CABE website

Cinderella warning for parks and green space (10 March 2010)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:59:42 -0800

A new national survey shows the impact of the recession and service cuts on parks and green space jobs.

Green space skills, a survey commissioned by CABE and English Heritage, is the first to reveal the full extent of skills shortages in the green space sector, in careers ranging from parks managers to tree surgeons.

Employers in the public, private and third sectors were surveyed, and the results shows that public parks and other green spaces are seen as a Cinderella service for many local authorities and are often the first to be cut.

A quarter of employers in the public sector expect a decrease in recruitment and a fifth say that green space departments are experiencing a greater reduction in budgets than other local authority departments. Funding cuts hit green spaces hard, as they rely on consistent and skilled maintenance.

Annual training budgets for people working in parks and green spaces in the public sector are 20 per cent lower less than their colleagues (an average of £245 vs £305).

Green space skills shows an urgent need to address the skills shortfall to tackle climate change. Planning, design and management are what are needed to help to adapt green spaces to a changing climate, and these were exactly the skills which employers felt their staff most lacked.

More about green space skills

Green space skills 2009: national employer survey

In July 2009 CABE, in partnership with English Heritage, commissioned Pye-Tait Consulting to carry out research to identify the total size, scope and labour market status of the green space sector in England.
Green space skills at CABE

Skills to Grow is a national strategy for improving the green space skills of our workforce.

Entries open for 2010 Prime Ministers Award (10 March 2010)

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:44:21 -0800

Entries are now open for this years Prime Ministers Better Public Building Award which recognises excellence in both design and procurement.

Public sector clients, architects, project managers, built environment professionals and contractors can submit any new project that has helped improve public services. Its size and budget do not matter.

It could be a new school, hospital, library, museum, bridge, station, city centre square or other public space. Last year’s winner was Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College in Birmingham. Or it could be a smaller project. Footbridges, a park café, memorial garden and rooftop nursery have all been shortlisted in the past.

The judges look for high-quality design; efficient procurement; economic and social value; good team work between client, designer and contractor; sound financial management; whole-life value for money; client satisfaction; and sustainability.

Find out how to enter the 2010 Prime Minister's Award.

The closing date for entries is 15 April 2010.

The Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award is a special category of the British Construction Industry Awards and is sponsored jointly by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, the Office of Government Commerce and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Green space skills 2009: national employer survey findings

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:11:54 -0800

In July 2009 CABE, in partnership with English Heritage, commissioned Pye-Tait Consulting to carry out research to identify the total size, scope and labour market status of the green space sector in England.

Green space skills 2009: national employer survey findings presents the findings of that research.

Download this publication

Housing: the big questions (Paul Finch, chair of CABE)

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:33:06 -0800

A letter from Paul Finch, published in the Architects' Journal on Friday 5 March 2010.

With a general election almost upon us, it will be interesting to see exactly where the UK political parties position themselves on the knotty question of housing supply. There are several reasons why this question is not quite as simple as it looks, if simplicity means predicting how many homes we will need in the coming decade and taking steps to ensure that they are supplied. If it were that simple, we would not be in our current position of having completed, in the last year, the lowest number of new homes since the 1920s. Put very crudely, we are lucky if we complete 120,000 homes a year, compared to 1.2 million in Japan.

Bear in mind that plenty of people do rather well out of a housing shortage. Housebuilders find themselves in the position of being able to sell everything they build with ease. Admittedly, this applies more in good times than bad, but it explains why some of the dreadful rubbish produced by the rumpend of the industry finds buyers. The National House-Building Council thinks that if people are prepared to pay for rubbish it must be okay, which is rather the same argument that employers of child labour deploy.

Quite apart from the supply side, the owners of existing homes do rather well too. Despite the recession, house prices in London rose on average nearly 10 per cent in the last year. Since 70 per cent of the public own their own home, or at least have a mortgage, shortages can contribute to a feel-good factor.

From a government point of view, it is important to look as though the problem of shortages is being tackled, which brings us to the Homes and Communities Agency's Kickstart programme. Wearing my CABE chairman's hat, my perspective on this programme starts with the truism that the government desires to deliver numbers not of homes completed, but of homes that can be said to be 'starting' (those with planning permission and the funding to proceed, with that funding coming from the taxpayer in the absence of private-sector support).

You can see why housing minister John Healey is averse to discussing anything that might get in the way of those numbers. And he has a point when he says that, if the schemes have planning permission, why should consideration of design quality suddenly become a hurdle to a start on site? If a scheme was of sufficient quality to obtain planning permission, what is the problem?

For all those with an interest in the quality of our housing stock, the answer is that far too many planning authorities approve designs that are woefully inadequate. I was truly shocked to see designs for back-to-back housing (two storeys, three party walls, single aspect) being given permission and Kickstart funding; the Planning Act of 1909 was introduced to make this sort of thing illegal. If planning authorities hold their noses and grant permission to obviously useless design, should the government follow suit and funnel in taxpayers' cash?

This is the real question in the great Kickstart debate, and one that has a general implication for our built-environment policies at a time of financial stringency. For CABE, the question is not whether a particular scheme is a potential Stirling Prize winner, nor whether the design is 'good' in the sense of being a potential RIBA Award winner. The question is whether it is 'good enough'.

This is a principle that has been accepted by the government in relation to the Building Schools for the Future programme, where joint work with CABE has resulted in a minimum design standard that any scheme must reach if it is to stand a chance of being built with public money. The Building for Life standard, developed by CABE and the Home Builders Federation, is another attempt to define a decent benchmark that we believe the public is entitled to expect.

There may be all sorts of sound and fury over which builder scored what points on which scheme in relation to the Kickstart programme, but the real question is about finding the appropriate balance between quality and quantity, and how we manage this better in years to come – without resorting to the provision of rabbit hutches.

A letter from Paul Finch, published in the Architects' Journal on Friday 5 March 2010.

Greenwich Peninsula Hotel, Greenwich

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:42:55 -0800

Development of a 21-storey hotel and a 23-storey building with serviced residential apartments. Designed by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands.

Summary

The development of this constrained site presents many challenges, not least that of building in such proximity to the O2 Dome. In our view, this proposal resolves these in a more convincing fashion than the consented scheme for the site. We welcome the logical organisation of the site. We also support the orthogonal planning and deconstructed form of the hotel and ballroom building. However, there are three areas which we think would benefit from further consideration. These relate to the position and orientation of the serviced apartment building, the architectural expression of the buildings and how they will be read against the O2 Dome, and the approach to landscape. Subject to a re-evaluation of these aspects of the project, we think the proposal could develop into a fitting neighbour for the O2 Dome. We are confident that the architects will rise to this challenge to produce a scheme worthy of the aspirations of Greenwich. We would ask that the points raised in this letter are addressed before planning permission is granted.

Site strategy

We recognise the significant challenges associated with developing this constrained site on the Greenwich Peninsula adjacent to the O2 Dome. The explanation of the development options for the site in the planning application is helpful in understanding the logic for the plan presented. Whilst we acknowledge that the approved masterplan for the peninsula respected the curve of the dome, the design team make a good case for adopting a strong orthogonal arrangement for the hotel and ballroom. It also puts a convincing case forward for buildings of the height proposed, which we note are lower than the consented hotel for the site.

However, we are not convinced by the positioning of the serviced apartment block in relation to the hotel and ballroom. We understand the logic for physically linking the two buildings and we support the desire for the apartment block to have its own identity. Nevertheless, the inflected position of the apartment block still appears to be determined by the site boundary at the narrowest part of the site, rather than being a response to wider townscape considerations, including views of the O2 Dome. As a composition, the buildings sit uncomfortably alongside each other, particularly in distant views; the conflicting geometry of the apartment block sets it apart from its neighbour, giving a sense of a fractured family of buildings rather than a cohesive grouping. Whilst the deconstructed form of the hotel and ballroom block firmly roots it to its context, lending it something of the scale of the Docklands mills, the apartment building appears aloof and disconnected.

The residents’ garden seems squeezed and detached from the building. This condition is reinforced by the tower’s inactive ground floor which also fails to consider the potential neutralising effect on the adjoining swathe of landscape to the north. Therefore, we urge the design team to consider how a more orthogonal alignment to the building can be achieved.

Architectural expression

We welcome the design team’s efforts to ensure that the buildings reflect more of the spirit that the O2 Dome has brought to this end of the peninsula. However, whilst the detail presented in the façade strategy for each of the blocks proposed suggests a potentially elegant demeanour for the architecture, this will rely heavily on the material quality of the gold and silver aluminium panels and fins. Whilst their reflective quality could work well to mirror the river and the Dome, the exact tone and shine to the cladding will dictate whether the buildings have a more corporate or playful character. There could also be more nuance to the expression of the façades to distinguish between the hotel and ballroom as public buildings and the apartment block as a private residence. For example, one might expect the apartment tower to express the winter gardens at its corners and for the building to adopt a different metallic quality from its neighbours. This would help strengthen the buildings’ individual identities whilst preserving their familial relationship.

In our view, the elevations could also work harder to respond to orientation. For example, whilst we understand the desire to maintain an openness to the ballroom’s south and west-facing elevations we are concerned that this necessitates a fully sealed and air conditioned box to moderate the internal environment. Finally, the buildings have the potential to be just as striking at night as in the day so we would recommend that the design team produce night time views of the development to illustrate how they will be seen after dark.

Landscape and public realm strategy

We welcome the design team’s commitment to providing a high quality landscape for this scheme. One can observe a clear logic to the site organisation in the consolidation of the service zone alongside the Dome’s and in the provision of an efficient drop-off arrangement for the hotel. There is a considered approach to the relationship of the public buildings to the landscape and how these should shape the character and life of the public spaces across the site. For example, we support the proposal for a pavilion building fronting the programmable events space. We also welcome the transition from the formal landscape fronting the buildings to a softer, more riverine and ecology-focussed landscape closer to the water. However, we think there is scope to provide more opportunities for shelter in this exposed environment, perhaps tying in with informal and organised activities for visitors at the water’s edge. This would help give a sense of enjoyment and celebration to this riverside park at the end of the peninsula. We understand that responsibility for the management and maintenance of the public realm will lie with the hotel operator; at the appropriate time the local authority may wish to condition this.

We welcome the provision of a roof terrace to the ballroom but its diminutive size will limit the number of guests able to enjoy epic views across the river; we would encourage more of the roof space to be opened up to create more generous terraces.

Ultimately the success of this development will be dependent on the quality of materials and detailing in the architecture and landscape. These need to be of the highest quality to realise the aspirations of the scheme design. We suggest the local planning authority condition materials and details to ensure design quality is maintained

Sustainability

In our view, this development has the potential to achieve higher environmental targets than those proposed if the façade strategy were to be developed further, as described above. However, we support the proposal to link the CHP system to that of the O2 Dome and the provision to connect to the wider energy network for the Greenwich Peninsula when the masterplan is more fully built out.

Anfield Breckfield Redevelopment Phase 2, Liverpool

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:28:22 -0800

Proposal for 72 homes with landscaping and public open space. Designed by Halsall Lloyd Partnership.

We reviewed the masterplan and design code on 8 February 2008.

Summary

Whilst this application is described as Phase 2 of the Anfield Masterplan, it is the first scheme to come forward since the approval of the outline application. It is therefore an important test of the parameters set by the masterplan and design code, and has the potential to set the standard for future development in this area. Whilst CABE was supportive at the outline stage, we have several concerns about the current reserved matters application. It is unfortunate that the frontage on Robson Street and Breckfield Road North, is excluded from the proposals, and there appears to have been no detailed design work to test how this site could be developed in future. Prior to reserved matters approval, Liverpool City Council should satisfy itself that high quality development of the important frontage site can be achieved, and that the decision not to include this element in the current scheme has been robustly tested. We also have reservations about the approach to bin storage, and the design of house types. In our view these more detailed design issues could be dealt with through planning conditions, provided our fundamental concern about the site frontage has been addressed.

Robson Street / Breckfield Road North frontage

Our most significant reservation about the current application is the lack of development proposed to the site frontage on Robson Street and Breckfield Road. We understand that this is due to doubts about the viability of the 3 and 4 storey houses and apartments envisaged for this part of the site in the masterplan, which has outline planning approval. However, development of this main road frontage should play an important part in transforming perceptions of the area. There is a risk that this will remain undeveloped if not tied to the commercially more attractive housing currently proposed. In CABE’s view, Liverpool City Council should scrutinise the case for leaving the most prominent part of this site undeveloped. We are also not convinced by the realism of the narrow plan depth of the apartment blocks shown for indicative purposes on the frontage sites. In our view it is essential that more detailed designs should be worked up to demonstrate that an acceptable scheme can be achieved, whether this is delivered as part the Phase 2 development, or at a later date.

Site layout

The reserved matters application builds on a convincing masterplan, to provide a clear hierarchy of streets, well enclosed by houses, with specifically designed house types addressing corner locations. We support the strategy for accommodating car parking, with a mix of on street, in-curtilage and garage parking. This has avoided the need to create car courts, with benefits for activity on streets, allowing people to enter homes through their front doors, and creating gardens to back onto gardens in a traditional way. One area in which we think the site layout could be improved is in the way bin storage is handled. We are not convinced by the current arrangement of narrow alleys, provided with the intention that people store bins in their gardens. We think these alleys are likely to be unpleasant and may be unsafe, and that in reality, people are more likely to leave bins at the front of their homes, whether this has been designed for or not. There are several potential solutions to the problem of bin storage, which we think the design team should explore. At the simplest level, bin storage could be part of the landscape design at the front of each home. This may require a rethink of the narrowest house types proposed, and this is discussed further below. A second alternative would be to group refuse and recycling storage at the end of each street, for shared use by residents. This approach could be taken further, for a scheme that forms the first phase of a much larger masterplan, with consideration of cassette systems that can be recessed into the street.

House types

We regognise the efforts that have been made by the design team to tailor standard house types to this site, and respond to characteristics of the local area, such as the polychromatic brickwork seen on existing terraced housing. However, there are two areas in which we think the design of the house types could be improved. Firstly, we think that the narrowest of the house types, measuring just 4.7 metres, including party walls, should be reconsidered. This comment is linked to the issue of bin storage, since if alleyways between houses could be omitted, this could allow for more generous frontages. The second area in which we would encourage further thought is the external appearance of the houses. We think that a more confident approach is needed to reinterpret the colourful brickwork that is characteristic of the area. It may be that this decorative element of the scheme could be made more convincing with the involvement of an artist.

Building for Life

We understand that this scheme may become a candidate for Kickstart funding from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), which would secure additional public sector subsidy for the development. CABE’s Building for Life assessment is used as part of the assessment process used by the HCA to allocate Kickstart funding. Under these circumstances, we think it would be valuable for Building for Life assessment scores to be provided as part of the reserved matters application, to help inform the local authority’s decision.

Hopwood Lane Gateway Project, Halifax

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:01:30 -0800

Proposals include ten new homes, office space, cafe and restaurant. Designed by Glenn Howells Architects.

We warmly welcome this scheme and the careful analysis of local characteristics which have informed it. Its scale, quantum, materials and general architectural language fit successfully into this part of Halifax.

The intelligent diagram of the scheme provides commercial space and good flats with well sized rooms around a courtyard. The architecture is a contemporary, yet contextual interpretation of Halifax.

Regarding the town centre location of this scheme, we question the quantum of car parking provision for the offices. The impact of cars on the proposed amenity space and on views into the courtyard from the housing opposite could be mitigated by a different landscape treatment.

Ultimately, the success of the scheme will be dependent on the quality of materials and detailing, particularly of the proposed natural stone, and we urge the local authority to condition these as appropriate.

We wish the project well and look forward to seeing this carefully thought through design built.

374a Wandsworth Road, Lambeth

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:22:45 -0800

Redevelopment to provide 65 new homes, commercial uses, and a public square. Designed by StudioOne Architecture.

In principle, a mixed-use development could work on this site. We are aware of examples of well designed residential schemes in a commercial or industrial context. The local authority should assure itself on whether this development is appropriate within this area designated for key industrial and business use. However, we regret to say that we feel a convincing case has not yet been made for this scheme. The site appears overdeveloped and the proposal seems too large for its context and some of the internal spaces are unsuccessful.

We feel that the size and height of the proposed building complex, two slab blocks on an elevated podium, is overbearing for the scale of the site context. We suggest investigating a more modest building typology which would fit better into the local structure and engages more with this part of Lambeth. We also think that rearranging the current layout would allow lowering the residential blocks without reducing the number of units; an alternative arrangement could also help protect the central courtyard from noise without having to introduce the acoustic screen.

Internally, the proposal gives some reason for concern. Some of the flats, particularly those adjacent to the acoustic screen, seem to have insufficient window openings and are likely to be dark. The long internal corridor in the northern block could benefit from natural light and visual connections to the outside. We also find that the position of the crèche, located on the mezzanine level below the courtyard, is unfortunate.

The environmental strategy does not appear to be an integral part of the design thinking and we urge the design team and client to develop ambitious targets for energy consumption, water reduction, waste management and other aspects of environmentally friendly construction.

In conclusion, we feel that the scheme does not present a convincing solution for this site nor does it have the necessary architectural quality. As such, we do not think it meets the aspirations of PPS1 and therefore should be refused planning permission.

Spaceshaper in Burgess Park, London

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:45:02 -0800

Using Spaceshaper to find out how lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people experience public spaces differently to non-LGBT users.

People of different sexualities use, experience and rate places and spaces in different ways.

We used Spaceshaper to assess Burgess Park, a popular public space in South London, with two groups of people representing LGBT and non-LGBT users. The differences in the findings show clearly that places which have been designed and managed for non LGBT users can lead to feelings of exclusion and separation.

Our definition of inclusion goes beyond physical access and includes “emotional” access. Nothing physical is stopping gay couples from holding hands, kissing or hugging in public – these barriers are psychological.

Designing and managing places which take the needs of LGBT users into account can remove these psychological barriers. LGBT groups and individuals should be considered a vital group when consulting on the design, development and management of places.

More about Spaceshaper in Burgess Park

Read the full case study

New Wakefield Street, Manchester

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:11:23 -0800

A 33-storey building for student accommodation. Designed by Hodder + Partners.

Summary

We have no objection to the principle of a tall building on this site next to Oxford Road Station and the student accommodation use proposed seems plausible at the edge of the University quarter. We found the analysis of a series of tall buildings marking the edges of the city core at railway stations broadly convincing. However, based on the images of the proposals provided, we think that further refinement of the materials and details is needed for the quality of this proposal to meet the standards of excellent architecture set out in the CABE and English Heritage Guidance on tall buildings. We also have some concerns about the lack of generosity in the external amenity space.

Public realm and student amenity

We welcome the ground floor social hub for students and the set back created along New Wakefield Street that provides some breathing space at street level. It is essential that this ground floor area has an active function fronting the street, a coffee shop or laundrette for example.

A development of this density on a small site demands a reappraisal of the public realm in the immediate and wider area. We would therefore like to see further analysis of how a scheme of this density fits into the network of routes, spaces and facilities across the University quarter and wider city. It will be important to safeguard an appropriate budget to ensure that the communal and public spaces are delivered to a high quality.

We are pleased to note that a roof garden has been introduced at fifth floor level but, acknowledging the management concerns, we still think provision should be made for further external communal space spaces, taking advantage of the stepped massing. We support the introduction of natural light into the corridors and the proposal to recess the doorways to each bedroom to allow access for wheelchair users to all rooms.

Built form and architectural quality

We think that the shifting and stepping form is a reasonable approach to the massing. However, it needs to be demonstrated that the cantilevers over the street at sixth floor level do not compromise the quality of the environment of the space beneath on New Wakefield Street or overshadow the common room and bedrooms on the floor beneath it.

We support the clear relationship between the internal arrangement and external expression and the detailed visualisation of the façade provided reassures us that the elevations have been carefully considered. However, we are concerned that the greyness of the cladding will look dull and flat in the Manchester climate and should be reconsidered to meet the exceptional quality of architecture we would expect for a tall building. We think a further simplification of the approach to the façade should be explored. Although the proposal to integrate the light shelf into the façade helps to create a degree of modelling, we are concerned that these elements will not work as light shelves if they become dirty. We suggest that these elements may work better as sills angled to avoid build up of dirt.

Given the rental values associated with student use, it will be important to ensure that sufficient budget has been allocated to achieve the quality of materials and details required for a tall building of this prominence. For example, the terracotta cladding proposed will only be acceptable if the finish is of high quality and the panels are sized to work visually with the scale of the elevations. Samples of the materials should be provided and the quality of materials, details and finishes and the treatment of the public realm should be secured through the appropriate use of planning conditions.

Finally, we expect tall buildings to take a robust approach to minimising energy use and reducing carbon emissions, exceeding the latest regulations and planning policies. We would therefore expect a higher BREEAM rating than Very Good to be achieved.

Fulwood Academy, Lancashire

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:31:36 -0800

Designed by Bovis Lend Lease.

Overall design quality rating: poor

Comments:

This proposal for a new school specialising in arts and digital media fails to resolve the organisation of the house bases around a central learning plaza. The following fundamental problems result in an unsuccessful school design:

The position of the car parking prevents a clear connection between the school and shared community sports facilities. The external spaces do not provide site wide learning opportunities nor address the current site challenges such as the water-logged pitches. The outside learning areas at the ends of the house bases lack detail to demonstrate meaningful areas for socialising and learning; their generic design does not respond to the wings’ orientation on the site or specific learning requirements. These areas face north and the narrow proportions may result in windy, unpleasant spaces for much of the year.
The school misses the opportunity to establish a positive presence onto Black Bull Lane. The massing of the buildings and bland entrance plaza does not create a pleasant approach. The courtyards between the house bases are constrained, limiting the quantity of natural light in the adjacent classrooms. While the elevations have been simplified, they remain fragmented. The render unifies the upper levels but the extensive use of dark brick at the base is austere. The rationalised geometry results in a deeper plan and exacerbates the poor ground floor teaching spaces in the learning plaza.
The ‘learning plaza’ is critical to the success of the building. However, it remains problematic, and fails to deliver an uplifting environment at the heart of the school. This deep plan space is dominated by the unresolved roof structure and lacks sufficient fenestration to facilitate natural ventilation. Further attention should be given to the connection of the wings to the learning plaza to enable views to the outdoor learning spaces and to enable the houses to establish an identity in this space.
The open plan design of the resources centre lacks enclosure and may be noisy due to the use of the adjacent spaces. There are many internal rooms and tight corners, which will inhibit passive supervision. The location of the remote dining space is unclear with poor links to the external dining terrace. The house reduced natural light on the upper floors of the house bases is concerning and the lack of flexibility to accommodate a variety of teaching styles.
The environmental strategies are generic and do not address sustainability across the site. The current design suggests that running the school will be expensive and heavily reliant on environmental controls. A fresh design is needed which will clearly demonstrate how energy efficient ventilation and natural lighting will be achieved to effectively deliver a practical and comfortable learning environment.

Download the full report.

Rural councils win funds for masterplanning (25 February 2010)

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:27:31 -0800

A 1m fund for rural communities will be shared among 36 councils with the best ideas, following a competition run by Communities and Local Government, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, CABE and the Homes and Communities Agency.

The rural masterplanning fund will be used to prepare sustainable plans for community extensions, such as one for 1,000 homes, a school, businesses and recreation space in North Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

It was announced by government as a response to the Taylor Review on rural communities in 2008, which recommended new policies for market towns at risk from unsympathetic development and homogenous housing estates. It recommended mixed use neighbourhood extensions including shops and community facilities, workplaces and open spaces.

Successful councils will receive advice from CABE and the Homes and Communities Agency on project management, procurement and training.

See the full list of 36 councils that will receive funding.

CABE backs new life for Battersea Power Station (24 February 2010)

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:39:00 -0800

CABE has praised Rafael Violys designs for the massive redevelopment of the 38-acre Battersea Power Station site in south west London.

The power station was decommissioned in 1982. It was designed in the 1930s in brick-cathedral style, and its four distinctive chimneys dominate the skyline in south west London.

The Grade II* listed building has been made the clear focus of the site in the redevelopment, and after its renovation, it will include shops, offices and apartments.

Converting the listed industrial shell of the power station has been a complex project, and CABE’s design review panel felt that an impressive amount has been achieved within the constraints of the building.

The power station is being given a strong new setting, provided by a simple new riverside park and the oval form of landscape and buildings to the south.

The site also includes a new hotel, more housing, and leisure facilities.

CABE has reviewed the scheme six times - which is unusual - but this iterative process has resulted in improvements at each stage, including the complete removal of a controversial new tower in the original proposal.

Inevitably, for a development of this scale and complexity, there are areas to be resolved. The massing of surrounding blocks needs to allow the power station to dominate in all views. Work is required to ensure acceptable sunlight and daylight penetration into some apartments at lower levels, and avoid overshadowing in the public realm.

CABE is supporting both the outline planning and listed building applications to the London Borough of Wandsworth.

CABE launches guide to primary school design (24 February 2010)

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:38:12 -0800

A new design guide for headteachers and local authorities will help them make the most of capital investment in primary schools.

Creating excellent primary schools has been produced for schools receiving funding through the Primary Capital Programme, a government scheme to refurbish or rebuild half of all primary schools around the country by 2022/23.

The guide shows what can be achieved when clients – working in the local authority or the school itself - know how to get the best from the process of building or refurbishment. There is a clear link between well-designed primary schools and pupil performance and behaviour.

Securing high-quality design and value for money means having expert clients, and the guide goes step by step through the process.

It will be particularly useful as a ‘stress buster’ for primary school headteachers, who have to perform in the unfamiliar role of client at the same time as holding down a demanding day job, and usually have a relatively small leadership team to share the responsibility.

Creating excellent primary schools provides advice for clients – working in the local authority or the school itself - on integrating the school into wider regeneration plans; choosing a procurement method and getting the best design team; involving pupils in the design process; and planning ahead to ‘future proof’ the new design.

Inspiring case studies featured in the guide include Birley Spa Primary School in Sheffield, where the average key stage 2 SATS results rose dramatically after just one academic year in the new building. Burnham Copse Primary School in Hampshire, a RIBA Award winner, has proved how refurbishment can produce an innovative and attractive building.

Where would you prefer to go to school? ()

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:16:54 -0800

Is it fair that some pupils are being taught in dank, cramped conditions while others are learning in world class facilities?

A third (49) of the local authorities in England that should benefit from Building Schools for the Future (BSF) are not yet part of the programme. In January 2010, CABE visited three schools in these authorities and spoke to teachers, who highlighted many defects:

dilapidated, unkempt buildings and leaking roofs
narrow staircases and corridors
small, cramped and dark classrooms
out-of-date science laboratories
dining facilities
grim toilets.

These photos show the stark – and shocking – contrast between schools yet to benefit fom the government's renewal programme and newly-opened BSF schools and academies.

Have your say - leave a comment to let us know what you think about the photos.

School buildings

The headteacher of this school said "these buildings are not fit for purpose: there’s nothing worth saving and we need to pull them down and start again". Other teachers commented that "energy costs are huge: we spend a fortune keeping a leaky building warm" and "there are major structural defects: wiring; asbestos linings; drainage".