BDP 2013: Cities

FEATURES | twenty thirteen
relevant section - xxxx
Night scenes of
high-density buildings
© Nohead Lam | Dreamstime.com
04
features
06
22
Tessa O’Neill
Town Planning Director
26
Steve Merridew
Environmental Engineering
Director
It’s not what you buy,
but the way that you buy it
thought piece two
lessons from
the moai
thought piece three
OLD BUILDINGS,
NEW LIFE
thought piece four
Francis Glare
Director
Urbanism
megacities
an inescapable
opportunity
thought piece one
14
18
CONTRIBUTORS
chairman's
FOREWORD
30
a cultural
heart
thought piece five
greening
the city
thought piece six
Tim Leach
Architect Director
Richard McDowell
Architect Director
Darrell Wilson
Landscape Architect Associate
Chris Harding
Director
Architecture
34
thought piece seven
40
42
46
3
Review
2013
twenty thirteen
community and
identity
chief executive’s
review
review of WORK
ON THE BOARDS
ggb award
WINNING project 2012
CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD
Mad about
travel
1 Dubrovnik; 2 Venice; 3 Delhi;
4 New York; 5 Shanghai; 6 Chicago;
7 Düsseldorf
2.
2013
3.
5.
CHAIRMAN’S
foreword
DAVID CASH | CHAIRMAN
1.
In 2013, more than half of the global
population will be living in cities. The
poor ones; cities where the landscape, topography and
rapid rise in the rate of urbanism, particularly in the
over their form in contrast to those which have
developing world, presents many opportunities as well
developed in a featureless terrain which makes little
as great challenges to those of us who are responsible
or no impact. There are cities where the local culture
for the design of the built environment. Urban place
is powerfully expressed, resulting in a strong sense
making has long had a central role within BDP’s core
of identity, whilst others are less distinctive and more
skill set. Therefore, we have dedicated this edition of
international in feel.
our annual publication to the topical, stimulating and
vitally important subject of cities.
create places for people. This does not apply to just
any people but rather to the specific inhabitants of the
Having been at the forefront of BDP’s international
6.
natural elements have exerted a powerful influence
In BDP, our philosophy is driven by the desire to
4.
expansion over the last few years, I have had the
place in question. That is why it is so important to come
opportunity to visit a large number of very different
to fully understand those places where we are working
Furthermore, it is enormously encouraging that our
cities in all parts of the world. Discovering new places
and the people for whom we are designing. No matter
ethos and philosophy remain as relevant today as
is one of the great joys of travel. After all, cities are
how many wonderful new ideas or exciting modern
ever. We provide all the design disciplines associated
created by people and as well as providing shelter
technologies are introduced, it is not possible to create
with the built environment in one organisation. We
and refuge they reflect the hopes, aspirations and
something which has a true sense of place without first
pursue design excellence, accompanied by a refusal
culture of the community for which they exist. But
fully appreciating the context, and acknowledging that
to accept second best. We work collaboratively with
cities are also living organisms, in a constant state of
context is not merely physical but social and economic
our clients and the local community who are a key
evolution and flux. It is this dynamic quality, driven by
too. This is one reason why BDP has put down roots in
part of the team. These are all concepts welcomed by
the desire to be better – more efficient, more beautiful,
key locations around the world. It means that not only
our clients because they know that the result will be a
more prosperous and more successful – that propels
can a better service be given to our clients but also
better solution to their problems.
a city forward and fuels it with energy and excitement.
that a fusion of the local culture with that of BDP will
produce a real sense of place.
working in the modern world. To be successful, it
As with people, cities come in all shapes and sizes
and no two are the same. There are ancient cities
which have evolved gradually over hundreds or even
thousands of years so that one can read the layers
of history in the streets, squares and buildings. These
contrast with the more recent creations which have
sprung up, seemingly from nothing, over the last
decade or so. There are organic cities where informal
street patterns give rise to intriguing juxtapositions
and spaces. These are the counterpoint to the formally
planned layouts where precision and discipline are the
dominant characteristics. There are wealthy cities and
I have been greatly heartened
to discover a warm response to
BDP’s humanist design approach
in every part of the world
I have visited.
It is important to recognise the challenges of
7
This publication comprises a series of seven
is essential to embrace change. This applies to
thought pieces on different aspects of the subject
individuals, organisations like BDP and to whole
of cities, all of which have been prepared by
communities. For cities, the rate of change is greater
individuals within our organisation from the
now than ever before. I am greatly excited by the new
challenges coming forward, the sense that the world
is ever shrinking and that ideas pass more and more
different perspectives of their own professional
background and experience. It also includes
rapidly from place to place. I know this view is shared
illustrations of a selection of the work currently
by our collaborators and both clients and colleagues
being designed within BDP together with projects
of BDP. n
recently completed on site which have been
submitted for the Grenfell Baines Award.
THOUGHT PIECE ONE | megacities
relevant section - xxxx
words | FRANCIS GLARE
L
iving in an urbanised world.
In the 19th century, London was the only world
city of more than five million people. Now there
are at least 54, mostly in Asia, and an increasing
number of cities with more than 10 million inhabitants.
mega
cities
People living in urban locations have outnumbered
those in rural areas since 2007 and two in three people
born in the next 30 years will live in cities. So cities, and
big cities, are inescapable. They have a dominant
impact on every facet of our existence from our social
and economic networks to our difficult relationship
with natural resources.
The megacity is a prospect that both inspires and
horrifies commentators. The case for is presented
AN INESCAPABLE
OPPORtUNITY
in terms of cities as creative, entrepreneurial and
enriching places; the case against is couched in
terms of social and environmental ills, the increasing
scale of cities giving rise to increasing disparity. City
planners are accused of dehumanising tendencies in
city planning responses and the servicing of the city
denudes the hinterland of resources.
Regardless of the polemic, the evidence of those
with choice is frequently the creation of protected
urban enclaves, the city to be endured for the promise
of the weekend retreat – this is as true of Chengdu
as it is of London. Is the city really the fount of all evil
and are we really this schizophrenic that we cannot
reconcile our human desires in one place? In recent
years BDP has contributed to research into the future
of ‘humane cities’ and ‘smart cities’ whilst pondering
the responses from city governments. These range
from the visionary and bold to the anxious and
panicked, illustrating the breadth of the debate on
The megacity is a prospect
that both inspires and
horrifies commentators.
cities and urbanisation. But for all this breadth, in 2013
we discern the balance moving away from viewing the
city as a necessary evil to be managed in a fairer and
more equitable way, to the city as the solution to the
challenges of our age. >
7
© Imrich Farkas | Dreamstime.com
Reviewthirteen
2013
twenty
THOUGHT PIECE ONE | megacities
Urbanisation is now seen as good news
rather than a necessary and squalid
by-product of economic
Cities of To-Morrow in 1902). His manifesto
sought to contain what he saw as an
otherwise unstoppable (and
utterly disastrous) tide of
development. Many experts
urbanisation by drawing
have come to realise
people into new
that people are better
self-contained and
off when they live
utopian ‘garden-
in a city. This is
not to ignore
cities’. Actually
the problems
whilst Howard
of urban life,
was right
particularly in
about the
fast growing
human desire
cities in
for more
say Asia
living space
and Africa.
and better
conditions,
But even in
he was wrong
the shanty
about the future
towns the
of cities and
opportunities are
certainly wrong
greater than in the
about the scaling
rural hinterland.
of successful urban
As the city – whether
places.
historic, regional,
However, until recently many
functional, capital or mega
– is the context for the great
majority of BDP’s work, we are ardent
enthusiasts for urban places.
But in 2013, it is right to consider what the increasing
rate of urbanisation might mean for the planning and
could be forgiven for thinking that
Howard was right as planners, architects
and city leaders reacted to increasing overcrowding
and congestion with a somewhat heavy hand, often
ripping apart city centres and communities to aerate
THE CITY IS CENTRAL
TO OUR CULTURE AS HUMANS.
S
Zhengzhou masterplan
peculation about the future city.
Howard was of course only one in a long
‘The Road’, the city is central to our culture as humans.
tradition of urban futurists. Le Corbusier
developed the Radiant City, American futurist
pursuing a more academic approach, accumulating
For every visionary however, there is a scientist
Buckminster Fuller advanced the ideas of Spaceship
evidence and developing models, viewing the city
as a system and technology as a tool to make cities
design of the living environments of the majority of
the city. Ordered and clean environments to house the
Earth, the authors William Gibson and J G Ballard have
the world’s people. This includes not just the profound
urban poor were created and in the process, urban
promoted their own dystopian scenarios. The future
more efficient (or ‘smarter’). If the first group requires
impacts on the ecological balance of the planet but also
functions were separated out, forcing residential
city is thus a recurrent theme in literature, film and the
a leap of faith then the second might be seen as a
the social conditions of people growing up and growing
development into the suburbs.
blogosphere. From the high tech and dehumanised
‘means’ looking for an end; the former ignores the
world of Metropolis; to David Lynch’s chilling
urban milieu, the latter the purpose of cities and the
commentary on the breakdown of community in
human endeavour. The role of the urban planner,
American suburbia in his film ‘Blue Velvet’, and the
architect masterplanner and urban designer must
bittersweet conclusion of Cormac McCarthy’s
be to understand the nature of urban places and the
vision of life after the death of cities and community in
processes of urban change and in this way, provide
old in cities.
A
19 century perspective.
th
In the 19 century UK cities were riding an
th
economic boom, bursting with people, many
in desperate conditions. Friedrich Engels,
collaborator of Marx, wrote of Manchester, ‘….he who
turns in thither gets into a filth and disgusting grime,
the equal of which is not to be found - especially in the
courts which lead down to the Irk, and which contain
unqualifiedly the most horrible dwellings which I have
The city has come to be seen
less as a source of problems
and more as an opportunity
to fix them. Many experts have
come to realise that people
are better off when they
live in a city.
the locus for the urban debate, from vision to delivery. We use the values of placemaking, in BDP terms,
Creating Places for People, as principles that enable
us to understand place, envision the future city and
then create the urban framework within which to
apply technologies, so creating urban places that are
yet beheld.’ Contemporary sanitary inspectors in
‘smart’ and that have purpose. For us this is a way of
London wrote of finding rooms in slums occupied by
connecting vision, ambition and the understanding of
‘father, mother, three children and four pigs.’
the urban dynamic so that we can engage with urban
Urban planning was a response to the conditions
of such cities and Ebenezer Howard was a founding
father, publishing his book ‘To-Morrow: A Peaceful
Path to Real Reform’ in 1898 (only retitled Garden
processes to realise plans – neither a leap of faith
Above: the polycentric
city structure envisaged
in BDP’s 1 City strategy for
Manchester.
nor the aimless application of new technologies. But
if design is the medium for discourse on the city, what
should good city planning seek to achieve? >
© Rigamondis | Dreamstime.com
THOUGHT PIECE ONE | megacities
M
ore metro than macro – the economic
potential of the city.
The Shanxi Broadcast & TV
Centre will form one of the
focal points of the emerging
Jinyang Lake Commercial
District in Taiyuan, China.
The masterplan design is
a careful balance of the
site’s massing, topography,
water features, scale and
viewpoints.
Deyan Sudjic has likened the city to a
forcefield, one in which mobility and ideas
are the energy of the city flowing through the network
within which a burst of energy can occur apparently
randomly, a catalyst for development. Daniel
Libeskind has, similarly, talked about the city being not
a two dimensional grid to be filled but being defined
by spatial peaks and valleys, a way of representing
the mix and intensity of uses. As such, cities should
be planned to foster creativity by maximising the
potential for human interaction and the exchange of
ideas, and to capture the results for the benefit of the
city and its citizens.
Cities bring opportunities for
wealth generation and for creative
inspiration than can result only from
face-to-face contact with others.
In fact the crush of people living in close quarters
fosters the kind of collaborative creativity that has
produced some of humanity’s best ideas, including
the industrial revolution and the digital age. Edward
Glaeser in his recent book ‘Triumph of the City’
similarly views the city from the opposite end of the
telescope from Howard, regarding urbanisation not
as a source of blight, but of vitality and opportunity,
where the absence of space between people
reduces costs so enabling cities to produce more
and critically, allowing a flow of ideas. Richard Florida
also has highlighted the flow of ideas - creativity –
as the lifeblood of the economy and of the unique
juxtapositions of place and people that urbanisation
creates and that allow ideas to develop and form.
Furthermore urbanisation brings about face-toface encounters, enabling people to learn from one
another. No technology yet invented allows people to
pick up the contextual cues - the frantic texting mid
conversation, or the glazed eyes, for example, that
suggests we’ve lost the listener - that enable us to
develop ideas and do business.
The notion of the urban forcefield, allied to a BDP
understanding of urban placemaking, creates a
framework for evaluating and designing cities and
places that is less a simple response to issues of
urban capacity, less infrastructure and technology
led and more based on the rationale of cities and why
they work. Facilitating human interaction and urban
exchange is as relevant a model for the city and for
If economy and environment are the first two pillars
This means planning decades ahead, identifying and
economic development today and in tomorrow’s cities
of sustainability, then the third is society. We need to
reserving land for community uses, for civic spaces
as it was for Vitruvius in the Roman forum.
manage rapid urbanisation to maximise economic
and for shared transport, treating the expanding city
success, use resources sustainably and spread the
as a resource to be organised and tapped, not merely
he city as the solution to global economic,
benefit and opportunity to all in society. Future cities
housed. Far-sighted city leaders in fast growing cities
environmental and social challenges.
need to develop passionate democratic participation
in the 19th and early 20th centuries, like Paris, Barcelona
Urbanisation has to be viewed hand in
to create the kinds of public spaces and living areas
and Chicago, built new ‘pieces’ of city to cope with the
hand with economic development. From an
that allow all of their residents to pursue their own
growth, rather than allowing sprawl to take charge.
economic perspective, cities bring people and goods
dreams. Libeskind argues that his is no utopian ideal
Such approaches have proved to be robust and
closer together, help overcome information gaps
but a precondition for the creation of a meaningful
resilient.
and enable idea flows. In excess of 95% of global
future for cities.
T
GDP is now generated in urban areas. Certainly it has
the environment to feed the city and, on the other, a
T
source of increasing pollution.
and our ability to get it right.
been easier to understand why economists have
embraced cities as engines of prosperity rather than
environmentalists, for whom urbanisation has been
seen as, on the one hand, forcing the denudation of
Cities can in fact play a vital role in cutting carbon
Rapid urbanisation also means that holding onto key
concepts like community and designing at the scale of
he accelerating pace of change.
the neighbourhood is more important than ever, whilst
Cities seem to be growing faster than ever
bringing forward urban transit solutions for necessary
before. The debate about megacities should
trips within megacities, enabling the growth of polycentric
therefore be less a concern about supersize
urban areas.
cities and more a concern about the pace of change
Without good planning and urban design cities will
Equally a concern with the quality of
design of residential environments
needs to return to the fore, to bring
the qualities of space and community
that meet human needs and desires, to
make the city the destination of choice
as well as opportunity.
emissions whilst remaining the engines of the economy.
simply sprawl. Already most cities spread faster than
Much has been done to develop the model eco-city,
people move into them; on average cities get 2% less
though these are more laboratory than blueprint.
dense each year, driven by cheap transportation and
Compact, relatively densely occupied cities with
rising incomes. The World Bank estimated that urban
mixed-use urban forms are far more resource efficient
population grew by 5% between 1990 and 2000 but that
than any other settlement pattern. And green cities
urban areas grew by 30%. As Howard recognised people
can further improve social equity and quality of life,
like homes and gardens so, without denying people
for example through enhanced public transport that
what they want, we have to develop new city districts
both improves access to public services and reduces
proactively, to create the living environments around
the process of design of the city. The sheer pace
congestion. Per capita, the urban population treads
sustainable infrastructure to add positively to the city
of development in increases the importance of
more lightly on the earth than its rural counterparts;
rather than to allow suburbia to spread like an oil slick.
collaborative design and efficiency of design process
dense urban infrastructure is more efficient, more
and solutions, bringing new working practices like
suitable for smart technologies and urban housing
takes less energy to heat, cool and light. >
There is a role for technological innovation in
Building Information Modelling (BIM) to the fore. >
THOUGHT PIECE ONE | megacities
S
olution City.
Urbanisation is widespread, proceeding
at pace and will be with us for the next 100
years. Even when population growth tails off
in China, then India and finally the African countries,
the rural migration to the cities is likely to be ongoing.
Megacities are inescapable, but they also represent
a great opportunity. Urban planning and design will
be integral to our ability to maximise the benefits
of urban living, particularly if we can ensure a
collaborative and holistic approach to global social,
economic and environmental challenges in the
Solution City.
A latter day Ebenezer Howard, a fusion of tweed and
iPad, might grumble and remind us of the pitfalls of
urban living. But for all his suspicion of urbanisation,
even Howard understood the magic of cities. Best
C
known for promoting the avowedly anti-urban Garden
ities 2013.
The mistake that architects made a
Fourthly, cities must be liberally endowed with
century ago was to envisage the city of the
sources of ideas and creativity, as universities and
future in terms of aesthetics. Such a view, is
research facilities are often the starting point of
doomed to failure. The key is to begin to understand a
entrepreneurship and economic success. The focus
city not just in physical terms – and even then to think
should not be on managing city decline but on
primarily in terms of density, intensity and use rather
reinvention. Not all planners have grasped this and in
than aesthetics – but also in terms of its social and
places governments have pushed construction and
economic framework.
infrastructure projects which are not fixes for decline,
There follow some principles which designers can
however helpful they might be once renaissance is
apply to urban development:
underway.
First and foremost, however big the city gets, the
The fifth principle is that urban-rural dichotomies are
building block is the neighbourhood / community. This
counterproductive. Think instead of an integrated
very human scale has been forgotten in some of the
system and mutual dependency. There is much talk
more triumphalist visions of new cities.
of ‘closed’ systems, but there is also a misconception
Secondly, whether the subject is the growth of an
that these have to be limited, contiguous urban
existing city or a completely new city, there is always a
areas. A closed system can just as easily extend to the
context. This context ensures that the urban forcefield
resource hinterland of rural areas. Cities allow half of
sparks in subtly different ways in different places.
humanity to live on around 4% of the potential arable
Context delivers uniqueness, uniqueness underpins
land, leaving more space for open country and food
differentiation. Distinctiveness will arise naturally
production. In fact the highly popular ‘back-to-the
from context, so the urban solution will be based on
land’ environmentalists’ ethic and weekend homes ,
understanding of culture and place.
both characteristic of wealthy societies and elites, is
Thirdly, successful cities will be polycentric and
highly damaging to the prospects of long term global
therefore growth should deliver new loci, new pieces
sustainability.
of the city, not mono-functional retail districts or
And finally, technology must be subservient to human
commuter suburbs. This is not the same as saying
endeavour, not a solution looking for a problem. There
that every addition to the city has to be self contained
has been an explosion of data in recent times, with
– cities function and economies grow because
wider access than ever before, brought about by the
of interaction – but city growth should always be
speed, capacity and social nature of data networks.
positively driven, not simply as management of
Technology companies are good at finding new
problems. Periodically this requires the city leaders
ways of managing data, enabling existing systems
to take bold moves to set a framework and new
to work more efficiently and are desperate to find
direction, thus city development is episodic, a
commercial applications. But however ‘smart’ a city
circadian cycle of planning and delivery.
is technologically, the successful city is one that uses
technology as part of the solution, not the end in itself.
The relationship between
nature and the city underpins
our vision for the Qingdao
Westcoast Masterplan.
The natural beauty of the
site nestled between the
mountains and the coast
provides an opportunity
to create a destination
for business, tourism and
sustainable living.
Times Square, New York
© Brett Critchley | Dreamstime.com
City, he nevertheless once wrote of London; ‘The
crowded streets – the signs of wealth and prosperity –
the bustle – the very confusion and disorder appealed
to me, and I was filled with delight.’ He should have
followed his heart. n
The crowded streets – the signs of
wealth and prosperity – the bustle
– the very confusion and disorder
appealed to me, and I was filled with
delight.”
thought piece two | it’s not what you buy,
but the way that you buy it...
m
New visitor attractions in retail centres;
an aquarium at Forum Istanbul
An increase in housing and commercial uses will also
help to increase dwell time and bring the community
back to the city centre. These activities are bringing
a quality of experience unique to and reflecting the
culture and character of a location.
Good quality public spaces and public realm raise
the quality of the whole area and provide an attractive
environment to which consumers will want to return.
BDP’s scheme in the heart of Mayfair and Belgravia
has not only transformed this part of London but has
also contributed to increased footfall and spend.
words | TESSA O’NEILL
Other parts of our cities such as public transport
hubs at train stations and airports, traditionally not
classed as retail destinations, will respond to the
customer’s desire for greater convenience due to time
and lifestyle pressures. WiFi will become a must have
so shoppers can surf the web, use social media and
Nanjing Road, Shanghai
m
The dynamic retail sector is going through its most
whether they shop on line or in store, customers also
significant period of transition in a century. The
want convenience, choice, great service and an
current global financial crisis is having a major impact
enjoyable experience.
on people’s spending and shopping habits. However,
other significant trends are also shaping how and
reinventing themselves and becoming more than just
where we shop with a correspondingly inevitable
places to shop. Gone are the days of inward looking
impact on our cities.
shopping centres reflecting little of the character and
personality of the city. Whilst in certain environments
The biggest influence by far on the way people
Many city centres and shopping destinations are
shop is the shift towards e-commerce, m-commerce
around the world there is still a case for covered
(sales made via smartphones) and s-commerce
malls these too should reflect the nature of their
(sales made through social media). This is a new and
surroundings. New centres are increasing the diversity
unpredicted phenomenon even 10 years ago.
of their leisure offer with cafes, bars and restaurants,
We have seen dramatic changes in retail patterns and
and there is a very tangible advantage when
habits, over a very short timescale.
customer dwell time is extended by visiting cinemas,
ice-rinks and cultural activities such as museums and
It is the experience of going shopping that is
driving the retail sector. The customer knows what
he or she wants. Value for money is still a factor but,
art galleries.
Whilst each is very
different in scale and
location, new integrated
retail centres such as the
BDP designed Newbury
Parkway, UK and Nanjing
Road, Shanghai, China
have the same design
ethos of creating a total
experience in order to
compete with other retail
destinations and the
internet.
even work while spending time in a centre. >
A revitalised public realm at Elizabeth Street, Belgravia, London
thought piece two | it’s not what you buy,
but the way that you buy it...
5004 0506 >
NikeTown, London
Newbury Parkway
Fritz Hansen Showroom, London
m
Shops, however, are most vulnerable to the
goods and also the green credentials of the shop or
increased use of the internet and they too will play
centre. The BDP designed Waitrose store in Bracknell
a very different role in the future. Many will operate
achieved BREEAM Outstanding and incorporates
as little more than showrooms, others as collection
green roofs and a biomass centre but also innovative
centres or customer service hubs. The store of the
ideas such as a bug hotel which has proved a popular
future will no longer act as a traditional retail store but
attraction in its own right!
as an experience in its own right and also a showcase
for coveted global brands. The Nike or Fritz Hansen
world, the common thread linking these changes is the
stores, for example, display and light their products in
quality of experience, in terms of the quality of service
a way that provides an experience for the consumer
and the quality of the space. The city centre has been the
that captures the imagination of that retailer’s
focus for our urban communities for centuries and it will
demographic.
continue to be but it will develop as a very different place
to the one we know now, much strengthened by current
Sustainability too is ever more important to the
consumer, relative both to the provenance of the
Whatever scale of shopping place and wherever in the
changes in the approach to retailing. n
Waitrose, Bracknell and ‘bug hotel’ (far right)
thought piece three | lessons from the moai
O
ur cities are our future. By 2030 60% of
the world’s population will live in urban
words | STEVE MERRIDEW
areas.(ref 1) Global economic growth and
rising population levels make the old
economic concept of scarcity more pertinent to the
future of our cities than ever: infinite wants versus
finite resources. What’s more, the short-termism of our
political systems and the reliance on consumerism
to feed our economies has led to a failure to address
the externalities of many of our activities. We believe
designers, planners and engineers have a key role
in resetting the balance. As shapers of places and
designers of systems, we can influence our future,
and in so doing learn the lessons of history. The world’s
cities occupy just 2% of the earth’s land but account
for 60-80% of energy consumption and 75% of carbon
emissions.
Most humans have an almost infinite
capacity for taking things for granted.
That men do not learn much from the
lessons is the most important of all the
lessons of history.”
Rapid urbanisation is exerting
pressure on fresh water supplies,
sewage, the living environment
and public health.
Aldous Huxley
© Matthew Wood
thought piece three | lessons from the moai
thought piece three | lessons from the moai
Blackburn Meadows
With cities accounting for
60 – 80% of global energy
consumption, we need to
find ways of generating and
delivering their energy from
sustainable and renewable
sources.
The 30MW renewable
energy plant will produce
enough power for around
40,000 homes by converting
recycled waste wood into
electricity. There are also
opportunities to supply heat
to neighbouring commercial
developments, further
boosting energy yield from
the waste wood.
The Blackburn Meadows
Plant forms part of Sheffield’s
drive to be energy self
sufficient.
Heathrow Airports Group
Setting the Level of Environmental Ambitions
We have been working with Heathrow to set their
Environmental Ambitions for their 2014 – 2019 Construction
Implementation Plan. It’s a globalised world - without
connections, cities will decline. We need to reduce the
footprint of resources consumed in connecting us. We are
assisting HAG in delivering this future.
Manchester Town Hall and Central Library
Transformation Project
The transformation project will significantly reduce
energy demand, leading to a 44% reduction in CO2
emissions. The project forms part of a local district
energy cluster.
For cities to thrive they need to be
connected. Connections facilitate the spread
of knowledge, commerce and innovation.
Much of the savings are through engineering design
but the project will also engage in a post occupancy
programme. The programme will work with users and
visitors to stimulate behaviour change and minimise
energy demands.
‘Coping with the growing needs of water and sanitation
services within cities is one of the most pressing issues of
this century. Sustainable, efficient and equitable urban water
management has never been as important as in today’s
New buildings only account for 1% of the
UK stock per annum. We must meet the
refurbishment challenge.
world’ (ref 2)
Glencorse Water Treatment Works, Edinburgh
The project provides clear fresh drinking water for the
city of Edinburgh and has been awarded the Chartered
Institute of Water and Environmental Management’s
World of Difference prize. The scheme sits naturally
within its environment and through its processes utilises
hydroelectric power to treat the water.
Cities are playing an increasingly important role in the global
debate about food security and sustainability, a trend that is
clearly set to continue as the world’s population becomes
ever more urbanised (ref 3)
Manchester Garden City
As part of the Manchester Garden City Initiative, we
have provided city centre residents with grow boxes
which function as temporary urban allotments. In
© Ian Simpson Architects
the future, pilot schemes such as this must become
much more mainstream as we tackle the global food
challenge.
References
1. United Nations Sustainable Development Platform
2. Water and Cities Facts and Figures - UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication
3. Cardiff University’s Sustainable Places Research Institute - Urban Food Strategies
thought piece four | old buildings - new life
Old buildings
new life
words | TIM LEACH
2013
23 Review
twenty thirteen
T
he richness and diversity of our towns and
of building types ensures that the majority of these
cities create a visually stimulating, culturally
buildings will remain standing for many years to come.
rich sense of place, providing continuity
Redevelopment provides only limited possibilities in
and stability in a fast changing world. The
addressing the future viability of our built environment.
juxtaposition of buildings and spaces of all ages, styles
and character makes a significant contribution in
investment that the existing built environment
creating these unique places.
represents is the challenge for this and future
generations. Providing a new vision for the role old
Whilst a small percentage of these buildings and
Utilising the economic, environmental and social
environments are recognised for their significance and
buildings - historic or from the 20th century - play
protected through statutory legislation the substantive
in providing high quality, sustainable environments
number are of more modest qualities, designed
for communities, commerce and culture is crucial in
for a particular purpose and constructed using the
delivering specific targets for carbon reduction and in
technologies of the time. The scale of this environment,
meeting the broader challenges of the sustainability
the number of individual buildings and broad range
agenda. >
Somerset House and King’s College London
creative adaptation of Grade I listed and late 20th century
twenty
thirteen
24
buildings, designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent
in this
sensitive
historic context.
thought piece four | old buildings - new life
Oldham Town Hall
One of a number of projects
to secure the long term,
viable use of civic buildings,
accommodating new
commercial activities whilst
maintaining civic use.
“Each hamlet or village or town should be a place, its own
place. This is not a matter of fake historicism or artsy-craftsy
architecture. It is a matter of respect for things existing, subtle
patterns of place woven from vistas and street widths and the
siting and colour and scale of stores, houses, and trees.”
Robert Riley
Unlocking latent potential...
Creative adaptation generates users and visitor
Enhancing space...
Engineering sustainable environments...
Old buildings and spaces, imaginatively reused, have
attractions, facilitates development of adjacent
With many alterations undertaken over time, old
Integrating lean, clean and green strategies in old
a unique character, combining the convenience
buildings and spaces, and provides the seed for wider,
buildings and estates often lack a sense of cohesion,
buildings to reduce energy consumption, generate
of the present with the qualities of the past. These
sustainable regeneration.
organisational clarity and spatial efficiency. Owners
energy efficiently and utilise renewable energy
buildings enjoy the added value generated by their
are often unable to recognise an old building’s
requires creative solutions that respond to their
special sense of place. Spatial qualities, structure and
urban quarter often necessitates phased regeneration.
potential, seeing only the inconveniences created
specific attributes, construction, materials, spatial
materials, combined with historic associations create
A masterplan provides the development framework
by organic, incremental growth and its negative
characteristics and embodied energy.
an environment which is neither better nor worse than
to guide this regeneration, mapping sequential
impact on the quality and efficiency of space.
new development – but uniquely different.
improvements to deliver an overall vision whilst
Creative adaptation generates a significant increase
corresponding opportunities need to be understood
achieving viable, beneficial use with each phase.
in the quality and quantum of space, together with
and creatively exploited to meet evolving standards in
enhancements in current and future efficiency,
energy consumption and carbon reduction for overall
New interventions within existing buildings generate
a sense of change, an injection of new life into the
The scale of an individual building, built estate or
The intrinsic qualities of existing buildings and
old. A creative adaptation transforms any perception
Creating value...
flexibility and adaptability.
sustainability. Achieving high levels of environmental
that these existing buildings are tired, unsuitable for
Old buildings and spaces generate romantic
effectiveness and successfully integrating services
current use and serve no future purpose. Creating
sympathies; sound and sustained use secures their
and servicing through creative adaptation, measured
within existing buildings requires highly creative and,
exciting and attractive spaces and enhancing
long term future. Adaptive reuse ensures a building
removal and selective extension maximises a
often bespoke, design solutions. n
efficiency and flexibility unlock the latent value –
meets the needs of new and future occupiers.
building’s utilisation and efficiency. Identifying the
environmental, economic and social - embodied
Interventions, however, need to be measured to
opportunities for creating new space through more
within a building’s structure.
secure long term financial sustainability whilst
extensive development assists in securing the overall
ensuring a building’s intrinsic qualities are retained.
potential and viability of these buildings.
Facilitating regeneration...
Balancing the scale of change and its corresponding
Reusing old buildings provides a catalyst for wider
value is crucial in identifying appropriate, beneficial
urban regeneration, with the impact of change
use. New use may require only limited adaptation or
often extending beyond the footprint of any single
necessitate radical reordering. Understanding the
building. New, outward facing activities engage with
qualities of an existing building and its capacity to
the immediate setting, animate the public realm and
accommodate change - what is, or is not, viable - is
contribute positively to a building’s broader context.
critical in managing this balance.
Clonmel, Tipperary
Creative adaptation of the
former Kickham Barracks to
create a new civic space, the
seomra mo’r or great room
at the centre of a mixed use
development in the heart of
the town.
Rationalising existing space, its use, arrangement
Haggerston Baths, London
Initial proposals for a
centre for healthy living,
introducing a range of new,
complementary uses into the
reordered listed building.
Creative adaptation breathes
new life into old buildings,
creating inspiring, functional
and sustainable places to meet
the challenging demands of
existing and new use.
thought piece five | a cultural heart
A cultural Heart
words | RICHARD MCDOWELL
I
t could be said that one way of assessing a
society’s degree of civilisation is the extent to
which it invests in cultural activities and the type
of these activities it promotes. Expressing and
celebrating the indigenous cultures within a city both
increases confidence and strengthens national and
individual identity.
BDP has designed numerous significant cultural
buildings over its 50 years. Many of these have been in
central locations within well established and historic
cities whether reworkings of existing facilities, such as
the British Museum and Royal Albert Hall in London, or
new build projects, such as the Perth Concert Hall. They
have all been designed to respond specifically to their
existing cultural and physical contexts. Others have
been conceived as regeneration projects where the
power of a cultural offer to entice the public back into
long forgotten areas has been successfully harnessed
such as at the Glasgow Science Centre or Chatham
Historic Dockyard. Yet other projects have had even
higher aspirations and, in so doing have seen cultural
buildings chosen specifically as keystone civic
projects in the development of new cities in previously
“A cheerful intelligent
face is the end of
culture, and success
enough. For it indicates
the purpose of Nature
and wisdom attained”
unoccupied regions of the world.
One recent example of the latter is BDP’s Sabah
Al Ahmad City Cultural Centre in southern Kuwait.
In developing the brief for this new city, the Kuwaiti
State recognised not only the importance that an
understanding of a nation’s cultural heritage plays
in empowering the individual but also the ability of
such facilities to bind a potentially heartless new city
together physically and socially. >
Sabah Al Ahmad
City Cultural Centre,
Kuwait.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
culture | wisdom | happiness
Review
2013 28
twenty
thirteen
thought piece five | a cultural heart
In our view however, it is not so much the building
that forms the heart of the city but the central garden
space within it which will make this building particularly
successful. This oasis is accessible via deeply cut
ravines which ramp down through the heavy stone
plinth of the centre providing a cool shaded approach
to the generous gardens beyond. Enclosed and
climatically controlled to provide shelter from the heat
and sand storms of the desert, this space provides a
unique green and lush environment where people from
the city will be able to come together and interact,
whether using the associated cultural facilities or not.
The Sabah Al Ahmad City Cultural Centre responds
to the dual, sometimes conflicting, needs to function
as an architectural reference point on a city scale
while at the same time providing a place of a human
scale. BDP’s proposals capture the dynamism and
energy of the performing arts and music whilst at
the same time providing cool calm relaxation and
contemplation areas of unique scale and lushness. In
doing so the centre forms a true heart space within the
new city. This new heart is founded on the promotion
of culture, arts and literature symbolising not just a
cultural but a national rebirth and creating a true
cultural oasis in the desert. n
Cities, by their very nature, are complex organisms
which generally evolve gradually over many years. As
such the key challenges for BDP of the Sabah Al Ahmad
City Cultural Centre project were to bring this sense of
place and identity to an area which until recently was
nothing but desert.
1.
3.
Creating a rooted intervention of this scale,
2.
whilst maintaining a humanistic approach is a
complex challenge culturally, architecturally and
environmentally. In undertaking such a task it is
imperative to distinguish between the historic, heritage
aspect of a nation’s culture which by its very nature
provides a retrospective view and the potentially
12.
4.
10.
conflicting desire to promote and develop a nation’s
13.
popular culture looking forward. This dichotomy is
perhaps best captured in our client’s description of
9.
the building as a ‘cultural mall.’
It is this tension and the energy inherent in
5.
11.
juxtaposing the past, present and future that we have
sought to capture in the architectural expression of
the Cultural Centre. The aim is to create a sense of
permanence and timeless yet dynamic and forward
8.
7.
6.
looking facility in which the residents of Kuwait can
develop and reinforce their understanding of their
own cultural identity and ultimately contribute back
into it.
29 twenty thirteen
twenty thirteen 30
thought piece six | greening the city
words | DARRELL WILSON
At the intimate scale, our involvement in groundbreaking
GREENING
initiatives like Manchester Garden City, Dig the City and
THE CITY
multifaceted, community owned natural landscape at
Peckham Charrettes has embraced a proactive bottom
up approach with communities at the core, increasing
the awareness and capacity of nature in the city. One
exciting vision is to transform Castlefield Viaduct, a
beautiful, disused relic of the Victorian steam age into a
the heart of cultural Manchester.
Chavasse Park at Liverpool One demonstrates an
innovative approach to the provision of open space in the
heart of Liverpool’s retail district by placing a 2 hectare
park above four levels of a new city centre car park. This
takes the concept of a green roof to a new height!
The idea of ‘greening the city’ has become synonymous with
initiatives that increase and enhance the quality and content of
nature and the environment within our towns and cities. Along
with slogans like ‘Green Infrastructure’ and ‘Green Economy’, the
green agenda is at the forefront of government policy across
“To the eyes of the man of
imagination
nature is imagination itself”
Chavasse Park,
Liverpool One
william blake
the globe -‘green is definitely the new black’. However, does the
term ‘greening’ go far enough to describe the importance that
is placed on nature, the landscape and the environment as
custodians of our society for future generations?
T
he symbiotic relationship between urban
BDP is at the cutting edge of this debate creating
development and landscape holds a
places which not only embrace the beauty and
promising future in determining the success
spiritual value of nature but also appreciate the
of our cities. Continued long-term investment
unique context of time and the value that it brings to
in restoring and reconnecting natural resources into
landscapes ensuring that they evolve and mature
the heart of urban life is the key. This is envisioned
gracefully.
through the creation of revitalised river systems, parks
and open space networks, supporting natural systems
evolving fabric of differently scaled interactive natural,
such as flood control, biodiversity and ecologies, and
landscape spaces, all connected together and our
preserving existing ecosystems and topographies.
work forming different pieces of that fabric. >
We see the idea of a living ‘green’ city as being an
Castlefield Viaduct
Manchester
thought piece six | greening the city
“study nature,
love nature,
stay close to
nature. It will
never fail you”
Ladywell Fields
London
Frank Lloyd Wright
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University,
Suzhou
Alder Hey Hospital
Liverpool
In 2003, mental illness was estimated as a £77.4 billion
the health economic benefits of trees in removing
In the UK, the Environment Agency revealed the cost of
It was suggested by CABE that ‘switching public
welfare loss to the UK. Evidence suggests that access
quantities of O₃, PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂ and has encouraged
environmental damage from polluted urban wash-off
spending to schemes such as trees, parks, green
to the natural environment promotes recovery from
green spaces and extensive tree planting as one part
had been estimated at £150-£250 m. Urban trees, SUDS
roofs and waterways would address climate change
stress and fatigue and improves wellbeing. In the
of the solution. The goal is that a resident will never be
systems and green roofs retain rainwater thereby
more effectively, improve public health and improve
Alder Hey Hospital project there is a blurring of the
more than 500 m from a green space and since 2000,
reducing peak run off. They also filter water effectively
communities.’
boundaries between landscape and architecture with
the city’s green areas have risen from 36% to just over
and reduce the threat of flooding. The innovative
the new hospital building located within an existing
50%. BDP’s masterplanning in China places landscape
project at Ladywell Fields, London, transformed a park
moving from theoretical to practical means of
public park. The form of the building allows the
at the very heart of design. Examples of this are
disconnected by a channelised river into a natural
responsibly and consciously placing the value of
landscape to wrap over it creating a series of green
competition winning designs such as Xi’an Jiaotong-
flowing environmental asset with the river at the
nature at the heart of design. Techniques are being
roofs, whilst the fingers of the building open out and
Liverpool University, Suzhou, and Suzhou Exhibition
heart. The key to the project’s success was looking
adopted that ensure future development secures the
create views into the park.
Centre, where the architecture has been shaped
cohesively at the whole site and working with nature.
significance of our natural environments by creating
around well designed and distinctive landscapes which
The resulting benefits include reduced flood risk,
healthier places that boost the quality of life for all. n
with levels of nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and
create cooled spaces, sweetened air and dappled
value for money, new connections along the river and
suspended particulate matter that are all above the
sunlight. Such places will grow, evolve and mature over
a strong new identity for the area, creating one of
index averages. The local government has recognised
time bestowing improved value in future years.
London’s hidden rural gems.
In Beijing, air quality has posed challenges,
Encouragingly, professional place makers are
thought piece seven | community and identity
De Gerrit Komrij College,
Netherlands
Atrium view
COMMUNITY
& IDENTITY
words | CHRIS HARDING
T
he concept of community is as old as
civilisation itself. More than a practical
necessity, it is fundamental to our
happiness and contentment.
We can imagine what the world might be like in 2050
(try a ‘future planet’ search on Google for a spectrum
of scenarios), and when I see my 14 year old son
socialising with his friends on the Xbox, it gives me
a glimpse of the future we are headed for. But in a
changing world it will be even more important for
designers to satisfy the human necessity for a sense
of identity and community in the future places we
create. Our vision statement of creating places for
people unites everyone in BDP because it places the
user at the centre of our thinking ensuring an interest
in activity and a sense of connection and relationship
with our surroundings - and the planet. This is the
inspiration for our socially progressive design
collective, where architects, engineers and related
design disciplines can work together to meet societal
challenges.
Collaboration is the lynchpin of this endeavour.
As designers we spend our lives thinking about the
places we create and to do it well it is essential that
we behave as a community ourselves, supporting
each other and fostering our own creativity – the
most valuable commodity that people pay us for.
Collaboration is a growing phenomenon. The most
powerful advocacy for this can be seen in the drive
by the world’s leading research universities to foster,
what Professor Nigel Slater, Head of the Chemical
Engineering and Biotechnology Research Centre
at Cambridge, calls ‘social promiscuity’. BDP is
uniquely organised to provide a socially promiscuous
context to stimulate creativity in the pursuit of places
genuinely shaped around the human wellbeing. This
unity of vision makes us a community with a strong
identity ourselves.
Urbanisation is a growing phenomenon and
thinking in an integrated way is the prerequisite of
a civilised society. It is increasingly important for
designers to dovetail life’s activities into a coherent
and sustainable whole. >
35 twenty thirteen
thought piece seven | community and identity
Music Boxes, Manchester
Alder Hey Children’s
Hospital, Liverpool
BDP’s interdisciplined, multi sector and multi
in shaping their community.
location approach creates an infrastructure
Discussions are about the
for us to do it well. Armed with the experiences
issues that affect everyday life
of Liverpool One, a herculean collaboration
and solutions emanate from
and the only city scale masterplan ever to
them. In the same way, our
be shortlisted for the Stirling Prize, BDP is
project for the world famous
collaborating with Manchester City Council
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital
to stimulate fresh thinking about the way the
in Liverpool shows the benefit
city can develop in the future.
of
designers
striking
up
a
Deliberately provocative and
meaningful conversation with
unfettered by self generated
a city community that boasts
constraints, we have taken a
a very proud sense of identity.
radical and fresh look at the
Everyone understands that the
way the world’s first industrial
project is a focal point for the
city can develop in the future.
community and needs to reflect
Ideas rich, this collaboration is
the character of the city and its people. So
the antithesis of insular thinking
we talked with everyone, to make sure the
and at its core realises cities are
identity of the building sprang from the
ecosystems to be looked at in
people who use and operate it. The result is
an integrated way. The outputs
an exciting beacon of wellbeing organised
are a wonderfully stimulating
around a family friendly social street,
vision and the activities which
where all the activities flow and connect
weave it together. Collaboration
with the city park.
and holistic thinking is the essence of sustainable
Our curiosity about activity and experience and
communities at any scale.
meaningful engagement with users, operators and
Being interested in community focused outcomes
financiers allows us to look at things in a fundamental
means architects should work in a collaborative
way. Forward looking clients are looking for fresh
way. A user centred approach depends on a good
thinking at the all important starting point, where
conversation with those who commission, use or have
preconception and closed minds can be a real barrier
an interest in the places being created. At Tollgate
to progress. The top research universities understand
Gardens in London, BDP is working with residents,
this and are setting visions for the future of scientific
planners and developers to create a cohesive vision for
research, dismantling the straightjacket effect of
inner city living. We bring working models and sketches
their existing estates and creating new blended
to weekly workshops to illuminate this important
space concepts to support world class collaborative
dialogue. It is our way of fostering a social and
research programmes. >
The output is a wonderfully stimulating vision and the activity threads
which weave it together. Collaboration and holistic thinking is the essence of
sustainable communities at any scale.
creative environment for real people to play a real role
twenty thirteen 38
thought piece seven | community and identity
University of York
Masterplan,
Concept overview from
Lakehouse
T
he ‘hubs’ we have created in our studios are
Perhaps the most interesting thing about cities is that
just the kind of places that can foster creative
designers have an opportunity to think about the
fusion because they are a part of our working
creative use of space, or as we put it ‘thinking laterally
lives. They are where together we meet, talk,
and vertically’. Hampden Gurney School in London
eat, watch and listen – all good news for our creative
is a tour de force in urban school design. It shows
thinking. Of course the trick is to get the design right
you can make the impossible not only possible but
so that it is as popular as a beautiful piazza in an
delightful too. Organising a school vertically (rather
Italian hill town. At B&Q’s new Store Support Office
than horizontally as is the norm) brings a wonderful
in Hampshire, UK we created our own version of
opportunity to strengthen a sense of community, not
the Italian piazza; a new place to foster a sense of
least for the simple reason that people are closer
community and identity. Everyone passes through it,
together. This approach is increasingly recognised
shares it and owns it. And like any good piazza it’s not
as sustainable because it uses less of the earth’s
just one big space but enjoys a variety of places to sit,
surface, lifting people into the light, air and views. It
contemplate, converse and to glimpse the activities
is producing some of our best buildings across all
throughout the building. Using these types of spaces
sectors. Of course it is important we do not simply
unlocks the potential of people because they behave
create big blocks which blight their surroundings and
like a community.
ignore the user experience, until that is, you get to
the penthouse. But we have probably only scratched
Of course, the essence of any good piazza is
microclimate. How often we sit in wonderful multi
the surface with vertical mixed use buildings, which
generational spaces which are the hub of their
become sociable human scale communities in their
communities when we are on holiday, either in the sun
own right and which make a positive contribution
or shade depending on the climate and time of year.
to their ecosystems. This is a message we must take
And by contrast we experience some of the disastrous
across the rapidly developing planet.
spaces urban planners and designers concoct in our
cities today, overshadowed and windswept – unloved
and unused. At Appleton Academy, a new build
academy in Bradford, the school is wrapped around
a sheltered garden to create a welcoming micro-
A
climate at the heart of the school and the urban
t the University of Cambridge, this approach
The new route breaks the building into human sized
has been described as social engineering,
parts around a piazza where you can enjoy pastries
because our designs affect the way the
made by the students, watch trainee mechanics at
activities of research communities interact.
work, discuss training and education across a wide
community it serves. The space and activities around
it are like a microcosm of a city because they work
together and relate strongly to each other; sheltering
from wind and catching the sun – a focal venue for the
constantly changing things going on in and around it.
For example, the design for the new Chemical
spectrum of life skills, or just hang out and watch the
Engineering and Biotechnology Building has come out
world go by in a comfortable and welcoming place.
And when we began sketching the major expansion
In other words this is a real place where
people want to be. More and more
education buildings are breaking down
barriers, engaging the community they
serve in a way relevant to real lives.
northern European setting meant we wanted to catch
at Gerrit Komrij College in the Netherlands, the town
Working with people and focusing on creating positive
into the skip it sat on a sunny spot on the pavement
wanted its new college to integrate seamlessly with its
experiences is the essence of creating human scale
community. So we set a public route through the heart
places. I have yet to see anyone’s creative capacities
of the building, magically dissolving the institutional
diminish in convivial surroundings. Commercial
feel prevalent in many education buildings, forging a
organisations are increasingly realising the benefit
strong physical connection with the town itself.
of promoting a strong sense of community through
of a continuous dialogue with the users and operators.
We encouraged them to consider what they want to do
rather than what they want. This bottom up activity-led
design approach avoids a preoccupation with fashion
or style and produces buildings which work well and
look good.
Education is at the heart of any community and
their workplace design. The multinational corporation
Apple understands this to the extent that everything is
subservient to the big idea of creating a central place
in their new HQ in California. >
of the University of York, climate was a key shaper. A
low angle sunlight and protect against cold northerly
winds; in other words create a positive microclimate to
make the spaces around buildings enjoyable.
I remember fondly the old sofa we threw out on a
bright but crisp March morning. Before being tossed
in front of the house for an hour or so. It became
a gathering point for everyone in the street for the
couple of hours it sat there, transforming behaviours
in a very positive way. For a short while that sofa
became the hub of my community.
I am optimistic about
our future. Exponential
change is all around us and
progress across the world
is driving urbanisation.
This is an unprecedented
moment to develop
sustainable infrastructure
and technologies.
With it comes a huge responsibility for designers to
champion collaborative practice and environmental
sensibility. Technology will move apace but we will
see gathering momentum to support the idea of
community and empowering people to work together
and support each other. The finite planet will ultimately
determine the way we behave and progressively
people’s lives will be enriched by working in harmony
with the environment and its valuable natural
resources. The unfettered pursuit of self interest will
lead to social decay. It is unsustainable and will not
lead to a happy and contented society.
Power to the people! n
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW
relevant section - xxxx
the growth of urbanisation and the continued
2013
chief
executive’s
review
renewal of towns
and cities around
the world will continue apace.”
PETER DRUMMOND | CHIEF EXECUTIVE
BDP is an international, interdisciplinary
design firm. Like many in our industry, we have
Because of BDP’s specialist expertise and experience
faced many changes and challenges in the last
clients from other parts of the world for these
year. We are striving to make the most of the difficult
particular building types, with projects in Scandinavia,
economic context of the UK and Europe. This has
Australia, Russia, Turkey and Thailand.
tested our abilities to both secure and deliver projects
in ever more competitive circumstances, whilst
a turnover of over £65m, and we are planning for this
aiming for excellence in both design and service to
to grow over the next few years towards £80m. We also
our clients. Our distinctive integrated design ethos,
saw some changes in the senior leadership of BDP.
regional strength, and collaborative approach have
David Cash succeeded Tony McGuirk as Chairman,
enabled us to retain a pre-eminent position in our
with Tony continuing to lead a growing range of
main areas of work – education, healthcare, retail and
high quality housing and education projects. David,
mixed use development, and masterplanning, and
a director of BDP for over twenty years, has been
to develop our capabilities in housing, transport and
instrumental in the development of our international
workplace.
network, informing a clear vision of what it means to
be able to operate as a leading design practice in
Our continued investment in technology, especially
in hospitals and retail development, we also attracted
So 2012 was a year of contrasts. The firm achieved
BIM (Building Information Modelling), is enabling
many parts of the world. Heather Wells succeeded
us to apply our talents to developing new ways of
John Parker as Group Finance Director.
translating and informing the creative process into
the most informed, detailed, and coordinated levels
growth of urbanisation and the continued renewal
of information for analysis, project delivery, and
of towns and cities around the world will continue
integration with the construction industry.
apace, as populations grow and demand amenity
Beyond Western Europe, BDP’s studios in Abu
and comfort from the places in which they live and as
Dhabi, New Delhi, and Shanghai, continue to grow
increasingly footloose investment can exploit a better
in scale, strength and reputation. These new studios
networked world to make development decisions
are extending our approach to the provision of high
based on quality of place, not just location. BDP’s
quality social infrastructure such as schools, hospitals,
ethos, now extended to a wider network of studios, is
and universities as places of dramatic growth and
perfectly suited to play a significant part in rising to
change, along with new places to shop and work, and
this challenge. n
We look forward to 2013 with cautious optimism. The
sustainable masterplans for the changing demographic
needs. The focus of this work is founded on the user and
community view of civilised urban living.
City traffic
© Alain Lacroix |
Dreamstime.com
on the boards | review of work
on the boards
The design for the masterplan
for Samara, the sixth largest city
in Russia, required a residential
density of 500 apartments per
hectare and a minimum four
hectares of open green space.
The solution is a series of
landscaped courtyards focusing
onto the central park, opening
up views and enabling sunlight
penetration.
The competition winning
Bispebjerg Hospital
Masterplan in the northern
part of Copenhagen is
calm and accessible with
landscape ribbons that knit
into the existing historic
urban grain. BDP has
since been shortlisted for
several Danish hospital
competitions.
BDP is part of a consortium
which has been chosen by
the London Fire Brigade
as its PFI partner for a
construction programme
that will see nine ageing
fire stations rebuilt across
the capital, each of
them targeting BREEAM
Outstanding.
Located on a gateway site,
the Suzhou Dushu Lake
Masterplan in China aims
to strengthen transport links
and access and provide an
identity for this emerging
residential district. At the
heart of the scheme is
an ecological park which
connects to the waterfront.
The International Quarter
in London will be one of
the UK’s largest mixed use
developments, transforming
the Olympic Park by creating
a vibrant and dynamic
commercial hub in the heart
of Stratford City.
Düsseldorf Ulmer Höh
A competition winning
design to redevelop a former
prison site in Germany, and
transform it into a lively city
neighbourhood.
In the forested hills
of Kamand in the
Himalayan region, the
Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) is
creating a new campus
on the outskirts of
Mandi which will
research innovative,
environmentally
sensitive products
and processes for the
development of the
region.
Our solution for the
redevelopment of the
Royal Sussex County
Hospital site in Brighton
fits a large scale
development sensitively
into its historic context.
The topography is fully
exploited with the ward
accommodation looking
over the English Channel.
We are engineering the
exemplar low carbon
building the NRP (Norwich
Research Park) Enterprise
Centre which targets two of
the most rigorous sustainable
built environment standards,
BREEAM Outstanding and
Passivhaus Certification.
on the boards | review of work
ON THE BOARDs
To showcase the
University of Essex’s
sustainable business
strategies, the Business
School is designed to be
visibly sustainable from
every angle, through
its orientation on site,
choice of materials,
landscaping and passive
engineering strategies.
The Hongqiao Business
District is a low rise
development in Shanghai
within a flexible mixed use,
mixed density masterplan
which allows for future
growth, optimising the site’s
natural and climatic assets.
At Les Gargues,
Aubagne to the
east of Marseille,
we prepared a
new masterplan
for a mixed use
development of
residential, retail
and civic amenities
on the outskirts of
the town.
The relocation of the
prestigious primary and
secondary Jumeirah
College in Dubai for the
charitable organisation
GEMS Education will
provide additional facilities
for 2,300 students.
The American School
of Paris will provide
a great 21st century
learning environment
while celebrating the
wonderful parkland
setting at Saint-Cloud
in the western
suburbs of Paris.
This creative intervention
to the Grade II listed Brown
Hart Gardens substation in
Mayfair is one of a number of
schemes that BDP is involved
with that will enhance the
public realm of Grosvenor’s
central London estate.
GGB AWARD 2012
BEST DESIGNED PLACE AWARD
COMMENDED
The Grenfell Baines Best Building Award is presented
1. Victoria Hospital, Fife
3. Nirlon Knowledge Park, India
to the best built project produced over the previous 12
“The serene atmosphere created in the wards will
“Ground-breaking in the Indian market in valuing the
months by one or other of BDP’s studios. It is named in
surely improve patient wellbeing and recovery,
role of high quality public realm and a masterplanning
honour of the firm’s founder and the man whose vision
whatever the medical condition.”
approach as a way of creating a real place. A fun,
we have become, Professor Sir George Grenfell Baines.
GGB
AWARD
2012
pleasant place to work – calming and supportive.”
2. Bathgate Library and Community Hub
1. Academy of Innovation & Research, CUC, Tremough; 2. Bathgate Partnership Centre,
“This is a true interdisciplinary working, open and
4. The Learning Zone, Ebbw Vale
West Lothian; 3. Bents Green School, Sheffield; 4. Crown Woods School, Greenwich;
accessible; the miracle is how light penetrates the
“A surprisingly impressive building and a full inter-
5. Gerrit Komrij School, Winterswijk; 6. High Storrs School, Sheffield; 7. Nirlon
building given its deep plan form. A new focus for this
disciplinary commission by BDP. Well laid out spaces
Knowledge Park, India; 8. Parkway, Newbury; 9. Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham;
community.”
from the dramatic entrance to the great roof gardens
with good acoustics, lighting and use of colour.”
10. Republic of Fritz Hansen, London; 11. The Learning Zone, Ebbw Vale;
12. Victoria Hospital, Fife; 13. Waitrose, Bracknell
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
1.
3.
2.
4.
ggb award
The Queen Elizabeth
Hospital,
winning
project
Birmingham
“Whether on the curved wards, the outpatients’
department or the laboratories, the tremendous
enthusiasm for this building and the pride shown by
the staff there was truly wonderful to hear.”
“A landmark building for the Midlands skyline. The huge
scale of the development does not detract from the
quality of the detailing.”
relevant section - xxxx
FEATURES | twenty thirteen
Night scenes of
high-density buildings
© Nohead Lam | Dreamstime.com
photographers
David Barbour
EDITORIAL
Peter Durant
David Cash
Sanna Fisher-Payne
Vanessa Brown
Daniel Hopkinson
Sheri Besford
David Millington
Helen Moorhouse
Tim Soar
Richard Dragun
Dreamstime.com
DESIGN
Brett Critchley
Lynda Athey
City Co
Paul Atkins
Imrich Farkas
John Beswick
Alain Lacroix
Matthew Wood - illustration
Nohead Lam
Rigamondis
PRINTED BY
Brown Knight & Truscott
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2013
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twenty thirteen 52