Reading University lecture

We were delighted to be invited by Reading University Architecture Society to deliver a lecture in their 2022 lecture series titled ” REFORMATION REQUIRES” which we gave last night; after so long presenting lectures across zoom it was a delight to be back talking to a real audience.

For the lecture I focused on our most recent community and public realm work, to highlight how architecture can be a vehicle for positive social change. This is an area which all of us at Studio BAD are really passionate about, in many ways it is a key pillar of the company and the reason I set up the business as I wanted to focus on this area of work.

We strongly believe in re-using what is existing, creatively engaging architecture to re-imagine the potential of a building, or a site, to make it fit the current needs. For example, St Margaret’s Church building had been condemned and likely set for demolition, through our work we have delivered a vibrant space for the whole community which is activated throughout the day and week with much needed services, such as a food bank, café, child’s play area and bicycle workshop. We touched the building lightly, only making physically alterations where vitally needed, such as the flooring where we replaced the wooden floor (which we sold, to help fund the works) and replaced with poured concrete, to work with the newly installed, zoned underfloor heating.

Architecture in the 21st century does not have to be just about a physical building, I believe many projects need architecture in a different which is not necessarily just about the bricks and mortar buildings. We have recently been working on projects that focus on reactivating the traditional high street; with these projects we interrogate how we can change the dynamic of the streets to create vibrant and engaging spaces. In Bedford Place, in Southampton, our project was a result of the community needs in the wake of covid, answering how to activate and reanimate the area to create opportunities off the back of temporary road closures. It has been a real pleasure to see the success of the scheme, now nearly two years later much of the scheme is still in place and the local council are looking to make it permanent. We are currently looking at similar reactivation projects in Gosport, Eastleigh and other areas of Southampton.

We truly believe Architecture can creatively problem solve many of the issues we are currently facing; without ego architecture can be immensely powerful, helping to reactive our cities, reduce waste, reduce carbon and deliver richer, long lasting and interesting projects.

 

 

RIBA MacEwean Award Commended

The St Margaret’s Church project has been commended in this year’s prestigious RIBA MacEwean Award; we are thrilled that our community project has been so well received in this award, set up to showcases architecture for the common good.

The transformation of the church has been a huge success, for the church (congregation numbers have increased) and the wider community (through the multiple services the space can now offer), this is a project that we, as a design practice, are enormously proud to have collaborated on.

There were some wonderful comments from the award judges:

‘This provides a template showing you don’t have to do much to turn a church back to the community to enliven it.’ Robyn Poulson, BDP

‘They started with the basics and continued to add more uses – it can be executed in multiple phases. This move is smarter than it looks, it’s important in getting the building back into use.’ Pearcy Weston

‘It has been done cleanly, neatly, allowing it to do so many more things.’ Eleanor Young

Fran Carabott, our client and the Lay Pioneer Minister at St Margaret’s commented ‘Key to the project’s success has been the practice’s relationship with the diverse group involved at St Margaret’s; it’s really not just a church in the traditional sense, more like a hub for the community. Studio BAD’s flexibility and mobility have enabled us to move very quickly from concept to site; we are now enjoying the results of that work.’

 

The full article can be read here

RIBA MacEwean Award Shortlist

Our St Margaret’s Church re-imagination project has been shortlisted in this year’s RIBA MacEwean Award, we are so thrilled to have this project recognised in such a prestigious award. From the extensive long-list of projects we are so delighted to have been amongst the 12 that have been handpicked to go into the final round of this year’s awards.

The project has been applauded for giving the condemned church a new lease of life, with a focus on supporting the needs of the local community and creating a new focus for the Portsea area of Portsmouth, all achieved on a shoestring budget.

‘It is a real mixed-use community asset for everyone, not just those who happen to be people of faith’

The awards were established to celebrating architecture for common good, where built projects have had a really positive affect on wider society. Named after Anni and Malcolm MacEwen, he was a former editor of the RIBA Journal and she was a successful urban planner who pioneered a conservation- based approach to regeneration in town and country.

The full details of shortlisted projects can be read here here, the winner will be announced next month, fingers crossed!

MacEwen Awards, two projects longlisted

We are absolutely delighted, honoured and speechless to announce that we have two projects in the 25 schemes long listed in the, RIBA Journal MacEwen Award 2022. The awards celebrate architecture for the common good, highlighting the projects where design has successfully been applied for the good many across society.

The St Margaret’s church renovation and reimagination project has been longlisted in the Community Endeavours category, Bedford Place public realm project has been longlisted in the Urban and Rural Revitalisation category. The full list of all projects longlisted can be found here

We are so delighted to have these modest projects highlighted in these prestigious awards, they would not have been possible without our amazing clients and collaborators, thank you to all the teams involved.

The shortlist will be announced early next year.

Judging The Daily Telegraph Homebuilding & Renovating Awards

This year’s The Daily Telegraph Homebuilding & Renovating Awards was announced last week, once again I was honoured to be a judge of the latest self-build, renovations, extensions and conversions. I have always really enjoy being part of the process of these awards, showcasing the best UK self-build projects, push the most innovative ideas forward.

Patch House, designed by Levitate Architects really resonated with me for its sustainability approach. This is a house fit for our challenging times, addressing climate change through harnessing renewable energy technologies, it’s designed to enhance the site context and landscape, including the natural swimming pond that sits to one end of the two storey volumes. The house was designed with a fabric-first approach, meaning the property does not require heating for at least 70% of the year.

I was also amazed by Bailey Street, the winner of the Best Renovation of a Cottage category. With a budget of just £65,000, the owner took on the design work themselves and have delivered a bright and welcoming home. This renovation exemplifies everything there is to appreciate about delivering your own personal refurbishment project; it shows just what’s possible with a modest budget, energy, passion and creative endeavour.

The full list of winners can be found here

 

Forbes magazine quote Studio BAD

We were delighted to get a mention in Forbes this week, the prestigious business magazine, in an article ‘Architects Seek to Design both Building and their Business’ by journalist Jeffery Steele looking at the changing face of architectural businesses.

The article highlights the changes to the design business, changes which were underway but has been accelerated with the impact of Covid. During the past 18 months many practices have seen a downturn in revenue and workload, Rion Willard sums it up perfectly ‘The architect can no longer reply on past methodology to survive in a post-Covid world. New education, entrepreneurial and business thinking will unlock new pathways for architects to venture powerfully.’

This fits within our belief at Studio BAD, that architecture can now take many forms, it is not just about designing buildings but can look at so many aspects of the design business, as quoted “There’s a notion that we have to follow this kind of traditional method of designing, delivering and building businesses, I think moving forward, there are other methods of being creative.”

The article comes after a conversation we had with Rion Willard, for the Business of Architecture podcast, looking at The Business of Listening which you can find more details on here.

The full Forbes article can be found here.