Commissioned to refit an existing 1960’s office to residential we worked within the existing structure to turn the seven storey building into six apartments with retail on the ground and basement levels. The existing façade had no distinctive character yet is located amongst the most eclectic façades within Westminster’s Conservation Area. Adjacent to the proposal is a post modern 10 story office block by Terry Farrell and a Georgian terrace; to bridge the gap between the two we proposed a façade with a split personality.  

Dean Smith

Image courtesy of Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture.

The approach: Lean (reduce all energy demands) Mean (supply demands efficiently) and Green (use of renewable energy) strategies.

Design: The entrance area is to be enlarged to accommodate a new reception & waiting area.  The rear edge will be covered with a canopy providing an external circulation, covered play and roof space for the proposed PV panels. The boilers will be up graded to biomass boilers. The school hall will be lined internally to create better thermal and acoustic insulation and its windows will be fitted with a secondary internal glazing system for air-tightness. There will be a wind turbine in the playground. Construction starts early February.

Tahera Roufe

Check out more portfolio images from Vlad! http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuscuspaima/sets

Check out Fairuz's blog. http://www.fairuzabdulaziz.blogspot.com/

New exhibition at Bisha (Antonio Capelao)
Bicha Gallery, 7 Gabriel’s Wharf, South Bank, London SE1 9PPwww.bicha.co.uk 

In the Autumn, Paul Loh in collaboration with David Leggett of Edward Cullinan Architects held a 3 days intensive workshop with the Master students of Sustainable Urban Design Course at Lund University, School of Architecture, Sweden.

The workshop focus on the post-Olympic usage of the masterplan developed for Beijing Olympic in 2008. We reviewed and projected the global and local identity of the site. Student also developes technique to deal with the super-large site resulting in series of 3-dimensional relief study models - part landscape and part emerging urban form.

Special thanks to Gunnilla Kronvall and students of Lund University.

NEX (Paul Loh & Alan Dempsey) at Milan Furniture Fair 09!

Constructed out of 3 cargo containers of American Tulip wood, Pelota are a series of woven timber screen based on simple logic of  points connection structured around series of A-frames. See construction process on youtube