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Archive for the ‘Education’ Category

The Goldsmiths project is progressing rapidly on site, with most of the stonework completed, and the final panels of patinated brass being finished prior to installation. As with all of our projects, the combination of high quality complimentary materials is important, and we make regular visits to suppliers to check that the quality of production and supply is as high as it can be.

The metal cladding is particularly good example – it is hand-patinated by Capisco – a small team of highly skilled craftspeople in East London, ensuring that each cladding panel is unique, featuring a richly mottledbronze-coloured pattern. This is a really important feature of our design – this element of craftsmanship perfectly compliments our client – the venerable 700 year old jewellery institution that is The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.

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The brass cladding panels are first pressed in Glasgow, before being shipped to Capisco’s workshops in Clapton, London. The panels start as a brightly-polished yellow colour, and are treated by up to seven different hand processes including chemical washes and blow-torching. The panels are then ready for inspection by our project architect, after which they can be installed on the building!

The build is going well on site – see this previous post  - which also gives further information on the project.

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Goldsmiths, designed by John Lyall Architects

“The brass cladding of John Lyall Architects’studios for the Goldsmiths Company in Clerkenwell gives a hint towards the work going on inside”

John Lyall Architects Goldsmiths Centre in Farringdon, London has been published in this weeks Building Design magazine. The article looks in particular detail at the  pre-patinated brass cladding, which has been hand finished to produce a rich colour and texture, with each panel being unique.

Click here to open a PDF version of the article.

The project is progressing well on site, and is due for completion in the autumn 2011. To see the latest site photos click here. For more design development images click here.

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SCHOOL RESEARCH 

Architects4education have always been keen that their accumulated knowledge on the design of education premises should be shared with clients and other designers to improve the quality of the school estate.

One of our principles, Dr Chris French, has carried out several research projects into various aspects of school design over the last 15 years and many of the lessons learned are very relevant to the present climate of school capital funding and procurement.

A summary of these lessons was presented to the April 2011 meeting of the RIBA Schools Client Forum:

This presentation summarises a collection of research undertaken by Dr French over a number of years.

The complete research papers are available by clicking on the following links:

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL PRIMARY SCHOOLS (1973-1993) A DESIGN APPRAISAL - Volume 1 -

An appraisal of various design aspects of new and extended primary schools in Essex built between 1973 and 1993.
The investigation method included a review of primary school design literature and County Council archives, interviews with Officers concerned with the design and operation of primary schools, visits to schools, analysis of user comment by questionnaire, and investigative essays.
The appraisal contains three parts:- part one – a review of primary education since 1973; part two – strategic aspects of primary school design, including, planning, constructional systems, aesthetics, environmental design, engineering services, interior and exterior design;

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL PRIMARY SCHOOLS (1973-1993) A DESIGN APPRAISAL - Volume 2

Volume 2 contains the third part of the design appraisal – detailed requirements of today’s primary school room by room; plus conclusions promulgating lessons for the future.

Prefabrication in Schools -

Executive summary of a review of recent small scale prefabrication projects at Eastern Region schools.

RIBA Education forum – recessionary trends -

A short PowerPoint presentation summarising the above research.

For more on Architects4Education please see http://architects4education.co.uk/

To read more about Dr Chris French, please click here.

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Another of our projects currently on site is the Deanes Nursery:

The construction of this new nursery is progressing well, with the slab finished and the brickwork commenced. It is due to be completed  end of August 2011.

The new building will provide modern nursery facilities for 43 children, replacing the aging nursery in the existing school .

The project provides a variety of stimulating spaces for the children. Large windows open out to the courtyard, providing high levels of natural light and ”box windows” create cosy places to play in.

The exterior will be finished in carefully balanced untreated timber and cladding panels in shades of green with red highlights.

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Eagle Court – the new training centre for The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths – is progressing well on site.  Marked by the traditional topping out ceremony, the uppermost structural point of the building has now been completed (by contractors Balfour Beatty), and the internal spaces are really starting to take shape – including those within the existing Victorian school building:

 

The facility – due to open in Autumn 2011 – will provide post-graduate education, business start-up studio space, business skills tuition and support for young goldsmiths, plus craft skills training to pre-apprentice silversmiths close to Hatton Garden, the traditional home of the trade in London. The development comprises a new building – predominantly clad in limestone with  panels of patinated brass – and an adapted Grade Listed II Victorian School. The two distinct elements are linked by a glazed atrium. As well as the core educational facilities, the centre provides commercial workshop space, a large exhibition area, seminar space, a cafe and offices.

To read about the topping out ceremony on the Goldsmiths website, click here.

For more information and to see earlier sketches and design development models, click here.

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Polyark II : The Railway Project came to a triumphant end recently, as students from 8 UK universities descended on Westminster to take part in the ’Supermegacrit’!

Westminster University's impressive P3 space was the scene for the 'Supermegacrit'

The afternoon/evening event involved student presentations interwoven with talks by renowned architects, and was the culmination of a year long collaborative project between these geographically distant but like-minded architecture schools.  The project even involved group work and reviews on train carriages as they sped their way across the UK rail network! This reflected the pioneering theories of architecture legend Cedric Price and his original Polyark.

John Lyall telling the story of Cedric Price and his education vision

Polyark II was the brainchild of John Lyall, who wanted to create a kind of living architectural memorial for his old friend and mentor Cedric.

Polyark II will continue next year, so watch this space! And if your university would like to get involved please do get in touch with us!

To read an essay by John Lyall discussing Cedric’s ideas on architectural education click here!

You can read more about the Polyark project at www.polyark.org

Patricia and John reminiscing about their time working for Cedric!

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John Lyall was interviewed by Local Government News at BSEC,  and discussed the future of building schools in the UK:

John Lyall:

“Its a myth that good design costs too much money – it doesnt.”

“BSF was overweighed with bureaucracy – thats where the money has gone – Mr Gove – not on Architects Fees! “

“Its not all bad news. People are talking about prefabricated schools – handled right thats not a bad thing, and certainly starting to work for some primary schools… Whether that will work for more complex schools such as secondary schools i don’t know… the architects, contractors, and teachers and school heads will increasingly demand better design. “

“CABE 10 point design criteria has also helped improve design quality…”

“BSF brought architects and contractors together, and we mustn’t lose that…”

“architects must do more research with contractors – what makes good design and what makes good value – not just cutting costs by cutting area…  and we don’t want to go back to the mistakes of the past…”

Click here to see more Local Government News videos from BSEC

 

John Lyall Architects are a founding practice in the consortium Architects4Education – consisting of three award winning practices who have come together to work collaboratively in the field of education design.

Click here to find out more about Architects4Education.


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Architects4Education will be exhibiting at the forthcoming BSEC 2011 – the Building Schools Exhibition and Conference – at London’s Excel Centre, 23-24th February 2011.


Arguably the UKs premier education construction event, BSEC is a great platform for discussing the future of school buildings – whether new build, renovation or extension. The exhibition is free to attend – see http://www.buildingschools.co.uk/ for more details.

Pop along to see us at stand 618 and one of our specialist architects will be happy to discuss our unique and collaborative approach to school design!

Head to http://architects4education.co.uk/ to read more about how we work and to see more of our projects.


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Work is fast progressing on our Eagle Court project for the Goldsmiths:

The primary function of the Centre is to provide post-graduate education, business start-up studio space, business skills tuition and support for young goldsmiths, plus craft skills training to pre-apprentice silversmiths close to Hatton Garden, the traditional home of the trade in London. The development comprises a new building – predominantly clad in limestone with  panels of patinated brass – and an adapted Grade Listed II Victorian School. The two distinct elements are linked by a glazed atrium. As well as the core educational facilities, the centre provides commercial workshop space, a large exhibition area, seminar space, a cafe and offices.

For more information and to see earlier sketches and design development models, click here.

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How to move on without the support of organisations like BECTA and CABE

John Lyall will be speaking on day one of the upcoming BSEC conference:

How can we make sure that we build new or refurbish educational spaces to high standards and lower cost, without the support of key organisations which may no longer exist? Practical tips and suggestions will be discussed.

The Conference runs from 23-24th February 2011, at Londons Excel exhibition centre. For more details of the day one lineup click here.

John will be joined by John Jenner of Greenhill Jenner Architects – fellow practice in our education-specific consortium Architects4Education

We exhibited at last years BSEC, and found it a great way to meet new people in education, and discuss how Architects4Education work collaboratively to design great education buildings. Looking forward to February!

 

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