Hawkins\Brown’s Post

Good to see the buildings given a new lease of life.

We partnered with Brighton & Hove City Council to design Phase 4 of the Kings Road Arches redevelopment. The goal? Strengthen this iconic, Grade II-listed structure while preserving its historic character and minimising disruption to local businesses and public spaces. Key highlights: - Structural upgrades that blend heritage with modern standards.  - Stakeholder collaboration to mitigate risks and ensure safety.  - Sustainable, disruption-minimised construction planning. Donwload the case study to find out more about how we’re restoring this Brighton landmark for future generations! #BrightonSeafront #UrbanDesign #HistoricPreservation #SustainableDevelopment 

Loved being down in London yesterday and attending NLA's Retrofit Summit at The Guildhall. Heard some great speakers taking us through interesting case studies such as the The London Museum, The Elephant / 318 Oxford St, New Zealand House and Zodiac. Was pleased to also see some iconic Northern projects shared with the audience by shedkm and Civic Engineers including Fort Dunlop, Littlewoods and Park Hill. Retrofitting can be a cost-effective alternative to demolishing and rebuilding, however it can also present significant challenges (and costs) especially with older buildings that have outdated systems or poor initial construction (‘bad bones’). Some insightful discussions amongst the panellists with agreement on some key points: ·      A requirement for more consistent government policy as well as what actually defines Zero Carbon / Net Zero ·      More collaboration and data sharing across industry with the need for data to be richer. ·      Better cataloging of building information and materials used providing invaluable information for future retrofit. A requirement for a central place to access this data - more transparency. ·      All buildings need a strategy to decarbonise. ·      Not all buildings are fit for retrofit. ·      Retrofit requires passion, commitment, communication and a champion(s)! 'Architects are not just designers of the future, but redesigners of the past' Dr. Austin Entonu, MBE, MBA, ACCA, PRINCE2 and CFA

The preferred delivery partner for Bradford City Village, ECF is a strategic partnership between Homes England, Legal & General and Muse. ECF works alongside the public sector to create successful communities where people thrive economically, socially and sustainably. With: Bradford Council | Avison Young │ UK | Cushman & Wakefield | West Yorkshire Combined Authority | re-form Landscape Architecture Ltd | 5plus architects #CityVillage #BFDCityVillage #ECF #EnglishCitiesFund #Bradford #WestYorkshire #BradfordDistrict #BradfordCouncil #Bradford2025 #BradfordCityofCulture #VisitBradford #BradfordCityVillage

It seems that article after article indicating that homes that survived LA fires have several things in common that saved them: none combustible materials, no eaves, none ventilated attics, heat resistant roofing assembly, no foundation planting/landscaping. There are other factors as well, such as concrete walls around perimeter that prevented fire spreading along the fence line (unlike the wood fencing). There are no “junk”, trash cans or vehicles parked by the houses. We know the fires will affect building codes in the future and that is perhaps what’s needed, but will that affect HOA’s as well…

n light of the recent Los Angeles wildfires, it's evident that integrating fire-resistant materials and designs is crucial in modern architecture to safeguard homes and communities. Innovative approaches, such as fire-resistant glass, concrete, and metal roofing, have proven effective in enhancing building resilience. For instance, the Getty Center in Los Angeles remained unscathed during the Palisades fire, thanks to its fire-resistant construction and protective measures.  🇺🇲 At VIPEQ, we are committed to advancing fire safety through our range of fire-retardant products. Our solutions are designed to work seamlessly into contemporary designs, providing both aesthetic appeal and improved protection against fire hazards. By choosing VIPEQ's fire-resistant materials, architects and builders can contribute to creating safer, more resilient structures that stand the test of time, and give more time when disaster strikes. 🌳🌎

Conwy Civic Hall I agree with the 20th C society. "It is the Society’s view that the 1960s- additions to the site are of historic and architectural significance. It is of architectural value as an interesting and characteristically 1960s response to the site, of historic and evidential value as the latest part in the multi-phased evolution of this public building, and the involvement of Gwilym Parry-Davies furthers its interest. The applicant has overlooked the post-war work (providing little to no information on its design and construction and failing to name the architect responsible) and as a result has massively downplayed its significance. It is wrongly assessed as “detrimental” and its demolition claimed to provide a heritage benefit. It is our view that the loss of the post-war work would in fact cause serious harm to the significance of the listed town hall."

Thank you NLA for the Retro fit summit, and to shedkm Civic Engineers HUB RESIDENTIAL LIMITED The Crown Estate Gensler Buro Four JLL Common Projects for the talks and case studies. Must admit retrofit as a new type of project description is glossing over that most of us have been doing this for years as cut and carve or refurbishment but if it gives focus to retaining as many existing buildings as possible then I’m with it. The case studies were impressive amd the effort clients and teams will go to, to reduce, reuse and recycle. Good to see so much of Londons existing stock being refurbished. We should not only focus on the cut and carve and the structure issues but also on the simple workspace refurbishment and getting more clarity on the supply chain circular economy and clear certification of accreditation of new products especially M&E where the majority of the cost is. Most simple refurbishments throw away the old finishes and services and most of us I feel would push for recycled products from the circular economy if we had a database or some form of accreditation to refer to. Anyone agree? I liked the concept of architects redesigning the past, that struck a chord.

Our approach to this project proposed to maximize the potential of the site, taking the full width of the plot available. Each house being 7.10 m wide. The proposal generates a set of platforms either side of the stair void. Each platform is asigned one programmatic activity, always respecting the premise of maximum façade width. This strategy allows for the rooms of this house to enjoy of unusually wide spaces. These spaces can be bedrooms, studios, drawing rooms, libraries, games rooms, all of them enjoying of unusually wide spaces for an urban townhouse project. Only one room on each side of the staircase on each floor. High quality is expressed through generous dimensions and proportions rather than finishes, space is the new luxury. www.mollarchitects.com #architecture #contemporary #environmental #nzeb #naturalmaterials #timber #stone #vegetation #mollarchitects

Challenging developments, like any development, starts with doing the work. Start with research and discovery, ask the right questions and eventually align the vision with the reality. Get the brand strategy right and then the brand identity will reveal itself. Go well, JDH Capital