Zero Carbon (Schools) Task Force

On 10th December I presented Ed Balls, Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Secretary of State and his Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Diana Johnson, with the main recommendations of the Zero Carbon Task Force I have been chairing for nearly two years.

The Task Force and the officials were expecting him to breeze in and thank us for all our hard work, only to be invited to sit down and explain our thoughts in a robust conversation for some 20 minutes. The Task Force was persuaded early on that Zero Carbon was first about behaviour change, and only then technical, and we adopted the Bill Bordass mantra "halve the demand, double the efficiency and halve the carbon in the supply and you are down to one eighth of the emissions".

Poor Amanda Baillieu, much loved editor of BD, has had to resort to climate scepticism (BD 6/11). COP15 in Copenhagen is a huge challenge and a great opportunity for us all, so burying our heads in the sand and hoping it will go away won't get anyone very far. I shall be debating the roles and responsiblities of architects and engineers at the next Edge Debate on 19th Nov in the Danish Embassy and will let you know the outcome.

The Edge

Members of the Edge were out in force at the Institution of Civil Engineers (London) on Tuesday to hear the Presidential Address by fellow Edge Member Prof. Paul Jowitt. "Now is the time" is a powerful challenge to all civil engineers to provide sustainable infrastructure for everyone on the planet including the one billion who have none. The address is available on ice.org.uk/president. Edge members present included Adam Poole (Buro Happold), Paddy Conaghan (Hoare Lea), Michael Dickson (Buro Happold), Mike Murray (1to1solutions), Mark Whitby (co-founder Whitby Bird), Max Fordham (co-founder Max Fordham LLP), Jan Hellings (Olympic Development Authority), Chris Twinn (Arup) and our Robin Nicholson (ECA).

Tour de Pasenville

For the last six years Ted Cullinan has run a two day workshop called the Tour de Pasenville (Pasenville being Nottingham in French) at the University of Nottingham, which involves first, fifth and sixth year architecture students.

Over two days at the end of September, the first years were helped along by the more experienced students to make models, drawings, videos (and human pyramids) to create proposals for an imaginary building situated on the university campus. Each year the brief is based around physical activities to enable to students to recreate the activities that would take place in the buildings. This year the students designed a Department for Circus Skills.

The Tour de Pasenville helps the first years to immediately bond with their fellow "debutants", promotes cross year communication and, perhaps most importantly, encourages students to work quickly and enjoy architecture.

Ben Hopkins

New Library and IT Centre, Fitzwilliam College

On Monday night, Ted Cullinan and Johnny Winter gave a talk at Fitzwilliam College in Cambridge, on the concept design of the new library. The visitors were also given a guided tour of the newly completed library.

Extending on the east wing of Denys Lasdun's 1959 College masterplan, the new building is designed to create a place for study that reflects the peaceful landscape and that respects and enhances the adjacent architecture.

The library, which reached practical completion last week is due to have its collection installed over the next few months, with the building fully open to students after Christmas.

Open House at Stonebridge

As part of the Open House London weekend, we held a breakfast event at the Stonebridge Hillside Hub; a mixed-use building that we saw through to completion earlier this year. Greeted with coffee and tea and a selection of pastries, attendees were then given a talk by architects, Roddy Langmuir and David Cawston, which explained the design and structure of the Hub and the local community's involvement in the design process. This was followed by a tour of the building.

Last Thursday, the Stonebridge Hillside Hub won the Mail on Sunday British Homes Award for Mixed-Use Regeneration Development of the Year and has also been shortlisted for a Regeneration and Renewal Award, for which the winners will be announced later this week.

The Stonebridge Hillside Hub is located in the Stonebridge Estate in north west London, near Harlesden.

The Community Hall set up for the presentation.

Roddy Langmuir, Project Director for the Hub, talks about the early stages of the project and the community's involvement in shaping the final design.

The communal garden at the rear of the scheme, overlooked by the Community Hall.

The main reception area leading to the PCT Health Centre.

The three storey atrium at the main entrance to the Health Centre, which is due to open in November.

A model of the local area shows the regeneration of the estate and the Hillside Hub in context.

Fitzwilliam College Library

Progress on site at Brampton Manor School

The Performing Arts block is nearing completion (plant enclosure and the landscaping to be completed), the new circulation link is also nearing completion and the Dance Studio is complete.

10:10

The 10:10 climate change campaign is the brainchild of Franny Armstrong (Director of 'The Age of Stupid' film) and was launched today in partnership with The Guardian. Ted Cullinan is one of many well-known individuals and organisations from the arts, sport, tv, politics, etc., to have joined the campaign. Ted joined them this afternoon for the official launch in the Tate Modern Turbine Hall.

The project aims to bring every sector of British society to work together to achieve a 10% cut in the UK's carbon emissions in 2010. Scientists now agree that global emissions must peak within the next five to ten years and then begin to fall. 10:10 believes that in order to give ourselves a chance, we need to act now. By cutting emissions by 10%, it provides an immediate action that is achievable for everyone. This is a brilliant first step towards the 85% cuts by 2050.

Ted designed and built his own passive-solar house in Camden in 1964, and this has recently been listed Grade II*. But buildings are currently responsible for 40% of UK emissions, so there is a lot for us architects to be doing. Our practice has been monitoring its footprint for just under two years and although originally aiming for a 5% reduction in utilities usage, we are now well on target for a 20% reduction, comparing 2009 against 2008 consumption.

On his return to the office Ted said of the inauguration that it was "brilliantly organised chaos".

Progress on site at Brampton Manor School

Reglit in three opacities, brick base and the theatre starting to take shape and random samurai.

Kew Visit

Yesterday, Roderick James Architects, from Totnes in Devon, came up to London to visit our new Herbarium building for Kew Gardens. Ted Cullinan and Carol Costello (Project Director) gave the group a brief talk on the history of the existing Herbarium buildings and the design for the new wing. A tour of the building followed and Ted, Carol and Amy from ECA were then invited to join the group on a boat trip down the Thames.

After negotiating a four foot 'leap of faith' into the ribs from Kew Pier, a sometimes rather damp, but always exhilarating journey along the river ensued.

Thank you to Roderick James Architects for a wonderful afternoon.

Practical Completion at RBGE

On Friday 31 July 2009, the John Hope Gateway Building reached practical completion. The new visitor centre at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is due to open to the public after fit-out is complete on Wednesday 7 October 2009.