'community' market that operates imperfectly due to limited choice and variations over individuals' understanding and definition[s] of quality.

Another paradox of the housing industry is the rational and normative models that are used to explain irrational markets. CABE's arguments that quality pays for itself over time are well made and repeated at the national and regional level(11).

Yet the lack of investment in the quality and sustainability of development within the north east suggests that this message has been ignored, or has been unconvincing evidence for developers with a short term remit - the same reasons of long term maintenance costs and liability seems to justify why public sector standards have been consistently higher.

Yet in spite of the complex and sometimes conflicting nature of housing standards and the prevalent view that they are simply an additional and unnecessary cost for every stage of operation within development industry, there has to be a view that having them, even in imperfect form, is better than not having them?

So why not take the government at face value and trust that they are interested in simplified and integrated design and sustainability standards that are supported by every sector of the construction industry? One response to this position would be to bring forward a framework for regional standards within the North East. The starting point for discussions for such a framework is a set of draft rules informed by a mix of recent ministerial statements relating to housing design standards and by comparative approaches, most significantly being the CNU inspired Hope VI programme(12). This was translated within the UK context as the Mixed Communities Initiative(13) and even included a first phase case study at South Bank in Redcar and Cleveland proving it is both relevant and transferable to the north east. It is similar to the high level approach recently established within the Tees Valley(14) that explicitly links economic realities; in the form of long term social, environmental and economic value; within the functional requirements for new housing development. Any framework has to be about getting the basic principles correct and working from there rather than simply redrafting and rehashing the mixed set of existing standards we already have, and where necessary fitting these to the region or sub region. This doesn't mean we should ignore what we already have but that it should be revised on the basis of the fit with some commonly shared set of principles.

Hope VI Principles for the North East of England Region

As a starting point, I would propose a broad scope of factors and rules that has to be addressed within any set of regional design principles. These can in turn form the basis for a mix of substantive and procedural standards.

Rule 1 Co-Design

Development has to meet end-users requirements. There should be explicit consideration of options for more clearly defining the end-user requirements through involvement in the drafting of the project brief through to potential for active community planning at concept design, options testing and detailed proposal stages. There should be close working with the end-user [often but not always the client] to get the parameters of the brief right, to test the concepts and review the detailed designs directly with them. This approach should be in addition to effectively using the existing evidence(15) provided by post occupancy evaluation on the requirements for both new housing and neighbourhoods. This is inherently a two-way dialogue that begins with a good collaborative project and continues post-construction. The starting point is to get the brief right at the start.

Rule 2 Integrated Design

Design and developments should be progressed by working together with the right team. Proposals should be developed in cooperation with house builders, designers and partners within the extended supply chains. The technical requirements of sustainability have set new challenges for the construction and development industry(16) that are relevant to both new build and retrofit projects(17) that require a refreshed approach to collaborative working. There should be key benefits and increased synergy whenever salespeople become part of an integrated design team and understand how their products will be used and how they fit within the shared project aims.

Rule 3 Affordable Design

Proposals have to be realistic and affordable. Information from housing needs and affordability can provide the basis for linked financial products as well as for setting a price target for sale or for letting. It is too simplistic to consider issues of affordability by reducing building costs or using subsidised land. The fresh thinking on affordability(18) measured against local incomes should be linked to creative financial products that consider wider neighbourhood issues such as the availability or affordability of public transport and specific energy consumption costs, as part of a more realistic consideration of disposable household income that has benefits for more sustainable, better quality and better located developments. Perhaps this could link to more radical green investment ideas(19) for the use of patient public and private money in the provision of 'transition' homes.

Rule 4 Quality Design

Developments should be well built with good quality materials, detailing and finishing. Quality isn't necessarily about style. This sounds common sense but it does require thinking around design detailing, specifications and then build quality through the construction stages. So ideally this approach should be reflected in the monitoring and assessment of the build quality, with appropriate use of a clerk of works and post completion monitoring.

Rule 5 Sustainable Design

Developments should respond to the sustainability requirements at household and neighbourhood scale as set out by the Code for Sustainable Homes(20), building regulations and other statutory requirements, including consideration over resilience to change and potential responses to climate adaptation(21). This would integrate existing standards including BREEAM Eco Homes for retrofit properties with the use of Housing Corporation HQI/ Scheme Development Standards. We know that sustainability is a lot more than energy and differs between scales and locations so where better based models exist already, these can usefully substitute or add to the underlying evidence for issues of energy, waste, water and healthy living.

Rule 6 Long-term Design

Work should be undertaken with an understanding of the long-term management arrangements for the proposals. It is also consistent with the concept of 'patient money'(22) arising out of the lifetime cost consideration on higher returns, reduced void periods and reduced maintenance costs. This is about creating a long-term legacy that benefits from the right sort of upfront capital investment and avoids the multiple cost of bad design(23). This should also be reflected in the understanding issues of flexibility and durability over the life of any development and support for approaches that extend the life and avoid redundancy, including consideration of existing Inclusive and flexible design principles(24) / Lifetime Homes(25) and internal spacing standards.

This set of principles, or charter for standards is a starting point. It sets out what should be the scope of integrated design standards. To add more detail to this will require the different sectors and stages of the construction industry to collaborate and work together.

1. Quoted in; Hurst, Will [2010] 'HCA forced to reveal details of poor housing'. Building Design 3rd December. Download from http://www.bdonline.co.uk/5009847.article?origin=BDweeklydigest
2. http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/newsroom/1779907
3. Position statement of Home and Communities Agency at http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/design-sustainability-standards The scope of standards and evidence of broad consultation base undertaken by the Homes and Communities Agency has been published in; Electoral Reform Services [January 2011] Report for: Proposed Core Housing Design and Sustainability Standards Consultation: Prepared for the Homes and Communities Agency [ERS Research Services, London].
4. p739 in; Milner, Jo and Madigan, Ruth [2004] 'Regulation and Innovation: Rethinking 'Inclusive' Housing Design'. Housing Studies 19[5] pp 727-744.
5. HCA and CABE [April 2009] Affordable Housing Survey: A review of the quality of affordable housing in England [Homes and Communities Agency, London].
6. Housing Commission [November 2010] Housing shortages: what Councils can do. Final report presented to the Department for Communities and Local Government and to the Local Government Group; albeit with explicit support for the growing importance self build and community land trusts.
7. Bramley, Glen and Watkins, David [January 2008] Modelling Future Housing Markets: Final Report for Bridging NewcastleGateshead by School of the Built Environment, Heriot-Watt University and Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
8. Bridging NewcastleGateshead [January 2010] The relative values of design in Walker Riverside [Bridging NewcastleGateshead, Newcastle].
9. CABE [2010] Simpler and better: Housing design in everyone's interest [Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, London].
10. Simmons, Richard [2009] No more toxic assets [Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, London].
11. Similar efforts have been made within the North East to support such arguments and provide the evidence for investment in quality and sustainability. Fairhurst [January 2009] Value in Design: maximising the value of new residential environments [Bridging NewacstleGateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne]. This can be downloaded from http://www.bridgingng.org.uk/docs/research/value%20in%20design/Value%20in%20Design%20-%20Maximising%20the%20value%20of%20new%20residential%20en.pdf Colin Buchanan and Llewelyn Davies Yeang [2008] Capturing the impacts of quality of place investments. Final report for regional development agency One North East. Llewelyn Davies Yeang [2007] Shaping the Norths Cities for Growth: An Agenda for the Next Decade. Final report for The Northern Way. Report and supporting case studies can be downloaded from http://www.thenorthernway.co.uk/news.asp?id=248 Tribal Urban Studio, ARUP and CFURS [May 2009] The Northern Way: Residential futures [The Northern Way, Newcastle].
12. Congress for the New Urbanism and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [2000] Principles for Inner City Neighbourhood Design: Hope VI and the New Urbanism [Congress for the new Urbanism, San Francisco]. Available for download from http://www.huduser.org/Publications/pdf/principles.pdf
13. The idea set out in; Berube, A [2005] Mixed Communities in England: A US Perspective On Evidence and Policy Prospects [Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York]; with the results of the demonstration projects have been published in; Communities and Local Government [March 2009] Evaluation of the Mixed Communities Initiative Demonstration Projects: Initial Report: Baseline and Early Process Issues [Communities and Local Government, London].
14. Tees Valley Unlimited [2011] 'Design, Heritage and Sustainability in Tees Valley - A guide for future housing' [Tees Valley Unlimited, Middlesbrough].
15. CABE [2005] What it's like to live there: the views of residents on the design of new housing [Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, London].
16. Recent sector review and collation of advice can be found in; HM Government [November 2010] Low Carbon Construction: Innovation and Growth Team Final Report [Department of Business, Innovation and Skills; London]. Download from http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/business-sectors/docs/l/10-1266-low-carbon-construction-igt-final-report.pdf
17. Honour, J [October 2010] Sustainable housing refurbishment: An update on current guidance and sources of information [Building Research Establishment, Watford].
18. Annex B of; Communities and Local Government [June 2010] Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) Housing [TSO, Norwich].
19. Green Investment Bank Commission [June 2010] Unlocking investment to deliver Britain's low carbon future: Report by the Green Investment Bank Commission [Green Investment Bank Commission, London].
20. Department for Communities and Local Government [December 2006] Code for Sustainable Homes: a step change in sustainable home building practice [DCLG, London].
21. Gething, Bill [2010] Design for future climate: Opportunities for adaptation in the built environment [Technology Strategy Board, Swindon]; and Shaw, R; Colley, M and Connell, R [2007] Climate Change Adaptation by Design: A Guide for Sustainable Communities [Town and Country Planning Association, London].
22. p118 in Roger Evan Associates [2007] Delivering Quality Places: Urban Design Compendium 2 [English Partnership & Housing Corporation, London].
23. CABE [2006] The cost of bad design [Commission for Architecture and th Built Environment, London].
24. Adapted from; Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment [2006] The principles of inclusive design: They include you [CABE, London].
25. Initially promoted in; Lifetime Homes Group [1993] Lifetime Homes [Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York]; and Carrol, C., Cowans, J and Darton, D [1999] Meeting Part M and Designing Lifetime Homes [Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York].

Castle

2011-03-15T15:48:00.002Z

The Forty Part Motet
[A reworking of “Spem in Alium” by Thomas Tallis 1573][1]
fourty Voices, fourty Speakers and Castle Keep, 2001
Janet Cardiff [b1957]

[1] Berwick, Carley [2006] “Forty Harmonius Voices Drown Out Your Woes: Cardiff at MoMa”. www.bloomberg.com

Queen

2011-03-15T15:45:00.001Z

Queen Victoria
bronze and pink granite, 1903
Alfred Gilbert [1854-1934][1]

Twenty one foot high sculpture comprising base, figure and canopy adjacent to St Nicholas’ Cathedral in St Nicholas Square. The neo-baroque canopy is an attempt to reflect the canopy of the adjacent cathedral lantern. Erected as a gift by Sir William Haswell Stephenson, Mayor of the City of Newcastle[2].

[1] Most famous for ‘Eros’, Piccadilly Circus London [1886-1907] his imaginative and dreamlike work has been liken to that of Gilbert and George; by Cumming, Laura [2011] “Modern British Sculpture”. The Observer Review, 23rd January; forming part of the 2011 Exhibition of Modern British Sculpture at the Royal Academy, London being shown alongside work by Henry Moore and Damien Hurst.
[2] p28 Ayris, Ian; Jubb, Peter; Palmer, Steve and Usherwood, Paul [1996] A Guide to the Public Monuments & Sculpture of Tyne and Wear [Specialist Conservation Team, Development Department, Newcastle upon Tyne City Council].

Bishop

2011-03-15T15:40:00.001Z

Cardinal George ‘Basil’ Hume
Bronze [2002]
Nigel Boonham [b1953]

A 7m high figure located within a memorial garden[1], Neville Street, outside of St Mary’s Cathedral. It was unveiled in May 2002 by Her Majesty The Queen in the year of the Golden Jubilee.
[1] The artist’s own writing on the memorial garden and the statue can be read at http://www.boonham.com/writinghume.htm

Expletives

2011-03-10T15:18:00.002Z

Expletives ... art for the way we love today. A rather different approach to the visualisation of sound with painting of soundwaves of the artist own expletives.

Reference: Pali, O'Ar [2011] "Sworn testament". Wallpaper* January p61.

Do it yourself

2011-03-08T10:04:00.001Z

Quite a random link to where some of us and some of our projects have appeared in the ecohome section. Seems that demonstration work can get you noticed sometimes.

Spotify Player

2011-03-01T10:16:00.001Z

Displaying information on the device from Jordi Parra on Vimeo.

Shop Art

2011-02-24T14:23:00.004Z

Emerging idea for temporary uses looks like a mixed bag of nice, adequate and quite cheap solutions for vacant shop fronts in Gateshead town centre. The shop art project is a small number of commissions for temporary works.

pPod Peterborough Carbon Challenge

2011-02-24T11:29:00.002Z

pPod obtains planning permission for the second and the largest Code for Sustainable Homes level 6 development in the country. Behind all of the good intentions of the initial scheme with allotments, a suds island, community enterprises and green travel proposals ... a lot of this has disappear as the proposals have progressed into the commercial world. Both developer and public sector being held back by similar worries about risks. I can't help but wonder if some of these ideas and sustainable community elements of the proposal would have remained if the credit crunch hadn't happen at an early stage in the commercial discussions. To me it seems now that it is more rather than less important to think outside the individual home about the non physical elements of a sustainable community.

Frescos of Bel Air

2011-02-14T11:33:00.005Z

Whenever social housing providers get around to retrofitting and external insulation or cladding few take the design to this type of extent. I have always been struck by low energy standards resulting in simply detailed and slightly boxy proposals. This project [The Frescos of Bel Air, Chartres] began with a boxy modernist social housing scheme and; working with CiteCreation; produced something amazing.

2011-02-13T00:21:00.009Z

Pepakura (www.tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en) is one of those programmes you never suspected existed, but instantly presents and encourages possible uses for designers. Basically, if you have a Sketchup model, then you also now have a tool for quickly converting that into a paper model as well. Community consultations and shaping new developments immediately springs to mind, but then so do potential uses for quick architectural or massing models, for simple shapes at least. By way of example I quickly downloaded a model of the Baltic Museum in Gateshead this evening (produced by a chap going by the name of Poddy - good work by the way), and ran it through Pepakura so you could see the results - a bit of fun if nothing else! A bit of searching on Google also revealed someone printing their designs straight onto sheet metal to be welded up, so clearly there are other uses waiting to be revealed... Enjoy!

Preaching Pit

2011-02-10T10:47:00.002Z

This is the best from the collection ... Pearman, Georgina [2009] 101 Things to do with a Hole in the Ground [Post-Mining Alliance, St Austell]. Simple but effective as a way of defining a space, almost like a sunken crop circle, that began with subsidence. This design dates from 1806 when John Wesley was on a preaching tour of Cornwall.

Newcastle Bore Hole

2011-02-08T16:43:00.002Z

First thoughts on a bespoke approach to capping the geothermal borehole being drilled by Newcastle University on the Science Central development, the former site of Scottish and Newcastle brewery. You all know it makes sense.

Curist

2011-02-08T13:39:00.002Z

Artist as curator? Could ever such a thing be possible or does the artist always have to be involved in the act of creating a collection as a new 'work'? Do we always have to fit into predefined roles? The editorial role can be that of an artist, a collector, a curator or a combination of these ‘agent’ roles with the division of ‘art agents’ with apologies to the sub division and structure in; Saatchi, Charles [2009] My name is Charles Saatchi and I am an artoholic: Everything You Need To Know About Art, Ads, Life, God And Other Mysteries And Weren't Afraid To Ask [Phaidon, London]. One excellent example of an artist curator is; Bann, Stephen; Morgan, David; Cooke, Lynne; Buskik and Laningham, Susan [2008] Francis Alys: Fabiola: An Investigation [Dia Foundation, New York]; see below ...

Masking Tape

2011-02-08T11:45:00.003Z

Some new work from the Wooster Collective - temporary tape creating a nice set of photographs in response to street furniture and manholes.

Welsh Eco House

2011-02-01T10:37:00.005Z

This project seems to embody some of the fresh ideas relating to regional patternbooks that link local housing needs [with associated budgets], supply chain and sustainability performance standards. So it does seem to do it a disservice to simply the description as an ecohouse. Whatever the case, we are impressed with the idea and the realisation.

Tree Ring House

2011-01-30T20:25:00.003Z

Just a nice little project from Japan. To me this just looks like a town house built into the woods ... where a three storey development isn't that common. This could just as easily fit into an urban plot where there is existing woodland cover. Nice touches to hide the height of the building as a whole and the individual floors by the use of external cladding tree rings. Semi basement and a pediment viewing roof all add to the nice delivery of a very simple concept.

[NE]SSSI

2011-01-28T09:43:00.004Z

Recent publication by Natural England highlighting that some of the rarest species in the Country are located in the North East. Attractive to have a place in the name … Lindisfarne helleborine – Epipactis sancta  Lindisfarne SSSI, Northumberland  Originally thought to be dune helleborine until genetic testing revealed it was sufficiently different to be ranked separately. Only found on Holy Island, where its 300 plants make it a rarer species in the world than the panda, this endemic orchid can grow to 2ft tall and has up to 30 flowers. Teesdale rock-rose - Helianthemum canum subsp. Laevigatum  Teesdale sandwort - Minuartia stricta  Upper Teesdale SSSI, Co. Durham  These Arctic-alpine flowers have grown in the dale since the last glaciation 12,000 years ago and are not found anywhere else in Britain. Threatened by rising temperatures and competition from lower-level species, these upland specialists will rely more and more on the protection of SSSI status and appropriate habitat management in the future. Natural England [January 2011] Protecting England’s natural treasures: Sites of Special Scientific Interest [Natural England, Sheffield]. Available to download.

Thomas Hooper

2011-01-24T20:59:00.004Z

So, having a look at the fine art of Thomas Hooper and thinking how similar his views are to those of public art .. . in that tattooing cannot be sold on, it has no resale value and so the underlying business model is different from other fine arts as well as the motivation of the commissioner / subject ... unless of course, you put your designs on paper as well ...

... now, anyone interested in tattooing the city with some permanent reminder of its' mortality? Anyone?

Sowerby Glass

2011-01-20T17:46:00.003Z

A nice record of a north east factory that created pressed glass objects and explored slag glass.

Sinclair C5

2011-01-19T15:50:00.003Z

I'm not really sure if this counts as a design classic, but the Sinclair C5 has some great concepts around the electric power and the low cost / affordable requirements. It also looks very similar to the Tron bikes in the approach to 1985 styling.

When carpentry becomes building ...

2011-01-13T12:36:00.003Z

... it might look a little like this ... there are some lovely traditional joinery details internal and external that make this project, by architect Peter Zumthor, a little bit special. Spot the dovetail joints.

Clutter: The stuff that surrounds us

2011-01-09T15:22:00.012Z

Fascinating selections of interior spaces that when fused together begins to show interesting contrast between approaches to personalisation for creative spaces, work spaces, normal spaces and dictators spaces. Can you spot the difference? Images show interiors of artist Lucio Auri, fashion designer Leah McSweeney ... where their interiors become personal art galleries ...

... the set and prop designers Snakeskin Jacket demonstrating a sort of split personality between the owners made real and physical in the domestic spaces and the stairs of artist Julie Verhoeven ...

... and some 'normal' cluttered spaces ...

... compared to the organised collections of Slobodan Milosevic and Imelda Marcos.

References: Gavin, Francesca [2009] Creative Space: Urban Homes of Artists and Innovators [Lawrence King, London]. Naylor, Trevor and Mdelik, Niki [2007] Living normally: Where life comes before style [Thames & Hudson, London]. York, Peter [2005] Dictators' Homes [Atlantic Books, London].

Transportation Fonts

2011-01-07T10:10:00.005Z

... created by Margaret Calvert originally for all the signage for a French new town [Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines but never used for that purpose] which is why it looks a little, but not too, French. Calvert also jointly designed the famous ...

... font that is used on all major road signage in the UK since the 1950s. Not exactly sure how these linked travel and transportation fonts can be used yet, but I am pretty sure it should have something to do with street art in Newcastle. Reference: Garfield, Simon [2010] Just My Type: A book about fonts [Profile Books, London].

Cognitive mapping

2011-01-05T16:17:00.006Z

Lynch analysis without anyone knowing at the hand drawn map association ... with some examples being more spatial art combined with exercise. Pixilated output from grid based cities with a little help from gps ...

... and organic shapes from old Europe. Although my favourite from Steinburg below is well known.

Public Art Venn Diagrams

2011-01-04T11:47:00.007Z

The forgotten element within any debate on public art is to fully understand what we mean when we say ‘public’. We can avoid any circular arguments over the meaning or philosophy of art and still totally redefine the concept of public art by clarifying our position on and definition of ‘public’. There is clearly a continuum where all art is considered public in the same way as the falling tree in the forest or Schrödinger's cat in the box, where the work becomes reality through the act of viewing and so without the work becoming evident to the public it has no presence. Another extreme is when the work is part of the artist’s self expression or personal therapy where they care little over the perpetuation and distribution of the work as it is only the act of creating the work that has value and meaning. Yet, some of us just wonder if the truth may lie somewhere between the all or nothing positions.In short, do you need permission from the local authority to provide ‘public’ works of art or in our current era of big society liberalism, is the only true public realm, those areas which remain uncensored and retain free access? ‘Non-commissioned’ work or ‘community sourced’ work in the right place with the right audience is more public than works within areas of private ownership.

Koshirakura Workshop

2011-01-03T17:53:00.003Z

Fantastic approach to traditional building skills and crafts with contemporary architecture and technology at the Koshirakura landscape workshop. This demonstrates the type of fusion of ideas and methods that makes places special. The image above shows the dynamic nature of the unfolding shed.

Eric de Mare

2011-01-03T16:42:00.002Z

Attracted by the subject of multi storey fishermen sheds and the industrial architecture of Eric de Mare photography. Referred to as the inspiration for several new housing developments, sometimes precedent and ideas are ad hoc and retro?

The Pitmen Painters

2011-01-02T21:08:00.003Z

Just completed the Pitman Painters and attracted by the idea of art as an event in which we take part rather than the growing trend of commodification [described by Thompson 2008] of art that is making me think that public art is defined as much by the underlying business model, or lack of, as much as the involvement of the public or the public as the intended audience. For reference; Hall, Lee [2008] The Pitman Painters [Faber and Faber, London]. Thompson, Don [2008] The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art [Aurum Press, London].

Plumen Lightbulb

2011-01-02T18:18:00.003Z

We like the potential for this plumen bulb to fit into reused retro bakelite fixtures combining low energy with design quality - call it retro fusion.

Fine Parking Company

2010-12-05T18:55:00.002Z

Interesting idea to take a positive stance on social rules and parking tickets with some performance art mixed with anthropology [only comparison I can think of at the moment is a JackAss lite] that would make a good story into a publication and possibly a good movie. Instead of a fine you get a polite note that might cheer you up. Some more details at Fine Parking Company and something worth watching, as most people with ideas like this simply sit around dinner tables and talk about them rather than going ahead with the project. Well done. Have a pat on the back.

Polar Art

2010-12-05T18:25:00.005Z

Big art in the form of red food dye onto snow on the angjokull glacier in Iceland. Artist Bjargey Olafsdottir hints at glacier loss and the uncertain future polar bears face. Most significantly, an artist dealing with issues of climate change and engaging with this debate - almost as rare as polar bears.

Letraset

2010-12-05T15:56:00.004Z

Back before the internet and photoshop most urban design artwork was designed to be legible in just black and white and to be photocopier ready. It almost always included the use of Letraset [requiring a specific set of dry transfering skills] if you could afford them, or possibly just tracing Letraset [in effect creating your own hand drawn set of fonts for every project]. There is a nice collection of similar retro art items at the Museum for Forgotten Art Supplies. Not sure who is still using these but they are still available.

Down with this sort of thing

2010-11-28T20:55:00.002Z

This is a bit of a post modern protest ... spotted in the crowd of anti-government protesters this week in Dublin was Father Ted Crilly taking a strong stance against capitalism. Good to know that even when tax is going up, your job is at threat and your home is devalued with your kids emigrating you can still have a sense of humor. Careful now ... !

Liffytown

2010-11-17T22:46:00.003Z

Public art as a form of contemporary critique on the economic situation currently faced by the Republic of Ireland and the significance of housing market on the entire national economy. This work by artist Fergal McCarthy for the Absolut Fringe Festival 2010. Houses are afloat but only just ...

Human Tetris

2010-11-05T23:12:00.001Z

Still the freshest and best form of pixilated artwork ...

Pixilated art

2010-11-05T22:39:00.003Z

Following the low budget approach to pixel art by Invader, polymath and artist Douglas Coupland has gone a step further into large scale commissioned pixel art. I wonder if low resolution artwork is the way forward ...

Theo Jansen Kinetic Sculptor

2010-11-05T21:29:00.003Z

Wind powered and amazing ...

Ashley Vale Self Build Community

2010-10-22T13:16:00.006+01:00

Ashley Vale in Bristol is the first self build community to win a Building for Life award. Brave of the HBF to acknowledge that different development models and business plans can create communities.

Dymaxion Car 4

2010-10-22T09:58:00.004+01:00

Been impressed by Sir Norman Foster rebuilding Buckminister Fuller's Dymaxion car. It stills looks futuristic now but look at the impact it has on the streets of Detroit in the 1930's in the video below.