NEWS
SYMPOSIUM HALL a new conference venue for The Royal College of Surgeons.
VATERSAY HOUSE an aerodynamic dwelling for an exposed environment.
CIVIC TRUST COMMENDATION FOR BARRA HOUSING
Paul Harding attended the awards ceremony of the Civic Trust in Salford's Imperial War Museum North on the 3rd April 2003, when the announcement of the Commendation for the Cuithir Housing was made.
The Trust's citation was as follows:
"Good land for housing is extremely limited in the Western Isles, which often suffer from severe weather conditions. This housing is the first high quality, energy-efficient social housing on Barra and pleasingly, tenants have been involved in the design from the beginning. The form of the houses echoes the traditional black house, yet is also the result of careful analysis to ensure fuel economy and reduce heat loss. However, the judges were concerned that this should not set a precedent for building houses in isolated areas."
We are very pleased to have been associated with the project, which has focussed attention on the design issues and challenges of building for remote communities. We hope that it will provide a good example of a community let design solution. The award is a tribute to all those who contributed to the success of the project, in particular Stuart Nichol of Scottish Homes, Linda Haig of Tighean Innse Gall, Bill Blacker of B&VHA, Alistair Banks of Western Isles Council, Tom Mitchell of Armour and Partners, Peter Stephen of PS&P, and not least Peter Nicholson of Nicholson Builders.
DEFIANT GALLERY
When announcing one of the previous exhibitions, the Crafts Magazine described The Queen's Gallery as "the little gallery defiantly faces the rising new Scottish Parliament by the late Enric Miralles. Unlike Miralles, Ben Tindall involved British makers in the creation of the Gallery's identity right from the start."
The current Exhibition,
Watercolours and drawings
from the collection of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
is open every day and runs
until 25 September, phone 0131 556 7371 for details.
JIM PARTRIDGE AT MANCHESTER CITY GALLERIES
Jim
Partridge has been a pioneer in the craft of wood carving for the past 25
years. Manchester
City Galleries was showing some of his work done with us at private
house on the Channel Islands.
CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK
Planning Permission given to new Office and Retail building at Inverdruie Wood.
The location of the proposed new building is by the existing Cairngorm Mountain Sports and the Aviemore Tennis Club. It is a location that has previously been given planning consent for a Nordic Ski building of similar size.
The
site is on a slight rise in the midst of a south facing and attractive stand of
Rothiemurchus Scots Pine trees, making an informal ‘entrance’ to the
Inverdruie triangle; an attractive area of buildings of mixed uses;
residential and commercial, and a variety of sizes, heights and materials.
The scale of building is designed to help define the entrance to the area as a
whole, when approached from Aviemore,
Access is from the main road, footpath and bus route, and parking is arranged in the trees on gravel and sand.