(…and on the same day Dave turned 30 so a very happy birthday to him!)

The Crafts Council provides support for professional contemporary crafts people in the UK through marketing, exhibitions, their online directory and by their ‘Crafts’ magazine which comes out every two months.

NOTEBOOK

Notebook is the AJ’s new blog showing some of the most recent inspirational designs, all carefully selected by the editors of Architects’ Journal.

STAIR PORN

Stair Porn is a web blog showcasing some of the most innovative stairs across the world. The image to the left shows the Maxxi stairs designed by Zaha Hadid in Rome’s new museum of contemporary art.

‘URBAN ADAPTER’ BENCH

A new approach to city furniture is offered by Rocker-Lange Architects, creating their slender and beautifully formed ’Urban Adapter’ bench as a proposal for Hong Kong’s urban seating.  It’s design allowed adaptability to its surrounding environment, providing it with invaluable flexibility in design.

Before

Lees Associates’ refurbishment of an imposing Decimus Burton Regency villa on the Outer Circle of Regent’s Park has involved the skilled restoration of a number of original features that are integral to its Grade 1 listed status.

Standing proud over the main entrance, it is hard to miss the majestic Caryatids that adorn the central bay of the house: the tapering pillars of their lower bodies and skirts and the slanted capitals forming the headdresses, suggesting an Egyptian influence.

We are currently working on the full refurbishment of one of these Caryatids, which has suffered extensive damage after many years of water penetration, leaving her with a crumbling face and a body that, if left untreated, is in danger of breaking off at any time. Only after the removal of over 175 years worth of paint was the true extent of the damage revealed.

After

Now, with the help of Cliveden Conservation, the restoration process is under way. This entails the strengthening of internal areas and a clay remodelling of the damaged areas to help restore her to her former beauty. A record cast will be made to illustrate the refurbishment work and act as reference of the repair work for the future.

Lees Associates originally gave her the name Doris but, after the removal of two inches of paint, her true youth and beauty has been revealed once more and she is now known as Dieter, which seems more befitting. Soon Dieter will be restored to her complete former glory, and will then safely continue to greet visitors to the newly refurbished property for we hope another 175 years.

The 2009 Pavilion has been designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of the leading Japanese practice SANAA. Their design consists of an organic shaped “mirrored” roof structure that varies in height and form as it flows between the trees and natural surroundings of Kensington Gardens. The change of height complements the flow, appearing almost as a series of gentle waterfalls that subtly bring the roof to points no more than a metre above the ground; it is no coincidence that these are the areas where small children gather and play. The roof structure is supported by a series of delicate stainless steel columns, which allow complete freedom of movement through the pavilion.

It is in our opinion one of the better pavilions to have been commissioned since the series began. Many thanks to Julia Peyton-Jones for the kind invitations and our congratulations to Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa for a gloriously understated design.

The house had evolved markedly over the centuries, with significant additions in the 1800s and 1950s, the latter to the building’s great detriment. Lees Associates have added another chapter to the history of the house by rationalising the plan to better suit our client’s needs and demolishing the unsightly twentieth century additions. A new extension to the south range provides a subservient family entrance that remains in keeping with the scale and grandeur of the house. The historic parts of the house have been delicately and sensitively restored in close collaboration with the local conservation department and English Heritage. A new glazed cloister links the older west range with the new extension on the south range, and looks over a new courtyard contained to the north by a relocated historic stone and brick wall. This is to be landscaped under a future phase of works, creating a glorious external entertaining space.

Internally the living accommodation has been reorganised, with the master suite completely overhauled. A new master study sits proudly at the top of the new solid oak staircase that rises to the master suite. Sunlight floods the study through a great new skylight, concealed from external view by virtue of its roof valley location.

The principal rooms have been decorated and furnished by the New York interior decorator Muriel Brandolini, who has left her unique mark on the property.

In keeping with the practice’s strong belief in sustainability, Lees Associates are developing a scheme to make the Dixton estate entirely carbon neutral. A principal feature already installed is a biomass boiler that provides all of the estate’s heating and hot water and which can be fuelled by timber felled exclusively on the property.

Latest Photos

Glazed cloister and courtyard

Kitchen - fully designed by Lees Associates

Guest bathroom

Glazed cloister

Guest bathroom

Stair hall gable window

Master stairs

Exposed green oak roof

Study skylight

Woodpellet store - “blowholes” in roof

www.architectsjournal.co.uk/5203067.article
Due to be the world’s tallest building: what is it, where is it and what will its final height be?

weburbanist.com/2008/11/26/creative-modern-stairs-staircase-designs
Take a staircase and add a bit of creativity! This varied collection of ingenious staircases is set to inspire any architectural project.

www.intbau.org
The International Network for Traditional Buildings, Architecture and Urbanism. This charity aims to educate people about traditional architecture and the skills involved in maintaining and restoring it.

www.ltbfoundation.org
This organisation promotes creativity and culture worldwide, through the organisation of arts programmes and exhibitions at its gallery in West London.

www.sleepermagazine.co.uk
Hotel reviews, future developments, new builds, refurbishments, people, events and products in the Hotel Industry worldwide.

fuSE1 aims to bring together businesses and individuals working in the property and construction industry in the SE1 postcode in order to create new and sustainable business relationships. After a light breakfast and refreshments, Sir Paul Smith took to the stage to say a few words and commend the organisers on their achievement, as well as share his personal climb from unknown to internationally renowned fashion designer; from a small shop in the derelict Covent Garden in the 1970’s to holding a huge portfolio of highly successful stores worldwide.

The event certainly brought together a multitude of highly skilled and talented people from within the SE1 area and many new contacts were established, as well as old ones re-affirmed. This quarterly event, promoting the sharing of knowledge and talent that the SE1 postcode contains, has the potential to grow from strength to strength.

Well done to the organisers and many thanks to the event sponsors: Cowell Consulting, FOM, Norton Rose and SC Design Consulting Ltd.

Andrew (right) joined Lees Associates in 2003. He was made an Associate in March 2006, shortly after qualifying gaining Chartered Architect status, and quickly established himself as a well-respected and trusted figure in our high-end residential and retail project teams. He now heads our core residential project team.

Gary (left) joined Lees Associates in 2007 and has since been involved in many of Lees Associates high-end residential, retail, hotel and leisure projects. More recently he has taken a leading role on a number of high profile projects.

Congratulations to you both.

The proposal involves an increase in floor area from 8,000 sq ft to 11,000 sq ft and a dramatic increase in the quality and amenity of the building. Achieving this involves major works, including the demolition and reconstruction of the adjacent mews property. As the property is also within a conservation area this represented a major undertaking.

Despite this, by liaising regularly with the planners and English Heritage and carefully researching precedents in the locality we were able to negotiate planning with relative ease. The end result was a solution that satisfied the needs of the client as well as the demands imposed by working with a listed building in a protected area.

This is an achievement which continues our proud long, uninterrupted 100% record of successful planning consents.