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2016 AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards Winners Announced
by Fatos Peja on May 20, 2016
The AIA UK Chapter hosted the Excellence in Design Awards Gala 2016 on 18 April 2016 at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in London. The impressive elegance of the Nash & Brand Rooms provided a warm and welcoming reception to the guests who arrived from different parts of the world to celebrate creativity, design and architecture.
The AIA UK sets an open awards platform in order to minimise restrictions and provide more opportunities for architects and designers to submit their projects. This year the AIA UK set 3 categories (Student, Young Architect and Professional) to balance the competition so younger architects do not compete with larger, long-established firms. [...]
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AIA UK Remembers Dame Zaha Hadid, Honorary AIA
by Lorraine King on Apr 06, 2016
It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Zaha Hadid on 31 March 2016. Our relationship with Zaha goes back to the very early days of our Chapter when Zaha was a jurist for our very first Design Excellence Awards, held in 1995.
The UK Chapter granted early recognition for her design talents with a Design Excellence Award (LF One, Landesgar Tensshau, Weil Am Rhein, Germany) in 2001. She then went on to win again in 2006 (Phaeno Science Centre, Wolfsburg, Germany), 2007 (Maggie’s Centre, Fife, UK) and 2011 (Opera House, Guangzhou, China).
Zaha was a good friend of AIA UK and participated in numerous Chapter events over the years, including acting as jurist for the Student Design Charrette in 2000. [...]
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AIA UK Accredited through 2019
by Frederick Grier on Jun 20, 2016
In 2015, AIA National instituted a new strategy to achieve a consistent level of service for its members across the hundreds of chapters around the world. This 'Core Member Service' plan addresses the strengths and opportunities for each chapter by implementing standard levels of service in various areas including Education, Member Communications, Public Awareness, Governance, and Finance.
In order to assess all AIA chapters and provide them with continued support (through member dues) each chapter submitted records, policies, letters and general evidence of compliance to the high standard set by AIA National. Each chapter was accredited for either a 1-Year or 3-Year term, after which further evidence will need to be compiled and presented to AIA National as continued proof of providing members with a high level of service. The AIA UK Chapter is pleased to report that it has been approved for 3-Year accreditation, along with roughly half of all other chapters in the world.
We are proud to serve our members with a high level of service, and provide valuable opportunities for them to grow just as our own chapter grows. This process has helped initiate new educational and mentoring sessions, which will continue to keep us sharp and looking smart!
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AIA UK Mentorship Meet-up
by Frederick Grier on May 24, 2016
As part of AIA National’s commitment to advance the standards of architectural education, training and practice, our chapter evaluated how we serve the UK community of students, architectural designers and young architects alike. Following on the success of the AIA UK Student Design Charrette at Roca Gallery and its Noel Hill Travel Award to exemplary year-out or final year students, the UK Chapter felt more could be done to assist young architects and designers as they enter the work field and face the challenges of the real world. Thus was born the AIA UK Mentorship Meet-up.
Several chapter members brought together their experiences of participation in other programmes, such as AIA Chicago’s Bridge Program and AIA San Francisco’s Mentorship Program. [...]
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AIA National Convention in Philadelphia
by Frederick Grier on Jun 20, 2016
The 2016 AIA National Convention was held in Philadelphia from 18-21 May, convening over 20,000 people from around the world in one of the largest and most exciting annual gatherings of architects and industry leaders. This year's keynote lecturers included Julia Louis-Dreyfus (interviewed by radio host Terry Gross), Neri Oxman (performing revolutionary digital morphogenesis research at MIT) and Rem Koolhaus. The star studded line-up also included Denise Scott Brown receiving the AIA Gold Medal for the duo, as Robert Venturi couldn't make it to Convention.
The AIA UK was well represented at Convention; a few members were even inducted into the Fellowship this year. Lester Korzilius and John McAlsan received the honour of joining the FAIA. UK chapter president Frederick Grier presented a lecture about architects working abroad which drew interest from the many American's considering such a career move in their future. [...]
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Continental Europe Conference: Barcelona, the Compact City
by Lorraine King on May 29, 2016
Continental Europe’s long history of holding bi-annual conferences in different host cities started in Paris in 1996, when the International PIA and the CE Chapter met for a weekend series of tours, seminars and lectures interspersed with lunches, dinners and other networking opportunities. Thanks in large part to the event organiser – Françoise Vonier, the architectural journalist and “activist” – the Paris Conference was a tremendous success.
The second CE Chapter conference was held in 1997 in Barcelona, where that successful mix of edifying educational and amicable social events was perfected into a pattern that – with adaptations and variations - has held to this day. What better way is there to earn Continuing Education Units than by visiting in-depth a beautiful, historic city with good friends and local historians, planners and architects as cultural chaperones? [...]
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Building Tour - Crossrail Place, Canary Wharf
by Chris Kimball on May 31, 2016
The tour was led by Jonathan Rabagliati of Foster + Partners who worked on the project for over eight years since its inception. Foster + Partners were asked by Canary Wharf Group to create something different from the steel and glass buildings which define Canary Wharf. The architects developed the project around a park – elevated over the dock and partially sheltered from the harsh surroundings. The use of heavy timber and ETFE inflatable cushions for the roof structure brings a sense of nature and lightness to the park.
Jonathan explained how the arched ends of the roof structure reference the nearby Canary Wharf tube station also by Foster + Partners which features two similarly shaped canopies (of glass) and a park on top. [...]
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Building Tour - Alphabeta Building
by Chris Kimball on May 31, 2016
The 2016 Building Tours kicked-off with an exploration of Studio RHE’s Alphabeta Building in Finsbury Square. The building was alive with the creative activity the architects had envisioned. Coincidently four separate events were under way in various parts of the building during our visit.
Dickon Hayward (project architect for the project at Studio RHE) led the tour, beginning in the building’s vibrant and transparent central atrium. The architect pushed the developer client (Resolution Property) to change their initial thinking about the project. [...]
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Film Night - Olympia: Festival of Nations
by Chris Musangi on Apr 16, 2016
This being an Olympic year, we finished the first half of the 2016 Movie series with the screening of ‘Olympia – Festival of Nations’ documentary. This is a historical documentary about the controversial 1936 Olympics, and the very first documentary feature film of the Olympic Games ever made. Many advanced motion picture techniques, which later became industry standards but which were ground-breaking at the time, were employed. The techniques employed are almost universally admired, but the film is controversial due to its political context. [...]
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EU Referendum: A Letter To Our Members
by Frederick Grier on Jun 28, 2016
Following the news of the historic referendum, and forthcoming withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, we must remain patient and hopeful. Brexit will require time before we understand the full effect of the country's decision on our industry. My former boss in Chicago once told me that architects need to be eternal optimists otherwise we feel constant defeat. This may not feel a time for optimism, but at least we can hope.
Undoubtedly our membership is concerned about the impact of the UK's Referendum on EU membership to their practices and personal lives. Many of our members are expats living within the UK, with projects that have teams and supply chains spanning multiple borders. [...]
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The AIA International Region 2016 Design Awards Program is Open
We encourage our members to submit their work and take advantage of this potential opportunity for recognition and visibility. Last year UK firms (AHMM and David Chipperfield) won two of the top awards as well as the year before (AHMM). Please see the related article from the previous newsletter here. Deadline is August 22, 2016.
Award recipients will be announced at the AIA-IR Annual Conference gala dinner in Toronto, October 22, 2016. News of the awards will be shared globally through websites, publications and events - including a showcase AIA-IR Design Awards exhibition and reception at the historic Octagon Building in Washington, DC, during the AIA Grassroots program in March 2017.
For details on eligibility, categories, and criteria, click here.
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Member News: When in Rome……
by Lorraine King on May 31, 2016
The AIA UK Chapter first became acquainted with Mark Kelly in 2010 when he was awarded the Noel Hill Travel Award Scholarship as a student at Glasgow’s Mackintosh School of Architecture. With the aid of his scholarship, Mark visited North-East India on the Tibetan border to study indigenous building design and construction with experienced carpenters, masons, artisans, stone-layers and adobe plasterers for the Tibet Heritage Fund. You can read about his experience in Asia in the AIA UK Newsletter Number 62 (page 6), December 2010.
Mark is no longer a student, but is now an architect with Gensler here in London and is active on the AIA UK Board of Directors.[...]
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Member News: Past Member Awarded OBE for Services to Interior Design
by Lorraine King on Jul 08, 2016
The AIA UK Board of Directors is pleased to report that past AIA UK Chapter member, Diana Yakeley was awarded an OBE – Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – in the 2016 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to the interior design profession.
Although Diana was an actual member of the Chapter only briefly in the past, she has always been a part of our architectural design community and - as wife of Chapter founder member and long serving Board Director, Stephen Yakeley, AIA RIBA - a frequent attendee of our events and gatherings. [...]
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Late Payment – Improving an Industry Wide Issue
by Andrew Croft, Associate, Beale & Company Solicitors LLP
It is widely acknowledged that late payment is a key issue across the construction industry. For example, a study by the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA) found that construction and real estate firms had to wait an average of 107 days to receive payment – a longer wait than in any other industry. In this article the writer looks at the merits of recent steps taken to date to tackle late payment, including existing legislation and proposed legislation, and other steps which have been taken to seek to alleviate late payment. The writer also considers ways this issue may be improved going forward. [...]
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Reports from the Courts - April 2016
by Andrew Croft, Associate, Beale & Company Solicitors LLP
Publication: This article was first published in Construction Law's April edition.
In our regular round up of court decisions, from Andrew Croft (Associate) and Natalie Ledger (Assistant Solicitor) of Beale & Company, examines a cautionary tale of the dangers of giving informal advice as it may create a tortious duty of care; a court ruling on whether a variation can be agreed by email; and a Scottish case where the court was willing to uphold obligations to provide collateral warranties.
To read the full article, please click on the link here.
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Legal Helpline - Assistance With Your Legal Issues
Any uncertainty when it comes to the law can be a cause for concern.
AIA’s legal Partner Beale & Company can assist in respect of issues arising in connection with your practice by offering you a free legal helpline. Whether it’s a second opinion, an ad hoc piece of advice or clarification on an issue, Beale & Company can provide you with the guidance you need.
They can provide support in relation to: Appointments and collateral warranties; Assignment and novation; Non-payment; Disputes; Intellectual property rights; IT; Employment; Corporate and commercial matters. [...]
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AIA UK Building Tour - Gasholder's Building
Thursday, 01 September, 6:30pm
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SOM 25 Year Anniversary Celebration
Thursday, 15 September, 6:30pm
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AIA UK Film Night - The Price of Desire
Tuesday, 25 October, 6:30pm
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AIA UK Talk - Mark Barfields
TBC
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Please visit our website for further information on the upcoming events.
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