Sleep ReardonSmith Student Award Winner for 2013 announced

 

 

 

 

 

The winner of the 2013 Sleep ReardonSmith Student Award was revealed last month at the European Hotel Design Awards in London before an audience of some 900 people. James Young, a fourth-year student studying for his Masters in Architecture at the Canterbury School of Architecture, won the competition.

 

Open to all students undertaking a full-time architectural or interior design course in Europe, this year’s competition was given the brief to masterplan a new luxury hotel and residential marina development on the Southern Adriatic coast. The brief was intentionally left loose so that students could demonstrate their creative skills. However, certain planning restrictions were applied to encourage the competitors to balance the novel with the real and, through this process, develop a meaningful result.

Patrick Reardon, Executive Chairman of ReardonSmith said: “Our aim is to inspire today’s budding talent to think seriously about the design of hotels and resorts, which is an economically and culturally significant sector, while having fun. When we launched a European Hotel Design Award for students years ago and then re-introduced it in collaboration with Sleep in 2012, it was because we wanted to encourage young, hard-working and gifted people to feel inspired to take up a career in hotel design.

James’ submission stood out for its sensitive interpretation of the brief and also for its regard toward the surrounding landscape, cleverly merging the development into the topography of the land.”

Each contender was charged with creating a masterplan for a 120-guestroom luxury resort hotel on a 56,000 m2 site forming a small peninsula with beach coves to either side. The resort was to include a variety of suites, multiple food and beverage facilities, a destination spa, retail shops along the marina, and residential accommodation consisting of 20 private villas and 20 apartments.

James’ winning response questions the conventional luxury holiday resort and in turn the concept of a holiday itself given the Western world’s current economic climate and increased socio-economic consciousness. Using the concept of “Agri-Tourism”, his masterplan creates a heightened sense of locality and interaction by inviting guests to holiday within an Adriatic community and be educated in the art of agriculture and farming. The resort is embedded within a productive landscape whose terraced design stems from the topography of the site, and its hotel, private villas and apartments benefit from rooftop planting. In addition, the instructors would farm the land year ‘round and live in the resort community so that the resort’s architecture becomes a catalyst for interaction as well as a social commentary on how the hotel industry can further strengthen the notion of locality.

“Winning the Sleep ReardonSmith student award, as well as being a great honour, has also reassured me that movement outside of my comfort zone is a great way to discover my own abilities”, says James about his participation in the competition. “It’s great to have my work recognised by a leader in the field of hotel design, making all of the long hours drawing, designing and re-drawing worth it! Hotel design is a field within architecture of increasing interest to me as a student, due to its dynamic nature and parallels between to social and economic development. The most exciting realised, conceptual and thought-provoking designs often derive from hotel schemes.”

Taken from: http://www.architectnews.co.uk/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=852:sleep-reardonsmith-student-award-winner-for-2013-announced&Itemid=90

Designs of the Year 2013: Best Architecture

 

Earlier this year The Telegraph illustrated images of the seventeen architectural nominations which had been announced for the 2013 Designs of the Year awards. An exhibition featuring the nominations from all seven categories was on display at the Design Museum in London. A good time of year to look back at what are some stunning designs, covering seven categories.

View the images at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/9939534/Designs-of-the-Year-2013-best-architecture.html?frame=2513418

Five international emerging architects selected for WAN 21 FOR 21 Award 2013, leaving the competition open for 2014

The third stage of the WAN 21 for 21 competition has awarded a further 5 worthy winners who have proven their potential for innovation in the future of architecture. The practices were selected by a specialist panel in a lively jury session in London earlier this month. The panel were looking for firms who showed the potential for change and an understanding of context, and were able to communicate their ideas and work clearly. They were searching for emerging architects, as well as more established practices who were yet to gain the attention they deserved for their designs.

The last two years of the competition have seen 13 practices crowned 21 for 21 winners, allowing the judges to select up to 8 further winners in this round to complete the competition. However, the competition was fiercely fought by practices from all over the world and only 5 made the cut in this exclusive programme, meaning the award will extend into 2014. Each of the winning practices showed a positive contribution to architecture with demonstrable innovation and potential.

The judges thought the ability to create place-making rather than object-making was very strong throughout the entries. They were also impressed with the clever use of materials, doing more with less. Tristram Carfrae, Arup Group Board Director, explained, ‘some people produced wonderful places with very little, making a real contribution to sustainability, stripping the designs back rather than adding to them’. The jury concluded that the award is most valuable to the firms that had undertaken extensive research and who were challenged to get the work into practice; they hope the WAN 21 for 21 accolade will provide an opportunity for the winners to contribute to the future of architecture.

LONGHI architects based in Peru ‘enchanted’ the judging panel which included remote judges Ma Yansong from MAD architects and previous WAN 21 for 21 award winner Vo Trong Nghia. Andrew Best from Buro Happold praised the project displayed as ‘amazing…with promise [for future works]’, whilst Dennis Ho from Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners said the project submitted made him ‘want to go into the spaces’ to see more.

Canadian firm 5468796 were praised for their consistency across the projects submitted, as well as their use of digital fabrication. Andrew Best said, ‘multiple-use housing is typically unglamorous, but [the firm] have done something special here’.  Martha Thorne, Executive Director of the Pritzker Prize, said, ‘I like these projects; they do different things but remain mindful of the context…they use the idea of surface in a proper way’. Dennis Ho confirmed that 5468796 displayed a ‘well-considered use of elements to create rhythm and scale; not over-doing it’.

FGMF impressed the judges with what Malcolm Reading described as ‘a mature piece of work’ with a good use of groundplane and the integration of levels. Dennis Ho said, ‘they have illustrated how the buildings relate to the environment’ while Martha Thorne agreed, ‘this firm takes different approaches but they all work together’.

AGENCE SEARCH intrigued the judges with its bold concepts as Martha Thorne said, ‘there is something interesting about this firm. They are comfortable working with varied multimedia, skin, interiors and settings’ and Tristram Carfrae agreed, ‘each of their projects are different, but each have a rigour within themselves’ which earned the French firm a well-deserved place at the top.

Finally, RURAL URBAN FRAMEWORK (RUF) was credited unanimously as ‘very interesting’ for its effect in China to enhance the community with little cost and sensitive design. Dennis Ho said the projects were representative of what the award is aiming to uncover, stating ‘the projects deserve more exposure, especially in China with a sense of community and usability of the materials’. The judges were won over by the social aspect of the firm’s work and their ability to bring creativity and flair to low-budget and small-scale projects.

With this year’s judges choosing to select only five worthy winners, the search for the 21 for 21 continues…

World Architecture News will present a private showcase of the WAN 21 for 21 in London in partnership with Arup later this month. For details on the event please contact Megan Cox on megan.cox@wantoday.com

The WAN 21 for 21 award winners are:

LONGHI

5468796

FGMF

AGENCE SEARCH

RURAL URBAN FRAMEWORK (RUF)

See all the winners so far here.

Source: http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=22497

Tea With An Architect

Gabrielle Omar, best known as the first architect to appear on BBC1’s hit TV show The Apprentice, is launching a new campaign, ‘Tea With An Architect’ to integrate communities with their local architect.

Director of architectural practice ‘Gabrielle Omar and Associates’, Gabrielle left The Apprentice hailing for a brand overhaul in the architecture profession. Following her increased interaction with the public after the show, Gabrielle has realised that the large, iconic buildings springing up in the City, and their association with ‘star architects’, overshadow the general public’s knowledge of what an architect’s role really involves. Her new campaign intends to integrate the community back with their local architect, spreading the word of the profession and the benefits it can bring to homeowners.

Tea with an Architect (TWAA), attempts to produce a platform where members of the public can find their local ‘tea session’ whether it be a ‘Tea With An Architect’ organised event or an existing running session that local architects have formed themselves. Within these ‘tea sessions’, people are invited to bring along ideas, designs and questions for a free consultation with a local architect on topics relating from anything to personal home renovation to desired community aspirations.

The RIBA and its members has backed Gabrielle with the launch of this campaign. Angela Brady, RIBA president commented: “I welcome schemes like “Tea with an Architect” and the RIBA’s “Architect in the House”, they are vital if we are to break down the initial barriers and encourage homeowners to meet casually with an architect. It is a great opportunity to meet architects often for the first time in a friendly setting over a cup of tea. Making ourselves more accessible as a profession is very important in helping the public understand what we do, and how we can help them have better designed homes.”

“Architects design all types of buildings and spaces, from a skyscraper right down to remodelling existing homes or doing a kitchen extension! We can help home owners achieve their aspirations as well as adding value through good design in creating better spaces and a more sustainable building.”

The TWAA website currently hosts small existing events such as the monthly ‘Saturday Architect Surgeries’ at the Bristol Architecture Centre, to larger existing events such as ‘Ask the Expert’ area at Grand Designs Live.

The first ‘Tea with an Architect’ organised event launches at ECOBUILD, at ExCeL London between 5th and 7th March 2013 and look out for us too!

www.teawithanarchitect.com

Source: http://www.architectnews.co.uk/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=417:tea-with-an-architect&Itemid=90