publications
ArchDaily Ely Court
Architect The Smile
July 29, 2016
The Journal of the American Institute of Architects featured this article about The Smile.
“Twenty minutes into our discussion about the Smile—Alison Brooks Architects’ forthcoming seesaw of a building in the courtyard of London’s Chelsea College of Arts—I’m still trying to determine what makes the upward curvature of the unusual, namesake form structurally feasible.”
The Journal of the American Institute of Architects featured this article about The Smile.
“Twenty minutes into our discussion about the Smile—Alison Brooks Architects’ forthcoming seesaw of a building in the courtyard of London’s Chelsea College of Arts—I’m still trying to determine what makes the upward curvature of the unusual, namesake form structurally feasible.”
[less..]
Architects’ Journal The Smile
July 29, 2016
The Architect’s Journal showcased Alison Brooks Architects’ urban installation, ‘The Smile’. The practice collaborated with The American Hardwood Export Council, Arup and the London Design Festival to present a cross-laminated tulipwood structure on the Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground of the Chelsea College of Arts from 17 September until 12 October 2016.
The Architect’s Journal showcased Alison Brooks Architects’ urban installation, ‘The Smile’. The practice collaborated with The American Hardwood Export Council, Arup and the London Design Festival to present a cross-laminated tulipwood structure on the Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground of the Chelsea College of Arts from 17 September until 12 October 2016.
[less..]
World Architecture News The Smile
July 28, 2016
“The Landmark Projects are a key part of the Festival’s commissioning programme. They are at a scale that gets noticed and are always in major public places reaching a very wide audience,” says Ben Evans, the Director of LDF. “The choice of architect is key and Alison Brooks Architects are known for their innovative use of materials. Alongside a strong commitment to ambitious ideas they made an ideal choice for this year’s Landmark project with AHEC.”
“The Landmark Projects are a key part of the Festival’s commissioning programme. They are at a scale that gets noticed and are always in major public places reaching a very wide audience,” says Ben Evans, the Director of LDF. “The choice of architect is key and Alison Brooks Architects are known for their innovative use of materials. Alongside a strong commitment to ambitious ideas they made an ideal choice for this year’s Landmark project with AHEC.”
[less..]
Cambridge Architecture Severn Place
07.2016
“Should Severn Place deliver everything promised at planning stage, the scheme has the potential to contribute an exciting addition to Cambridge’s built environment… Good development sometimes means breaking the norm, as exemplified by schemes such as Accordia or Severn Place.”
“Should Severn Place deliver everything promised at planning stage, the scheme has the potential to contribute an exciting addition to Cambridge’s built environment… Good development sometimes means breaking the norm, as exemplified by schemes such as Accordia or Severn Place.”
[less..]
Blueprint
Blueprint The Smile
July 25, 2016
“Working with Arup, [Alison Brooks Architects] has designed a large, arching tunnel which lifts at each end (hence its name, Smile) made from American tulipwood; it is the first ever use of industrial-sized panels of hardwood CLT. As such, it heralds a new product, which could transform the way architects and engineers approach constructing in timber.”
“Working with Arup, [Alison Brooks Architects] has designed a large, arching tunnel which lifts at each end (hence its name, Smile) made from American tulipwood; it is the first ever use of industrial-sized panels of hardwood CLT. As such, it heralds a new product, which could transform the way architects and engineers approach constructing in timber.”
[less..]
Guardian
July 10, 2016
“Thanks to the enlightened thinking of Brent council and Alison Brooks Architects, a notorious London estate that featured in Zadie Smith’s White Teeth is now the site of some of the best housing in the neighbourhood,” writes Rowan Moore in his review for the Guardian / Observer.
“Thanks to the enlightened thinking of Brent council and Alison Brooks Architects, a notorious London estate that featured in Zadie Smith’s White Teeth is now the site of some of the best housing in the neighbourhood,” writes Rowan Moore in his review for the Guardian / Observer.
[less..]
Architects’ Journal
May 31, 2016
In an article titled “Architects around the world are tackling a huge range of uncomfortable truths”, Alison Brooks reflects on her time at this year’s Venice Biennale.
In an article titled “Architects around the world are tackling a huge range of uncomfortable truths”, Alison Brooks reflects on her time at this year’s Venice Biennale.
[less..]
Interior Design The Smile
May 26, 2016
“For The Smile, Alison Brooks and the American Hardwood Export Council will present an installation in the form of a smile-shaped tunnel. [more..]
“For The Smile, Alison Brooks and the American Hardwood Export Council will present an installation in the form of a smile-shaped tunnel.
“The 118-foot-long installation aims to showcase the structural potential of cross-laminated timber (CLT), and will make use of American tulipwood to create an arch-shaped tunnel that rises off the ground to 11 feet. The images revealed already indicate an astonishing architectural achievement that will delight attendees.”
[less..]
Time Space Existence
05.2016
At the 15th Biennale di Architettura in Venice, ABA’s exhibit City (e) State at the Global Art Affairs Foundation’s TIME – SPACE – EXISTENCE explores the civic role of housing and the state as urban patron.
At the 15th Biennale di Architettura in Venice, ABA’s exhibit City (e) State at the Global Art Affairs Foundation’s TIME – SPACE – EXISTENCE explores the civic role of housing and the state as urban patron.
This book is the catalogue of that exhibition.
[less..]
Inexhibit City (e) State
May 22, 2016
“In their exhibition ‘City(e)State’ Alison Brooks Architects documents the evolution of state-sponsored housing architecture as a reflection of the social, economic and political values of the day.”
“In their exhibition ‘City(e)State’ Alison Brooks Architects documents the evolution of state-sponsored housing architecture as a reflection of the social, economic and political values of the day.”
“The exhibition uncovers qualities found in Britain’s monumental urban housing estates, and how these have become synonymous with economic and social segregation. These are examined in relation to four specific urban paradigms found in a north London neighbourhood: 1890s suburb; 1960s modernist estate; contemporary masterplan; and intensified, ‘ideal’ future.”
[less..]
Dezeen
May 18, 2016
At the head of an article that summarises highlights from La Biennale di Venezia Exhibition 2016, Dezeen featured an image from ABA’s City(e)State exhibition with the Time Space Existence event at Palazzo Mora.
At the head of an article that summarises highlights from La Biennale di Venezia Exhibition 2016, Dezeen featured an image from ABA’s City(e)State exhibition with the Time Space Existence event at Palazzo Mora.
[less..]
Architects’ Journal
May 5, 2016
“The winner will create a daytime events space on the fourth and fifth floors of the museum’s historic Richard Allison-designed main building.
“According to the contract notice, the planned facility will ‘evoke the spirit of the museum and capitalise on the spectacular views across the London skyline.'”
[less..]
Renovations: An Inspirational Design Primer Wrap House Lens House
2016
This book features ABA projects Wrap House and Lens House. In Renovations, Richard Wilcock analyses a host of cutting-edge projects to examine the challenges of adapting traditional house types; retaining historic features whilst introducing modern interventions.
This book features ABA projects Wrap House and Lens House. In Renovations, Richard Wilcock analyses a host of cutting-edge projects to examine the challenges of adapting traditional house types; retaining historic features whilst introducing modern interventions.
The book brings together more than two decades of research to showcase the best examples of domestic extensions and internal remodelling in the UK today.
[less..]
The Guardian
Placemaking and value
02.2016
Newhall and Accordia are two of the five case study projects that RICS use as exemplars for delivering “Placemaking and Value” in the first edition of their publication of that title.
Newhall and Accordia are two of the five case study projects that RICS use as exemplars for delivering “Placemaking and Value” in the first edition of their publication of that title.
On Newhall:
“Newhall very clearly creates something new; there is nothing like it in the local area and the strong commitment to quality and materials, together with the attention to detail in the public realm, helps create a coherent settlement that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing.”
“The success of Newhall’s design can be attributed to the architects themselves, the developers who took the risk, and the original masterplanners and landowners who created the vision… Crucially, the additional build costs are subsequently recouped at end-sale receipts.”
“It is evident that residents of Newhall – the longest-term being ten years – feel a strong sense of pride and ownership over their neighbourhood; both the public and private space is very well kept.”
On Accordia:
“The architecture is innovative, with regards to the typologies, layouts and the use of integrated public and private space. Adopting innovative design solutions increased risk given that they had not been market-tested and might not meet with buyer expectations, particularly at this price point and against the economic backdrop of the preceding 10 years. The distinctive design, in conjunction with the undeniably high standard of materials and finish, helped the settlement establish its own identity and a positive reputation.”
“The emphasis on green space and garden living is very effective and creates a very attractive environment in which to live. Again, the standard is high, with well-maintained pear trees and extensive planting of fruits. Furthermore, the blurred distinction between private and public space enhances the community feel.”
[less..]
Architects’ Journal
February 16, 2016
“The scheme includes 84 homes alongside commercial spaces set within eight blocks which vary in height.
The development will reinstate one of the city’s nineteenth-century lanes with ’meandering buildings’ framing a pedestrian and cycle-friendly streetscape.
“The scheme includes 84 homes alongside commercial spaces set within eight blocks which vary in height.
The development will reinstate one of the city’s nineteenth-century lanes with ’meandering buildings’ framing a pedestrian and cycle-friendly streetscape.
It will reconnect two of Cambridge’s existing neighbourhoods with a new urban passage framed by high density housing.
Using brick as the main material, each apartment block will be given its own identity through subtle changes in colour, texture and reflectivity.
Each of the residential blocks will feature generously sized private balconies, projecting porches and decks.
According to the practice the scheme ‘presents new urban housing as a device for reinstating diversity, complexity and resilience into a quintessentially suburban context’.”
[less..]
Architects’ Journal Knight’s Park
November 24, 2015
ABA’s Veteran Oak Quarter scheme at the North West Cambridge Development was published in the Architects’ Journal, after the scheme was awarded with planning permission.
ABA’s Veteran Oak Quarter scheme at the North West Cambridge Development was published in the Architects’ Journal, after the scheme was awarded with planning permission.
“Alison Brooks Architects and Pollard Thomas Edwards have been given the green light for 240-homes as part of the North West Cambridge development.
“The scheme is the first private housing within the University of Cambridge’s huge £1 billion masterplan which is being designed and delivered by, among others, Stanton Williams, Mecanoo, Mole and Witherford Watson Mann.
“The latest plans include apartments, townhouses, and detached family homes.
“The new homes will feature ‘front hallways, generous ceiling heights, large living areas and spaces for home working’.
“The schemes form part of the massive 140 hectare project which includes 3,000 homes, 100,000m² of research space, a local centre and community facilities including a primary school, nursery, doctors’ surgery, supermarket and retail units.
“Andy Hill, chief executive of Hill, said: ‘We are really pleased that the North West Cambridge site is moving forward – this new phase offers great family homes and pioneering design, which is exactly what Cambridge needs as it continues to grow in the years ahead. Providing more new homes will help to ensure that local families and those who work in our growing science sector are able to live close to the centre of Cambridge.
“He added: ‘The new homes at the site will be highly sustainable and offer great living spaces, thanks to the excellent design team working on the project. We are now starting to see the foundations of a new community take shape at North West Cambridge and we are keen to get started on this latest stage of the development.’
“Construction is due to start on the new homes next year.”
[less..]
Building Design Knight’s Park
November 24, 2015
ABA’s Veteran Oak Quarter scheme at the North West Cambridge Development was published in Building Design, after the scheme was awarded with planning permission.
ABA’s Veteran Oak Quarter scheme at the North West Cambridge Development was published in Building Design, after the scheme was awarded with planning permission.
“Architects join host of others working on Cambridge housing
“Alison Brooks and Pollard Thomas Edwards (PTE) have won planning for housing at the £1 billion North West Cambridge development.
“The first phase of market housing at the Cambridge University-promoted urban extension will provide 240 new homes set along streets and around public spaces.
“The scheme, to be built by Hill, includes apartments, townhouses and detached family homes and is designed to be a sustainable urban neighbourhood.
“They will have “generous” front halls and ceiling heights, plus large living areas and spaces for home working. The homes will be designed to level 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
“The North West Cambridge Development is the largest single capital project the university has undertaken in its 800-year history. Outline planning was granted in February 2013 for the 150ha site between Huntingdon Road, Madingley Road and the M11. The masterplan includes 3,000 homes.
“Other architects working on it include Stanton Williams, Cottrell & Vermeulen, the AOC, Proctor & Matthews and Sarah Wigglesworth.
“The university’s vice-chancellor, Leszek Borysiewicz, said: “[The] North West Cambridge Development will contribute to the long-term success of the city and the university.”
“Construction of the new homes is expected to start in the new year.”
[less..]
Wall Street Journal
November 23, 2015
ABA’s Newhall Be was featured in a Wall Street Journal article entitled What the Future of Working at Home May Look Like: Innovative designs find new ways to combine living and work spaces.
ABA’s Newhall Be was featured in a Wall Street Journal article entitled What the Future of Working at Home May Look Like: Innovative designs find new ways to combine living and work spaces.
“Newhall Be, designed by Alison Brooks Architects, not only creates a community of workhomes—it also gives the residents who want it an easy and effective way to put themselves before the public.
“Forty-three of the 84 units in Newhall Be, which is part of a larger development in Harlow, Essex, in the U.K., include a ground-floor room that can be used as a workspace. A prominent feature of the rooms is a large window that faces onto the street. This lets people in the development engage with the neighborhood and, if they want to, make their home-based work visible to those outside.”
[less..]
NLA Project Showcase: New Ideas for Housing Ely Court Kilburn Quarter
2015
Two of ABA’s projects within the South Kilburn Estate Regeneration Masterplan have been featured in New London Architecture’s book, showcasing new ideas for housing in London.
Two of ABA’s projects within the South Kilburn Estate Regeneration Masterplan have been featured in New London Architecture’s book, showcasing new ideas for housing in London.
NLA selected “the best new housing developments currently taking place across the capital… These schemes show how different tenures are accommodated across the city, and how some are breaking into new typologies and management structures to harness London’s needs.“
[less..]
Architects’ Journal
29.07.2015
In the first of a new series looking at influential housing plans, Alison Brooks picked OMA’s proposals for Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin.
In the first of a new series looking at influential housing plans, Alison Brooks picked OMA’s proposals for Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin.
[less..]
Architectural Review Accordia Sky Villas
07.2015
ABA’s Accordia ABA01 Sky Villas were used as a case study of the semi-detached house typology – “England’s modern domestic type par excellence“.
ABA’s Accordia ABA01 Sky Villas were used as a case study of the semi-detached house typology – “England’s modern domestic type par excellence“.
[less..]
Architects’ Journal Wildspace Warehouse
17.07.2015
ABA’s Wildspace Warehouse was featured in a special issue of the Architects’ Journal, documenting the ‘Co-ordinated Transformation’ of Rainham.
ABA’s Wildspace Warehouse was featured in a special issue of the Architects’ Journal, documenting the ‘Co-ordinated Transformation’ of Rainham.
[less..]
Exemplary Housing Estate Regeneration in Europe
2015
This showcase of contemporary housing estate regeneration projects features ABA’s South Kilburn Estate Regeneration: Phase 1A. It comes at a time when housing has become a central issue in British politics and is in need of the kind of clear thinking embodied in the book’s content.
This showcase of contemporary housing estate regeneration projects features ABA’s South Kilburn Estate Regeneration: Phase 1A. It comes at a time when housing has become a central issue in British politics and is in need of the kind of clear thinking embodied in the book’s content.
[less..]
Architizer: A+ Awards 2015 Lens House
2015
This collection of winners from the 2015 Architizer A+ Awards includes ABA’s Lens House, which won in the Large Private House category.
This collection of winners from the 2015 Architizer A+ Awards includes ABA’s Lens House, which won in the Large Private House category.
The A+Awards celebrate the diversity of the world’s architecture. The entrants, from over 100 countries, run the gamut of architectural typology and form, ranging from the tallest towers to the tiniest apartments and everything in between. From a sinuous elevated bike path to a “human-sized birdhouse,” the winners represent the full spectrum of architectural endeavor: There is a next-generation prefab construction method, a pop-up tower “grown” from mushrooms, conscientious renovations in China, and even a radical revitalization of the NYC waterfront.
[less..]
Cambridge Architecture Severn Place
April 26, 2015
“Alison Brooks Architects’ development at Severn Place highlights the value of detailed planning guidance for discrete areas.”
“Alison Brooks Architects’ development at Severn Place highlights the value of detailed planning guidance for discrete areas.”
[less..]
Architects’ Journal Severn Place
The Guardian Kitchen Stool
September 9, 2014
“Brooks and De Pass’s design has an elegant silhouette and a curved indentation in the seat.”
“Brooks and De Pass’s design has an elegant silhouette and a curved indentation in the seat.”
Alison Brooks’s collaboration with Felix De Pass Homes was featured in an article entitled: ‘Big names and fresh talent creating ‘wish list’ designs in wood’.
[less..]
Architects’ Journal Lens House
Architects’ Journal
10.04.2014
Alison Brooks’s participation in a crit revisiting the original 1959 designs for Churchill College, Cambridge was documented in this article.
Alison Brooks’s participation in a crit revisiting the original 1959 designs for Churchill College, Cambridge was documented in this article.
[less..]
Architects’ Journal Accordia Sky Villas Accordia Masterplan Accordia Brass Building Newhall Be
Architects’ Journal Newhall Be
23.12.2013
“Using her practice’s Stirling Prize-shortlisted Newhall Be scheme in Harlow as a case study, Brooks argues that future housing schemes will have to ‘adapt housing typologies to 21st century lifestyle and technologies’.”
“Using her practice’s Stirling Prize-shortlisted Newhall Be scheme in Harlow as a case study, Brooks argues that future housing schemes will have to ‘adapt housing typologies to 21st century lifestyle and technologies’.”
“Brooks also explains how Newhall Be has been future proofed by including a study for homeworkers and the option to add an extra room in the roof for only £8,000. A model that she said proves that ‘…development density could be added while increasing volume and increasing quality of life.’”
[less..]
YAPI Magazine Newhall Be
11.2013
Newhall Be features across eight pages in this edition of YAPI Magazine: one of Turkey’s most established architecture and culture magazines.
Newhall Be features across eight pages in this edition of YAPI Magazine: one of Turkey’s most established architecture and culture magazines.
[less..]
Exeter College: The First 700 Years Exeter College Cohen Quad
2013
“The challenge was radically to revitalise the Ruskin College site. The victors were Alison Brooks Architects, fresh from winning the Stirling Prize for architecture for a housing project in Cambridge, who impressed the judges with a bold proposal to build two new quadrangles with great patterned curved roofs inspired by the rich colours of the Victorian Chapel.”
“The challenge was radically to revitalise the Ruskin College site. The victors were Alison Brooks Architects, fresh from winning the Stirling Prize for architecture for a housing project in Cambridge, who impressed the judges with a bold proposal to build two new quadrangles with great patterned curved roofs inspired by the rich colours of the Victorian Chapel.”
“The Walton Street Site has been re-imagined as a ‘third quadrangle’ for Exeter, a college which has never had more than two presentable quads (as the inhabitants of Hell Quad in the 18th century would testify, and the users of the ‘Fourth Quad’ in the mid-20th century would concur). In terms of reshaping and expanding the physical space of the College, this will be the biggest step since [George Gilbert] Scott.”
[less..]
The Architects’ Journal Newhall Be
20.09.2013
“It’s Newhall Be’s utopian social vision and what Alison Brooks calls its ‘cultural infastructure’, with their attendant spatial qualities, that sets it apart: really big windows and split-level planning, thoughtfully designed, dedicated workspaces which enliven the public spaces they look on to, thresholds with the right balance of permeability and privacy, super-high ceilings and ready adaptability for occupants who want another bedroom.
“It’s Newhall Be’s utopian social vision and what Alison Brooks calls its ‘cultural infastructure’, with their attendant spatial qualities, that sets it apart: really big windows and split-level planning, thoughtfully designed, dedicated workspaces which enliven the public spaces they look on to, thresholds with the right balance of permeability and privacy, super-high ceilings and ready adaptability for occupants who want another bedroom.
“A site agent on a complex theatre project once told me: ‘You don’t need architects’. And an architect once told me his profession had no meaningful role in volume housing, the area in which he specialised. I’d like to send them both down to Newhall Be and see what they have to say.”
ABA’s Newhall was featured in this article about the nominees for the Stirling Prize.
[less..]
Architects Choice Newhall Be
08.2013
“The radical re-thinking of the shape and interior of the UK house is tackled masterfully with these 84 new homes in suburban Essex that clearly illustrate that good design quality and committed developers can transform peoples’ lives. A new model for British housing perhaps.”
“The radical re-thinking of the shape and interior of the UK house is tackled masterfully with these 84 new homes in suburban Essex that clearly illustrate that good design quality and committed developers can transform peoples’ lives. A new model for British housing perhaps.”
[less..]
Architects’ Journal Newhall Be
13.06.2013
“Newhall Be represents a departure from the design associated with house building. The 84-house scheme is an intelligent rethinking of suburban housing. The innovation of terraced patio houses enabled higher density on the site. The whole is an efficient mix of new and familiar house typologies united by a strong geometric and material consistency, inspired by the sculptural roof forms and simple materials of traditional Essex barns. On a tight budget this project delivers houses that are a joy to live in, designed with intelligence and imagination.”
“Newhall Be represents a departure from the design associated with house building. The 84-house scheme is an intelligent rethinking of suburban housing. The innovation of terraced patio houses enabled higher density on the site. The whole is an efficient mix of new and familiar house typologies united by a strong geometric and material consistency, inspired by the sculptural roof forms and simple materials of traditional Essex barns. On a tight budget this project delivers houses that are a joy to live in, designed with intelligence and imagination.”
[less..]
Grand Designs Lens House
06.2013
“Brooks completely remodelled the house interior, as well as designing two extensions: one on the side, for the owners’ photo agency business, and the other on the upper-ground floor for the living room, projecting out like a lens to frame views of a majestic walnut tree in the garden.”
“Brooks completely remodelled the house interior, as well as designing two extensions: one on the side, for the owners’ photo agency business, and the other on the upper-ground floor for the living room, projecting out like a lens to frame views of a majestic walnut tree in the garden.”
[less..]