World Architecture News is a web based international architecture magazine. It has some good stuff on it from time to time and it has awards in several categories. I was a jury member for the healthcare awards this year and think the shortlist and winners are pretty interesting. Have a look for yourself. .. Oh, and if you want to have something to pull my leg about next time you see me, also have a listen to my very first YouTube appearance! Wend
myPANTONE Palettes is an interactive color workspace that provides an easy and engaging platform for selecting and working with colors. It integrates into any application that supports system level color pickers. There are multiple ways for designers to select colors through the software:
-Color Pickers: Colors are selected within a hue circle or square hue gradient color picker, or by manually entering RGB or HTML values for known colors.
-PANTONE Palettes: Colors are selected directly from PANTONE Libraries (only with Libraries installed)
-Eye-dropper Tool: Allows users to pick up any color appearing on their desktop.
-Color Blender: Forms a color gradient between two user-defined colors with up to 83 individual steps between them.
-Color Schemes: Colors are selected according to color harmonies: monochromatic, analogous, complementary, split complementary, triadic and tetradic colors.
-Image Palette Builder: Allows users to import an image into the Image Palette Builder and automatically generate a palette using the dominant colors within the image. As many as 12 colors can be automatically generated.
Defining, Saving and Exporting Color Palettes
After selecting individual colors, users can drag and drop them within the myPalettes area to create a color palette. They also have the ability to view any saved palettes, print, export, organize and lock palettes, as well as edit individual color properties.
myPANTONE is a free download once signed up as a Pantone member
After a few minor problems, I have managed to successfully use Revit with ADB to load one room in the Morpeth NHS Centre model with furniture and other fittings. This link has not yet been used within P+HS so I thought I would show you what it can achieve. The blocks imported from ADB are basic, and are subject to a few minor problems (the usual chair appearing in the ceiling etc), however these are easily rectified and in a short space of time I created the following images and a short walk through.
It works in a very similar way to the CAD/ADB link, meaning changes in the Revit model are fed back into the ADB room data sheets and generic room layouts can be saved and duplicated easily and quickly and new items of furniture can be created.
Joe Stenson from our Leeds office has been awarded a Merit in design for his Part II thesis. Joe says:
“heartiest of thanks to all staff for the help and support offered to me throughout the “hard fought slog” – (Geraldine) that was my Part II. The feedback and commentary received from colleagues throughout were invaluable to the general design process.”
Joe’s scheme is a Crematorium complex that amalgamates the existing facilities in the Leeds metropolitan area onto a secluded site bordered by the River Aire and the Leeds / Liverpool Canal. Key to the thesis was investigating the provision of bespoke buildings for semi-outdoor cremations, as required by those of Hindu, Sikh & Buddhist following. A few images of the scheme are shown here:
The Final boards Joe presented are available here: X:\Resources\Students\Presentations\JJS Thesis Boards if you are interested.
Congratulations Joe.
Note that whereas HBN40 ‘Common Activity Spaces Vol:2 Treatment Areas’ (now superseded) set the height of a clinical basin at 860mm to the rim, HBN 00-03 ‘Clinical and Clinical Support Spaces’ now sets the height at 800mm.
Congratulations to the team on the handover of Rivendale, a new Extra Care facility for Broadacres in Northallerton.
Photos courtesy of Doug Jackson
Construction has started on Porch Close (The Ardens) in Northallerton for Broadacres Housing Association. Accommodation comprises 10 apartments for rent to people over the age of 55. The project is due to be completed in February 2011.
The site is located to the rear of Porch House, the oldest house in Northallerton, and falls within the conservaton area. The building is largely traditional in appearance with some modern features such as the double height curtain walling and a glazed canopy to the entrance.
The building will achieve Level 3 under the Code for Sustainable Homes, using solar panels for water heating and high standards of thermal insulation. Each apartment has also been designed to meet Lifetime Homes, with full disabled access and storage for mobility scooters within the hall.
One of me because Steve will be disappointed if I don’t include this photo!
More updates to follow as work progresses…
As part of achieving Breeam Excellent at the design stage for LINAC, the new radiotherapy centre Nottingham, a credit was gained for compliance with the 3% daylighting factor required for a typical 12 - 15sqm Consultant / Exam room. The photograph and sketch above illustrates the actual size of the window in relation to the room.
In this instance, the size and proportion of the window was governed by the fact that the room depth is greater than the room width, meaning that a large surface area of glazing is required in order to achieve 3% daylighting.
An alternative to this type of window which would still achive a 3% daylighting factor, would be to consider rotating the room by 90 degrees (so that the room depth is less than the width). This method would improve the quality of light transfer into the room and provide an opportunity for more interesting elevations in terms of external window fenestration. The down side to this however, would be the possibility of longer corridors.
Work is progressing well at Blaydon with completion targeted for September 2010 as per original programme.
P+HS Architects are responsible for the design of the Primary Care Centre, while S&P Architects are responsible for the Leisure Centre.
The project is being delivered under the scape procurement method.
Contractor: Willmott Dixon Limited
Contract Value: £17.5m approx [AMP]
Completion Date: September 2010
We were recently short-listed for the international “36 The Calls Design Competition” run by the Architects Journal with developer Citu. After attending the final interviews on the 30th March, we have found out today we didn’t win. Entrants were asked to draw up proposals for an ‘iconic’ commercial building in Leeds, on a tight car-park plot on the north bank of the River Aire. The competition attracted around 95 anonymous submissions, including 20 from overseas.
Our idea was to keep the scheme as legible as possible with a building design that could be described conceptually as four simple elements:
The yellow skin has a dual role, acting as the superficial ‘iconic’ wrapping and contextualising the building with its form; it has been manipulated to reference the surrounding industrial roof-scape, and to dip down and connect the site with the water. The River Aire has played a defining role in the history of Leeds, and particularly The Calls. The connection is a stepped link that enables barges to moor up, creating a transport link, a summer garden or the start of a future walkway along the river.
The glass box creates a flexible space that the developer can inhabit as required. It encloses the floor plates without detracting from the strong form of the skin. The building could simply be office space, but there is potential to create a ground floor restaurant with a stunning terrace over the water and above there could be unique, luxurious apartments with balconies.
The core is a key element of the scheme: whilst the core physically links the building together, the services housed within it link the building with the surrounding site. The building draws/rejects heat from the river through a series of heat pumps to control the internal temperature. Pipes submerged in the water like roots rise up though the core, pass through heat-exchangers, and spread out under the floor screed at each level, forming a direct relationship between the building, its occupants and the water.
A new permitted development regime for non-domestic buildings came into force on 6 April 2010. Access guidance here [PDF]
This information was taken from the Planning Portal.
A new book, Primary Care Centres A Guide to Health Care Design by Geoffrey Purves is now available.
Published by The Architectural Press, this second edition does what it says on the cover and includes an outline review of the main issues in designing health buildings, international comparisons, the political framework, briefing, measuring design quality, art in health, and loads more. There are planty of floor plans and images (I know how you Architectural types love these) and of the 19 featured Case Studies, 2 are from P+HS: The Vermuyden Centre and Washington Primary Care Centre.
Anyone wanting to borrow the book, please see Diana who has an office copy.
Planning Portal technical updates
To ensure the Planning Portal is compliant with legislative changes, the following actions will be introduced for the 6 April 2010.
Design and access statements:
From 6 April 2010, the range of development that is exempt from the requirement for a design and access statement will be expanded. The list below confirms the new requirements from 6 April 2010. The paper form checklists and electronic Planning Application Requirements (PAR) list will be amended at 12:01am on the 6 April to reflect these changes.
Design and access statements will be configured as mandatory for the following scenarios:
• scenario 2 - Householder + Conservation Area
• scenario 3 - Householder + Listed Building
• scenario 7 - Full + Conservation Area
• scenario 8 - Full + Listed Building
• scenario 11 - Listed Building
Design and access statements will be configured as optional for the following scenarios:
• scenario 1 - Householder
• scenario 4 - Full
• scenarios 5 and 6 - Outline with Some Matters Reserved and Outline with All Matters Reserved
• scenario 9 - Full + Advertisement
Design and access statements will be configured as not required for the following scenarios:
• scenario 10 - Conservation Area - This scenario is for conservation area consent to demolish, which is not a planning application; DAS is still required for planning permission in conservation areas (covered by scenario 7).
• scenario 12 - Advertisement
• scenarios 14 and 15 - Lawful Development Certificate - Existing Use and Lawful Development Certificate - Proposed Use
• scenarios 16 to 20 - Prior Notification - Proposed Building and Prior Notification - Telecoms
• scenario 21 - Hedgerow Removal
• scenario 22 - Prior Notification - Proposed Demolition
• scenario 23 - Approval of Reserved Matters
• scenarios 25/26 - Removal or Variation of a Condition
• scenario 27 - Approval of Details Reserved by Condition
• scenario 31 - Trees - TPO & Conservation Area
• scenario 33 - Extend time limit of existing permission
• scenario 34 - Non-material amendment to existing permission
The design and access statement changes are explained in the Government guidance, Guidance on information requirements and validation, published 16 March 2010.
Users of the Portal can access DAS information here.
House in Multiple Occupation (HMO):
The following change will also come into effect on the 6 April 2010 – planning permission will be required for a change of use from Class C3 (dwelling house) to a new Class C4 (house in multiple occupation), but changes from C4 to C3 will be permitted development. This change is linked to an amendment to the Use Classes Order which was announced in January 2010, as set out in The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Order 2010, and will also come into force on 6 April 2010.
The 1-APP forms will not be changed to reflect HMOs. However, applicants will be able to apply for HMOs on the full application form.
Guidance on the Portal in relation to use classes is available here.
Find out whether a change in class is permitted.
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
On 6 April, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) regulations will come into force.
Planning Portal users can access information on CIL here.
The following changes will be delivered:
Community Infrastructure Levy Questions PDF
To ensure CIL charging authorities have the required information to determine the appropriate CIL charge, applicants/agents will be required to complete additional questions.
The additional questions have not been incorporated into the suite of 1-APP forms as CIL is a voluntary mechanism not a national/mandatory standard. Instead, the questions have been included in a PDF form titled ‘Community Infrastructure Levy Questions’.
If the LPA is a CIL Charging Authority, they must configure the CIL questions as a mandatory document within their local level requirements list. This will then be presented to the applicants and agents as a mandatory supporting document. This document must be completed and submitted with the Planning Application form.
The Portal offers a CIL information page here.
This includes:
CIL administration forms will be placed on the Portal over the next few weeks.
The above information was taken from the Planning Portal news 31 March 2010.
It’s that time of year again! Here are the Leeds and London office entries for the annual egg-decorating competition. And the winner? Ryan’s lovely easter bunny, which beat off a number of less traditional entries including a whiteread-esque gelatine egg mould, a robot-spider egg, a crystal-encrusted egg, a P+HS graffiti egg, a trio of spiraling silver eggs and an intricately perforated egg-shell.
For the judges this year, conceptual art was soundly beaten by good old fashioned easter charm.
Decorated Eggs from Stokesley Office 2010
Following the P+HS tradition of showcasing our creative flair at Easter, the results are in for this year’s contest. A strong field of 13 entries (one not pictured) was judged by Director Joe Biggs who commented: ‘As ever the entries were all of an exemplary nature. Judging was an arduous but pleasant task and I consider myself to be privileged, and honoured, to have been selected for this important duty.’ Joe judged the entries against the criteria of Skill, Architectural Quality/Reference, Humour, and Effort, with consideration also being given to sustainability. Special mention was given to Kay’s skillfully knitted dog and also the best child’s entry from Sam Taylor, but the overall winner, with his detailed representation of the P+HS Phantom was James Pitchers. Congratulations to everyone.
The Winning Entry from James Pitchers
