2024 Mid-Year Review

The best attended on record. Clearly the word is out that the AC is fun and full of fascinating people. So much so that we must now consider a waiting list for future membership and for balance more non-architect creatives. We thank Henry Squire for the location of Upstairs at the Department Store, Henry has picked up the Squire batten of supporting the Club his great grandfather co-founded.

No-one exiting Clapham Junction Station on St John's Road could miss the landmark 1910 Edwardian Baroque department store Arding and Hobbs and have, over the years, seen its decline. Now Arding and Hobbs has been repurposed, refurbished and given two floors on the roof, a visionary client and Stiff + Trevillion architects have revived this critical Clapham crossroads. On a miserable March evening Mike Stiff and members of his team lifted our mood with stories behind the colours, textures and history of the project. These back of house tours have become a key offering to members and friends, and as usual this one ended with good conversation, drinks, and on this occasion copious amounts of pizza.

Stanton Williams Architects (SWA) and UCL facilitated a morning tour of Marshgate, it is the main academic building in UCL's new East London campus. It has been designed to encourage interaction between local residents, students and academics. Gavin Henderson from SWA believes one of their biggest challenges was future proofing the project. Technology is racing ahead and the direction of new research programmes unknown and they had to create a building to be flexible and to last. Thanks to Committee Member Keith Williams for organising.

Club members benefitted from Richard Coleman's involvement as a townscape and conservation advisor to Brighton and Hove when he organised our Spring Excursion to the area in March. We began with Brighton College, this top-rated independent school, founded in the 19th Century is now more akin to a Vitra Campus for kids than hallowed halls of learning. New buildings on the site by Allies and Morrison, Hopkins Architects, OMA and Eric Parry Architects. Onto the Preston Barracks project, a mixed use, regeneration scheme forming a new Northern Gateway to Brighton.

Here we were welcomed into the PlusX Innovation Centre with a generous lunch provided by local restaurant Nanima Asian Kitchen, as well as background to the project by its architect and Club member Christophe Egret (Studio Egret West).

No hanging about, after a brief walkabout it was back on the bus and onto the new Circus Street neighbourhood, a partnership primarily between U+I and Brighton & Hove City Council with Shedkm architects. Still more to see and onto the Brighton Dome (Corn Exchange) where Peter Clegg, Fielden Clegg Bradley (FCB) illustrated where once the Prince Regent had his indoor equine area, FCB have with discreet ingenuity created world class spaces for the arts.

How British - it was raining as we headed off for ice cream on the Hove sea front and ambled along to see Dave Gilmour's (Pink Floyd) mansion, it's still for sale, anyone interested? It's now reduced from £15 to £10million.

A light supper with animated conversation ended the day.

Engineering practice Heyne Tillett Steel welcomed members into their light and airy meeting space with drinks and an excellent buffet as they hosted the Spring Supper Debate - Is timber the new concrete?

Jane Wernick Chaired with Laura Batty, Senior Associate Research & Innovation at Heyne Tillett Steel and Andrew Waugh Director, Waugh Thistleton Architects speaking for the motion and Elaine Toogood Director Architecture & Sustainable Design, The Concrete Centre and Sam Draper Director, Seratech against the motion.

Jane opened the proceeding along these lines:
For sustainable futures we have to think about building less, building more efficiently and not building at all. In asking ‘is timber the new concrete’, consider:

Timber is a well-loved material, from the trees themselves to the buildings, finishes and furniture made from them. They have warmth in look and to the touch. Trees are the only source of carbon capture. Timber is less suitable for foundations, vertical structures, resisting fire, long span floors. For these elements, can concrete fight back with low carbon concrete?

Votes before the debate: Yes - 18 No - 34
Votes after the debate: Yes - 18 No - 21

Interesting to see the number of 'No' voters abstaining, unsure which way to vote after the arguments.

Member Jonathan Duff wanted to share his personal enthusiasm for Tropical Modernism, an exhibition at the V&A, with the membership. He instigated and together facilitated.

We're grateful to curator Christopher Turner who not only pushed the boundaries of V&A access to allow the Club a private view but personally conducted the tour. This remarkable exhibition explores building for climate and sustainability, but less known, how architecture was used to 'build the brand' of newly independent nations. The scale and no-nonsense text added to an easy access exhibition of substance to a wider public. Thanks to Sarah Featherstone who represented and co-ordinated the event on the day.

The Architecture Club is the sum of its members, your enthusiasms and generosity in a myriad of ways is the core of our success, thank you.

If you'd like to take a deeper dive into these, and earlier events look at the Blog on our website.

Looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday 12th September at the Summer Party in the iconic Space House, WC2B.

All the best
Lynne