I’d like to share this photograph of St Margaret’s in Eastney which I feel encapsulates aspects of this growing community & the architecture in it all.

 

The arrow is part of the food bank – absolutely key over lockdown & still providing essential supplies to 200 people a week, staffed by local volunteers. Art on site hoardings isn’t unusual, this piece by Fark (@farkfk on Instagram) has a particular connection to the project. Fark’s up beat & positive style appears all over the city his studio is a few hundred yards away. He’s regularly sourced material to up-cycle from the community shop.

 

So what’s the architect’s role in all this? Get to know you clients, get to know the community, get involved if you can, keep an open mind. I’ve had the privilege of working with Studio BAD as part of the client body for St Margaret’s, the deep engagement has been critical to evolving the proposals to meet the needs of our community & to reinvigorate this part of the City, you may share this communities’ faith or you may not, but working together extraordinary things are happening.

Andrew Malbon

For the technically minded: Leica MP, 35mm Summilux Lee ND0.6 grad ISO 200, F2.8

So after 18 months of collaborating and community participation, with the wonderful team at St Margaret’s Church in Southsea Portsmouth  and careful allocation of the budget from the church of England. We have commenced on site with Phase 01, which includes a new underfloor heating system, powered by a renewable heat source in Air Source heat pumps, a beautiful new polished concrete floor, new toilets, with a new community cafe and children’s play zone. This is no ordinary church, this is a community Church looking towards the future and re imagining and questioning, just what is Church for the 21 Century? Well for the team at St Margarets its about serving your community through, listening, assisting, offering friendship, offering food through the food bank or clothes from the community shop. This truly is the church of the future, where many activities services sit carefully curated under the umbrella of faith.

We took a day out with the Client team and took them to London for the day, where we visited the showroom of our concrete floor supplier to choose the floor colour. We also took in a visit to the Garden Museum in Lambeth to look at the former Church and how its been refurbished and re imagined. For us every client is unique and its about forming strong bonds on understanding, what our collective ambition and ultimate goals.

We hope to be opening the doors of the Phase 01 refurbishment in early November. But for now the church are raising funds to complete the works here with their Go Fund page

https://www.gofundme.com/f/httpsbitlystmagsheartbeat?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link

Here is Fran giving a tour of the Church to Love Southsea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MBIfsGg3J0&feature=youtu.be

Studio B.a.d where appointed in September 2019 to undertake a detailed feasibility study of Holly Cottage a listed house which sits in Meonstoke High street in the heart of the South Downs national park

 

The feasibility study was commissioned to review how the existing house is used by the family and how it might accommodate, the extended family members and how it responds to the garden and immediate landscape. The feasibility study is a strategic exercise in reviewing the key requirement’s of the family and the wider opportunities, to exploit the potential of the site and beautiful garden.  Its also an opportunity to create greater flexibility within the the plan layout and its relationship to the garden and maximizing long views looking East down the mature garden, lined with flint walls.

 

 

The design strategy has been to review and respond to  the existing conditions, which currently exist within both the house and the landscape. The challenge has been to look at a number of design ideas, which have been presented to the conservation officer, in detailed dialogue to establish a positive process.

 

Studio B.a.d along with our Heritage and planning consultant experts, entered into a series of pre application discussions, working through a number of sketch proposals, reaching successful common ground with the South Downs national park.

 

A series of options where carefully created, considered and presented, to look at the type of form, material and detailed composition of the various extensions.  The response has been to the existing situation of the sensitive nature of the local vernacular. These options seek to address the excellent position the house holds, with regards to solar orientation. So the options have sought to maximize both the wonderful long views across the site whilst looking to harness the opportunities for a new stand alone annex and study / office space..

 

As well as the elevational treatments, being carefully considered, with the use of local brick and stained timber. There has been an element of exploiting and opening up the current floor plan condition around the kitchen, to open up views to the flint lined garden.

 

The final  proposal submitted for planning has sought  at all levels, to engage with the garden, by looking to open up possibilities for the various spaces to exploit the mature surrounding landscape and its relationship to the house and new extension, annex, garage and home office / study.

So on Tuesday 07 July we delivered our final lecture in the series ‘Reading The City ‘ the final lecture was titled a ‘Mean While City’. We started the series back in January in the City at Gods House. But soon had to move across to a virtual platform, but these proved to be even more popular with over 350 people watching the series overall.

The public lecture series was  focused upon raising public awareness, engagement, and participation in a curated process of re-imagining the public urban realm of Southampton. Contributors where all at the forefront of contemporary urban debate both here in Southampton but also in the UK and provided a diverse and often challenging perspective upon the City of the twenty first century. The over-arching objective was to ensure that place-making in the city can become informed and inspired by contemporary visions of how our experience of urban life is enhanced.

The final lecture did not disappoint, with Carl Turner of Turner works, Thomas Bryans of if_do and Marcos Rosellos of All Design.

We hope to be able to continue to curate a further series in the Autumn / Spring with Go Southampton.

So its RIBA election season and at Studio B.a.d we are delighted to be asked to be supporting and part of Sumita Singha’s election campaign, read all about her manifesto and inspiring story. Please consider voting for Sumita to bring about change at the RIBA!

Election Statement:

The momentous challenges sweeping through our society provide an opportunity to reflect on the RIBA and build on the strengths of the Advancing Architecture Strategic Plan. To respond effectively to these new challenges, the RIBA needs to be well prepared, innovative and inclusive. From my work in the NHS, I come to understand that when each person, campaign and committee is aligned towards the organisational purpose, then challenges can be overcome.

With renewed energy and determination, together with the RIBA’s international reputation, let us make it a global champion that is public facing and fit for the future. Let us #ChangeForArchitects

I have great hopes for the recovery and future of our profession. As the President of the RIBA, I will

• Celebrate the potential of innovation, diversity and collaboration that architecture offers to build a better world
• Create a resilient profession through empathetic leadership, effective communication and participative decision-making

I bring a well-rounded experience to support these goals.

Deep knowledge of the profession

• 30 years of RIBA activities, including professional conduct
• Working with all sizes of practices, in large and small projects
• International and regional perspectives from working in six countries
• Teaching for 30 years, studying at five universities and experience of validation

Activism and campaigning

• Chairing Women in Architecture
• Founder of Architects for Change, the RIBA’s principle Equality Forum
• Trustee of three architecture charities
• Author of four books on architecture and practice
• Success in improving procurement in the NHS

Leadership and objective view of the profession

• Extensive knowledge of organisational culture and context for change
• Experience of crisis and risk management
• Awards in all area of work – from design, business to diversity
• Experience as member of design review panels

 

https://www.ecologicarchitects.com/riba-presidency

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumitasingha/