Architects put construction upswing in Context

Auckland and Christchurch based Context Architects has made two new appointments and announces two promotions this month. Its a sign of increasing activity in the residential sector, particularly in medium and high-density development, explains Director and practice founder Stephen Voyle. Our retail and commercial clients requirements continue to increase and were also developing new relationships in these spaces.

Architect Madeline Sharpe joins Context from heading up masterplanning for housing developments at Long Bay, Hobsonville and Glenn Innes. Her regulatory and commercial nous will complement the teams work on large, mixed-use projects. On the retail and interiors side of the business Context welcomes Sahabeh Tahmasebi; formerly design manager at a commercial and retail interiors consultancy. Sahabeh will work with Contexts large retail and corporate clients on national projects.

The ten-year-old practice promotes Anton Fenwick and Nick Chan to associate roles, part of its commitment to developing its architects careers. Anton has extensive experience in the medium and high-density residential sector in NZ and the UK, and is currently leading a major residential development in Albany as well as overseeing TV3s The Block NZ. And Nick Chan, as well as being a skilled design and construction manager, explains Stephen Voyle, speaks five languages - a boon for our off-shore clients.

Context is a New Zealand Institute of Architects practice and works nationally and internationally from offices in Auckland and Christchurch.

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Architects put construction upswing in Context

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 17:15 EST, 21 November 2014 | Updated: 04:22 EST, 22 November 2014

Aldi pals:Roman Heini, left, and Matthew Barnes

The architects of Aldis success in the UK are being separated.

Joint managing directors Roman Heini and Matthew Barnes have worked hand in glove since 2010 to grow the German discounter into a significant threat to the established grocers.

But in a surprise move Aldi said German born Heini will return to his homeland to become chairman of the advisory board for the entire group.

Barnes will become chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland a new post and the firm will hire two joint UK managing directors.

The changes will take place in March next year and come just after Heini borrowed 1.9million interest-free from his employer in 2012 to buy himself a mansion in the Warwickshire countryside.

The pair send their children to the same schools, their wives socialise together, and the families hang out at weekends.

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Architects of Aldi's UK success are separated as German grocer gets British-based chief executive

Pier Solar and the Great Architects HD gameplay, first look
No commentary. PC, HD 720p. Walkthrough, gameplay, let #39;s play. High quality, good picture See my playlists here: https://www.youtube.com/user/SteadyEddy111/playlists Donations? Use PayPal:...

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The Bod concert hall, Norway, will provide a new home for the Arctic Philharmonic. Photographs: David Grandorge

Its an unusual view to behold from a municipal library. The midday sun hangs just above the horizon, casting a heavenly glow across the water, beneath a sky streaked with pink, orange and blue. A foreground of fishing huts and boats armed with whaling harpoons completes the picture, which could come straight from a Visit Norway tourist brochure.

But this is an unlikely project: a new 110m library and concert hall in the Arctic town of Bod (population 50,000), designed by a small London practice whose most substantial built work prior to winning the contract was an office extension in Sheffield.

It was quite a leap in scale, for us and the town, says David Howarth, director of DRDH architects, which won the project in a competition in 2009. It was a stark contrast to be working on this in the UK, just as libraries were being closed by the dozen and procurement processes make it impossible for small practices to win work of this size.

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Described by the towns mayor as the largest municipal project ever, and the symbol of Bod entering a new era, the scheme is part of a wider attempt to lure people north and rebalance Norways bottom-heavy cultural offering. When the civil aviation authority was recently moved to Bod as part of the national decentralisation programme, 40% of its employees quit.

We wanted to give people a reason to stay, rather than just passing through on the way to the popular Lofoten Islands, says former mayor Odd-Tore Fygle, who began planning the Kulturhus project back in 1999.

But not all the towns residents were so keen. DRDHs stark white concrete design was variously lambasted as looking like a margarine factory, a fish oil plant and something lifted from the eastern bloc. The Germans did a lot of damage to our city in the war, wrote one furious local. And now youve come to finish the job.

But in the event, 20% of the towns entire population turned up to the opening of the complex, aptly christened Stormen (Norwegian for storm). And now theyve had a chance to look inside, most people couldnt be happier with the finished building.

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A new chapter: British architects unveil state-of-the-art Arctic library

DAS Architects to Redesign Georgia Resort November 21, 2014

Philadelphia-based DAS Architects has been selected to create the new comprehensive branding and design for the Ocean Suites at Jekyll Island, as well as the resorts adjacent caf, on Jekyll Island, Georgia.

The firm will be responsible for the branding and design of the new boutique Ocean Suites oceanfront rooms and suitesincluding full kitchens and living rooms; the resorts social spaces; lobby and registration areas; swimming pool; porch; and several other public areas.

The new suites will have a contemporary, Victorian-inspired interior with a casual, relaxed feel throughout, complete with touches of Jekyll Island Club nostalgia and location-inspired colors and finishes.

The original Jekyll Island Club was established in the late 1800s and was a favorite among Americas wealthiest families. Today, the property is considered a landmark that boasts nearly 160 rooms and suites. This new project will add more than 60 suites.

DAS Architects was also responsible for the Jekyll Island Club, where they designed the lobby bar, dining room, and adjoining public spaces.

Its an exciting time for the Jekyll Island Club. The resort is ready to open a new chapter as the islands premier family-friendly destination, says Susan Davidson, partner of DAS Architects. We are excited to embark on this interesting and creative architectural project and are especially looking forward to DAS Architects and our sister company, Studio DAS, working hand in hand on this compelling and collaborative endeavor.

Stay on top of hospitality design news, latest hotel openings, designer interviews and not-to-miss events!

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DAS Architects to Redesign Georgia Resort

Black Landscape Architects Network Virtual
Black Landscape Architects Network Virtual Date: November 23, 2014 Time: 2pm EST Available via broadcast on Youtube and on Google+ Hangouts. If you have access to the internet, you can join...

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FRITZ HANSEN - COBE Architects
Watch Dan Stubbergaard, Founder and Creative Director at COBE Architects talk about beauty, functionality and architecture.

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Sabah graduate architects urged to register with PAM

KOTA KINABALU: Malaysian Architect Association (PAM) Sabah Chapter Chairman Victor Wong urged all graduate architects to register and be part of its association. "The registration is free.

There are many programmes being organised for them and to help in their career, both professional and socially.

"All they have to do is to log on to PAM Sabah Chapter website, http://www.pamsabah.com to download the registration form or call the Secretariat at 088-261313 or 088-232524," he said.

He said the association has many programmes to engage its graduate architects not only in preparing them for their future but also in cultivating them to be corporate and socially responsible.

It was also learnt that an architectural ideas competition is in the pipeline for the graduate architects to show off their talents and creativity.

Wong declined to reveal the details as PAM Sabah Chapter is waiting for the final approval from PAM Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia Architect Board (LAM), but said the architectural ideas competition was to encourage the graduates to be socially responsible in helping the local authorities to resolve issues of public interest.

"The education programme for the graduate architects has always been the top priority in our agenda to ensure they mature and become professional architects in the future.

"The Council of Architectural Education Malaysia (CAEM) programme is one that prepares them for the LAM Part 3 professional examination.

"Practising architects are rounded up as volunteer tutors to guide the young graduates in the preparation of their professional examination" said Wong.

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Sabah graduate architects urged to register with PAM

Archmarathon: Zambak Architects + Corda - Jurtin Hajro

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A "wounded" Canberra CBD pavement is stitched up by Jennie Curtis, as part of the Mending the Urban Fabric display.

Look at our picture of two intrepid abseilers tackling a hair-raising cliff face. Can you guess where in the ACT this challenging precipice is? A giant quarry somewhere? A rock face in the wuthering heights of Namadgi National Park?

No. It is in Canberra's CBD. On Tuesday evening landscape architects Renae Palmer and Carma Sweet were reconnoitring the areas that they and others planned to use for Mending the Urban Fabric installations. They came across the little urban blemish of a missing tile and it suggested to them a mini-rock face. They went to work to create this exquisite little installation they've called The Abseilers.

The Mending the Urban Fabric project ispart of the Design Canberra Festival running from November 20 to 23. The organisers explain: "The fabric of our garden city rips and bulges in places where it is stressed, forming cracks and holes in our roads and footpaths. Landscape architects of the Canberra region will mend the urban fabric by creating small, temporary interventions in cracks and pot holes around the city, filling and reinterpreting them using ephemeral materials."

The Abseilers, an urban installation by Renae Palmer and Carma Sweet.

Most of the head-turning "temporary interventions" - all done by members of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects - are along Lonsdale Street in Braddon, at nearby Genge Street in the city and in a Civic laneway next to Gus's cafe.

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Surgical "interventions" - and after this the cracks we see in pavements will never seem quite the same again - include (our picture) Jennie Curtis's colourful suturing of a nasty wound in the CBD's fabric/flesh.

In other mendings and improvements of the fabric, Barbara Payne looked for and found cracks, holes and blemishes into which she has introduced beautiful native grasses. She explains that they are all species (such as wallaby grass and lemon beauty heads) that once upholstered these very spots - before a city replaced the grassy plain.

This use of today's built-up Canberra places of local native grasses reminds me of an essay I once wrote, with the help of many natural history experts, about what would become of Canberra if humans abandoned it. At the time, abandoned Chernobyl was being vigorously recolonised by its region's fauna and flora. One day we may have a similar disaster here. Or perhaps, admitting our awful mistake in not building the federal capital city at Dalgety, we may abandon Canberra and begin again at that dream site beside the Snowy River.

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Landscape architects mend flaws in urban fabric with installation The Abseilers