Hi all

just finished reading Architect's Journal 28-9-00 and found a few 
items which may interest people on this list.

page 5 2nd column refers to Tony Blair and Cherie hosting an 
official reception at Downing Street next week to press for 
'excellence in public sector buildings'. The Commission for 
Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) have written a short 
paper to underpin the reception which they reckon will get 
published is according to the article in AJ "is expected to call for 
the standards of design in everyday buildings such as town halls 
and libraries as well as the noted landmarks to be lifted to raise the 
quality of life in the UK." Don't suppose anyone on this list has got 
an invite to this bash at Number 10? And does anyone want a bet 
as to whether accessibility get a mention at all in this paper or is 
the quality of life that CABE refer to, merely that provided by being 
surrounded by great architectural buildings (whether you can 
actually get in them and use them not being a standard that they 
yet recognize)?

Page 6 is devoted to the RIBA's Yorkshire branch White 
Rose Awards for 2000 and that the second place award was given 
for an extension at Danes Balk in Sheffield by the Brooke Group of 
Architects in Rotherham. "The project consists of a two-storey 
extension to a stone-Victorian villa to provide a separate wing for 2
autistic children. The institute's Yorkshire region commended the 
way the architect used the materials and detailing with care to 
integrate new accommodation to the existing family home as well 
as the necessary understanding of the special needs of the 
children." The article contains 2 colour pictures, one of the exterior 
and the other the interior of the stairwell I think. Article by David 
Taylor also discusses the first award given to a bakery (not access 
related)

Anyway cantering along through AJ on page 9 there is a news item 
again by David Taylor about Ken Livingstone declaring that 
developers of tall buildings do not stand a chance of getting his 
approval unless they incorporate public areas on their top floors. An 
interesting move Ken and I do hope that the lifts serving these 
magnificent edifices are fire protected dual power supply ones so 
we can all get out in a hurry. Me being of the age that saw the film 
Towering Inferno when it was released at the cinema will probably 
prefer to stay down at a lower level anyway. I also hope they 
resolve accessibility at the bottom so everyone can get up to these 
public areas at the top. So do we tell them about this now, or wait 
till 2004?

Sorry if I have gone on a bit, but I would also like to draw your 
attention to one other item from this journal if you have a copy 
available. Inside the journal they have started a quarterly interior 
design section and on page 14 of this is a picture of a beach house 
at St Andrew's, Mornington Peninsula, Australia. A new 
construction by architect Nik Karalis it features a concrete ramp 
down to the sand dunes which must be at least a 1 in 3. Hard to 
tell exactly from the photo but from my guestimate it rises a storey 
(say 10 feet) from the sand dune up to what is ground level half way 
along the house in a horizontal distance of about 25 to 30 feet to 
be generous. Suppose if the surf is not up to much you can always 
practise gliding down the ramp.

all for now
marcus
SURFACE
Salford University, Research Focus on ACcessible Environments.
http://www.scpm.salford.ac.uk/surface/
tel:      0161 295 5405
telework: 0161 427 4214
fax:      0161 295 5011
textphone:0161 295 3599


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