RIBA East today announced that it has shortlisted 25 projects for this year’s Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Regional Awards, the most ever to reach the second stage of judging.  Amongst the shortlist is the quirky ‘A House for Essex’ in Wrabness and the community-led development of Gamlingay’s eco community centre, both in the running after being shortlisted from a record number of 52 entries. The buildings that have been shortlisted are: Bedfordshire St Bede’s Extra Care, Bedford, by PRP Architects The Quarry Theatre at St Luke’s Bedford School, by Foster Wilson Architects Cambridgeshire 51 Hills Road, Cambridge, by Gort Scott Ltd Alconbury Weald Club, by AHMM Beth Shalom, Cambridge, by Cowper Griffith Architects Cripps Building, St John’s College, Cambridge, by R H Partnership Architects Gamlingay Eco Hub, by Civic Architects Heong Gallery, Downing College, by Caruso St John Architects Thorpe Hall Hospice inpatient Unit, Peterborough, by Jane Darbyshire & David Kendall Essex A House for Essex, by FAT Architecture Brentwood School Learning Resource Centre, by Cottrell and Vermeulen Architecture Derry Avenue, South Ockendon by Bell Phillips Architects Albert Sloman Library and Silberrad Student Centre, Essex University, Colchester, by Patel Taylor The Avenue, Saffron Walden, by Pollard Thomas Edwards Hertfordshire New QEII Hospital, Welwyn Garden City, by Penoyre & Prasad Norfolk 50 All Saints Green, Norwich, by Carson & Partners All Saints Green Student Residences, Norwich, by Carson & Partners Bob Champion Research and Education Building, Norwich, by Hawkins/Brown Cavendish House, Norwich, by Hudson Architects Norwich University of the Arts School of Architecture, Norwich, by Hudson Architects Play Barn, Fakenham, by Adam Khan Architects Westlegate House, Norwich, by 5th Studio Suffolk Private House, Orford, by Nash Baker Architects Private House, Bury St Edmunds, by Cassion Castle Architects Suffolk Energy-from-Waste Facility, Great Blakenham, Suffolk, by Grimshaw Architects Nicolas Tye, Chairman of RIBA East, and past RIBA Awards judge, welcomed the news: “We have seen a diverse range of entries this year and it’s really great to see clients pushing for good design across such a broad spectrum, from community centres and religious buildings through to an energy-from-waste treatment facility.  All the architecture practices and their clients are to be congratulated for getting this far.  I look forward to hearing the jury’s verdict next month – I don’t envy them their task this year.” All shortlisted buildings will be assessed by a regional jury in March, with the winners of an RIBA East Award being announced during the evening of Thursday 14 April at a celebratory event at St John’s College, Cambridge.  Regional winners will then go forward to be considered for a highly-coveted RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence, which will be announced in June.  The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning buildings later in the year. -ends- Notes to editors: For further information on any of the projects or access to high res images please contact: 01223 566285 or john.mcmenemy@riba.org RIBA East Awards 2016 are sponsored by ET Clay Products, Heritage Clay Tiles, Historic England, Marley Eternit, SIKA and Tarmac. RIBA Awards have been running continuously since 1966 and are judged and presented locally. No matter the shape, size, budget oo location, RIBA award winning schemes set the standard for great architecture all across the country. RIBA Awards are for      buildings in the UK by RIBA Chartered Architects and RIBA International Fellows. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members. www.architecture.com   Posted on Wednesday 2nd March 2016 Source link

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today announced the recipients of the RIBA Research Trust Awards, the RIBA LKE Ozolins Studentship and the RIBA Boyd Auger Scholarship. RIBA Research Trust Awards The RIBA Research Trust Awards are offered annually to support independent architectural research. The 2016 recipients of the RIBA Research Trust Awards are: Bill Halsall and Robert MacDonald, ‘Design for Dementia: The International Architectural Challenges and Responses’- £8,000 Philip Graham, ‘Appropriate Housing: A land partnering model to deliver good homes as places to stay and play’- £8,000 Roland Karthaus, ‘Building rehabilitative spaces’- £8,000 Torsten Schmiedeknecht, ‘The representation of modern architecture through illustrations in postwar British children’s literature’- £6,000 RIBA LKE Ozolins Studentship The RIBA LKE Ozolins Studentship is awarded to a student who wishes to pursue, continue, or complete a higher degree in research (PhD/MPhil or MRes). The 2016 recipient of the RIBA LKE Ozolins Studentship is:  Judit Ferencz, ‘The Graphic Novel as an Interdisciplinary Conservation Method in Architectural Heritage’ – £40,000 RIBA Boyd Auger Scholarship The RIBA Boyd Auger Scholarship supports architecture students or recent graduates by providing an opportunity for imaginative, original research and travel. The 2015 recipient of the RIBA Boyd Auger Scholarship is: Laura Evans, ‘Portico and Patio: Response to Climate and Tradition in Cuban Modernist Architecture’ – £5,000 Applications for the three funding schemes were assessed by the RIBA Research Grants sub-committee, which comprises: Professor Robert Brown, Plymouth University (RIBA Council member) Dolan Conway Sophie Handler (Chair) Robert Mitchell, Mitchell Taylor Workshop  Dr Alexandra Stara, Kingston University Victoria Thornton, Open City  Meryl Townley, van Heyningen and Haward Architects (RIBA Council member) Dr Stephen Walker, University of Sheffield RIBA President, Jane Duncan said: “I am pleased that this year we are supporting such a diverse range of research, all of it valuable to the progression of architecture. I am particularly thrilled that three of the RIBA Research Trust Award projects are based in or working with RIBA Chartered Practices; it is vital that we support the future of our profession by encouraging our members to collaborate on innovative research.” RIBA Research Grants sub-committee Chair, Sophie Handler said: “The committee was delighted to see such a broad range of exciting submissions for this year’s awards. It is encouraging to see such breadth and creativity in these submissions, by both skilled researchers and practicing architects alike.” Ends Notes to editors: 1. For further press information contact Callum Reilly in the RIBA Press Office: 020 7307 3757 callum.reilly@riba.org 2. Images of the winners and their work, as well as research outlines, can be downloaded here: https://riba.box.com/s/vjx10cn2299l25ksab1166pat5duzor0 3. For more information, visit www.architecture.com/researchtrustawards; www.architecture.com/ozolins and/or www.architecture.com/RIBABoydAugerScholarship 4. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. www.architecture.com Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA Posted on Wednesday 27th July 2016 Source link

A Hertfordshire-based home improvement company has been fined after the unsafe removal of asbestos material from a domestic property. St Albans Magistrates’ Court heard how Ace of Hearts Home Improvement Limited (AOH) removed asbestos containing materials (ACM) from a domestic property in St Albans. The Asbestos Insulation Board (AIB) soffits surrounding the underside of the guttering around the front, gable end and back of the property had been dismantled in an unsafe manner creating the serious risk of respiratory exposure of asbestos fibres to the two workers and the residents of the property (family of four including two children). An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 25 Sept 2015 found that the company were not licensed to remove asbestos. Ace of Hearts Home Improvements Limited, of Alldicks Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(1) and Regulation 16 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2012, and The Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Section 33 (1) (g) in that it failed to comply with an Improvement Notice, and was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,118.50. For further information on asbestos visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/ Notes to Editors: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases. Source link

Ideal Standard brings back 1970s classic Avocado Green bathroom suite Published:  01 April, 2016 Leading British bathroom manufacturer, Ideal Standard, is to re-introduce the iconic 1970s Avocado bathroom suite, in response to demand from ‘hipster’ young professionals. The retro colour, which Brits have spent the last 30 years paying to have removed from their homes, is set for a surprise comeback after increased demand for something ‘iconic and quirky’.  The avocado bathroom suite became fashionable in the 1970s, but lost favour in the late 1990s, and last year the was voted the most likely feature to put people off buying a home, alongside woodchip wallpaper, crazy paving and artex ceilings From avocado on toast, to avocado ice cream, the superfood is a recent phenomenon – and it’s thought that it’s social media popularity, combined with the Spring Summer ’16 fashion trend for retro colours, is the reason why the infamous avocado green is making a return to British Bathrooms. Ideal Standard has therefore decided to bring the universally loved trend back and, after more than 20 years since it was discontinued, has re-introduced the colour way as a hero option for its Tempo bathroom range. Robin Levien, Ideal Standard international designer, said: “The one thing that guarantees a revival of anything is that it is universally hated – and sure enough the infamous Avocado bathroom created by Armitage Shanks back in 1969 is being re-launched by popular demand.” Source link

Output growth fell to its weakest level of growth for almost three years, with the PMI falling to just 51.2 in May, down from 52.0 in April, leaving construction activity only slightly above the 50.0 ‘no change’ level. All three sectors saw a slowdown in May, with residential work growing at one of its weakest levels since 2013, while commercial activity growth was the slowest for three years. Civil engineering stagnated yet again in May, making it the worst-performing sector for the second month running. May’s data also showed the first fall in new orders volumes for the first time since April 2013, with respondents citing a lack of client confidence driven by economic uncertainty and project delays due to the upcoming EU referendum. The survey showed that one third of businesses had seen a detrimental impact on activity from uncertainty regarding the upcoming vote. However, 55 per cent of construction firms said that uncertainty around the vote was having ‘no sigificant effect’ on their business. Only 16 per cent of firms said that costs were being adversely affected by the EU referendum uncertainty, but one in four (26 per cent) of firms said they had seen a detrimental impact on profits. Despite economic uncertainty and a fall in activity, most firms remained upbeat about construction’s prospects, with 51 per cent of respondents expecting a rise in output over the next 12 months, while only 17 per cent expected actvity to fall. Job creation also picked up to reach a four-month high in May, marking three years of continuous job creation. Tim Moore, senior economist at Markit, said that levels of job creation could come under pressure if workloads fail to pick up in 2016. “The main positive aspect was a pick up in staff hiring to its fastest since the beginning of the year,” he said. ”Positive employment trends not only contrasted with falling new order volume in May, but the gap between these indices was the largest since the survey began in 1997. “An optimistic interpretation is that construction firms are looking through the second quarter weakness and feel that workloads will recover momentum. “However, should this fail to materialise later in 2016, then job creation is likely to come under pressure given its elevated trend relative to current demand patterns.” Source link