Coffins, Committees and Chit Chat

 Another building starting on site:

This is a scheme for a funeral directors premises in the Wirksworth Conservation area. The scheme was designed around the turning circle of a hearse and the need for a shop front presence alongside privacy for the chapel of rest. Works to prepare the site for construction started this week, observed by an archaeologist from the University of Nottingham.

We were also very pleased that the new house in Derbyshire featured on the blog on 10th February was unanimously granted conditional planning approval at the Amber Valley Planning Committee meeting on Monday. We were prepared for a bit of a debate, but approval was granted in minutes.

On Thursday some of us went to Derby's first Pecha Kucha night. Pecha Kucha is the Japanese term for "chit chat". The evenings involve a series of presentations by a variety of people, each with 20 images and 20 seconds to talk about each image. The Pecha Kucha nights were started by an architects firm in Tokyo, and not-for-profit events now take place in nearly 400 cities worldwide.

www.pecha-kucha.org/night/derby/

It was a really interesting evening with a wide range of speakers. We thought Liam Sharpe's presentation about the history of fantasy art was great, and really liked Helen Gallimore's Get Sneaky project.

www.getsneaky.co.uk

We'll be looking out for more of these evenings nearby, and may even pluck up the courage to present one sometime! And if you're wondering how to pronounce Pecha Kucha :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdghID66kLs&feature=related

Barns, Bedrooms and BSF

A few more planning applications submitted or approved this week.

The Cow Shed is a proposal submitted this week for the conversion and underground extension of an early 19th century Grade II listed barn into a family house. We've worked closely with the local planning authority to develop a contemporary extension that respects the historic barn structure:

Our proposal for a contemporary accommodation block for Cliff College received conditional planning approval. The block provides en suite bedrooms for visiting students and sits in the heart of the Peak District National Park:

  

Finally, the Nethergate Special School proposals were also submitted for planning. This school is part of the Nottingham BSF programme and is an extension and refurbishment of an existing school for pupils with MLD.

Bad news and Good news

This week we heard that unfortunately we didn't make the shortlist for the Belper River Gardens Swiss Tea Rooms competition. The 21 entries have been cut down to a shortlist of 6, which can be viewed in the Park and on the Amber Valley Borough Council website. Best of luck to the finalists.

http://www.ambervalley.gov.uk/services/leisureandculture/parksandgardens/belperrivergardens.htm

However, we also heard that our design for a house in Portloe has been shortlisted for an RIBA award! The house was completed in 2010 and is designed to maximise its hillside location overlooking the sea.

Eco features include solar hot water, air source heat pump underfloor heating and a green sedum roof. The process of the build was recorded by the Client in a monthly report for the Sunday Telegraph on the 'Birth of an Eco home', giving an insight into building your own home from a Clients perspective -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/greenproperty/3361914/Birth-of-an-eco-home.html

Ecobuild 2011

A few of us had a day out of the office at Ecobuild yesterday. Ecobuild is a huge sustainable building exhibition, held this year at ExCel in London (Fancy!).

 http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/excel-phase-2-london-by-grimshaw/8601608.article

Highlights included:

Chelsea College of Art and Design’s Speedo pavillion for the Space of Waste competition:
http://newsroom.speedo.com/speedo-news/latest-speedo-sustainable-collaboration-launches-at-ecobuild/
Many thanks to the friendly student who showed us round.


Modcell's prefabricated straw bale panels that are manufactured in 'flying factories' wherever they're needed:
http://www.modcell.com/
Hoping to go and visit them on site in Barnsley later this year.

Boiled linseed oils and stains from PaintECO, just starting to get into the UK market:
http://www.painteco.eu/index.php?l=eng&s=main

And a fantastic talk by Professor Brian Cox on how can science save us, followed by a presentation of awards to the winners of the CIOB Inner Space 2050 competition for 11 and 12 year old students designing sustainable housing in space: http://www.ciob.org.uk/blive

(Followed by some autograph signing - Thanks Brian, I will be framing my signed Sky at Night magazine!)