john allsopp . architect . barbados . london . amonle studio workshop

dockmaster

john allsopp . architect . barbados . london . amonle studio workshop — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:50:46 +0000

Dockmaster's House began as a request to extend the kitchen - ultimately to improve the quality of service. The final goal remained but the project scope expanded to become a dramatic redevelopment of the property. Strategy: The (historic) 'listed building' consent required that the original structure be restored and that the extension stand in clear contrast so that the historic form remained distinct. Original structure: The interior has been substantially restored and refurbished with a careful balance between preservation and contemporary requirements. One example was the interface between period Georgian lath and plaster ceilings (horse hair and all!), and the requirements for the latest in lighting and audio-visual installations. Extension: A new copper and glass structure has been built on the ground and first floors, facing the rear sunken garden – providing new public and private dining rooms respectively. The new main 'conservatory' dining room is 6m (20ft) tall and deep, supported by structural glass with no metal parts - the largest structure of its kind in the UK. Here and elsewhere the glass buildup varies from clear, to 'frosted' to a triple glazed system with copper mesh in the larger cavity. The building was constructed exactly 200 years ago at the gates of the West India Docks when Barbados was one of the most vital colonies. It has now been redeveloped by a Barbadian born architect. "sleekly converted" (Esquire) "the beautiful design and original architecture on their own make a unique prospect" (Harper's Bazaar) "historic conversion of the highest order" (Night) (function(d){ var js, id = 'facebook-jssdk'; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement('script'); js.id = id; js.async = true; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#appId=183488371707512&xfbml=1"; d.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(js); }(document));

battersea

john allsopp . architect . barbados . london . amonle studio workshop — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:50:43 +0000

In Battersea we were asked to redevelop a late Victorian family home. The hallmark of this exercise was the careful utilisation of cost effective and readily available materials and finishes to deliver a result that defied the limits of the budget. Tweet

hu.bb

john allsopp . architect . barbados . london . amonle studio workshop — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:52:58 +0000

Hu.bb proposes that if an established location seeks a Living City status the transformation should happen first with the occupants of that city – particularly if the city is historic. Therefore hu.bb is framed from the point of view of the user – to create a setting in which the users themselves can enact change. The proposed location is Speightstown on the west coast of Barbados in the Caribbean. The framework is made up of 5 components – which together create a setting in which a historic city can be transformed into a Living City: • A special logistic and legislative zone • A business incubator for proven and ‘proof of concept’ carbon reducing business models • A carbon offset exchange • Augmented reality • An ‘app’ Hu.bb creates an environment where the Living Building imperatives are met not by a single grand plan but emerge out of collective activities from a multitude of business ideas.

USNetZero

john allsopp . architect . barbados . london . amonle studio workshop — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:52:57 +0000

Reduce your carbon footprint Reduce the deficit Get a raise! America’s immediate and long term future depends on its ability to come to grips with, and ultimately capitalize on the challenges and opportunities respectively that these three issues present. Carbon: The only feasible path forward is a sustainable one. Whether the argument is for combating climate change or promoting energy security US Net Zero points towards a lifecycle balance in the production and consumption of resources. The building sector in the US accounts for 39% of carbon dioxide emissions (more than transport or industry) – so is the prime target for cuts. However US Net Zero focuses not on the infrastructure but on the occupants – incentivizing groups in a competitive environment to use their creativity and industriousness to reduce carbon emissions collectively. This is achieved through strategic collaborative consumption – of goods and services that will lower your carbon footprint. In turn this promotes the development of such goods and services. US Net Zero allows the sharing of market intelligence from producers to consumers and visa versa – for 1.8 million Federal Civil Servants plus their immediate family members 18 years old and over. Further, good sustainable habits may and carry over voluntarily outside the network producing a ‘multiplier effect’ for day to day reductions in carbon emissions and the promotion of sustainable business practices and products around the country. The deficit: On November 29th, 2010 President Obama announced a two-year pay freeze for civilian federal employees, projecting a saving of $5 billion over that period – but against a $1 trillion+ deficit … a very small step in a polarizing environment. However it has been calculated that over 10 years the savings would amount to $60 billion. Taken as a case study the implication is that given time, the rate of savings increases. Salaries: US Net Zero provides an opportunity for all civilian federal employees to achieve entrepreneurial rewards while maintaining their stable source of income. A yearly cash bonus is awarded at a level limited only by the imagination and capability of the network participants.

landship

john allsopp . architect . barbados . london . amonle studio workshop — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:52:55 +0000

A home for an extended family in New Providence, Bahamas Light: The structure runs on an east-west axis in response to the fixed pattern of movement of the sun throughout the day and year – high in the sky and ‘shade-able’ on the long south face, and minimising exposure to the low sun on the east and west faces. Wind: Significant breezes vary from north-easterly to southerly. A vertical axis wind turbine is proposed, situated on the eastern end. Having a vertical axis it generates power from wind from any direction. This particular model has a power rating of approximately 7,500 kWh per year. Water: The singular roof form allows for a central system for the collection of rainwater. One inch of rainfall on the surface area of the roof provides enough water for a six-person household for one week (assuming 100 gallons per person per day). Tweet

sandy lane

john allsopp . architect . barbados . london . amonle studio workshop — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:52:51 +0000

At Sandy Lane we began with an existing 5-bedroom house + 2-bedroom flat structure. The location has one of the best views to the horizon (to the west) on the estate however the house is oriented to the north - towards the 'gully'/ravine. Our principal objective was to re-orient the house to the west (ie. the left side of the plans), and maximise the amount of habitable space with the view. The client also wanted a more contemporary feel. This was achieved by adding a new wing with kitchen/living/dining below and bedrooms above, as well as altering the layout in the existing structure to take best advantage of the western orientation. Together with the change in roof form and other alterations the home would be radically transformed. Tweet

ENTERTAINMENT: New directions for young architects

john allsopp . architect . barbados . london . amonle studio workshop — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:52:48 +0000

The new directions that I am looking at revolve around the idea of simulation. My last post looked at how construction and fabrication technologies are used to simulate the elements of building construction and use. In entertainment design the elements of space are a means to a different end – the simulation of experience. As a result (and thank goodness!) people are at the centre of the action. Read More Morgan Freeman (yes, both versions are CG - click the image for more details) The crews who work on production design for film, television and the stage might easily have been on a building site the previous day using the same skillset. The main difference is that what they build for productions is a prop – a temporary installation whose primary function is to add context and scenery. The production designer’s work may take us backwards or forwards in time or completely out of place into a fantasy (it is physical sets that I am thinking of here - CG next). Looking at musical stage sets it is probably no coincidence that London’s Architectural Association gave us both Archigram and Mark Fisher and hosted the musical architecture students who went on to form Pink Floyd.

TECHNOLOGY: New directions for young architects

john allsopp . architect . barbados . london . amonle studio workshop — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:52:47 +0000

In my last post I had a look at the bigger picture of challenges and opportunities for young architects in a tough economy. ‘Technology’ is the first of two more in-depth looks at the possibilities. Here the focus is on 3D, and specifically ‘intelligent’ 3D. Intelligence is what separates the old from the new as far as possibilities go – not just representation of a building but simulation of it. For inspiration we do not have to look far because the principles are well established in the field of industrial design. It is no coincidence that as architecture has become more organic (’blobified’) we have looked to ID for the tools to realise our ideas. How can 3D be made intelligent? Read More Parametrics: Literally using parameters to define design forms and/or the development of a design form. Paramertrics are involved in form generators such as Grasshopper for Rhino (3-dimensional forms generated by algorithms) and the construction history of SolidThinking (the ability to modify a design form say 10 steps in by changing the first step and effecting a ‘ripple effect’). A simple architectural example is a door ’system’ which is chosen once but then adjusts to different sized openings around the same building. (Building) Information Modeling: … 3D parts that know what they are. It is a step up to translate a 2D line representation of a door to a 3D form but BIM goes further – identifying that 3D form as a door in a database while giving the form measurable physical properties. So once you have dropped the door in you can use it to produce presentation and construction drawings, your door schedule and include it in a thermal assessment of the enclosure, for example. Pioneers ArchiCAD more intuitively called this idea the ‘virtual building’ long before the acronym ‘BIM’ became popular. BIM software is typically parametric by nature. Lifecycle Management: Industrial design has PLM (with ‘P’ for product) but the principle is the same, and it starts at the design stage. Airbus can get contractors all over the world to bid on production of various parts by distributing digital information which forms the basis of design, manufacturing and servicing systems for the aircraft. Digitally the aircraft is a complex 3-dimensional whole with metalwork, electrics, hydraulics and a multitude of other parts and services represented and coordinated within shared digital files. It doesn’t take a great leap to translate the principles to the design, construction and management of a building. Software such as Vico Office Suite and Navisworks which aggregate information from various others are pointing the way. They go beyond 3-dimensional simulation of the building to layer on sequencing/scheduling (’4D’) and costing/resourcing (’5D’). In the examples just above both the aircraft and the building are modeled in CATIA software (the building in the CATIA derivative, Digital Project). Little by little building simulation is becoming not just an option but a requirement – whether for local authority submissions or design competition entries. It is a disruptive force to the ‘old’ ways of CAD. How it is implemented and the possibilities for its potential to be properly exploited depend on the scale of operation into which it is introduced. BIG: Sorry guys but the project manager has moved from prince to king in this space. I recently read a blog post about a construction job with 200+ BIM files aggregated. Just imagine the scenario – the architect here is a very specialised ‘BIM file provider’, submitting alongside the MEP and structural. No big surprise really but a little depressing. Nevertheless the process of successful coordination on a complex project can be breathtaking to witness. Employing BIM is a natural progression from a project management point of view and I expect to see most innovation driven by the requirements of operating at this scale. MEDIUM: The middle is often a tough place to thrive and particularly so in a difficult economic climate. I am surprised that my first thought is that there is least incentive to migrate to a BIM system for this group. Without the benefit of economy of scale of the larger players or the versatility of the smaller it is a harder business case to prove. The investment in time and cost for software and training for an office of say ten can make it quite unattractive. I worked for many years in an office of that size and I can imagine the disruption going all the way through. A larger operation could isolate it to one team at a time, who the office is less likely to depend on as multi-taskers in any case. Having said that, mid-size firms like everyone else need to make the transition now or they will simply cease to be competitive. SMALL: This is where I see the most exciting possibilities and young architects are best placed to take advantage. The decision to make the transition need not be for 10 or 100 but could be for as few as one – no meetings, no delay, just a thought and an action (and an invoice!). Self-training resources are plentiful – a few links below. My personal motto for when I begin to feel unfocussed during the day is “never do nothing”. The ArchiCAD tutorials have modules for you to pace yourself, jump into a lesson when you have a moment and come back to another later. The ‘virtual building’ is exactly what a small firm needs – layers of information created on the fly and coordinated in 3D space amongst co-workers with the option to take the rich details to third party consultants. For all architects with 2D CAD skills now is the time to make the move, not just to 3D but to intelligent 3D. Do not hesitate because the industry is not turning back. Parametrics, information modeling and lifecycle management are the key markers along the way. A few useful resources: BIM Learning Studio (ArchiCAD) Learning & Training (Revit Architecture) Be Employable (Bentley) The World According to BIM (Cadalyst) A Case for Virtual Mock-Ups (Vico) Originally published at tropicalismo360 Aug 2009 Tweet (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })();

New directions for young architects in a credit crunch economy

john allsopp . architect . barbados . london . amonle studio workshop — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:52:46 +0000

Ten years ago Napster had just been launched and it was the beginning of the end for the recording music industry as it was known then. Its decline continues but a new model is emerging out of the ruins of the old - p2p, iTunes, Spotify and others are pointing the way to a new direction. Each is dealing a lethal blow to an established business model and they have precipitated a clear paradigm shift in the inudstry. I cannot help but feel that a shift of similar magnitude is underway in the world of architecture. The beginning of the shift can be traced back to a particular date – not the demolition of a housing block – but a fracture in the global financial system. On August 6th 2007 American Home Mortgage Investment Corp filed for bankruptcy. A few days later French bank BNP sent another shockwave through the system and the credit crunch had begun. We are now almost two years in and the financial world has changed more than just about anyone imagined. The West has been the most careless and is now feeling the brunt of the pain but the phenomenon is global. For all the talk of ‘green shoots’ and recovery I subscribe to Robert Reich’s view that there will be no recovery – in effect that there is no going back to the ‘old’ economy of July 2007. Earlier this month the UK’s Office for National Statistics reported an almost 1,000% (one thousand percent!) increase in unemployment for architects since last year. Architectural firms of all sizes are suffering and the layoffs continue, but of course the universities are still pumping out graduates. Most of these graduates are not going to find work any time soon so its begs the question – what should they do? The same applies to architects made redundant and the self-employed who are under-employed. My experience of architecture school was often like a fairground ride passing through a series of technical and creative worlds leaving me as passenger a little unfocussed but a lot enlightened, and eager to try almost anything. Unfortunately the realities of the world of work quickly dull that enthusiasm, but what if that intervention is delayed, aborted or avoided altogether? What are the realistic career paths for young architects? Read More These thoughts emerged as a conversation with myself watching business slow, fees negotiated down and opportunities delayed or cancelled. They are symptoms of a systemic decline in the profession which even prompted the president of the RIBA to send a letter to all members warning against (literally) devaluing their work. Unfortunately stimulus spending by the state by nature favours large, established firms. Young entrepreneurial professionals may get some trickle down but ultimately they are in a tough spot. I have heard stories of graduates trying to wait out the crisis by working in bars but again I do not see the old economy coming back. Reich himself ends with a question mark about what a new economy will bring and this is what brought the music industry to mind. The distribution of music, whether the industry likes it or not, has become social and the companies and systems that have harnessed the power of the idea are the new players. We still have pop stars like we did ten years ago but the relationship with their fans has been revolutionised. The relevance for me as an architect? – the need to think different. Whether or not the Chinese word for crisis really is a combination of danger and opportunity the argument is correct because there are opportunities to be had. Naturally what works in the end will depend on what a ‘new’ economy looks like. This is a thought in progress so for now I will mention the first two paths that have come to mind. My main requirement is that you should maintain and exploit your core competencies, but crucially expand on them by acquiring related, new skills. So my focus for grasping the opportunities is a willingness and effort to learn: Technology We already know how much CAD and 3D have changed the way we do things, but there is more change to come. Companies such as Case and Design to Production are, in crude terms, your IT department on steroids – both, ultimately computing consultants – Case more about how to create and Design to Production about how to deliver. They are an inspiration for the more digitally minded graduate. [Update: follow-up post here] Entertainment Architecture is about space and portable architecture is about spaces that you can take with you. Mark Fisher has been designing sets for the likes of Pink Floyd and U2 for over two decades. His work is physical and structural but also demountable and moveable. Entertainment architecture that never leaves the page or screen is the ultimate in portability. Think of the environments of comic books, film and 3D gaming. [Update: follow-up post here] I’ll expand on these with dedicated posts in the coming weeks. I would also love to hear about your ideas which you can share by commenting below or by contacting me directly. AJ: Unemployment continues to rise among UK architects BD: RIBA warns architects against cutting fees Originally published at tropicalismo360 July 2009 Tweet (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })();

10 project management solutions for architects (or anyone) using mac os x

john allsopp . architect . barbados . london . amonle studio workshop — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:52:45 +0000

I regularly evaluate all of the tools and practices of my day-to-day business and project management has come up. Amazingly I had never used project management software in my first 13 years studying and working as an architect but I immediately began to explore it when I set up on my own. The RIBA has a Plan of Work which sets out workstages from A to L that break down the process of creating a building – from initial appraisal through to completion on site (there must be equivalents around the world – if you know of any please share). This is a great starting point for setting up a template for timelines. Project management is about resources – time, money, personnel etc. but since there are better places to look at the theory, here I will concentrate on my actual experience using various products. I cannot claim that this is an impartial review because what I used reflected my personal requirements and even these have changed over time. As in any discipline there are various schools of thought but in general I would say that I have moved from a Gantt chart time/task focus to a collaborative/communication one. Also there are also a lot more options than I have covered here, especially in the web application space. I would love to hear about your own experiences. Read More Merlin [from US$210 one-off] If you have used Microsoft Project on Windows you will understand Merlin – but I was bowled over by the sumptous interface. It is truly a joy to look at on screen and I use it to this day, although not nearly as actively as I used to. As the image suggests this is Gantt chart territory – where I put in the RIBA workstages plus more details from the Job Book. Add personnel, hourly rates and other resource costs and requirements and the future is laid out in front of you. A few quirks here and there but good exchange with Microsoft Project and very good overall. credit card vote: yes local / web: local genuinely multi-user: server version available add-on’s: yes family of related products: no tiered plans/features/pricing: no iPhone app: yes FastTrack Schedule [$349 one-off] I initially chose FastTrack (then version 9) over Merlin (version 1) because of better Microsoft Project exchange and better overall robustness, however the next version of Merlin fixed a lot of that – and this leads to why I do not use FastTrack now. I bought v9 in 2005, and they are still at v9 – shocking but true. Also I found that I simply did not launch the application very often. For all its great features (such as consolidation of multiple files into one chart) it reminded me that project management can feel like a chore. credit card vote: yes local / web: local genuinely multi-user: no add-on’s: no family of related products: no tiered plans/features/pricing: no iPhone app: no OmniPlan [$150 one-off] Like Merlin, OmniPlan has a clean, intuitive and very mac-like user experience. For those who are familiar with the venerable OmniOutliner, ‘Plan’ is similarly well thought through. I am guessing that there was some cross-pollination with the development teams – since outlining is only step away from Gantt charting anyway. The software feels a little ‘light’ in comparison to FastTrack/Merlin but actually the 20% of project management requirements that the 80% use are very well implemented here. Not enough to pull me away from my existing workflows but a great product. credit card vote: no local / web: local genuinely multi-user: no add-on’s: yes family of related products: yes tiered plans/features/pricing: no iPhone app: no Daylite [$189 one-off or $29 per month] Daylite is actually a CRM application – ie. its foundation is your contact list which then links to events, tasks, projects, opportunities, notes etc. – although, to be clear, anything can link to anything independently of contacts if necessary. This was by far my most valuable application for three solid years, built to be networked and with flawless syncronisation with my old Treo 650. It now links in to Mac OS X’s SyncServices which means that it updates Addressbook and iCal in the background, and syncs with any device that iSync can. Daylite also has a Project Pipeline function which ironically I never used since its function overlapped with Merlin. Overall a solid all-round application. credit card vote: yes local / web: local genuinely multi-user: yes add-on’s: yes family of related products: yes tiered plans/features/pricing: no iPhone app: yes Mac OS X built in - Addressbook, iCal, Mail [already paid for] The reason that I have included this is simple – before I had ever launched a dedicated project management application Addressbook, iCal and Mail were it. Workflow is critical and unsurpisingly they operate well together. But they also extend out to other applications on your mac, directly to the web via MobileMe and to other devices via iSync/iTunes. Also critical is that they use standards such as vCard and CalDAV which makes information exchange a snap. The direct competition on Mac OS X is Microsoft Entourage but I stuck with the built-in apps because of superior interoperability. credit card vote: yes local / web: both genuinely multi-user: sharing possible but best through Mac OS X Server add-on’s: yes family of related products: yes tiered plans/features/pricing: no iPhone app: yes Basecamp [from free, but I use the $49 per month plan] Basecamp is the reason that I no longer use Daylite. I used them together for a while but even though they belong to different project management paradigms there is significant overlap. These last five applications are web-based – therefore accessible from any computer with a web browser, and all with a focus on collaboration. I am not sure if Basecamp was the first but it is probably the most widely used of them all – and for good reason. Management here revolves around communication, within the project with related tasks, milestones, file exchange and more. Basecamp is effectively your company’s extranet so it is available not only to your staff and external team but also your clients. It is a great way to keep everyone on the same page. credit card vote: yes local / web: web genuinely multi-user: yes add-on’s: yes family of related products: yes tiered plans/features/pricing: yes iPhone app: yes Goplan [from free, but I tried the $35 plan] Goplan is often described as a Basecamp clone but that does not do it justice, especially with the new Version 2. Admittedly ‘1′ was lacking in certain feature departments and that is why it lost against Basecamp for me but there have been many improvements since then. I am particularly attracted to the calendar, file versioning and tags. Goplan is a very rounded and uncomplicated package. Apparently an iPhone app is also in the works. credit card vote: no local / web: web genuinely multi-user: yes add-on’s: no family of related products: no tiered plans/features/pricing: yes iPhone app: no activeCollab [from $249 one-off] ActiveCollab is the only web application of the five here that is hosted on your own servers. With the others you sign up and they take care of the rest, technically – storage, backup, upgrades etc (no they can’t do your work for you). AC began open source and free but recently became a paid-for product. This has put some people off and there is a new open source project that is based on a fork from the last freely available version of AC. However I am happy to pay for a good product if the cost is quickly matched by increased productivity. The developers come from the same school of thought as those behind Basecamp and Goplan so it feels quite familiar to me. If you want total control over your data then activeCollab is the way to go. credit card vote: no local / web: web genuinely multi-user: yes add-on’s: yes family of related products: no tiered plans/features/pricing: yes iPhone app: no Wrike [from $9.95 per moth, but see website] In the project management web application arena Wrike stands out with a unique approach. Their sales pitch is “If you know how to create emails, you already know how to use Wrike”. Other web-based options have the ability to ‘email in’ but Wrike is built on this approach. Users can genuine manage their integration with Wrike without going through their web browser. Having said that the web interface integrates the information together for easy access and assessment of the big picture. I would certainly recommmend trying Wrike alongside anything else that you already think you might go with. credit card vote: no local / web: web genuinely multi-user: yes add-on’s: no family of related products: no tiered plans/features/pricing: yes, but see website iPhone app: no Zoho Projects [from free, but I tried the $35 per month plan] I have to say that initially I was intimidated by Zoho – talk about a suite of products. I count 19 different web applications such as Zoho Docs, CRM, Mail, Meeting, and on and on – an entire ecosystem. But back to Projects, even though it is ‘only’ one of many it is quite comprehensive. Apart from the typical management of tasks, milestones, documents etc it also includes a ‘Project Wiki’, Gantt charts, group chat and integration with other Zoho products. Last but not least if offers direct import of Microsoft Project files. I would love to see the size of their development team because they have tried to cover all bases – and remember, this is only one of their 19 products. credit card vote: no local / web: web genuinely multi-user: yes add-on’s: no family of related products: yes tiered plans/features/pricing: yes iPhone app: no Originally published at tropicalismo360 July 2009 Tweet (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })();