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Wood Awards 2020: A Treasured Wooden Object
In celebration of the 2020 Wood Awards, Alison Brooks shared ‘A Treasured Wooden Object’ with Disegno Works.
In celebration of the 2020 Wood Awards, Alison Brooks shared ‘A Treasured Wooden Object’ with Disegno Works.
“These carved maple wood scrolls, each about 30cm long, hang as a pair on a wall in my living room. They formed part of my mother’s collection of 18th- and 19th-century “Canadiana”, which is the unassuming name for the art of Canada’s early settlers.”
Read the full article at the Wood Awards website.
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Alison Brooks Architects named Dezeen Architect of the Year 2020
We’re delighted to receive this recognition from Dezeen’s international jury and honoured to be in the company of NADAA, Studio Gang, MAD, Lever Architecture and Carl Fredrik Svenstedt Architect.
With huge thanks to all our clients and colleagues for supporting our work and practice ethos outlined in our statement.
With very best wishes!
Alison Brooks & the ABA Team
We’re delighted to receive this recognition from Dezeen’s international jury and honoured to be in the company of NADAA, Studio Gang, MAD, Lever Architecture and Carl Fredrik Svenstedt Architect.
With huge thanks to all our clients and colleagues for supporting our work and practice ethos outlined in our statement.
With very best wishes!
Alison Brooks & the ABA Team
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
The judges said that the practice is “conscious and questioning, and adopts a public interest approach and that this is the direction we want architecture to move towards”. They described Alison Brooks Architects as “a groundbreaking practice with great ethos – particularly the way that they question both norms and the profession itself.”
The Dezeen awards aim to identify the world’s best architecture, interiors and design, as well as the studios and the individual architects and designers producing the most outstanding work. This year the awards received more than 4,300 entries from over 85 countries across five continents.
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Alison Brooks Interview for The Davidson Prize
Alison Brooks is honoured to be judging The Davidson Prize 2021, along with fellow judges Thomas Heatherwick (Heatherwick Studio), Michelle Ogundehin, Narinder Sagoo (Foster + Partners), and Sonia Solicari (Museum of the Home).
Alison Brooks is honoured to be judging The Davidson Prize 2021, along with fellow judges Thomas Heatherwick (Heatherwick Studio), Michelle Ogundehin, Narinder Sagoo (Foster + Partners), and Sonia Solicari (Museum of the Home).
Each year entrants are asked to consider a different aspect of the home, starting with future ways of working. Amanda Baillieu (Archiboo Awards, Developer Collective) asked Alison how architects should rethink housing design. Read the interview on the link.
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Atoll Spa Hotel at the BauNetz magazine
Alison Brooks Architect’s Atoll Spa Hotel has been selected by design magazine BauNetz as one of the Best Hotels and Restaurants in the World from the last 20 years.
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Alison Brooks Architect’s Atoll Spa Hotel has been selected by design magazine BauNetz as one of the Best Hotels and Restaurants in the World from the last 20 years.
The Helgoland hotel is featured alongside ten other magnificent places to add to the post lockdown to-do-list, including Philippe Starck’s Sanderson Hotel in London; ‘Under’, Snøhetta’s underwater restaurant; and Hotel Puerta America, Madrid, where each floor was designed by luminaries such as Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster, David Chipperfield or Ron Arad.
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Alison Brooks Judging Design Educates Awards 2021
Alison Brooks is honoured to be on the judging panel for the Design Educates Awards 2021.
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Alison Brooks is honoured to be on the judging panel for the Design Educates Awards 2021.
The awards recognize, showcase, and promote globally the best ideas and implementations of design that educate.
Alison is on the 2021 judging panel alongside other influential names in architecture such as Prof. Toyo Itō (Toyo Ito & Associates), Prof. Farshid Moussavi (FMA), and David Basulto (ArchDaily).
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Exeter College Cohen Quad is a Civic Trust Awards Regional Finalist 2021
We are very proud to see Exeter College Cohen Quad as a Civic Trust Awards Regional Finalist 2021. Congratulations to our fellow finalists and best of luck!
We are very proud to see Exeter College Cohen Quad as a Civic Trust Awards Regional Finalist 2021. Congratulations to our fellow finalists and best of luck!
Cohen Quadrangle is Oxford University’s first fully inclusive and barrier free quad. A reinvention of the ‘collegiate quadrangle’, the new Cohen Quad expands Exeter College’s 700-year-old campus with undergraduate and graduate living accommodation for 90 students, seminar rooms, auditorium, special collections archive, café, JCR and Learning Commons.
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Read Alison Brooks’ Interview with the University of Waterloo Magazine
University of Waterloo magazine has published an interview with Alison Brooks where she talks about her book ”Ideals then Ideas” and how the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored and reinforced her studio’s ultimate purpose, which is ”improving the quality of life for everybody.”
University of Waterloo magazine has published an interview with Alison Brooks where she talks about her book ”Ideals then Ideas” and how the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored and reinforced her studio’s ultimate purpose, which is ”improving the quality of life for everybody.”
”At the end of the day, it’s about trying to make the world a better place. In architecture, we are physically forming the places where people will live, work and play, and so there is a responsibility in that. You must bring joy, bring your ideals and bring that magic to solving problems that impact a lot of people.”
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Alison Brooks Presenting at the CTBUH Live-Streaming Three City Conference
On November 17, Alison Brooks will be presenting alongside esteemed colleagues from around the world, including Lord Norman Foster, Mun Summ Wong, and Patrik Schumacher, to discuss what the future of cities could look like post-COVID. Could we emerge from this pandemic committed to creating more sustainable and resilient urban environments? View the program and join this great event on the link.[more..]
On November 17, Alison Brooks will be presenting alongside esteemed colleagues from around the world, including Lord Norman Foster, Mun Summ Wong, and Patrik Schumacher, to discuss what the future of cities could look like post-COVID. Could we emerge from this pandemic committed to creating more sustainable and resilient urban environments? View the program and join this great event on the link.
In the second quarter of 2020, much of the world’s office workforce transitioned to working from home. But many homes were never intended to double as workspaces; childcare takes on entirely new, daunting dimensions; and the lack of traffic into central business districts is severely damaging local economies. A panel of leading experts discusses how they’ve dealt with the work-from-home surge in their own lives and companies, and how we’ll work next.
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Windward House Shortlisted at AR House Awards
We’re delighted to have our project Windward House recognised on the AR House Awards shortlist among other 14 fantastic private houses from around the world.
We’re delighted to have our project Windward House recognised on the AR House Awards shortlist among other 14 fantastic private houses from around the world.
The winner and commended projects will be announced online at the end of November and published in the December 2020/January 2021 issue of The Architectural Review.
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Athena Wins the Evening Standard New Homes Awards
We’re absolutely delighted to have received the Evening Standard New Homes Award in the Development of Outstanding Architectural Merit category for our scheme Athena. We designed 143 new homes, as part of Cambridge University’s exceptionally ambitious North West Cambridge Development.
We’re absolutely delighted to have received the Evening Standard New Homes Award in the Development of Outstanding Architectural Merit category for our scheme Athena. We designed 143 new homes, as part of Cambridge University’s exceptionally ambitious North West Cambridge Development.
The 150-hectare urban extension masterplanned by Aecom includes university and market housing, a primary school, research space plus community facilities such as a nursery, a doctors’ surgery, community center, supermarket, and retail units, and open green space.
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Festival of Place: A Talk with Alison Brooks and Steven Cox
Alison Brooks is speaking with our Vancouver client, Steven Cox, VP Brand & Design, Rize Alliance Properties, at the Festival of Place. They discuss the making of successful places and their project, The Passages, a one million square foot mixed-use residential development in Vancouver, in Surrey City Centre – a high-density, transit-orientated and walkable downtown core designed to address a critical housing need.
Alison Brooks is speaking with our Vancouver client, Steven Cox, VP Brand & Design, Rize Alliance Properties, at the Festival of Place. They discuss the making of successful places and their project, The Passages, a one million square foot mixed-use residential development in Vancouver, in Surrey City Centre – a high-density, transit-orientated and walkable downtown core designed to address a critical housing need.
Alison says the character of tall buildings and how they merge to form a beautiful skyline with humane and diverse streetscapes has been a key design driver.
The talk is moderated by Christine Murray, Editor-in-Chief of The Developer and Director of the Festival of Place. Join this online event on Thursday, November 5 at 4 pm.
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Alison Brooks Architects ― Housing Architect of the Year
We are thrilled to win our second BD Housing Architect of the Year Award in the company of great competition. Congratulations to our partners, Argent, Hill Group, Rize Alliance, patrons and residents.
We are thrilled to win our second BD Housing Architect of the Year Award in the company of great competition. Congratulations to our partners, Argent, Hill Group, Rize Alliance, patrons and residents.
Our winning submission included Cadence, a mixed-use scheme in King’s Cross about to start on site, The Passages, a residential development at the heart of the emerging Surrey City Centre in Vancouver, Athena, a Cambridge Universit’s exceptionally ambitious North West Cambridge Development where we designed 143 new homes as a part of, and Durham & Gloucester Court, a regeneration scheme in the South Kilburn Estate that establishes a consistent urban character.
We’re also happy to receive an AYA High Commendation in Individual House Architect category for our projects Mesh House and Windward House, with thanks to our exceptional clients.
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Context is Everything: An Online Conversation between Alison Brooks and Kim Colin
Alison Brooks is speaking with Kim Colin in the new episode of RDInsights ― a series of one-to-one online conversations with world-leading designers and innovators.
Alison Brooks is speaking with Kim Colin in the new episode of RDInsights ― a series of one-to-one online conversations with world-leading designers and innovators.
Alison Brooks and Kim Colin are Royal Designers whose innovations in architecture and furniture design are changing the world.
Sit in on a unique online conversation as they meet, exchange notes, and discuss their respective practices. Join this event on Tuesday, October 27 at 6 pm by registering here.
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Alison Brooks Architects are Pleased to Announce the Promotion of Antonio Callejon and Félix Cruz to Associates
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Antonio Callejon Nache ETSAG MArch ARB and Félix Cruz Marcos ETSAM MArch ARB to Associates.
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Antonio Callejon Nache ETSAG MArch ARB and Félix Cruz Marcos ETSAM MArch ARB to Associates.
Antonio Callejon is a creative architect and skilled project leader. He has an excellent understanding of construction and of how to transform a client’s brief into beautiful and buildable architecture. Honing his skills on Windward House for an art collecting client, he brings broad thinking as well as attention to detail to all projects. Antonio has worked on a number of the practice’s award-winning projects, including Exeter College Cohen Quad and The Passages in Vancouver. He is currently leading a regeneration project in North East London and a concept masterplan in Russia.
Felix Cruz is an architect that combines exceptional technical knowledge with strong design talent. He brings a wealth of expertise to projects all stages of a project whilst always maintaining the architectural vision that the practice is known for. Felix is currently leading Cadence, a high-profile residential development in King’s Cross Central, where we have recently completed full construction documentation and is due to start on site soon. He has successfully led several of our other large scale projects, including our award-winning Athena development in Cambridge and the technical design of 1 Ashley Road. His experience includes projects across the UK, Far East and Continental Europe.
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ABA longlisted for Architect of the Year at Dezeen Awards 2020
We are extremely happy to have been longlisted for Dezeen Awards 2020, Architect of the Year. In its third year, the Dezeen Awards honours the best of architecture and design from across the world, and we are honoured to have been considered for this year’s awards.
We are extremely happy to have been longlisted for Dezeen Awards 2020, Architect of the Year. In its third year, the Dezeen Awards honours the best of architecture and design from across the world, and we are honoured to have been considered for this year’s awards.
https://www.dezeen.com/awards/2020/longlists/studios/architect-of-the-year/
Despite Covid 19 restrictions, it has been a great year for ABA. We have won major new housing projects by design competition in Stratford, Hackney and Moscow, and have gained city permits for our largest project to date for a mixed use city block in Vancouver. The first phase of our work in Eddington reached completion, and we continue to develop detailed design proposals for a second project for this innovative new sustainable town extension in Cambridge. Meanwhile detailed design for Cadence in King’s Cross has continued after ABA were novated to Laing O’Rourke, and 1 Ashley Road has started construction. Work continues on York Castle Museum, a project that we won at competition last year, and we recently made the longlist to design the new Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
We wish all the other fantastic studios on this year’s longlist the best of luck with the award.
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Athena nominated for BHA Sustainability Award
Athena Phase 1, part of the University of Cambridge’ ambitious new Eddington city quarter, a benchmark in urban sustainability, has been nominated for the Best Sustainable Development at the British Homes Awards. We have designed this project with Pollard Thomas Edwards and Aecom for Hill Group.
Athena Phase 1, part of the University of Cambridge’ ambitious new Eddington city quarter, a benchmark in urban sustainability, has been nominated for the Best Sustainable Development at the British Homes Awards. We have designed this project with Pollard Thomas Edwards and Aecom for Hill Group.
https://www.britishhomesawards.co.uk/shortlist/
Unique measures are integrated into every aspect of our developments at Athena to encourage residents and visitors to lead more sustainable lives. This means using resources in a safe and efficient way, minimising carbon emissions and pollution to help the environment now and in the future. In addition, the design process ensures wildlife and biodiversity are encouraged across the development, as well as extensive travel planning and advice to minimise the use of personal motor vehicles. We have engaged thirteen sustainable design principles, based on the internationally recognised “One Planet Living” criteria, which have been used to guide the design and development of the scheme, which prioritises passive energy, as well as the social and cultural implications of collective sustainable living.
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Master in Collective Housing, Madrid 2020
27.07.2020—31.07.2020, Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid
This week, the fourth International Workshop of the MCH 2020 in Madrid is led by Alison Brooks, assisted by Architect Alejandro de Miguel. Students have a week to deliver a proposal for The Post-Pandemic Tower: Re-useable Urban Ecosystem
This week, the fourth International Workshop of the MCH 2020 in Madrid is led by Alison Brooks, assisted by Architect Alejandro de Miguel. Students have a week to deliver a proposal for The Post-Pandemic Tower: Re-useable Urban Ecosystem
This project is about re-imagining Madrid’s most iconic tower, the Torres de Colon, as a radically sustainable, inclusive and uplifting place to live in the context of two current global crises: the Climate Crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. These two crises have forced us to re-think the nature of how we live, how we consume, how we relate and how we work. Homes have become not only our personal sanctuaries associated with leisure and ‘domesticity’, but in many cases, have revived the pre-industrial revolution norm of the home as workplace. Lockdowns and limits on our mobility have brought the neighbourhoods immediately around our homes into renewed focus. We see our neighbours more often, we are more dependent on our local services. We consume less and as a result we produce less waste. Our reduced mobility has allowed us to discover surprising new places locally; their details and qualities speak to us of the layered social, political and architectural history of cities. We’ve also seen with fresh eyes the ‘nature’ that is a fundamental part of our localities – plants, animals, insects, weather. All these discoveries are life-enhancing. They point toward our collective potential to formulate a new and better urban reality. They are also a catalyst for architects to reinvent the organisational, spatial and material conventions of urban housing.
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BD Architect of the Year nominations
ABA continue to develop a very strong portfolio of housing projects, which has been recognised in the shortlist for AYA2020 in the Housing category. Featured here is Athena in Eddington, a highly sustainable new town extension in Cambridge. We have also been nominated in the Individual House category. We completed two houses in the past year for private clients, Mesh House, and Windward House, and currently have another house in North London in for planning. More on this project soon.[more..]
ABA continue to develop a very strong portfolio of housing projects, which has been recognised in the shortlist for AYA2020 in the Housing category. Featured here is Athena in Eddington, a highly sustainable new town extension in Cambridge. We have also been nominated in the Individual House category. We completed two houses in the past year for private clients, Mesh House, and Windward House, and currently have another house in North London in for planning. More on this project soon.
https://awards.bdonline.co.uk/2020-shortlist/
ABA has a long track record of producing award-winning architecture for housing, and this past year has seen a variety of projects, of different typologies and tenure, reach key stages of development and completion. Our housing projects are variations of classic typologies: the palazzo, the mansion block, the skyscraper, the courtyard block, but we also strive to present them in contemporary and inventive ways.
Cadence is a pivotal building in the final stages of the development of the King’s Cross Masterplan for which we are currently developing detailed designs after being novated last year. Gloucester & Durham continues our work for the estate regeneration of South Kilburn. ABA has also seen the first stage of its work at Eddington in North West Cambridge reach completion at Athena, which represents a continuation of the very high-quality housing that this significant town extension for the University of Cambridge is becoming known for. The Passages, our largest housing project to date and our first in Canada, gained City permits in December. In addition, we have also seen the first phases of Mosaics, a mixed tenure green-field development on the outskirts of Oxford reach completion, and we have developed detailed designs for S3, another key site in the Eddington masterplan. 1 Ashley Road East, the first element of Argent Related’s regeneration project for Tottenham Hale is now on site, and we were successful at winning new work through international design competition, including a major high-rise landmark building at the International Quarter Stratford, and another estate regeneration project for Hackney at Lincoln Court.
A house project is like an essay – in a very succinct way, you can test ideas. At the scale of a house, a thesis or concept can be realised in a way that large more complex projects have difficulties achieving. The two projects that we have presented for this year’s award are the culmination of a long process of design development, conversation, and innovative construction. We have been lucky enough to have worked with two sets of private clients who’s interest and passion for architecture has metamorphosed into a close, supportive working relationship, resulting in two new houses of individual character; one in the Wye Value, and one in Belsize Park.
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Open City – Common Cause
Alison Brooks is a Trustee of Open City, a charity dedicated to the idea that architecture and urban design must make our built environment more accessible and inclusive to everyone. In this article, she discusses the post-covid 19 period with optimism.
Alison Brooks is a Trustee of Open City, a charity dedicated to the idea that architecture and urban design must make our built environment more accessible and inclusive to everyone. In this article, she discusses the post-covid 19 period with optimism.
https://open-city.org.uk/blog/common-cause
The reset button being pushed by the pandemic is a chance for human culture to change for the better. “Times of crisis can bring out the best in people. Inevitably, they make us see the world through a new lens. This coronavirus pandemic is perhaps the first time humanity is seeing the world through a common lens. Suddenly we’re all on the same side, acutely conscious of our interdependence.”
In an interview with Dezeen published last month, Alison Brooks also states that coronavirus is forcing architects to reconsider the importance of amenities like balconies and terraces, as well as space in general. “Whether or not there’s a pandemic, it’s really important to have those outdoor spaces,” she told Dezeen’s Marcus Fairs. “I think there’s going to be a value shift.”
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Virtual Design Festival – Alison Brooks interview
Alison speaks to Dezeen in this live discussion with Marcus Fairs, as part of their Screentime interview series sponsored by Enscape, for the 2020 Viritual Design Festival.
Alison speaks to Dezeen in this live discussion with Marcus Fairs, as part of their Screentime interview series sponsored by Enscape, for the 2020 Viritual Design Festival.
https://www.dezeen.com/2020/05/01/live-interview-alison-brooks-vdf/
In her discussion with Dezeen founder and editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs, discusses the history of her practice, and the studio’s past and current projects. She answers questions relating to work and life during the coronavirus lockdown, housing in London and the politics of good design, and timber construction and embodied carbon.
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