Elephant Park Phase 2 achieves planning in eleven weeks 12.12.14

West Grove, the second phase of the Elephant Park masterplan, has received unanimous planning approval from Southwark Council in just eleven weeks. AHMM is lead architect for the Highwood Gardens mixed use scheme, which includes 365 homes situated around a new landscaped courtyard and extensive public realm, and features the tallest building in the masterplan. Construction is expected to start in the second half of 2015.

Green Light for Brentford Waterside Masterplan 04.12.14

Brentford Waterside Masterplan, a collaboration between AHMM, Glenn Howells Architects and Maccreanor Lavington for Ballymore, was granted planning consent by the London Borough of Hounslow last week. By establishing a high-density, low-rise mix of uses, the masterplan will revitalise the High Street and create direct links to the River Brent, Grand Union Canal and related waterways, opening the waterside for the public and residents alike.

In addition to our role as Team Leaders of the masterplan, AHMM designed a key plot within the first phase of the development which includes the retention of two brick warehouses and the creation of a group of buildings to accommodate 144 apartments over a plinth of high street retailers, small independent businesses and restaurants facing the waterfront to the south.

Civic Trust 2015 Regional Finalists Revealed 02.12.14

Three AHMM education projects –Waverley School,Burntwood School and ARK All Saints Academy and Highshore School – have been announced as Regional Finalists of the 2015 Civic Trust Awards. The full list of Regional Finalists, as well as information about the subsequent award stages (announced in January and March) can be found on the Civic Trust Awards website.

Royal Court Theatre Act II 25.11.14

The second phase (‘Act II’) of the reinvention of Royal Court Liverpool is due to begin in December. The new interventions – including an extended entrance foyer containing a new kiosk and box office, an external terrace and the internal refurbishment of the front of house areas incorporating the original art deco staircase – will complement the auditorium restoration works carried out for ‘Act I’, completed in 2012. The theatre will continue to remain open during construction.

Two AIA Awards for Lake Texoma Dockominiums 25.11.14

Lake Texoma Dockominiums took out two honours at the recent American Institute of Architects (AIA) Central Oklahoma Chapter Award Ceremony – the Residential Architecture Merit Award and the People’s Choice Award. The project comprises six floating house prototypes, each configured to fit within the boat slips of Highport Marina in Pottsboro, Texas, as well as suit individual buyers’ preferences.

Highshore School Officially Open 24.10.14

AHMM joined Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP, staff and students this week to celebrate the official opening of Highshore School, a Special Educational Needs School that forms one part of a suite of educational facilities on almost an entire urban block in Camberwell. Holding the line of Farmers Road, Highshore is a 2-3 storey building containing a variety of learning spaces arranged around a central internal street. The elevations – comprising a brick plinth, anodised aluminium fins and generously-sized glazed units – speak the same language as the pavilions of the neighbouring Ark All Saints Academy. Their rich colouring, however, lends a an appropriate degree of identity when set amongst the surrounding lighter tones.

Opening Celebration at Burntwood School 09.10.14

AHMM joined the staff, students and families of Burntwood School recently to celebrate the official opening of their reinvented campus. Over the past couple of years, six new buildings-as-pavilions and a number of new landscape spaces have been placed (in phases) amongst existing facilities to form a coherent whole. Organised by the school community, the celebration began with an open day and concluded with people gathering around the central Flag Lawn for an array of student performances, presentations, poetry readings and fireworks.

Chobham Academy Wins WAF Award 02.10.14

Chobham Academy has won the schools category at this year’s World Architecture Festival. Judges described it as ‘an accomplished piece of architecture and urban design that will allow a new quarter of London to develop into a genuine place. Furthermore, its universal building approach suggests a long life while the interior provides pupils with a rich spatial experience.’

The annual festival, which is taking place in Singapore, continues over the coming days. All 16 category winners – including Chobham Academy – are now in the running for the World Building of the Year Award, to be announced tomorrow. More information about other category winners can be found here.

Camley Street Opens to Student Residents 25.09.14

Camley Street, AHMM’s new mixed-use scheme in King’s Cross, welcomed the first residents to its 320 student rooms this month. 40 residential dwellings, incubator office space and ground-floor retail units combine with the student areas to make a proper ‘city sandwich’.

University of Amsterdam Crowned AJ Retrofit of the Year 18.09.14

Phase 1 of our University of Amsterdam (UvA) project was named overall winner at the AJ Retrofit Awards. It also scooped the International Innovation category. The project reinvents a utilitarian building: recycling its concrete frame, transforming its envelope and dramatically improving environmental performance. The judges were said to be particularly impressed by how the project’s key move – that of removing a four-storey, 40m x 18m section from the canal-spanning building and replacing it with a glazed, double-height space – ‘completely restructures the way the building relates to the campus and its immediate urban context’.

Phase 2 of the project, involving the reinvention of the adjoining building to form new entrance to both phases, continues.

AHMM and Open House: 25 Buildings to Celebrate 25 Years 15.08.14

The listings for over 800 buildings and events for this year’s Open House London are now live. AHMM is proud to support Open House as a corporate sponsor and this year we are particularly excited to be opening the doors to 25 of our projects to celebrate our 25 years in practice.

Access to most of the buildings – including Regent Street W4, Angel Building, Burntwood School and Kentish Town Health Centre – will be on a first come, first served basis. Three of our buildings, however, will require you to pre-book; follow the instructions on the Open House website if you are interested in visiting Dagenham Park School, North London Hospice, 240 Blackfriars or BBC Television Centre.

Onsite at Ruskin Square 12.08.14

Onsite works have begun at Ruskin Square. As a key component of the Ruskin Square Masterplan – a comprehensive redevelopment of the land between East Croydon railway station and the existing town centre – the new residential building has been configured to have a strong civic presence. The scheme’s 161 apartments are due for completion in August 2016.

AHMM’s Amsterdam Research Trip 21.07.14

To celebrate the practice’s 25th birthday, AHMM headed to Amsterdam this month on a curated research tour of the architecture and culture of the city. Following a series of bike and boat tours around both the historic old town and the new architectural developments of the Eastern Docklands, staff were welcomed by the University of Amsterdam (UvA) for a look around the recently completed Phase 1 of AHMM's UvA reinvention project at Roeterseilandcampus and a reception ceremony in the glazed, refectory and social space. A particular highlight was a speech given by Norbert Gawronski, the building's original architect. All in all, it was undoubtedly our most ambitious research trip yet; 275 people travelled to Amsterdam and back, including over 50 who made the journey by bike.

Green light for Hawley Primary School 17.07.14

Hawley Primary School was granted planning permission by Camden Council this week. Forming part of the Hawley Wharf Masterplan , the single-form entry school for 236 pupils aged three to eleven responds to both the existing and future site context. The scheme comprises a new-build terraced three-storey building – arranged around an intimate central courtyard – and the conversion of the Grade II listed building at 1 Hawley Road into educational use. Works are scheduled to start on site early next year.

Six Projects Shortlisted for WAF 2014 08.07.14

A total of six Allford Hall Monaghan Morris projects have been shortlisted for this year’s World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards. Alconbury Incubator (Offices), 240 Blackfriars (Offices), Chobham Academy (Schools), Regent Street W4 (New and Old) and William Street Quarter (Housing) are all shortlisted completed buildings, while Scotland Yard (Offices) is shortlisted as a future project. The schemes will be presented and judged over the course of the three-day festival in Singapore in October.

The complete WAF 2014 shortlist can be found here.

Key Milestone for Mosaic 26.06.14

Mosaic celebrated reaching its highest point earlier this month. Once complete, on track for late Autumn this year, the scheme will provide 97 one and two-bedroom apartments across four levels, two levels of parking and more than 1,100 square feet of retail space.

Onsite at The Steward Building 23.06.14

The Steward Building in Spitalfields received its Petersen brickwork jacket recently, marking a significant point in its onsite progression. Set between two very different streetscapes, the new building – scheduled for completion in Autumn 2014 – will act as a transition between the civic square in front and the fine urban grain of the surrounding Artillery Lane Conservation Area. Offering smaller scale retail units at street level and flexible high grade office space above, the programmatic mix is appropriate to the scale and character of Spitalfields.

National RIBA Award for Waverley School 19.06.14

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced the winners of this year’s RIBA Awards, with Waverley School on the prestigious list. Set within the context of the largest, most progressive BSF programme in the country, Waverley School in Birmingham combines research into the nature of learning clusters and open plan learning to integrate 630 primary, 900 secondary and 64 special needs places with shared-use community facilities and a range of outdoor spaces.

Teenage Cancer Trust Unit in Bristol Opened by Duchess of York 19.06.14

Teenage Cancer Trust patron, Sarah, Duchess of York joined world snooker players Judd Trump and Jack Lisowski to celebrate the official opening of the first specialist Teenage Cancer Trust unit in the South West for local young people with cancer. As part of the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre the new unit – spread over two floors to respond to the different needs day patients, inpatients and their families – includes a range of treatment pods, consultation rooms and social spaces.

The project is the fifth built unit that AHMM has designed for Teenage Cancer Trust.

Image courtesy of Oliver Edwards

AHMM at Biennale Architettura 2014 09.06.14

AHMM is exhibiting at the 2014 Biennale Architettura in Venice from 7 June to 23 November. Under the Biennale’s overall ‘Fundamentals’ theme, AHMM’s exhibition 'Merzbau, Palimpsest, Collage: A Long History of Architecture' explores the multi-layered life and development of cities and sites through 12 projects in London.

The exhibition features new photographs of each project especially commissioned from Timothy Soar along with a collection of notes, documents and artefacts which reflect on the many histories of the 12 sites.

Regent Street at the Royal Academy 04.06.14

The model for Regent Street has been selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. As the world’s largest open entry exhibition, the Summer Exhibition is a ‘powerful barometer of the art of each age’. This year the exhibition will be open from 9 June until 17 August.

AHMM Ranked #3 in AJ100s 23.05.14

AHMM was ranked #3 in last night’s AJ100 ceremony – six places ahead of last year’s position. Read more in Paul Finch’s profile of AHMM’s success.

Tailor My Tom Vac 20.05.14

AHMM was one of 23 studios invited to reinterpret Ron Arad’s iconic Tom Vac chair. The complete ‘Tailor My Tom Vac’ collection is currently on display in the Vitra showroom as part of Clerkenwell Design Week. More information can be found here.

At Home with AHMM - 5 June 4-6.30pm 20.05.14

As part of the London Festival of Architecture, AHMM will be hosting an open afternoon in Morelands Rooftop, which is among the highest rated BREEAM assessed buildings in London. On 5 June, from 4-6.30pm, there will be architect-led tours around the studios, live demonstrations in the modelshop, displays of drawings and models and screenings of short films exploring the built environment curated by Animate Projects (Without You by Tal Rosner pictured above). There will also be an opportunity to view the capital’s spectacular skyline from the rooftop. The event, titled ‘At Home with AHMM’, is included in the Open Studios: Shoreditch Trail organised by RIBA London. Booking is free but essential – contact Claire Pollock cpollock@ahmm.co.uk to secure your place.

Green Sky Thinking: Workspace of the Future 07.05.14

As part of this year’s Green Sky Thinking programme, AHMM teamed up with Derwent London and Arup to discuss ‘The Workspace of the Future’ with around 50 attendees in our BREEAM Outstanding offices. By focusing on live projects, including White Collar Factory and Morelands Rooftop, the discussion looked at how our collaborative ‘action research’ approach challenges the typical office development of today. More information can be found at AJ Online.

Topping-out Ceremony for 61 Oxford Street 02.05.14

61 Oxford Street celebrated reaching its highest point this week. Designed for Dukelease Properties and BA Pensions Trust, the building is located on a prominent corner at the junction of Oxford and Soho streets. The expressive glass street façades – a hierarchy of curved ‘oriel’ windows – continue the history of London’s special glazed shopfronts.

240 Blackfriars Completes 28.04.14

240 Blackfriars for Great Portland Estates reached practical completion this week. Composed of a commercial 20-storey crystalline volume and a smaller six-storey masonry residential block, the scheme defines the skyline at a pivotal junction of road, rail and river. With 225,000 square feet of high-performance workspace above ground-level retail units and a new public realm at the south end of Blackfriars Bridge, it will be a hive of activity once tenants move in next month. More information about the project can be found on its website.

Key Milestone for William Street Quarter 28.04.14

The latest phase of William Street Quarter is now officially open. AHMM joined the Deputy Leader of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council and representatives from development partners Laing O’Rouke at a ceremony earlier this month to mark the occasion. Built on the site of the former Lintons Estate, the development accommodates 201 new homes – ranging from family-sized terraces to one-bedroom flats – for local people. A total of 117 homes have now been handed over with the remaining 84 scheduled for May 2014. The project is part of a masterplan produced jointly with Maccreanor Lavington.

Paul Monaghan Joins New CABE Oxford Design Review Panel 17.04.14

Director Paul Monaghan has joined the 27-strong CABE Oxford Design Review Panel (ODRP) that has been created to promote consistency in design as the city develops. More information can be found at AJ Online.

Design Concepts for UK Pavilion at Milan Expo Revealed 17.04.14

AHMM and Studio Myerscough’s competition proposal for the UK Pavilion at Milan Expo 2015 is among the eight anonymously-submitted entries to have been revealed this week. Our design team also includes Atelier Ten, Eckersley O’Callaghan, Gillespies, ScanLAB, Mindseye and Rise. The winning team will be announced following a presentation to the jury on May 1. More information can be found on the competition website.

Key Milestone for University of Amsterdam 09.04.14

After seven years since appointing AHMM as the winner of the international ideas competition to reinvent their Roeterseiland Campus, the University of Amsterdam took possession of Phase One of the project last month. A forty-metre section of a canal-spanning building has been cut out and replaced with a four-storey void to physically and visually open up the campus. The void is bridged by a glazed double-height informal study space with catering facilities, and five storeys of workstations and tutorial rooms, all with views over the inner-city canal-scape. Over the next few months, staff from the Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences prepare their move into the new spaces for the start of semester in September. Phase Two continues onsite for the Amsterdam Law School, with expected completion in 2016.

Planning for The Telegraph Works, Greenwich 03.04.14

The Royal Borough of Greenwich resolved to grant planning permission for the Telegraph Works proposal last night. As a joint effort between Alcatel-Lucent and Cathedral Group, the project will deliver 272 new homes set around a new public realm providing a variety of gardens and playspace. The scheme also incorporates the modernisation of part of the Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks’ existing site, which is where the very first transatlantic telegraph cable was manufactured in the 1850s.

Green Light for Phase Two of Royal Court Theatre Liverpool 28.03.14

Phase Two of Royal Court Liverpool is set to begin now that Liverpool City Council has endorsed the plans to extend the Grade II listed building with a capital contribution. Referred to as ‘The Welcome Project’, this latest phase – due for completion in June 2015 – includes a new foyer extension to the theatre, a brand new box office, improved access by way of a lift to all floors of the building and a first floor terrace.

AHMM Appointed for Phase Two of Elephant Park 13.03.14

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris has been appointed by Lend Lease as lead architect for the second phase of Elephant Park, the regeneration of the Heygate Estate in Elephant and Castle, south London. AHMM will design and deliver the tallest building in the consented Masterplan, which between now and 2025 will deliver up to 2,500 homes together with retail, offices and Central London’s largest new park for 70 years.

Green Sky Thinking: Exploring the High Performance Workspace of the Future 13.03.14

Building on the success of a similar event last year, we will be joined by Derwent London and Arup to present an information session in our BREEAM Outstanding offices as part of this year’s Green Sky Thinking programme. Focusing on the development of future workspaces, the session will explore live projects to explain how we undertake an action research based approach to inform the development of our projects. The event will be introduced by John Davies, Head of Sustainability at Derwent London and feature contributions from AHMM’s Nic Crawley and Craig Robertson, as well as from Mel Allwood, Sustainability Consultant at Arup. It’s running on morning of Wednesday 30 April. For more information and to book a place contact Claire Pollock.

Regent Street Dubbed Highly Commended at AR Future Projects Awards 2014 13.03.14

Regent Street was highly commended at yesterday's MIPIM Architectural Review Future Project Awards ceremony. Now in their 13th year, the MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Awards celebrate excellence in unbuilt or incomplete projects spanning across twelve categories. Regent Street's category – 'Old and New' – covers projects involving the insertion of new buildings into sensitive existing settings. Visit the award website for the full list of winners.

BREEAM Outstanding at AHMM Rooftop 11.03.14

Our ‘penthouse loft’ studios on the fourth and fifth at Morelands have been confirmed as BREEAM Outstanding at Design Stage – a first for both us and our client, Derwent London. In fact, the fourth floor is ranked highest amongst the nine BREEAM Outstanding buildings in London. Designed to accommodate our growing London office, the new studio spaces include two lightwells (cut out of the roof to bring light into the centre of the plan), a string of meeting rooms, a large refectory and open-plan offices over two floors with panoramic views over London.

RIBA Sustainable Futures 11.03.14

Associate and Head of Sustainability Nic Crawley has recently been invited to join the RIBA Sustainable Futures Group. Comprising invited experts on sustainable construction, the group’s main purpose is to relate sustainability to the architectural profession.

Civic Trust Award for Chobham Academy 10.03.14

Chobham Academy picked up a National Award at the Civic Trust Awards last Friday. Designed as part of a strong new urban grain, the All-Ages school – which opened to more than 1300 students aged 3-18 in September 2013 – serves Leyton, Stratford and the emerging community of the post-Games Park, both in and out of school hours. Visit the Civic Trust Awards website for more information.

AHMM & Studio Myerscough Shortlisted to Design the UK Pavilion for Milan Expo 2015 10.03.14

AHMM and Studio Myerscough have been shortlisted in the competition to design the UK Pavilion for the Milan Expo in 2015. The team also includes Eckersley O’Callaghan, Atelier Ten, Gillespies, Richard Greenwood and Scan Lab, and is one of eight selected by UKTI to develop concept designs to be presented to the jury in April.

The Pavilion will showcase Britain’s contribution in research, innovation and entrepreneurship to the global challenges addressed by the Expo theme ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’.

Onsite at White Collar Factory, Old Street 24.02.14

Demolition works have begun at White Collar Factory, Old Street, marking the latest phase of development of the White Collar Factory (WCF) in London’s Tech City. Although currently standing defiantly amid the surrounding rubble, the WCF prototype will also soon be dismantled to make way for its 16-storey iteration, due for completion in 2016.

AHMM at Kiosk 20.02.14

AHMM is one of six design studios invited to design a contemporary water kiosk for one of three sites in London: Soho, Exhibition Road and the South Bank. The challenge – set by Architects Journal in partnership with Turkishceramics – centres on the creation of a water-dispensing kiosk for London that incorporates ceramic details and reflects the artistry and craft typical of the building type’s rich heritage. All six designs will be exhibited at The Building Centre until 14 March 2014.

Key Milestone for Saint John Bosco College and Cobalt Place 18.02.14

AHMM joined Lend Lease and college staff and students to celebrate the ground breaking ceremony of Saint John Bosco College and Cobalt Place earlier this month. The mixed-use scheme in Battersea will deliver a new home for Saint John Bosco College at the centre of the site, a Community House for the Salesians of Don Bosco to the east (designed by MSMR) and two residential blocks to the west.

Onsite at 207 Old Street 13.02.14

Work began onsite this week at 207 Old Street. The mixed-use scheme is AHMM’s second intervention to East London’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’ following City Road. Due for completion in 2016, the reinvention of the three existing buildings will create a mix of office space, ground floor retail/restaurants and a new public realm that links Old Street to Baldwin Street.

Scape Greenwich open to student residents 12.02.14

Scape Greenwich, AHMM’s new student accommodation on the Greenwich Peninsula, welcomed its first residents last month, many of whom joined in the celebrations at the official welcome party last week. With 280 student rooms, study spaces, communal areas and large shared balconies, the new development is walking distance from Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication.

Regent Street W4 and W5 and the 2014 MIPIM Awards 12.02.14

AHMM’s Regent Street W4 and W5 South have been highly commended for the 2014 MIPIM Architectural Review Future Project Award. The category in which they’ve been commended is ‘Old and New’, covering projects of ‘significant urban design quality’ that involve new buildings placed in sensitive existing settings. Combined, Regent Street W4 and W5 redevelop two prestigious central London sites for The Crown Estate. The mixed-use scheme will deliver world-class retail and office accommodation.

Philip Turner at WAF’s Highlight Evening 06.02.14

Associate Director Philip Turner will be speaking at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) and INSIDE’s Highlights Evening on 19 February. The event – hosted by Paul Finch at Ravensbourne College in Greenwich – will feature presentations from a number of winning and shortlisted practices from the recent WAF and INSIDE Festivals in Singapore. Free tickets can be booked at the Rave Late IDEAS website.

Knauf Drywall Learning Zone Shortlisted for Building Awards 2014 06.02.14

The Knauf Building has been shortlisted for Building Magazine’s Small Project of the Year 2014. The full shortlist, as well as information about the Award Ceremony in April, can be viewed on the Building Awards website.

Ark All Saints Academy Opens 05.02.14

Ark All Saints Academy – a four-form entry ARK/CofE academy on the site of the former St Michael and All Angels CofE Academy in Camberwell – opened its doors to staff, students and the local community at the start of term last month. As part of the Feast of Candlemas, a dedication service was held last Sunday in the school’s new chapel – the Parish Church of St. Michael and All Angels.

Onsite at Upper Richmond Road 31.01.14

121 Upper Richmond Road in London’s SW15 is progressing onsite, on target for completion in August 2015. With its mix of 76 new homes, modern office space and active retail frontages, the project will improve the streetscape to provide a catalyst for urban regeneration of the area.

Sustainability Specialist Joins AHMM 22.01.14

Craig Robertson has joined AHMM as a Sustainability Specialist to work across all projects, supporting and further developing our broad ranging green agenda. Craig is completing his PhD at UCL investigating how building performance feedback could inform building design, development and management decision making. Helping to develop a better understanding of building performance will be a key part of his role along with supporting architects engaging with our sustainability toolkit at every project stage.

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