Plans have been submitted for a innovative new house in Nottinghamshire. The curvaceous house has been commissioned by an affluent couple seeking a new home that is “luxurious, environmentally-friendly and playful.” It was a design challenge we relished.
The client presented our office with a simple proposition: ‘Why live in a box? Our cars are streamlined, soft in form and luxurious – why can’t our new house follow the same philosophy?’
From this unusual brief grew an exuberant design for a 21st century country house: a hidden retreat, designed for entertaining, and set within and around a beautiful landscaped garden. The vision is a sculptural property that stretches the boundaries of design, structure, and environmental thinking. It achieves a combination often difficult to resolve: a home that is ultra low in energy use but also high in aesthetic aspiration and quality.
BACA are hoping the house, titled Serenity, will push the boundaries of environmental and architectural design; develop technological innovations that will inform future buildings in the UK and produce a beautiful country house that will be enjoyed by generations to come.
Richard Coutts attended the inaugural meeting of the Floods Advisory Group at N° 10, Downing Street last week, chaired by minster’s Andrew Percy MP, Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse and Dr Therese Coffey MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State.
The National Flood Resilience Review sets out the Government’s commitment to develop and pilot a new model of self-financing investment, which is intended to increase local flood resilience and enhance urban regeneration.
The Advisory Group will now establish a framework in order to establish these objectives and will report back to Government over the forthcoming months. Sheffield has been identified as the pilot scheme.
BACA architects is shortlisted for this year’s British Homes Awards.
The shortlist was judged by a high-profile jury chaired by Robert Adam of ADAM Architecture. It included AJ editorial director Paul Finch, Jo McCafferty of Levitt Bernstein, BRE chief executive Peter Bonfield and architect Lynne Sullivan.
The annual awards, is backed by the Sunday Times.
Read more about it here https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/finalists-named-in-british-homes-awards-flood-resistant-house-contest/10009716.fullarticle
Planning has been granted for a bold new extension to the Creekside Discovery Centre within the Deptford Creek Conservation Area of Lewisham. The Centre is run by local charity Creekside Education Trust who helps people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the physical and natural environment and help maintain and protect the local urban wildlife on the site and along Deptford Creek.
The repurposed building seeks to minimise the impact of expansion on the wildlife habitats in the site by using a playful portal frame that spans over the existing building to support new facilities. Recycled shipping containers are plugged into the frame to make new teaching and ancillary blocks, which double the buildings occupancy. A carefully laid out podium deck also provides a unique outdoor education experience with a sunken auditorium, over the top of the existing roof, that provides an elevated vantage point for visitor’s to view wildlife habitats across the site.
The exposed structure and raw materials are inspired by the local context and aim to preserve some of the industrial character of the area.
With a record number of entries, from small practices through to large commercial firms, BD Architect of the Year Awards announced the shortlist for 2016.
With great excitement, BACA architects has been shortlisted amongst the finalists for the category Individual House of the Year, again!
Link to the website http://awards.bdonline.co.uk/2016-shortlist/
The 12th edition of the awards is set to be bigger and more exciting than ever. They will take place on 9 March 2016 at London ExCeL’s Platinum Suite in collaboration with Ecobuild , the leading exhibition for the construction and energy market.
The awards will be held on the evening of Ecobuild’s Architecture day, creating one of the largest gatherings of architects in the UK. This new combined offering creates a valuable and unique opportunity for the most innovative and established practices to meet, celebrate and do business.
Robert Barker and Richard Coutts are hosting an exciting book launch event in the prestigious Florence Hall at the Royal Institute of British Architects on the 9th of February 2016. This will celebrate the completion and publication of their new book ‘Aquatecture: Buildings and cities designed to live and work with water’ and is a chance to say thank you to all of the patrons, supporters and contributors who have been involved over the last 10 years.
