PLACE Blog

Secret Laboratory opening in Dublin - Tues 31st Jan

2012-01-27T16:59:00.000Z

An exhibition which began its life at PLACE has been travelling all over Ireland in the past number of years. The Secret Laboratory explores the hidden world of architects' sketchbooks, featuring the ideas, observations, thoughts and reflections of Grafton Architects, Ciaran Mackel, McCullough Mulvin, Jane Larmour, Sheila O'Donnell, and more.

The Secret Laboratory was created by Paul Clarke, an architect and writer based in the School of Architecture and Design at the University of Ulster.

The exhibition launches at Wood Quay offices on Tues 31st January at 5pm. It continues from the 31st Jan - 17th Feb, Monday - Friday from 9am - 5pm.

Click the flyer to enlarge

The exhibition is supported by University of Ulster, PLACE, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and Dublin City Council.

somewhereto_ Share your Vision

2012-01-26T15:27:00.001Z

Lord Kitchener by Alfred Leete, image by Anna Skoura, poster by Ailish Killilea.

CALLING ALL STUDENTS! PLACE needs YOU to Share your Vision.

Is there a topic or project you think people should know about? Something within the built environment realm you feel passionate about? Then you should think about our student participation, somewhereto_Share your Vision, event being held at 12:00 on Saturday 4th of February at PLACE.

This is an opportunity for students to share their vision for the future of architecture and design. Whether it's a project you have worked on or a certain built environment topic you would like to discuss, we would encourage you to take part.

Come along and get to know some of the interns and volunteers at PLACE. Bring along any materials you think may illustrate your chosen subject. Refreshments provided.

If you are interested please RSVP Ailish on ailish@placeni.org.

When?: 12:00pm, Saturday February 4th.
Where?: PLACE, 40 Fountain Street, Belfast. BT1 5EE.

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PLACE is the Northern Ireland Regional Coordinator for somewhereto_, a nationwide project to help young people find the space they need to do the things they love within sport, culture and the arts. Run by Livity, in partnership with Channel 4, the project is funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games across the UK.

Do you need somewhereto_ do the things you love? Get in touch with us...

- Tweet us: @somewhereto_NI

- Email: place[at]somewhereto[dot]com

- Phone: 028 9023 2524

PLACE Bookshop: Seven Donegal Churches

2012-01-21T12:37:00.000Z

Liam McCormick: Seven Donegal Churches by Carole Pollard

Back in stock in the PLACE Bookshop we have Carole Pollard's compendium Liam McCormick: Seven Donegal Churches.

The set of books comprises one book on each of the seven churches and an eighth volume which describes McCormick's career during that period and provides biographies of the artists who collaborated with him on the churches.

Each of the eight books contains an essay by contributors: Catherine Croft, Marianne O'Kane Boal, William Cumming, John Graby, Paul Larmour, Angela Rolfe, Joy McCormick and Shane O'Toole. The books are available as a set, enclosed in a specially designed slipcase.

Published by Gandon Editions. Now available at PLACE for £27.50.

International course - Constructions in Stone

2012-01-20T09:41:00.000Z

Series curated by Ailish Killilea and Anna Skoura.

The Department of Architecture and Urbanism at the ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon, is offering its first course in Practices in Architecture, Constructions in Stone, which will take place from 7 to 12 May 2012.

The course aims to develop skills in Practices in Architecture, particularly in construction and building conservation techniques, and to complement the current curriculum, which is mostly theoretical.

Students will have the opportunity to work the material and to participate in the construction of a stone structure, under the direction and tutelage of stonemasons and stereotomy researchers.

Instruction is multi-disciplinary in nature. It will include aspects of Materials Science and is aimed at promoting interaction between Architectural Technology and Project Design, and between Construction and Conservation.

Course content will include both traditional and contemporary project design methods and construction techniques. The possibilities of the material will be explored and students challenged in terms of creativity and research into new architectural technologies.

This international course has the potential to broaden one's knowledge and experience, from the perspective of students, teachers, and specialists alike.

Course Suitability
The course is aimed at professionals and students of architecture, engineering, archeology, history of art, conservation-restoration, as well as any other discipline related to the subject matter.

For more information follow the link

Art on Chairs International Design Competition

2012-01-19T16:40:00.003Z

It's architecture you can sit on! Some of the greatest architects known didn't just stop at building skyscrapers, they went on to design the finer details to the highest design spec. Take Frank Llyod Wright's 'Barrel Chair' that he design in 1937 for Herbert Johnson's house.

The Barrel Chair, Frank Llyod Wright. (Photo by modernclassics.com)

For the attention of all architecture and design students/professionals (not necessarily in that order) who are passionate about innovative and good design, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

The Paredes Furniture Design Pole, in association with ID+ (Institute for Design, Media and Culture Research), have launched a global competition called the Art on Chairs International Design Contest. The jury will be made up by internationally renowned specialists who with pick 9 winning designs for prototype, which will be the foundation of the exhibition, 'An idea for the world on a chair', to be held in September 14th - November 11th 2012.

In the companies words: the chair is the chosen object, wood is the raw material, innovation is the objective. The competition is open to three different categories: making chairs, imagining chairs, sustaining chairs. Closing date is the 31st January 2012 and entries may be submitted through their website. As well as your work being sown in a global exhibition, winning prizes will be awarded generous cash prizes.

The international company stress the idea that design does have a real impact upon peoples' quality of life, while acknowledging that excellence in design has no borders.

Owen Hatherley presents film screening and lecture in Belfast

2012-01-17T13:00:00.001Z

Click the flyer to enlarge.

Architecture, urbanism and politics writer Owen Hatherley visits Belfast on Sun 22nd and Mon 23rd January for a film screening at QFT and a free lecture at University of Ulster.

The Dilapidated Dwelling (dir. Patrick Keiller, 2000, 78 min)

Selected and introduced by Owen Hatherley

Queen’s Film Theatre, Sun 22 Jan, 3.30pm

£6.20 (£5.70 online) / £5 unwaged / £4 full-time students & children

Owen Hatherley is a regular contributor to the New Statesman, the Guardian and Building Design, writing on architecture, urbanism, the culture of politics and the politics of culture. His latest book, A Guide To The New Ruins of Great Britain, was published to critical acclaim by Verso in 2010. Owen joins us to introduce and discuss Patrick Keiller's experimental documentary The Dilapidated Dwelling.

The Dilapidated Dwelling investigates its subject from an extraordinary number of different angles: archive footage, interviews, statistics, humour, accident, even a quiet love story. An unnamed narrator (Tilda Swinton) returns to England after twenty years spent in the Arctic. Her employer commissions her to investigate 'the predicament of the house in the UK'. She falls in love in a supermarket, and settles down with her partner in an Edwardian house on the outskirts of a university town to pursue her research.

She discovers that at the UK’s current rate of house-building, every home currently standing will have to last for 5,600 years, and that the cost of housing in real terms has doubled since the 1930s. She wonders why, when the digital economy is transforming both work and leisure, and mass-production has made consumer items many times cheaper, homes are still built poorly, slowly and expensively.

She discovers archive footage of numerous approaches to utopian architecture, from around the world. She interviews architects, economists and others, who suggest that the housing market protects itself against mass production, and wonder whether modern capitalism is incapable of adequately providing for domestic life.

The narrator reluctantly comes to the conclusion that the UK is simply incapable of improving its housing stock or applying modern methods to the production of homes, and that the houses of the future will be the ones we already live in.

Despite the use of more traditional documentary techniques like interview and archive footage, The Dilapidated Dwelling retains the poetic sensibility and distinctive visual feel of Keiller’s renowned films London (1994), Robinson in Space (1996) and Robinson in Ruins (2010).

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A New Kind of Bleak

Conor Lecture Theatre, Art College, Belfast

Mon 23 Jan, 1 pm

All welcome, free adm

Owen Hatherley will discuss the fate of urbanism and architecture in the UK, in the desolate new world of savage public-sector cuts, as government funds are withdrawn and the Welfare State abdicates. He will be exploring the urban consequences of the Big Society (which Conservatives privately call 'progressive nonsense') and the ‘localism agenda', as well as considering the completion of the last great Blairite schemes, from London's Shard to the site of the 2012 Olympics. In this context, Hatherley will reflect on what might be distinctive about the Belfast’s post-peace process redevelopment and regeneration, now ingloriously stalled.

This event is part of the ongoing seminar series programmed by the Centre for Media Research at the University of Ulster.

Belfast Civic Trust AGM - 16th January

2012-01-04T10:45:00.000Z

Christchurch, Belfast. Image via UAHS.

The Annual General Meeting of the Belfast Civic Trust to be held on Monday January 16th 2012 at 5.30p.m. in Christchurch, Inst, Belfast.

Guest Speaker: Dr Eamon Phoenix, Stranmillis University College
Subject: Friars Bush and the Development of Belfast, 1570 to 2011

There will be music and refreshments at the meeting. Visitors can park at the front of Inst and can make their way to Christchurch through the Inst front entrance. Christchurch is at the back of Inst.

The Past in the Present: The Legacy of the Cathedral Quarter

2012-01-03T22:59:00.019Z

Series curated by Ailish Killilea and Anna Skoura.

St. Annes Cathedral, Belfast. (Photo by Ailish Killilea)

In recent years the Cathedral Quarter has been identified as the key cultural district of Belfast, seen to play apivotal role as the focus for Belfast's burgeoning arts and crafts scene. Every year the Cathedral Quarter becomes a beehive of activity with a range of festivals locating here such as the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, Open House Festival, Festival of Fools, Belfast Film Festival, Belfast Photo Festival, Out to Lunch Festival and Culture Night.

Culture Night 2010. (photo from Culture Night Belfast)

There are reportedly over 50 creative and cultural organisations located in the Cathedral Quarter presently.Lower rents in the area has helped artists and arts organisations to locate here. But it seems that the character of the area has been a major factor in attracting such a huge catchment of artists. Peter Mutschler, of Paragon Studios, Donegall Street, describes the reason to locate in the Cathedral Quarter: 'I think the reason to move into the premises with studio space on different floors (there are still two businesses)was- and still is- that the spaces are good and it has this kind of stimulating surrounding. The run down building itself has lots of character and the area just has a great atmosphere.'

It is this distinctive character that attracts new public and private investment every year, with adrive to support the cultural quarter's engaging beauty and vitality. Such support for the area has led to plans for regeneration of the Cathedral Quarter in the hope of increasing its utilization.

Map of Belfast, 1690. (Map sourced from Mark Thompson)

The area we know today as the Cathedral Quarter began its establishment right from the birth of the Belfast City in 1613. From this map dating back to 1690 we can see the North Gate and it is this street that is known as North Street. The Belfast River which would have run from the River Lagan down to Millgate now flows under High Street.

Belfast Map, 1791. (Map by Samuel Lewis)

From this map of Belfast in 1791 we can see a street pattern emerging. The Cathedral Quarter is being established, with many of its routes surviving today (Donegall Street, North Street, Waring Street, Rosemary Street, High Street). It is this historic footprint that contributes so much to the city in telling its story as a continually growing and evolving major city.

The following map shows the extent of the Cathedral Quarter today and the listed buildings within its limits that have survived.

Present day Cathedral Quarter map, showing boundaries and listed buildings. (map by Ailish Killilea)

In the late 1990's plans were submitted to the Department of Social Development (DSD) by Ewart Properties to regenerate the Cathedral Quarter area. The following map shows the extent of this planning proposal known as the Royal Exchange and the listed buildings that may be affected by this development.

Map showing the footprint of the Royal Exchange Development. (Map by Ailish Killilea)

Buildings within the footprint of the Royal Exchange include; North Street Arcade, the Exchange & Assembly Rooms, Lower Garfield Street, the First Presbyterian Church and the Masonic Building.

North Street Arcade today. (Photo by UAHS)

The North Street Arcade is a four-storey red brick building with red sandstone detailing was built in 1936 by Cowser & Smyth. The arcade bends through 90◦, with a domed space at the bend, once housing shops, artist groups and exhibition space. It survived the Belfast Blitz during the Second World War and I.R.A. bombings in 1971, but unfortunately it crumbled under an arson attack in April of 2004. Presently the building is listed, but no repairs have been carried out.

The Exchange & Assembly Rooms today. (photo by Ailish Killilea)

The Exchange and Assembly Rooms acquired its name through its function as a building. It was originally built as a one-storey market with arcade in 1769, known as 'The Exchange'. In 1776 Lord Donegall commissioned Sir Robert Taylor to design a two-storey building for social gatherings and dances, when the building then became known as 'The Assembly Rooms'.Fashionable society immediately began referring to the area of Bridge Street, North Street, Waring Street, and Rosemary Lane as 'The Four Corners'. After the 1798 rebellion, the Assembly Rooms served as a trial room for Henry Joy McCracken of the United Irishmen (he was subsequently hung at High Street). In 1845 Sir Charles Lanyon won the commission to convert the Assembly Rooms to the present day structure for Northern Bank. Today the building is in disuse, with much loobying to use the venue as an exhibition hall or theatre.

Lower Garfield Street today. (photo from Lower Garfield)

Lower Garfield Street was known as the Curved Entry until 1910 until it was named after the US President James Garfield. The curved red brick building was built in 1896 by Graeme, Watt and Tullock. The curved red brick building was once occupied by a ballroom, many shops and the Garfield Bar, but today, all that remains is the Tivoli barber shop.

The First Presbyterian Church today. (photo Ailish Killilea)

This building is said to be the oldest surviving place of worship in Belfast city. It was built in 1781-83 by Roger Mullholland and the facade was extended in 1883 and the rear in 1906-07 by Young and Mackenzie. In Victorian time this building would have been seen as less admirable, but the Irish builder of 1867 expressed a different opinion 'for those who believe in Classic churches clothed in cement, this building cannot fail to satisfy their taste' (M. Patton, Central Belfast).

Masonic Hall. (photo by A. Killilea)

The Masonic Building on Rosemary Street was built in 1950-54 by Young & Mackenzie. The three-storey building is made from reconstructed stone with a flat full width pediment and a central bay set slightly forward with balustraded balcony on scrolled barckets over the entrance portico. Above the entrance door are the mason's compasses over fanlight. This was originally the site of The Third Presbyterian Church, finished in 1831 to the designs of John Miller. The Third Presbyterian Church was destroyed in the blitz of 1941. The Provincial Grand Lodge Hall at 15 Rosemary Street is the headquarters of the provincial Grand Lodge of Antrim. Due to the recent harsh economic climate it has been difficult to maintain the hall and lodges are now generally located in Arthur Square Hall. Consideration is been given to the future of the hall, according to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Antrim, alternatives than to sell the building are being sought in order to maintain the Masonic Hall.

Through the discussion of this heritage in the Cathedral Quarter that may possibly face demolition if plans for The Royal Exchange are to go ahead. It is clear that the character of the Cathedral Quarter comes from its colorful and historic past.

Alternative efforts, to that of the Royal Exchange, to regenerate the Cathedral Quarter can be seen in cultural campaigns and projects such as: City Supplements: an Alternative Urban Strategy, The Risk is Rewarding, Barber Shop Quintet, Save the Cathedral Quarter and Let's Get it Right.

Is this historic fabric an integral part of the Cathedral Quarter? If so, is there a way to incorporate such buildings into a design to regenerate the Cathedral Quarter?

2011 Highlights on the PLACE Blog

2011-12-29T15:19:00.001Z

2011 has been a busy year for us on the PLACE Blog. Here are a few of our highlights:

A tour of Belfast's new MAC Theatre during September's Culture Night. Photo by Gary Potter.

Planning for the environment
"Land use planning is about more than simply promoting the orderly development of land. This should not be the end objective, but just one means of achieving something much more wholesome and holistic. Our planning should guide us towards a more balanced society where natural resources are protected and climate change is a key consideration in all decisions."
- Back in February, environmental planning expert Clive Mellon explained how to plan for the environment and sustainable development
- http://placeni.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-place-clive-mellon.html

Visiting the new Titanic Signature Building
"Once inside the building the sheer scale of the structure hits you. The internal atrium of the £73m structure will host the longest escalator in Ireland when opened next year."
- Gary Potter on the PLACE site visit to the Titanic Signature Building in April
- http://placeni.blogspot.com/2011/04/place-site-visit-to-titanic-belfast.html

The story of Broadcasting House
"The Corporation looked seriously at a vacant site in Donegall Square, to the east of the City Hall, but eventually decided it needed a location in ‘a less pretentious quarter’ with ample room for expansion."
- Andrew Colman, former Head of News and Current Affairs at BBC NI, gave us a history of BBC Broadcasting House in Belfast to mark its 70th anniversary in May
- http://placeni.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-place-andrew-coleman-bbc-ni.html

How to improve Belfast's River Banks
"Soft green landscaping, on-street parking, and a reduction in the number of traffic lanes were also suggested by participants as ways to encourage more use of the area. One team suggested a floating pontoon connecting the Obel to the Odyssey - the space could be adapted for events throughout the year."
- The PLACE CQ Charrette in May considered ways to improve the area next to the River Lagan in the City Centre
- http://placeni.blogspot.com/2011/05/new-concepts-to-improve-belfasts-river.html

How to create positive change in rural design
"The PPS21 guidance aims to bring a sense of ownership to design and suggests that there are better ways to execute projects to avoid the flood of large, out of proportion houses with no connection to the landscape that have appeared in recent years. However the guidance must refrain from being over prescriptive or becoming too presumptuous. The purpose, as Paul McTernan explained, is not to create pastiche, but rather, 'to educate, inform and inspire' and 'positively nourish a change in aspirations and ambitions'."
- The new PPS21 Guidance on new building in the countryside was discussed at our Building on Tradition roadshow event in Ballymoney in June
- http://placeni.blogspot.com/2011/06/building-on-tradition-agenda-for_29.html

Reducing street clutter
"Streets and roads make up around three-quarters of all public space – their design, appearance, and the way they function have a huge impact on the quality of people’s lives."
- From Manual for Streets 2, cited by Gary Potter in his investigation of street clutter in July
- http://placeni.blogspot.com/2011/07/reducing-street-clutter-creating-better.html

Rebuilding - again
"We actively unbuilt the city, and rebuilt it, at great public expense."
- Mark Hackett speaking at the Forum for Alternative Belfast's annual summer school in August
- http://placeni.blogspot.com/2011/08/forum-for-alternative-belfast-2011_22.html

Visiting the new MAC Arts Centre
"The new MAC at 5,500 sq m is around eight times the size of the OMAC and will include two theatres, three major visual art galleries, a dance studio, education, workshop and rehearsal spaces, offices for resident arts groups as well as a resident artist and café and bar. It is anticipated that around 200,000 people will use these facilities every year which is sure to boost the local area which is already eagerly anticipating the development of the University of Ulster's City Campus around the York Street area."
- Gary Potter joined a hard hat tour of the MAC on Culture Night in September. The MAC is due to open in June 2012.
- http://placeni.blogspot.com/2011/09/culture-night-belfast-2011.html

Craft and architecture
"It was interesting to understand how the very precise 3D modelling of the architecture practice worked alongside the cruder practice of boat building. Bending oak in a steam chamber is much more rough and ready than the millimetre perfect geometric design."
- Alan in Belfast reported on our Craftitecture event at PLACE, in which Merritt Bucholz of Bucholz McEvoy Architects discussed their collaboration with the Galway School of Boat Building
- http://alaninbelfast.blogspot.com/2011/09/five-currachs-sailing-into-music.html

Charting a building's voyage
"The new Municipal Technical Institute was a grand, purpose-built, state of the art educational building. When it opened the building was one of the first in Belfast with electricity, and phones were fitted throughout. The building even had its own radio station for communications with ships and every room had a centrally controlled clock."
- Gary Potter gave an in-depth history of the past and present of the Belfast Met, from the City Centre to its new location in the Titanic Quarter
- http://placeni.blogspot.com/2011/10/charting-belfast-mets-voyage-to-titanic.html

Thinking about public space
"It is clear that while Belfast has the capacity for major outdoor events in spaces like Writer's Square and Custom House Square, it is severely lacking in well-designed, responsive public space. Not enough attention is given to the spaces between buildings, activating them not only through one-off events mainly aimed at tourism, or pieces of commissioned public art that few appreciate, but with an urban experience centred around informal day-to-day activities. If we want people to move back to the heart of Belfast, generating this type of public realm is a vital component."
- Aaron Coulter in his new series on the blog Connecting Places, which aims to generate critical debate on the spaces, places and sustainable transport systems of Northern Ireland
- http://placeni.blogspot.com/2011/11/connecting-places-why-occupy-writers.html

New uses for old buildings
"I think the former Carlisle Memorial Church should become the Great Hall of the new university campus that is forecast for Belfast by the University of Ulster. I would like to see the campus embracing and defining the cultural corridor that we have spoken about for over 12 years in Belfast. "
- Arthur Acheson commenting on a post in our new blog series The Past in the Present, which explores how the historic urban character of a city can be part of a dynamic and continually evolving contemporary society
- http://placeni.blogspot.com/2011/11/past-in-present-adaptive-church-re-use.html

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We hope you've enjoyed following the blog this year as much as we've enjoyed producing it. We'll be back in early January with more - in the meantime, Happy New Year from all at PLACE!

Connecting Places: Bus Rapid Transit - panacea or placebo?

2011-12-23T11:58:00.000Z

In this series, Connecting Places, we explore the spaces, places and sustainable transport systems in Belfast and beyond, with an aim to generate critical debate on the design of our towns and cities.

Series curated by Aaron Coulter
Article by Aaron Coulter and Gary Potter

The deadline to be involved in the public consultation on Belfast's proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes is coming to a close on 6th January 2012. The routes and accompanying documentation can be viewed until 6th January in the city centre at Department for Regional Development, and in East and West Belfast at the East Belfast Partnership and West Belfast Partnership respectively.

Transport Minister Danny Kennedy, in outlining the reasoning for the introduction of a BRT system, states:

"We need a transportation system that can accommodate the future demands of Belfast, both its people and businesses. We need to reprioritise how we travel and change our travel behaviour to encourage a shift away from the private car and towards public transport. By working together we can make public transport, into, within and across Belfast, safer, cleaner and more attractive for everyone."

http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/121011-drd-rapid-transit-network?WT.mc_id=rss-news

It would be hard to find fault with the statement above, but as the deadline for public consultation on the proposed routes draws near, one key question comes to the fore: will the BRT be the cure to Belfast's transportation woes?

Bus Rapid Transit - the solution?
Google Images

Unfortunately there is no short answer to this question with the successful integration of such a network hinging on many variables. Firstly, however, if you are unfamiliar with the characteristic of BRT check out Street Film's short video below, and DRD's website here.

Part One: BRT overview Gary Potter

Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT)

The Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT) system is designed by the Department for Regional Development (DRD) to address the current and long term transport issues in the Greater Belfast area. The project is highlighted as vital to future transport planning within the Regional Development Strategy and the Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan. Since 2008 DRD have been progressing the project through the various stages required to implement a pilot network of three routes. There is a strong commitment to the BRT by DRD and the Executive and funding has been included within the 2011 – 2014/15 budget to commence initial works. The Executive and DRD believe that the BRT will be a key driver of regeneration for Belfast, linking communities, employment and leisure nodes and facilitating further integration across the city.

What stage is it at?

Since the preparation of a Strategic Outline Case and Executive approval in 2008, DRD have officially launched the project, assessed potential routes and identified the preferred routes for public consultation. The consultation process closes on 6 January 2012 after which DRD will assess the responses, prepare an outline business case, submit a funding bid and publish detailed route designs. This will allow for a further consultation, after which the project will progress to construction phases and the formal setting up of a BRT operation.

Belfast on the Move

In addition to the above DRD has begun to implement the ‘Belfast on the Move’ Transport Masterplan. ‘Belfast on the Move’ addresses the policy objectives from the Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan and aims to reorganise traffic management within the city centre to facilitate a reduction in general traffic levels and encourage greater walking, cycling and public transport use. To achieve this, the plan proposes redistributing available road space in favour of public transport and cyclists and improvements to the road network to the west of the city centre to provide an alternative and attractive route for northbound traffic.

Sustainable Transport Enabling Measures as part of the
'Belfast on the Move' Transport Masterplan. Credit: DRD

The process will be carried out in phases:

Credit: DRD

Streets Ahead Enabling Measures Phase 1 is the work that has been ongoing around the city centre for some time now alongside the new public realm works to create, for example, a one way system on Donegall Place.

Recently new junction layouts at Howard Street and Wellington Place have been introduced as part of a £300,000 process to move bus traffic away from Donegall Square and onto Upper Queen Street, Queen Street and Castle Street. The details of this can be viewed on the map below...

Credit: DRD

The remainder of the Sustainable Transport Enabling Measures (Phase 2 of Belfast on the Move) will be fully implemented by 2012/13. On completion of the £3.5m project Belfast city centre will have an extra 2.6km of bus lanes, 20 new controlled pedestrian crossings (from 73 to 93) and 1km of new dedicated cycle lanes. On May Street the current four lanes will be altered to create two general traffic lanes and one wide bus lane. Similarly, on Wellington Place, the three current lanes will become one general lane and one wide bus lane. Until the BRT system comes into operation Metro and Ulsterbus services may use these new Rapid Transit lanes. A more detailed overview of the changes ahead in the next year can be viewed on the diagram below...

Credit: DRD

Currently DRD’s main priority in Belfast City Centre, as illustrated above, is the BRT system along with plans for cross city bus routings and working with the Department for Social Development on the Streets Ahead project. With such a strong emphasis within DRD the BRT is sure to dominate transport planning in Belfast in the coming years.

What makes the BRT different?

According to DRD the Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT) system will "provide fast and reliable services between East Belfast and West Belfast, Titanic Quarter and the city centre". As the name suggests, a key element of the system is branding and marketing. DRD believe that the BRT should be specifically marketed to represent quality. The vehicles will be modern, comfortable and high tech with real time passenger information and free wi-fi. The system will be branded to be distinct from the other public transport offerings in Belfast and as such the stops will be much different to current public transport stops. Stops will be safe and secure and well equipped with ticketing machines, real-time passenger and network information and CCTV.

Performance and Service Standards established for the delivery of the BRT (July 2011 | PDF)

The BRT will, according to DRD, integrate with existing transport services and fare systems "to ensure a fully joined up transport system and maximise opportunities for interchange". Along BRT routes there will be “dedicated bus lanes, priority measures at junctions and sections of mixed traffic running”. DRD sees the priority bus lanes as essential to the success of the BRT and have carried out detailed investigations of all potential routes to identify the most suitable for a rapid transit system. Road geometry and layout, traffic flow and speed, junctions, parking and land use have all been considered by DRD and helped to identify BRT routes.

Potential routes had to fulfil key qualities under the assessment process to be taken forward. Issues included the potential for priority lanes, value for money, journey time, accessibility to employment, health, leisure and regeneration nodes, construction cost and timescale, public support, risk, phasing and commercial viability. Understanding these issues provides an insight and can explain many of the choices DRD have taken when compiling route options.

The BRT Routes

There are three pilot routes outlined within the consultation. Within the city centre the three routes will share a one-way loop from Chichester Street, Victoria Street, Custom House Square, Oxford Street, May Street, Howard Street, Fisherwick Place, College Square East and Wellington Place. BRT Halts will be positioned on Wellington Place, Chichester Street, Custom House Square and May Street (at St George’s Market and Adelaide Street). The previously mentioned ‘Belfast on the Move Sustainable Transport Enabling Measures’ will provide the basic infrastructure for this shared inner city loop.

The inner city BRT loop. Credit: DRD.

CITI: This route has no alternative route options and would travel along Chichester Street, along Victoria Street, past Custom House Square and over the Queen Elizabeth Bridge to serve the Titanic Quarter. This route would return by Queen's Bridge, along Oxford Street, onto May Street, then Howard Street and back to Wellington Place.

CITI Preferred Route. Credit: DRD

EWAY: A number of unfeasible and not preferred options for this route are outlined within the consultation document. The emerging preferred option for east Belfast would travel on-street along the Upper Newtownards Road after leaving the city centre from East Bridge Street and the Albertbridge Road. Passing Stormont, the Ulster Hospital and Dundonald the route would terminate at a 500 space (approx.) Park and Ride facility at Quarry Corner.

A controversial option running along the Comber Greenway has been ruled out due to the need for land acquisition and complex construction works. It would also have significantly affected the character of the Greenway and failed to integrate with key employment locations along the Upper Newtownards Road, according to the DRD consultation document.

Potential EWAY Routes.
Yellow indicates the emerging preferred option.
Blue indicates a feasible option but not preferred by DRD.
Red indicates a route deemed unsuitable by DRD.

WWAY: This route, proposed for west Belfast, would either leave the city centre along the Grosvenor Road or Divis Street. The preferred option selects Grosvenor Road despite no priority being achievable between Stanley Street and Durham Street junctions. The WWAY route would serve the Royal Victoria Hospital before continuing on-street along the Falls Road Andersonstown Road and Stewartstown Road to a Park and Ride terminus at Dairy Farm and / or McKinstry Road Roundabout (approximately 400 spaces). The WWAY route, like the EWAY, serves a number of key facilities such as the Hospital, Westwood and Kennedy Shopping Centres, Beechmount and Andersonstown Leisure Centres, Casement Park, City and Milltown Cemeteries and a number of industrial estates.

Potential WWAY Routes.
Yellow indicates the emerging preferred option.
Blue indicates a feasible option but not preferred by DRD.
Red indicates a route deemed unsuitable by DRD.

Speaking at the 2011 Forum for Alternative Belfast Summer School, Ciaran de Burca (Head of DRD’s Rapid Transit department), commented that "whichever routes proceed, they will all demand the same high quality attributes. The BRT will be a high frequency, high quality system”.

What happens next?

The next step after consultation involves DRD assessing the consultation responses to identify preferred route options. Further technical assessments of the routes will be carried out to identify issues such as halt locations. A service operations plan will be developed and recommendations published on the integration of feeder services to support the BRT. A further stage of consultation will take place prior to the implementation of the scheme.

Gary Potter

Part Two: BRT - Belfast's 'cure all'? Aaron Coulter

Unarguably the introduction of more choice into Belfast's transportation portfolio is to be welcomed, and it is also refreshing to hear and read such progressive statements from our Transport Minister (only somewhat undermined by initiatives such as free city centre car parking over the Christmas period). It is clear that there is, at least, the understanding that our reliance on the private car has to be reduced.

Space taken for 60 people on Bicycle, Car and Bus
Google Images

Despite this, however, I am not completely convinced by certain elements of the BRT proposal to date. Outlined below are three concerns regarding the BRT and its successful integration into Belfast's transportation network. Whilst there are undoubtedly more, particularly those regarding funding, ownership and land acquisition, the concerns outlined below are taken from an urban design perspective and with an aim to generate debate on the scheme.

1. Belfast's Arterial Routes

Belfast, like most cities, has grown and developed around a number of 'arterial routes' emanating from the City Centre out towards the residential hinterland of the city's suburbs (eg Crumlin Road, Newtownards Road, Lisburn Road). In a natural response to this, Translink's Metro bus network has also developed along these routes (see schematic map below), allowing for improved access to the city centre.

Translink's Metro bus network
Google Images

However, whilst this type of network increases mobility and access to the heart of the city, the design of the network has left it hard to negotiate around the city via public transit without undertaking awkward changes onto new services in the city centre.

If simplified, the metro system can be compared to a hand with the fingers acting as the arterial routes - access to the centre is easy but to get between fingers longer trips are required into the city centre and then out along another 'finger'. New lines connecting the arterial routes or 'fingers' would improve mobility between communities, reduce traffic congestion within the city centre and increase access to both jobs and education opportunities.

Belfast's 'Finger Plan'
Illustration by Aaron Coulter

Taking this into consideration when we look at the proposed BRT routes it would appear the proposals are not solving this issue, but again remain focused on the arterial routes that are already serviced by Metro buses. More efficient cross city connections are what is needed if we really want to improve mobility within our city.

Another serious issue is that the initial proposals of BRT are ignoring North Belfast, arguably one of the most disconnected areas in Belfast, in favour of the Titanic Quarter (TQ) development. This is an unsurprising decision given the vast amount of money that has been ploughed into TQ and the employment and education opportunities that exist here. However, once again communities in North Belfast are being left behind, many of which are already highly disenfranchised in terms of access to jobs and education. The TQ development rising on the other side of Belfast Lough may as well be another City entirely for these communities.

Access to TQ favoured over existing North Belfast communities
Photo by Aaron Coulter

2. Integration

One of the most positive aspects of the proposal is that the EWAY and WWAY routes are to terminate at new Park and Ride terminals. This form of integration with the private car seeks to free up road space by removing commuter traffic in order to implement effective priority lanes for the BRT. While some of the current park and ride schemes experienced some teething problems, further introduction of such schemes is a very positive step in reducing car traffic levels within the city. However, potential issues arise in how BRT will integrate with existing private car alternatives, such as the Metro bus service and bicycles.

BRT proposal
Credit DRD

In the preliminary images released by DRD we clearly see that bicycles are still expected to share space with buses. If the above picture is what is envisioned as an ideal solution for our private car alternatives within the city centre, where there is ample room for segregated cycle lanes yet all that is provided are advanced stop lines, I fear how cycling will be incorporated along the smaller arterial routes. The roads engineers and architects responsible for the design of the BRT network need to view alternative transport in a holistic manner, not focusing solely on accommodating BRT, and see that an opportunity exists not only to introduce priority bus lanes but also to incorporate segregated cycle lanes at the same time.

Put bluntly if proper cycling lanes are not designed and built alongside BRT, it is likely that they will never be. This scepticism is not unfounded - we only need look to new 'cycle infrastructure'/car parking along the Lower Newtownards Road to see how half hearted some recent attempts have been to improve cycle connectivity.

3m of green paint - is this a cycle lane?
Image by Aaron Coulter

When looking at the proposed BRT routes it is clear that the same roads are serviced by many of the Metro buses. Naturally the BRT could replace the services along these primary routes but the difficulty lies with those subsidiary routes that branch off from the arterial passageways (indicated in grey on Metro map above). These Metro services also need to make use of arterial routes throughout certain parts of their journeys - will the BRT, with its quick and efficient off board ticketing system be forced to wait as the Metro passengers board and alight, or will the Metro buses be forced into the general traffic lane? Although the image provided depicts two separate lanes this is unlikely to happen as our roads simply do not have that capacity outside of the city centre.

For the BRT operator themselves, who ever it turns out to be, it will be in their interest not to share lanes with bicycles to ensure efficiency, but unless suitable provisions are made for bicycles alongside the BRT conflict between the two will be an inevitability.

3. Why not retrofit the Metro?

On reading through the features of the BRT the most obvious question is why can these features not just be retrospectively added to the existing Metro service, negating the need to invest in specialised BRT buses? Particularly in these times of fiscal restraint surely it would be cheaper to implement some of these features with Metro and at least test the system before major investment takes place?

A good starting point would be to strictly enforce existing bus lanes from 7am-7pm. This is a measure that will have to be taken if BRT is to be introduced, so why wait until 2014/15? If car traffic can cope during peak periods of 7am - 9:30am and 3:30pm - 6:30pm, when Bus lanes are enforced, then why not continue this throughout the rest of the day?

Part time bus lane on Antrim Road
Image by Aaron Coulter

While Translink have attempted to speed up boarding times with the introduction of Smartlink cards some years ago, widespread introduction or compulsory use (i.e off board ticketing) would significantly improve lag times experienced on the Metro. Given that ticketing is to be 'integrated' once the BRT comes along, again, why wait?

Now that BusTrak has been introduced along many bus lines, often it is only displaying timetable information, not actually where the bus is in real time. As evidenced from the video below, real time data provided through apps on smart phones is a great solution to issues of perceived unreliability.

Retrofitting the Metro service with features of the proposed BRT would certainly increase the appeal factor of Metro, and given that the current bus system is more flexible than new BRT lines ever will be and they already operate at a relatively high frequency along arterial routes this option may well be the biggest competitor to the new proposals.

Summary

Thankfully it appears that the decision has been made that at some stage privately owned cars will have to give up space on Belfast's roads. The proposals for BRT are to be welcomed, but they are certainly not the perceived 'cure all' for Belfast's car centric transportation dependencies.

Given that an initial backlash from motorists is almost inevitable, due to the comparatively small scale nature of Belfast and it's roads, as the proposals move forward it is vital that concessions to private cars are not made. BRT, in whatever form it takes, needs to be implemented with 100% conviction or the initiative will be wasted with the worse case scenario being that we end up with two bus systems, each running at half capacity.

Perhaps the greatest strength of the BRT proposals to date lies in what they represent - a paradigm shift in transportation policy within Belfast. However, only with a holistic and integrated approach to sustainable alternatives can objectives set out in 'Belfast on the move' be achieved. If the proposals are implemented correctly and given significant priority BRT can play an important role in Belfast's sustainable transport portfolio.

Aaron Coulter

Continue the conversation with Aaron on Twitter #connectingplaces

Public Consultation on BRT routes runs until 6th January 2012 - make your voice count here.

New Routemaster hits the streets of London: NI Creative Industries at work

2011-12-22T12:07:00.000Z

The new routemaster. Image via Magnus D on Flickr.

The new Routemaster is on the streets of London, designed by Heatherwick Studio and built in Northern Ireland by Wrightbus.

"This demonstrates in a very visible way the value of the Creative Industries as supported by the current Programme for Government," says PLACE Director Michael Hegarty. "Architecture and public spaces are also currently being designed here for cities such as Copenhagen."

Read More
Fast Code Design: "London's Futuristic New Double-Decker Bus Hits The Streets" (Dec 21st 2011)
Northern Builder Magazine: Profile of Hackett Hall McKnight Architects (Issue 2, 2011)

Save Dublin's Cycle Officer

2011-12-21T22:44:00.021Z

It was announced last week that Dublin is set to lose its Cycling Officer, Ciaran Fallon. He is currently the only Cycling Officer in any of the City Councils in Ireland. This position played a key role in promoting cycling in the city, just recently voted 9th most bike friendly city in the world by Copenhagenize (Irish Times, September 2011). If the post is lost it will be a devastating blow for cycling in Dublin. But it could also set a trend for decision makers in Northern Ireland.

There's an online petition which can let you show your support for improving cycling in Dublin and beyond.

Full details via The Irish Times: http://tiny.cc/ap2hs

Online petition: http://tiny.cc/ysakq
Campaign Informaton: http://tiny.cc/2hp4h
Twitter: #dublincycling

"Let's Get It Right" Group presenting an Alternative Vision for Royal Exchange

2011-12-10T16:53:00.000Z

Click the flyer to enlarge

On Monday 12th December, the Let's Get it Right campaign reconvenes in the Black Box to discuss an alternative vision for the Royal Exchange development in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter.

Call for Participation for the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale

2011-12-08T14:43:00.002Z

Venice Takeaway: Ideas to Change British Architecture

The British Pavillion in Venice. Image courtesy British Council.

The British Pavilion at the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale will be the culmination of an ambitious global research project designed to make an original and far-reaching contribution to the debate about architecture in the UK.

The Pavilion will provide an injection of new ideas based on the collective research of architects, students, writers, critics and academics. The research will focus on what - and who - makes great architecture; considering issues such as construction, housing, planning, culture, education, procurement, architectural competitions and the role of the client.

On Thursday 19th January 2012 at 5.30pm an open call for participation and proposals will be launched at PLACE, 40 Fountain Street, Belfast - followed by a discussion about the brief aimed at involving a wide-range of contributors.

All those who wish to find out more are welcome to attend the event. Booking is essential: click here to register.

In March the best proposals will be selected and around ten individuals or teams will travel to unearth case studies in locations around the world.

Each ‘Explorer’ will conduct interviews and uncover how, and why something works. Explorers will be tasked with bringing back material including film, photography, writing and drawing. The exhibition will tell their stories and make a series of proposals for changing British architecture.

Venice Takeaway will build on the UK’s history of looking to the rest of the world for inspiration and ideas. Trade voyages shaped the modern world; not only filling museums, botanical gardens and markets but also changing the way we think and introducing ideas that have become part of our culture. Today the flow of ideas is made possible by the travels of architects and by overseas students who come to the UK to study, and often stay to establish their own design studios or to work for British practices.

By discovering the best ideas from around the world it is hoped that the British Pavilion will make an original contribution to the debate about architecture in the UK and influence the future direction of policy and practice at a moment of flux.

Venice Takeaway is curated by Vicky Richardson, Director of Architecture, Design, Fashion at the British Council and Vanessa Norwood, Head of Exhibitions at the Architectural Association.

Vicky Richardson says: ‘We have many good designers in the UK, but the systems and structures surrounding architecture need change. Everyone who has travelled will recognise the feeling of envy when you see a good idea. The British Pavilion aims to gather the best of these and bring them back to the UK.’

Launches:
London
Tuesday 10 January, 6-7.30pm
Architectural Association, The New Soft Room, 36 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3ES

Edinburgh
Thursday 12 January
Playfair Library Hall, Old College, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge, Edinburgh EH8 9YL

Cardiff
Wednesday 18 January, 6-7.30pm
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Castle Grounds, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3ER

Belfast
Thursday 19 January, 5.30-7pm
PLACE, 40 Fountain Street, Belfast BT1 5EE
Register for this event here

***

Advisory Panel
The British Council works with an advisory panel of leading architecture professionals across the UK which assists with the selection for the Venice Biennale every two years. For further information please visit www.britishcouncil.org/venicebiennale

Chair: Vicky Richardson, Director of Architecture, Design, Fashion at the British Council
David Anderson, Director General of the National Museum Wales
Ian Gilzean, Chief Architect, Scottish Executive
Penny Lewis, Course leader, Masters in Architecture, Robert Gordon University School of Architecture
Ciaran Mackel, Architect, Ard Mackel Architects
Fred Scott, Author, On Altering Architecture
Brett Steele, Director of the Architectural Association School of Architecture and AA Publications
Finn Williams, Founder of Common Office and Deputy Leader of Placemaking Team at Croydon Council

Connecting Places: What is the cost of free parking?

2011-12-07T15:00:00.003Z

In this series, Connecting Places, we explore the spaces, places and sustainable transport systems in Belfast and beyond, with an aim to generate critical debate on the design of our towns and cities.

Series curated by Aaron Coulter

Last week Transport Minister Danny Kennedy announced free on-street parking in Belfast, Lisburn and Newry city centres, coming into effect from Monday 5th December until 24th December, with fees being suspended from 4.30pm Monday to Friday and all day on Saturdays.

The decision has been largely met with approval by consumers and retailers alike, with retailers anticipating an increase in sales in the run up to Christmas due to the perceived ease of access to the city centre for those arriving by car.

However, is there a cost associated with free parking, and if so, what is it?

'No Coins? No Problem!'

While some would argue that on-street parking charges, and the enforcement thereof, exist solely as a means of government profiteering, they actually play a vital role in the control and flow of traffic through our city centres. The theory is that if on-street parking charges are applied in any given area, less cars will be found and, conversely, if no car parking charges exist more cars will be found. We only need look towards the inner city residential areas at the boundary of the on-street parking charge zone in Belfast to see this theory in effect.

Professor Donald Shoup, in his acclaimed book, 'The High Cost of Free Parking', makes the argument that,

'Free parking has contributed to auto dependence, rapid urban sprawl, extravagant energy use, and a host of other problems. Planners mandate free parking to alleviate congestion, but end up distorting transportation choices, debasing urban design, damaging the economy, and degrading the environment. Ubiquitous free parking helps explain why our cities sprawl on a scale fit more for cars than for people, and why American motor vehicles now consume one-eighth of the world's total oil production.'

But what lies ahead for Belfast, Lisburn and Newry?

Undoubtedly the decision will mean an increase in the numbers of cars coming into, and circulating throughout, our City Centres in the search for a free parking space, ultimately increasing the overall level of traffic congestion. In a period when many Cities across the world, including Belfast (albeit on a somewhat less productive manner), are trying to rid their City Centres of the privately owned car it is hard to understand the reasoning behind the decision.

Naturally, there are significant economic factors at play. Retailers are not only being hit hard by the ongoing recession - but the mild weather has also had an impact on top and bottom lines. In questioning Danny Kennedy's decision, I am not arguing that we shouldn't be prioritising economic concerns or not making it easier for retailers (I wouldn't have my part time job otherwise), but that there could be alternative solutions to the issue.

If simplified, the issue is one of supply and demand. It's Christmas - there is, and always will be, high demand for access to our City Centres throughout December as people carry out their Christmas Shopping. What Danny Kennedy is doing (and rightly so) is not only trying to meet this 'demand', but also trying to increase it by maximising 'supply'. However, the method of 'supply' (removal of parking fee enforcement) is a poor and ill conceived choice with little consideration of the longer term implications.

In the age of internet shopping it is unquestionable that we need to encourage people into the City Centre and we need to make it as easy as possible to do so. But at this particularly busy time of year, after investing significant public resources into the decoration of our City Centres with trees, lights etc, why then undo the hard work by congesting the very same streets with cars and traffic? Both the theory and practice have shown that if we invite cars and traffic into the city, that is inevitably what we will get.

However, if we approach the situation in a different way, we have a higher than average demand of people wanting to come into the city centre - why then, do we not use this demand to act as a catalyst to encourage higher consumption rates of our public transport network? Encouraging Translink to lower fares or increase services over the holiday period could very easily generate the same, if not higher, levels of potential consumers entering our City Centres - particularly in Belfast - the most accessible point in Northern Ireland via public transport.

Doing this would not only make the city centre a more pleasant place to be over the Christmas period but could more importantly act as a starting point in the lifestyle change needed to move towards a less car dependent society by showing people just how much easier, cheaper and less hassle it is to take the bus.

While increasing services or lowering fares may create short term costs for Translink (potentially offset by increased uptake), in the long term there would be significant benefits for the company as many new users of public transport could be generated. Undoubtedly some will say that ideas like this would never work, however it is only through attempting measures such as this that the use of public transport will increase in our Cities.

Instead we have resorted to opening up our City Centres to the car, the easy option. Does this initiative show that our transport Minister has little faith in our public transport system at present? Danny Kennedy's decision is a real kick in the teeth for Translink - however, the question is will they take it lying down and continue with the same old service? In the monopoly that is public transport in Northern Ireland, the car is Translink's biggest competitor - surely they should respond by adapting their service over Christmas, beyond the token late night bus from Belfast to Larne?

Compounding these issues we have an inequitable balance of interests occuring with the decision favouring, and benefiting, car owners at the cost of public transport users (who will suffer from delayed bus services due to congestion). The potential long term result may be that the increased traffic congestion may only serve to put people off venturing into the city - the very reverse of what is intended. Change is needed.

In essence, free city centre parking is a lazy initiative acting primarily as a 'good news story' for Danny Kennedy on one hand and a severe step backwards, undermining public transport alternatives and initiatives implemented by Translink on the other. If Belfast is to compete on the international stage, and in the context of the recent announcement from National Geographic Traveller Magazine, surely more imagination is needed among our decision makers.

This time each year an excellent opportunity presents itself to capitalise on the increased demand for access to our city centres. Through collaborative efforts we could not only increase footfall in the city centre via more sustainable means, but we could also use this potentially catalytic action for a longer term positive change in how we access and move through our Cities.

When will we take this opportunity, and who will have the courage to do it?

This Christmas, don't get annoyed if you can't find a parking space - remember you're not in traffic, you are traffic. Save the stress and take the bus instead!

Continue the conversation with Aaron on Twitter #connectingplaces

'Plan It!' Friends of the Earth event - 14th December

2011-12-02T13:30:00.000Z

Click the flyer to enlarge

This is your first chance to hear the results of the 2011 planning survey commissioned by Friends of the Earth. This will be followed by an afternoon of lively debate on the purpose of planning; networking between professionals, individuals and groups; a chance to hear examples of good and poor planning - interspersed with the odd sermon and confession.

Friends of the Earth will also outline the next steps in their planning campaign.

Date: Wednesday 14th December 2011

Time: 1pm- 4pm

Venue: First Presbyterian Church, Rosemary Street, Belfast BT1 1QB

Speakers include: Frank McDonald, Environment Editor, The Irish Times, and Dr. Geraint Ellis of Queens University, Belfast, author of the planning survey and report.

Light lunch served at 1pm. Event Followed by mulled wine and mince pies.

Booking essential: contact Fiona Joyce at Friends of the Earth (fiona.joyce@foe.co.uk)

The Past in the Present: World Monument Fund - 2012 Watch List

2011-11-30T16:12:00.000Z

In this series, The Past in the Present, we explore how the historic urban character of a city can be part of a dynamic and continually evolving contemporary society, with an aim to spark debate on the topic of conservation and heritage in our cities and further afield.

Series curated by Ailish Killilea and Anna Skoura.

The 2012 Watch List has been recently announced by the World Monuments Fund. Every two years since 1996, the World Monuments Watch calls international attention to cultural heritage around the globe that is at risk from the forces of nature and the impact of social, political, and economic change. It is worth mentioning that the Carlilsle Memorial Methodist church in Belfast was included in the 2010 List.

This year, four sites in the UK are part of the Watch:

British Brutalism in Birmingham, Preston, and London, England
Find out more: link

Southbank Centre in London, view along the south side of the Hayward Gallery, 2010, image via the World Monuments Fund

Newstead Abbey in Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire
Find out more: link

The 13th century West Front of the priory church of Newstead Abbey, 2011, image via the World Monuments Fund

Quarr Abbey in Ryde, Isle of Wight
Find out more: link

Rough stone gable with blind pointed arches in the old abbey, seen from the East, 2009, image via the World Monuments Fund

Ruins of the former cathedral church of St. Michael in Coventry, West Midlands
Find out more: link

View of the old Cathedral from the East, with the new Cathedral to the right, 2011, image via the World Monuments Fund

The complete list, as well as a very informative report are available online via the World Monuments Fund.

somewhereto_ plant a community allotment

2011-11-30T13:03:00.006Z

Recently Andy Kenny, a Masters in Landscape Architecture student, got in touch with us looking for somewhereto_ plant a community allotment. Andy and a group of several more young people from the University of Ulster Architecture Department completed the project in the past few weeks. Here, he tells us how they got on...

Starting to dig in East Belfast. Photo by Andy Kenny.

Andy, tell us a bit about yourself

I am a graduate of 3D Design and have recently obtained a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture. I have also been involved in engaging the public and community with projects including “Urban Playground”, Belfast 2008 at the Pothouse Bar, been a resident at “out of PLACE”, TransBelfast 2010 and Culture Night 2010 where I produced green interventions in the City Centre.

One of the completed allotment boxes. Photo by Andy Kenny.

Through my course in Landscape Architecture at the University of Ulster I worked with “The Science Shop” where I designed a community based project. In my thesis I explored digital technology and community planning in Northern Ireland that achieved two awards.

Why did you need a space?
The project with somewhereto_ was a continuation of “The Science Shop” community design proposal in East Belfast. From studying the research carried out by the East Belfast Partnership I believed there was a need for improvement in the areas of Education, Employment and Health of Ballymacarrett and surroundings areas in East Belfast. With the removal of Secondary and Primary schools as well as the Metropolitan College in July 2011, there is now an important opportunity to give education to the local people in the area.

Up a tree in East Belfast. Photo by Andy Kenny.

Urban agriculture would give the local people a chance to learn and gain ‘hands on’ experience. This would be linked in with local community centres and the local people with the potential of myself and others promoting growing allotments and guerrilla gardening. This would hopefully lead to a new community and provide the local people with the opportunity and confidence to get skills and employment. By the means of fresh foods available in a local context it would also create a healthier lifestyle. Also, with the simplicity of growing fresh food and the benefits of eating them it would increase the health of the local people at a low price.

The team at work. Photo by Andy Kenny.

What were your plans?
The creation of the community allotment/orchard would be through the help of the local community, somewhereto_, PLACE, East Belfast Partnership and eight Architecture students from the University of Ulster. It would be designed and constructed as a community allotment and maintained by the local people in an area of unused land owned by the NIHE on the Belmont Road.

Mucky hands! Photo by Andy Kenny.

How did the plans work out?

The design and construction of the project was successful with the students engaged throughout the process. Fruit trees were planted, planter beds were established, compost bins were constructed on site and filled. To promote the project, bird boxes with the somewhereto_ logos were placed around the site and in other potential areas.

Bird boxes at Edenvale Crescent. Photo by Andy Kenny.

The project has the potential to be continued in other areas of the city of as the allotment spaces are in high demand in Belfast. There is also great potential to expand the project with over 107 hectares of potential land in the city centre alone, according to figures from the Forum for Alternative Belfast. It is clear that the local community are interested in the project - people have been contacting me by phone, email and Twitter.

A presentation of the work is on display in the weePLACE cabinet at PLACE from 1st - 21st December, and Seed bombs and information sheets can be collected. Follow the journey of the project on Twitter: @GrowingBelfast

- Andy Kenny

***

Do you need somewhereto_ do the things you love? Get in touch with us...

- Tweet us: @somewhereto_NI

- Email: place[at]somewhereto[dot]com

- Phone: 028 9023 2524

Post-2013: Sustaining the City of Culture

2011-11-28T10:00:00.062Z

In this series, Post-2013, we take a critical look at the transitions that Derry~Londonderry and its people will undergo in preparation for the UK City of Culture 2013, and we speculate on the long-term cultural sustainability for the region beyond 2013.

Series curated by Aimear Lynch.

The newly constructed Peace Bridge connecting the Cityside and the Waterside. Photo by Aimear Lynch.

The tension was palpable in the Guildhall Square as the winner of the UK City of Culture was revealed in July 2010. The announcement saw Derry~Londonderry beat off stiff competition from the other nominee cities (Birmingham, Norwich and Sheffield) to secure the cultural year. The award, a first of its kind within the UK, follows the success of Liverpool as European Capital of Culture 2008, and provides the city and region with a unique opportunity to showcase the its distinctive and diverse cultures.

Securing the title has helped to focus attention towards the city with large scale national and international organisations considering hosting events in the city and region. The Turner Prize, Stirling Prize, BAFTAS, Brit Awards and the Clipper Race could all potentially be hosted within the city (Guardian, 16th July 2010). Just in the past few weeks it was announced that the Academy of Urbanism would host their Annual Congress in Derry in 2012.

With such high profile events, attention will undoubtedly fall on the city. Belfast is still enjoying the surge of pride in the wake of the MTV European Music Awards which solidified the city’s image as a strong European city of culture. Derry is now poised to bask in the same level of attention with increased visitor numbers, revenue and hotel stays.

With a wealth of cultural activity and the progression of the city and region’s regeneration plan (One Plan, 2011), the announcement was warmly welcomed by Derry City Council, ILEX and the people of the city. Since tourism and sustainable development were two key sectors for economic growth in the city’s regeneration plan, it was identified that economic regeneration could be catalysed by key cultural events and projects for economic and cultural stimulation.

A key strategy of the lead organisations tasked with the development and delivery of the bid (ILEX, Derry City Council, Culture Company) is to deliver the cultural year through large scale highlight cultural events, such as the Peace One Day concert and the Turner Prize. These highlight events will then be supported with smaller, more local cultural events and activities promoting the city’s own culture. To see the current programme of events leading to 2013 click here.

Recent rejuvenation of the public realm in the city centre, designed by BDP. Photo by Aimear Lynch.

Not only has the bid been developed to address cultural issues, but also aims to improve job creation and economic development. Already key developments have been undertaken, largely of a capital nature, such as key physical infrastructure development. The construction of the Peace Bridge, the redevelopment of key sites (Fort George and Ebrington Barracks), existing buildings and public realm have been undertaken in an attempt to rejuvenate and revitalise the city in the lead to the cultural year. View current or completed ILEX capital projects here. This said though, the bid has not gone by without set-backs and criticisms. As recently as October of this year the cultural celebrations have been marred by bomb attacks on the City of Culture offices. MP Mark Durkan reacted to the act by stating,

"Derry is a city with many challenges and with many difficulties. But the City of Culture is one of the opportunities we have." BBC News, 13th October 2011

Another blow to the cultural year was the announcement that the upgrade of the Derry to Coleraine railway line would be delayed beyond 2013. The refurbishment of the line - once described by Michael Palin as one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world - is now expected to be completed in 2016/17. This will no doubt be a disappointment for visitors during 2013 (BBC News, 18th August 2011).

But in spite of the early setbacks, the most significant impact of being awarded the mantle of UK City of Culture will be the cultural legacy the event will leave behind. Long-term cultural sustainability will be the most significant asset the City of Culture will bring to the region. Undoubtedly increased revenue and exposure for the city from highlight events will have a positive influence but it is a short term solution for the city. A key consideration of the delivery organisations will be the long-term vision for the cultural sustainability of the city and region beyond 2013.

Derry will be the primary precedent for future UK City of Culture award-winners and therefore should be prepared for significant future scrutiny. A strong cultural bid has secured the UK City of Culture for the North West but will the vision outlined in the bid document manifest in the coming years? Already we approach 2012 with significant steps still to take. In this blog series we'll follow developments to the built and cultural fabric of the city, and speak to key people in the process. We'll ask: will Derry-Londonderry deliver when the spotlight focuses on the North West in 2013? And will the city continue to shine once the party is over?

The Past in the Present: Adaptive church re-use

2011-11-23T14:45:00.003Z

Series Curated by Ailish Killilea & Anna Skoura

As times are changing, religious needs are changing too. Less people go to services, resulting with a number of churches left unused and subject to decay. As churches are in most cases buildings with historic and architectural interest, valued by the community, it is imperative to consider their conservation.

But preservation without reuse is not easy to justify or finance, especially in the midst of an economic recession. It is also true that there are a great number of historic buildings eligible for re-use and they all compete against each other for the limited resources associated with this type of development. Sadly, churches offer limited appeal due to their inherent difficulties to convert. Nevertheless, there are a number of very successful examples of reused churches that demonstrate how with appropriate interventions the building can be suited for a number of purposes with very alluring results and can prove a unique visitor/user experience.

Most people in Belfast would be familiar with the Belfast Empire Music Hall, a Victorian era church now converted to a boosting nightlife venue. But this is not the only successful example.

One of the most discussed and impressive examples is the Selexyz Bookstore in Maastricht, in the Netherlands. The 13^th century Dominican church is since 2007 housing a project ordered by the company Boekhandels Groep Nederland and carried out by the architecture firm Merkx and Girod. The new installations are highlighted by a towering, three-storey black steel book-stack stretching up to the stone vaults, taking advantage of the buildings' height and underlining the church's vertical character.Customers and visitors are able to enjoy the space over a cup of tea or coffee in the café situated in the former choir. In 2008 Jonathan Glancey of the Guardian considered this as probably the world's finest bookshop!


Selexyz Bookstore in Maastricht, photo from 4nitsirk on flickr.com

Selexyz Bookstoret, photo from teemu-mantynen on flickr.com

Cultural centres are considered to be most appropriate functions for former churches, since the buildings can remain part of the community and be open to the public.

A very good example is the Christchurch in Belfast, a neoclassical Georgian church built in 1832 to the designs of Dublin architect William Farrell. Having suffered a declining congregation the church closed and was deconsecrated in the early 1990s. Situated in a difficult location,it was the victim of many attacks and faced a demolition threat in the late 1990s . Fortunately an agreement was reached, with the Belfast Buildings Preservation Trust (BBPT) undertaking the restoration work while the Royal Belfast Academical Institution (RBAI) being responsible for the building's management. Christchurch now accommodates the library and IT centre of the RBAI as well as plays host to community events.

Find out more: click here.

Christchurch in Belfast, image via freespace.virgin.net

Christchurch in Belfast, image via Belfast Buildings Preservation Trust

Another church of similar architecture style is the Triskel Christchurch in Cork, Republic of Ireland, also an 18^th century neoclassical Georgian building by architect John Coltsman, previously a church of Ireland parish church. It ceased to function as a place of worship in 1978and has since then been a property of the Cork City Council. A refurbishment project started in 2008, led by architect Helen Dewitt, resulting to the recently completed Triskel Arts Centre.

A number of churches have been used for residential purposes. St. Jakobus church in Utrecht,the Netherlands was built in1870. After church operations ceased in 1991 the building was used sparingly for special events. In 2007 a residential conversion was proposed by Zecc Architects and the project was completed in 2009.The church's interior has been whitewashed and combined with minimalist furniture in basic black and wood resulting to a very bright, simple, contemporary house.

St. Jakobus church in Utrecht, image via Zecc architects

A very different approach is taken by the DIY-type of company in England, which helps transforming Anglican churches into private residential houses. The feeling of living in an old church is emphasized by keeping the building's historic fabric prominent and using warmer, complementary materials and colors for the new additions.

St. Mathew's church in Littleport, image via oldchurchhouse.co.uk

One of the churches in Belfast that urgently needs conservation and a suitable function is the Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church. Located on the edge of the inner-city, it was completed in 1875, designed in Gothic Revival style by architect W. H. Lynn. The church ceased to be used as a place of worship in 1982 and has suffered extensive physical degradation. Despite being in the 2010 World Monuments Watch list, there are no plans for it in the near future.

Find out more: Belfast Buildings Preservation Trust; Belfast Telegraph

Carlisle Memorial Methodist church in Belfast - image via the Belfast Buildings Preservation Trust

Inspired by the examples presented, what are your suggestions for reusing the Carlisle Memorial?

AAI site visit to the MAC - 26th November

2011-11-23T11:54:00.001Z

Click the flyer to enlarge.

The AAI have arranged a site visit to the MAC in Belfast this Sat 26th November. Registration for non-AAI members is €10/£8. More info from the AAI website: www.architecturalassociation.ie

Academy of Urbanism 2012 Annual Congress to take place in Derry~Londonderry

2011-11-18T12:56:00.000Z

Photo via Adamina on Flickr

Hot on the heels of winning the Great Town Award 2012, Derry has been confirmed as the host city for the Academy of Urbanism Annual Congress next year. More updates as we get them.

The full list of winners from the 2012 Awards are also listed on the Academy of Urbanism's website.

The Past in the Present: Should the Athletic Stores be saved?

2011-11-18T12:20:00.005Z

A need to harness "the positive long-term economic benefits of using quintessentially Belfast buildings for 21st century uses" was highlighted yesterday in a letter to the Planning Committee by The Ulster Architectural Heritage Society and Forum for Alternative Belfast. The two campaign groups were lobbying the Committee not to approve demolition of the Athletic Stores/Swanston's Linen Warehouse on Queen St in Belfast. View the illustrated letter below.

UAHS/FAB letter. Click to enlarge.

The latest news today, according to the UAHS, is that the building was recommended for demolition at last night's meeting.

Update 18th November: The UAHS has today written an open letter to the Minister for the Environment asking for his intervention in the case. See the letter below.

Letter from the UAHS to Minister for the Environment Alex Attwood. Click to enlarge.

Update 21st November: Belfast City Council approves demolition of Athletic Stores building in Belfast
- BBC News website

What do you think? Should the Athletic Stores be saved?

The Past in the Present: National Maintenance Week

2011-11-16T22:18:00.008Z

In this new series, The Past in the Present, we explore how the historic urban character of a city can be part of a dynamic and continually evolving contemporary society, with an aim to spark debate on the topic of conservation and heritage in our cities and further afield.

Series Curated by Ailish Killilea & Anna Skoura

National Maintenance Week. Image via UAHS.

Building maintenance and upkeep plays a key role in the preservation of our historic buildings and heritage. Next week, November 18th - 25th, is 'National Maintenance Week' and aims to highlight this matter.

Preventative measures such as maintenance is beneficial in more ways than one; keeps building costs down, increases the building's potential, enhances features and demonstrates pride in the area. This applies to all buildings, historic and modern, in order to avoid costly damage in the future.

The leaves have fallen and no, they have not flown to sunnier climes, they could very well be filling your gutters and gullies! Something the Ulster Architecture Heritage Society (UAHS) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) are highlighting over the next week. Find out how you can maintain your property with tops tips from the UAHS.

Look after your building and it will look after you.

Connecting Places: Why occupy Writer's Square?

2011-11-16T17:15:00.005Z

In this new series, Connecting Places, we explore the spaces, places and sustainable transport systems in Belfast and beyond, with an aim to generate critical debate on the design of our towns and cities.

Series curated by Aaron Coulter

Writer's Square - Belfast's Best Public Space? From Bing Maps - edited by Aaron Coulter.

At 1370m² Writer's Square is one of the largest public spaces in Belfast's city centre and plays host to a variety of festivals and one off events throughout the year. The square was completed in 2002 by the Laganside Corporation. Then Chief Executive Mike Smith said:

"The new public space will be an important environmental asset to the area, creating somewhere pleasant to walk and relax... literary inscriptions will ensure that Writer's Square is welcomed as somewhere to enjoy, and a place to gather inspiration rather than pass through." - Mike Smith, BBC News website, January 2002

Despite these intentions, the square is widely regarded one of the most poorly designed spaces in Belfast and for the majority of the year, when there is not a specially curated programme of events, Writer's Square is a largely derelict and windswept space and 'passing through' it is often a last resort.

So why have the Occupy Belfast movement set up camp here?

Occupy Belfast at Writer's Square. Photo by Aaron Coulter.

Undoubtedly, Belfast's public spaces suffer from the lack of population density within the city centre, particularly those spaces outside the retail core of repaved streets surrounding Victoria Square. Yet it is the design of Writer's Square itself that plays a critical role in understanding why the space is underused.

The most obvious fault with the space is the lack of activity taking place at its edges with buildings turning their backs on the square through exposed gable walls, poorly designed ground floor treatments and inappropriate building uses that are unable to effectively activate the space. This inactivity is further exacerbated by the spatial attributes of the square. It lacks any real sense of enclosure, with the awkward shift in levels and street running through rear of the square further distancing potential users from understanding the function of the space.

Exposed Gable Wall isolating potential users. Photo by Aaron Coulter.

A Space to 'Stay and Relax'? Photo by Aaron Coulter.

Poorly designed façades enclosing the square. Photo by Aaron Coulter.

False shop fronts attempting to activate the space. Photo By Aaron Coulter.

Poor design resulting in awkward corners being gated off. Photo by Aaron Coulter.

It is easy to be dismissive with the benefit of hindsight - but it is hard to imagine why those responsible for the design of the square thought that gimmicks such as 'literary inscriptions' would be enough to create the type of space Mike Smith envisioned. Speaking in the same interview, he said:

"We (Laganside corporation) have always maintained that in order to be successful, regeneration must be about much more than bricks and mortar alone...This project is a perfect example of that theory put into practice.'' - Mike Smith, BBC News website, January 2002

The essence of this statement is true - regeneration projects shouldn't focus solely on buildings but should also take into account the spaces between the bricks and mortar - the 'public realm'. However, the reason why Writer's Square has failed as a well-used public space is because the importance of the relationships between the 'bricks and mortar' elements with the open space hadn't been fully understood - how the uses within the buildings and their design play a critical role in the activities within the space.

Alongside the obvious design flaws, there has been a conscious effort to rid the space of its users - namely the skateboarders that once convened here. The skaters themselves were an illustration that the space was on its last legs: those participating in these urban sports often seek space in which no one will disturb them. This period saw the removal of many of the benches as well as areas of greenery that occupied the central area of the square, leaving the space devoid of purpose and life.

As such, the design and management of Writers Square has been systematically fighting against all of the elements that have come to define quality public places. The space is a statement in itself that good quality public places are not merely about materials and finishes. While these elements can play a role, public spaces are mainly about about people and activity, which always tend to act in a self-reinforcing way, feeding off one another.

For built environment professionals and urban enthusiasts, much of this will be nothing new. However, the decision of the Occupy Belfast movement to 'occupy' Writer's square has raised a question in my mind: is this the best public space in Belfast?

If Writers Square, by all means an out of the way, underused (bar special organised events), intimidatingly inactive space, is the best place to grab the attention of whoever the protesters are trying to get the attention of, is this not a sign that Belfast is lacking quality public places?

It appears that the protesters decided to locate here simply for the convenience and functionality of the space: it's the only public space in the city centre with some element of greenery on which to pitch a few tents. As indicated by Alan in Belfast, perhaps the protesters would be better off making their protest outside the likes of Citibank in the Titanic Quarter, rather than an empty square. Is this decision an indication that there may be lack of truly public space in Belfast's newest quarter? In Dublin, for example, the Occupy movement have set up camp on a small area of public space outside the Irish Central Bank on Dame Street. There is no grass here; but there is a sufficient amount of dedicated public space surrounding the building.

OccupyDameSt - Outside Central Bank - Dublin

(Photo by Aaron Coulter)

It is clear that while Belfast has the capacity for major outdoor events in spaces like Writer's Square and Custom House Square, it is severely lacking in well-designed, responsive public space. Not enough attention is given to the spaces between buildings, activating them not only through one-off events mainly aimed at tourism, or pieces of commissioned public art that few appreciate, but with an urban experience centred around informal day-to-day activities. If we want people to move back to the heart of Belfast, generating this type of public realm is a vital component.

Despite its design flaws, Writer's Square is able to act as a 'third place' for Occupy Belfast, highlighting the importance of public space not just as an area to take part in commercial activities but as a space for the public to engage in a dialogue with each other and, in the case of Occupy Belfast, with government. The space is currently being occupied by a use never possibly intended by the designers. But this is what is best about 'urban' - it is the unexpected.

Teach-ins are organised throughout the week further activating the space

(Photo by Aaron Coulter)

However, when this modicum of life leaves the square and we're once again left with a vacuum of activity in the centre of our city, we have to ask: do we not deserve better public places than this?

Shared Space 2011 - FAB & BCRC event Wed 16th Nov

2011-11-15T13:42:00.000Z

Click the flyer to enlarge. Queries to BCRC or FAB.

Derry City Walls Gazetteer now available free from NIEA

2011-11-12T12:39:00.000Z

The new gazetteer is the third publication on the city's walls from NIEA since 2007. All three are available from the NIEA website.

A new gazetteer which describes the walls of Derry in detail is now available as a free PDF download from the NIEA website: www.doeni.gov.uk/niea/

Derry~Londonderry wins Great Town Award at Urbanism Awards 2012

2011-11-11T16:46:00.000Z

Derry has won this year's Great Town Award at the Urbanism Awards. Photo via edvvc on Flickr.

At today's Urbanism Awards ceremony in London's Grand Connaught Rooms, Derry~Londonderry was awarded the Great Town Award 2012.

Accepting the Award on behalf of the city, Derry's Deputy Mayor Councillor Kevin Campbell said that the awards were a starting point for the city to continue sharing and exchanging knowledge with Bury St Edmunds and Totnes, the two other Great Town finalists. Councillor Campbell led a strong delegation from Derry City Council to the event.

A poem by Ian McMillan based on the new Peace Bridge in the city will be featured on the Academy of Urbanism website in the next few days.

An inspiring keynote speech at the ceremony by Wally Olins CBE highlighted that people's perceptions of a place can be rooted in the past, but that it is just as important to look to the future. He felt that Derry was a great role model for this attitude.

At PLACE, we are delighted with this result for Derry and for Northern Ireland - PLACE Director Michael Hegarty has been a keen supporter of the campaign: "When added to City of Culture, the nomination of Culturlann for the Stirling Prize and our spectacular new Peace Bridge, people beyond here are now starting to recognise what Derry people have always known - Derry is a Great Town!"

We also look forward to strengthening our relationship in future with the Academy of Urbanism, whose aim to advance the understanding and practice of urbanism closely aligns with our own at PLACE.

QUB Architecture Student Journal 2011 - launching at PLACE Thurs 17th Nov

2011-11-10T16:18:00.001Z

Architecture Student Journal 2010-11 launch. Click the flyer to enlarge.

We are delighted to host the launch of this year's QUB Architecture Student Journal at PLACE next Thursday, 17th November at 6pm.

Admission free. All welcome.

Belfast City Council Disability Event - 2nd Dec 2011

2011-11-09T15:55:00.001Z

Image courtesy Belfast City Council

The Chair of Belfast City Council’s Disability Access Group, and Disability Champion, Andrew Hassard, would like to invite interested persons to the 2011 Belfast City Council Annual Disability Event which will take place on Friday 2 December 2011 at 10am in the Banqueting Hall, City Hall.

Please note the event is strictly by booking only: contact Marie Jordan at JordanMarie@belfastcity.gov.uk by 25th November to book a place.

The event will coincide with ‘International Day of Persons with Disabilities’ and the theme this year will be “Together for a better world for all: including persons with disabilities in development”. The event will include an overview of the following:
- "Designing a visible city for visually impaired users - breaking the barriers of disabling architecture"
- Belfast City Council’s disability action plan
- The development of Belfast City Council’s new Therapy Garden at Musgrave Park
- Waterfront & Ulster Halls works on achieving the ‘Arts & Disabilities Award'
- Employers for Disability NI – support to employers of people with disabilities

Keynote presentation: Designing a visible city for visually impaired users
This presentation, based on the PhD findings of Dr Robert White, provides an insight into the current barriers inherent to the design of urban environments for people with different types and degree of visual field loss. The research topic stems from Robert's own personal experience as an architect coping with sight loss, in addition to a substantial predicted increase in visual impairment prevalence across the UK. The presentation covers six main themes as outlined below:

- Visual impairment prevalence & future predictions
– Legislation & guidelines
- Nationwide survey of visually impaired pedestrians highlighting problematic areas of street design
- Access audit of Glasgow city centre providing an illustration of the number and type of hazards present within a typical city centre environment
- Navigational experiments between two specified locations within Glasgow city centre, which situate the problem through comparison of experiences between visually impaired and fully sighted cases
- Street Hazard Rating Calculation, which measures both the adequacy of mandatory regulations and the extent to which best practice guidelines are adopted by local authorities
- Enhanced design guidelines for the creation of visually impaired friendly street design, based on the findings from the 4-year research project

Please note the event is strictly by booking only: contact Marie Jordan at JordanMarie@belfastcity.gov.uk by 25th November to book a place.

PLACE Student Design Charrette 2011: Getting started

2011-11-05T12:44:00.000Z

Our 3 teams have received their briefs and are hard at work assessing the site and coming up with their proposals. We have students and recent graduates from Architecture, Planning, Urban Design and Culture & Cognition.

Students at work at this year's Student Design Charrette at PLACE.

I spoke to Tara Florence of ARD Ciaran Mackel Architects, our partners in the Charrette, to explain the project brief:

PLACE Student Charrette 2011: North Street void (mp3)

We also discussed the potential for North Street and what the students might come up with in today's workshop.

PLACE Student Charrette 2011: What does North Street need? (mp3)

Stay tuned: the Charrette continues today, with pin-up at 4.45!

Measured Drawings exhibition launching this Thursday

2011-11-01T12:18:00.000Z

Architect Des Grehan is exhibiting a collection of measured drawings at The Wickerman in Belfast.

"You are invited to the opening of an exhibition of a collection of measured drawings of some of our most important buildings. The body of work has taken two years to assemble and hopefully the drawings will stand as an accurate record of our built heritage.

The opening night is on Thursday 3rd November between 6pm and 8pm in The Wickerman at River House, 44-46 High Street, Belfast."

Internships in Restoration of Cultural Heritage

2011-10-27T17:10:00.011+01:00

If you enjoyed the exhibition 'Revival' held at PLACE and are interested in conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, there are a number of international institutions providing internships to graduates in architecture, archaeology, art history, urban planning and engineering.

ICCROM is an intergovernmental organization, based in Rome, dedicated to the conservation of cultural heritage that aims at improving the quality of conservation practice as well as raising awareness about the importance of preserving cultural heritage. ICCROM hosts up to four interns per calendar year, each of the internships lasting normally for a period of two to six months and held in Italy.

Find out more : http://www.iccrom.org/eng/01train_en/01_02interns_en.shtml

Photo by PhillipC on flickr.com

ICOMOS, the International Council of Monuments and Sites, works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places. It is a network of experts that benefits from the interdisciplinary exchange of its members, among which are architects, historians,archaeologists, art historians, geographers, anthropologists,engineers and town planners.

Find out more : http://www.international.icomos.org/internships.htm

Photo by Tom Raftery on flickr.com

The UNESCO World heritage centre, known mainly for the compilation of the 'World Heritage List', provides very exciting internship opportunities, around the world.
Find out more : http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=11716&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Photo by Archer10 on flickr.com

Carrickfergus Castle Conference: Friday 28 October 2011

2011-10-27T12:05:00.000+01:00

Carrickfergus Castle: Earls, Gunners & Tourists is a conference organised by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the Castle Studies Group and Carrickfergus Borough Council. The conference will explore the Castle's past and future and look at the need for a full review of the state of the Castle's research, conservation and presentation. The aim of the conference is to inform the local community and the wider academic one of the plans for this, concentrating on the Great Tower, which needs urgent physical conservation.

Carrickfergus Castle was first built at the end of the 12th century (probably started in 1177-9) and was continuously occupied from then until 1927 when the army handed it over to the Northern Ireland Government as an Ancient Monument. It was built on a rocky promontory projecting into the sea with three wards; the inner one is dominated by a Great Tower; the outer by the double-towered gatehouse.

Location: Carrickfergus Town Hall - Jubilee Hall

Date: Friday 28 October 2011

Programme Schedule:

09:00 Registration & Reception
09:40 Welcome Address to Conference by Mayor Alderman Jim McClurg
09:50 Terence Reeves-Smyth (NIEA) - Lecture ‘Carrickfergus Great Tower and its Roof - Problems and Opportunities’
10:30 Pamela Marshall ‘Great Towers in Context’
11:10 Tea & Coffee
11:40 John Goodall (Country Life) - ‘Evidence and Preconception: Restoring and Presenting Great Towers’
12:20 Kathryn Roberts ‘Castle Conservation in Practice – Cheptow and Harlech’
13:00 Lunch (a light lunch is provided)
14:00 Con Manning (Dept. Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht) - ‘The Great Tower in Ireland’
14:40 Dermot MacRandal (NIEA) - ‘Practicalities of Creating Replica Historic Roofs’
15:20 Tea & Coffee
15:50 Tom NcNeill - ‘Carrickfergus Castle. The Evidence and A Way Forward’
16:30 -17.30 Discussion

Attendance:
The conference organisers are asking for a donation for attendance of £8 (includes a light lunch) This can be paid at the door on the way into the Conference. However, as space is limited, and in order to assist with catering arrangements, it is recommended that you inform Anthony Kirby of your attendance. This can be done by giving your name, telephone number or email address. E-Mail: Anthony.kirby@doeni.gov.uk

Impact 2012 Awards Open for Entries

2011-10-26T11:18:00.001+01:00

Click the flyer above to enlarge.

The Impact 2012 Awards celebrate the achievements of young people in helping to improve our economy, our society and our environment.

Have you, or has someone you know, made an impact that deserves to be recognised? If so, entry is free and this is your chance to showcase work that you’re proud of.

Following the success of Impact 2010, there are now several new categories with 14 awards up for grabs this year from enterprise and transport, culture and sport, to our built environment.

The awards are open to everyone under 25 years old who is involved in a relevant project that deserves recognition at a prestigious awards event.

Find out more: www.nidirect.gov.uk/impact-2012

Peripheries Conference - Opening Lecture - 27th Oct

2011-10-26T09:32:00.000+01:00

Click to enlarge the flyer.

Call for Entries: European Prize for Urban Public Spaces 2012

2011-10-24T11:13:00.000+01:00

The European Prize for Urban Public Space 2012 call for entries is now open.

This award, founded in 2000, aims to recognise and promote the creation and improvement of public space, which is understood as a clear indicator of the civic and collective health. The Prize is a biennial initiative of the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (www.cccb.org) and is currently co-organised by the Architektur Zentrum Wien (Vienna), The Architecture Foundation (London), the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine (Paris), the Nederlands Architectuurinsistuut (Rotterdam), the Museum of Finnish Architecture (Helsinki) and the Deutsches Architekturmuseum (Frankfurt).

The inscription period for the 2012 Prize is opened from 17 October 2011 to 19 January 2012. All information may be found at www.publicspace.org. The prize giving ceremony is held on 29 June 2012.

To view previous prize winners visit this link.

Further information can be obtained by emailing: publicspace@publicspace.org

Irish Planning Institute Conference, 16th November 2011

2011-10-20T16:49:00.000+01:00

Flyer for the IPI's upcoming half-day seminar - click to enlarge.

Charting Belfast Met's voyage to Titanic Quarter

2011-10-20T09:29:00.001+01:00

Belfast Metropolitan College (Belfast Met) is the largest college of further and higher education in Northern Ireland. It dates back to the early 1900s - the Municipal Technical Institute opened in September 1906. This article charts the progress of Belfast Met from its College Square East Campus to its Titanic Quarter Campus.

Prior to the formation of the Municipal Technical Institute, Belfast had a number of small, private schools and colleges in operation. In the late 18th Century, Belfast Academy opened near the present day St Anne’s Cathedral (then St Anne’s Church) on Donegall Street and the Linen Hall Library was established as the Society for Promoting Knowledge. Moving into the 19th Century, the Academical Institution was established around a Georgian Square in the city (College Square) and Queen’s College (University) was constructed in the late 1840’s. College Square housed a museum, college and School of Design, and nearby at Hastings Street (current Millfield Campus) the Belfast Weaving School and Technical School operated.

In 1889, the Belfast Chamber of Commerce, citing inadequate facilities, a fragmented system and a lack of public funding, the time had come to establish a technical college in Belfast. Belfast was a booming industrial city and some of the leading figures at the time lobbied directly to the City Council to establish a technical college that would bring everything under one roof. Meanwhile in London, the Agriculture and Technical Instruction Act 1899 was being introduced. This would financially assist the City Council with establishing a college.

Belfast Technical College at College Square East.
Photo by Gary Potter.

Belfast, as a prosperous city, wanted to show off its new building with a prominent city centre site. As luck would have it, the Trustees of the Royal Academical Institution were looking to raise cash to move away from their city centre location. Previously the area behind Inst was green fields, but Belfast had expanded rapidly from around 30,000 people when Inst was established to over 300,000 in 1901. The rapid industrialization of Belfast came at a price – pollution. Inst wanted to move their students away from this and to do so they sought funds from the sale of the north lawn. In December 1899, the City Corporation’s offer for the plot on College Square East was accepted by Inst.

From www.instgreatwar.com.

Construction of the new Technical College by W. J. Campbell & Sons began in May 1902 and lasted four years. Construction work, to a design by S. Stevenson, required 2,756 forty-foot wooden piles and 4,500,000 bricks. In 1904, with three of the four floors completed, a decision was taken to extend the building by adding a fifth floor to accommodate the School of Art. With alterations, the costs would rise initially from £57,000 to £81,000 - and on completion the final cost was £100,000. The building opened to students in 1906 and the following year in October 1907 a formal opening ceremony was held in the Central Hall. Among those attending the opening event were Thomas Andrews, James Craig MP, Thomas Gallagher, Lord Pirrie, Sir Otto Jaffa and Sir William Whitla.

The Central Hall of the Technical College. Note the original chandeliers
(similar in design to those at Belfast City Hall) have long since gone...
Photo by Gary Potter.

The new Municipal Technical Institute was a grand, purpose-built, state of the art educational building. When it opened the building was one of the first in Belfast with electricity, and phones were fitted throughout. The building even had its own radio station for communications with ships and every room had a centrally controlled clock.

The original Musgrave & Co. of Belfast 15hp steam engine.
August 2011. Photo by Gary Potter.

The building opened at a time of huge economic growth in Belfast as the city boasted some of the most successful businesses in the world. Workman & Clarke, Harland & Wolff, York Street Weaving Company, James Mackie & Son, Musgrave’s, Sirocco, Gallagher’s and Murray’s. The Institute was committed to maintaining Belfast as a city known worldwide for innovation and achievement. State of the art equipment from around the world filled the building and co-operation with Belfast’s industries ensured that the Institute was well recognised as providing world class education to the people of Belfast.

Stained glass window within the Central Hall of the
College Square East campus. Photo by Gary Potter.

By the early 1960’s, overcrowding in the College Square East campus was to be addressed with the construction of the Millfield building. A seven storey concrete structure was demolished in 2002 to make way for the Gerald Moag building which opened in the following year on the Millfield campus site.

Millfield Campus. November 2009.
© Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

In the 1970’s, further expansion saw the development of the College of Business Studies at Brunswick Street. This was a sign that Belfast’s once booming industrial industries were very much on the downward path. Ship building and the textile industry were increasingly under pressure and the college recognised that the new growth areas would be in business and commerce.

Brunswick Street Campus (4 Oct 2007). Photo by Gary Potter.

The next milestone for the college came on 1st April 1991, when the decision was made to bring all the strands that had evolved from the old Technical College back together under one super-college. On this date the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education was established.

Sixteen years later, in August 2007, the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education merged with Castlereagh College and rebranded to form Belfast Metropolitan College.

Contrast the logo of 1906 with that of 2011. The left image is of a ventilation grill
(one of many in an art noveau style) from the old Technical College building on
which the initials "MTIB" (Municipal Technical Institute Belfast) are ornately
integrated with the year "1906". The right image was the College's new logo
following the merger.

Towards the end of the 1990s, it was clear that the College would soon require new facilities as College Square East and Brunswick Street were beginning to show their age. In the outline business case options proposed “do minimum”, a refurbishment of College Square East and replacement accommodation for Brunswick Street on an alternative site, a refurbishment of the Brunswick Street accommodation and new replacement accommodation on an alternative site for College Square East, new replacement accommodation on a new site for Belfast Metropolitan College or provide new replacement accommodation on a new site for Belfast Metropolitan College as part of a multi-user development. The “value-for-money option” was identified as a new build single-site development to replace College Square East and Brunswick Street by the Department for Employment and Learning and the Department of Finance and Personnel.

Titanic Quarter was selected as the location for the new campus.
Image from www.toddarch.com.

In February 2008 planning permission was granted for a college at Queens Road in Titanic Quarter and the following year in April 2009 the PPP contract was awarded to a property development consortium – Ivywood Colleges – which agreed to design, build and run the campus in a 25 year deal. The estimated capital value in 2009 was £44m. Ivywood Colleges comprises of Pattons Construction, Ulster Bank, Amey and Todd Architects. A separate contract outside of the scope of the PPP project included a basement car park with provision for around 300 vehicles.

August 2009. Photo by Gary Potter.

On 6 May 2009 a launch event for Belfast Met's new campus in Titanic Quarter was held at Titanic House (former Harland & Wolff Headquarters). The event included the official sod cutting by then Employment & Learning Minister Sir Reg Empey. Opening the launch event, the College's then Interim Director and Chief Executive, Dr. Raymond Mullan OBE, said; “These modern and high-tech facilities will realise our ambition which is to provide the hub Belfast needs to ensure that the skills and motivation of our staff and students, together with strong industry and community partnerships sustains and drives long term and sustainable prosperity for the city."

The Belfast Metropolitan College Titanic Quarter site pictured in June 2009.
Photo by Gary Potter.

Speaking at the event was Peter McNaney, Chair of the Belfast Metropolitan College Governing Body: "Belfast Metropolitan College has a historic link with Queen's Island, training many of the engineers who worked in the shipyard during its heyday. Today, Belfast Metropolitan College is the largest provider of further and higher education in Northern Ireland. We are excited to be part of the ambitious plans for the regeneration of the Titanic Quarter, providing skills and knowledge required by businesses, the community and young learners in a landmark 21st century education facility.”

The new campus sits on a prominent site within the Titanic Quarter and the architects statement reads that the “concept for the development is founded on creating a strong campus identity which will convey its civic role, respond to best practice educational principles and become a vibrant living community for those who work there, study or visit”.

Work on site preparation commenced in April 2009 at the time of the contract signing, and in May 2009 actual building work got under way. The first phase of work focused on piling and digging out the basement car parking area.

Piling preparations. 7 May 2009. Photo from Harvey M&E.

By June 2009, the first lift core was rising from the site. A second followed and in July a third was under construction whilst the first was completed.

Lift cores and concrete podium under construction.
14 July 2009. Photo by Gary Potter.

In August, the lift shaft cores and the concrete base slab were completed. Steel erection got underway in August and involved the erection of 1,500 t of structural steel work in an impressive 15 week programme. The erection team from Walter Watson erected 100 t a week in a northerly direction from the five storey entrance prow towards the two wings. The erection was phased – the five storey section erected up to third floor level and the wings up to second floor level – to allow the concrete contractor to start on site as soon as possible casting floor slabs. The following series of photos shows the construction process at the prow of the building over a two year period.

Steel erection. 29th August 2009. Photo by Gary Potter.

Steel erection. 26th September 2009. Photo by Gary Potter.

1st January 2010. Photo by Gary Potter.

26th June 2010. Photo by Gary Potter.

11th October 2010. Photo by Gary Potter.

19th July 2011. Photo by Gary Potter.

During April 2010 glazing was installed to the building's southern end, and in June 2010 the glazing all along Queens Road was well underway on upper floors. From June to September 2010 the glazing was installed along the ground floor frontages on Queens Road. Painting of the rendering along this elevation was carried out in early 2011. Trees along the Queens Road frontage were planted in August 2009. The following series of photos shows the construction progress along the Queens Road frontage over a two year period...

26th September 2009. Photo by Gary Potter.

1st January 2010. Photo by Gary Potter.

14th April 2010. Photo by Gary Potter.

5th March 2011. Photo by Gary Potter.

17th August 2011. Photo by Gary Potter.

The design of the new Belfast Metropolitan College campus comprises a pair of cranked ‘arms’ embracing an inner courtyard.

The landscaped central courtyard. Image by Gordon McAvoy.

The courtyard, designed by The Paul Hogarth Company, provides a visual focus and a setting for social activity. A perfect setting for graduation day...

Internal Courtyard. Photo by Gary Potter.

Cobbles have been salvaged from the former ship yard land on which the new campus is built and incorporated into the new landscaped courtyard. The cobbles form feature planters within the shallow water pools of the courtyard.

Photo courtesy of Belfast Metropolitan College.

Vertical circulation and services are clustered around the joints between the blocks. There are 5 communal nodes within the building as a result of the unique design. Each level within the building is colour-coded around these areas to help students and visitors find their way within the campus.

Coloured walls at the building's five nodes aid way-finding.
Photo by Gary Potter.

The arms have four storeys of teaching accommodation, linked at the southern end of the site by a series of inhabited bridges contained within a five storey triangular atrium.

The main entrance atrium space.
Photo courtesy of Belfast Metropolitan College.

To the back of the atrium there are five levels of student support facilities and classrooms.

The main entrance atrium space.
Photo by Gary Potter.

The top floor of the buildings two wings were portalised to provide column free teaching spaces - this simple approach to the steel design provided an elegant solution that was easy to construct and cost effective.

The main entrance atrium space.
Photo by Rory Moore.

This end of the building has also taken on a ship-like triangular tip, referred to as the prow, due to the unique layout of the Belfast Met site.

Photo courtesy of Belfast Metropolitan College.

The northern end of the structure, where the two wings converge, is linked by three footbridges spanning the access route into the basement car park.

Wood clad footbridge linking the two wings over the basement parking entrance.
Photo by Rory Moore.

It's not just the design that is worth noting at the new Belfast Metropolitan College Titanic Quarter Campus. The building has recently picked up the 'Environmental Project of the Year' award at the Sustainable Ireland Awards 2011. Contractor Patton Construction received the award due to high levels of ‘green’ credentials and managing to divert 99% of the waste produced during the project from landfill, while recycling 100% of the available hard core on site and totally eradicating ground contamination.

Natural light floods the atrium. Many areas of the
building benefit from large windows and natural light
which ultimately creates a more sustainable building.
Photo courtesy of Belfast Metropolitan College.

This has contributed to the building being on course to achieve a top BREEAM rating. The internal features of the building have also helped to achieve environmental benefits. For example, the heating, lighting and ventilation systems to active teaching spaces and associated accommodation have been designed to be individually zoned for out of hours use. The building management system (BMS) provides a breakdown of the energy use by each zoned area while efficiency-optimising the building’s energy consumption.

17th August 2011. Photo by Gary Potter.

Meanwhile, a rainwater harvesting system combined with waterless urinals and leak detection systems have been incorporated as cost effective conservational measures to minimise waste of water in non-portable applications. The Belfast Metropolitan College team have clearly set high targets throughout this project and the lasting impact will be a sustainable, environmentally considerate building to take the College well into the 21st Century.

The reception desk of the Titanic Quarter Campus.
Photo by Gary Potter.

Moving into the building the spacious atrium, full of natural light from a roof top port-hole like feature, greets visitors and students with an eye catching reception area that mimics the bow of a ship. From here the campuses 2,500 students will be able to access the latest facilities including a wide range of courses on subjects including hospitality and catering, business and management, A Levels and GCSEs, professional training and counselling, ICT, hair and beauty, hospitality, craft and design, science, access to university, sport and leisure, media and multimedia.

Lecture Theatre. Photo by Gary Potter.

The 20,000m² building comprises over 180 classrooms and offices, eight production and training kitchens, a bakery, four hairdressing and beauty salons, a fitness suite, multiple restaurants and a bar. There is also a jacuzzi and spa, sauna and floatation therapy bed and analytical instrumentation room.

Photo by Gary Potter.

All of the teaching facilities are fitted with the latest ICT and interactive technology to ensure every student has the "opportunity to succeed at the highest level and to also be equipped with the vocational skills which are required by industry".

Photo by Gary Potter.

From lecture theatres to hair dressing studios, the team have maintained the key objective of achieving 'best in sector'. A quality finish ensures that there is a versatility in use and a commercial opportunity within the campus outside of educational hours.

Detailing such as the electrical fittings have been
finished to exceed normal standards in education
facilities. Photo by Gary Potter.

Hair Salon training area. Note the connections throughout the building
between spaces. The walkway on the first floor looks into the ground
floor salon. Photo by Gary Potter.

Hair salon training area. Photo by Gary Potter.

Public entrance to the Belfast Met facilities which include a sauna and jacuzzi.
Photo by Gary Potter.

The aim has been to achieve a 60/40 split in usage so that when students are not using the building it is not empty. The gym (pictured below) for example can be accessed through a public entrance (pictured above) and users can enjoy a quality environment which feels does not feel like an educational facility - the quality of internal finish and equipment on offer is industry standard - something the team have sought to achieve.

The Belfast Met Titanic Quarter gym. Photo by Gary Potter.

The main cafe area is yet another space in this building flooded with natural light, which combined with double height ceiling, creates a spacious and welcoming atmosphere. This space looks out onto the landscaped courtyard and, on those rare summer days, the zipped windows open up to create a fantastic connection between the building and the communal courtyard space.

Dining space with the serving area behind the camera.
Photo by Gary Potter.

Within the campus all the catering is in-house so the cafe is supplied by the college's own training kitchens. A particularly exciting feature is the kitchen viewing gallery which allows not just for student demos but outside chefs to hold private events within the facility outside of teaching times. Yet another feature that adds to the versatility of this building.

Typical kitchen facility at the Belfast Metropolitan College Titanic Quarter Campus.
Photo by Gary Potter.

The campus also provides a private restaurant / bar area to the southern end of the building which is finished in hand made tiles and oak to provide a connection to the ship building industry. This space again demonstrates how the Belfast Met team have been careful to ensure that the facility is not empty during non teaching periods and that there is a commercial and versatile element to the campus.

Kitchen viewing gallery. Photo from Belfast Met Facebook page.

The Belfast Metropolitan College Titanic Quarter campus library is situated on the first floor above the entrance area. The use of glazing on both sides of this space provides the user with a sense of floating above ground. With views over the atrium to one side and views of the Nomadic, Abercorn Basin and Titanic Belfast on the other side this is certainly an attractive space to study.

Belfast Met Titanic Quarter Campus Library. Photo from Belfast Met Facebook page.

In collaboration with Titanic Quarter and Belfast Met, a new Metro bus service was launched by Translink to service the Titanic Quarter campus just in time for the opening. With funding from Titanic Quarter the enhanced Metro 26, 26b and 26c services commenced on September 1st 2011 providing at least three services per hour (two of them extending into the Northern Ireland Science Park). Sam Heaney, Senior Project Manager at Titanic Quarter, said: “With over 2,000 people working on site throughout Titanic Quarter, including at PRONI and Belfast Metropolitan College, and with the iconic Titanic Belfast visitor attraction expected to attract up to 400,000 visitors annually when it opens in April 2012, it is necessary that we cater not only for the local commuters but also the students and visitors who will be traveling to the area."

The staircase expresses the maritime history of the surrounding
area and is a focal point for this corner of the building.
Photo by Rory Moore.

Belfast Met’s new £44 million Titanic Campus opened its doors to students on 12 September 2011. The project has come in on-budget and on-time - "quite a feat for a development of this size" according to the College's Director and Chief Executive, Marie-Thérèse McGivern.

During the summer months, staff were hard at work making the transfer from the College Square East building to the Titanic Quarter building. To mark the "end of an era", as Belfast Met moved out of the Old Technical College at College Square East, the college organised two weeks of free tours of the grand old Portland Limestone building with local historian Henry V Bell. The tours took in the magnificent Central Hall, the buildings many stained glass windows and the fully working steam engine manufactured by Musgraves of Belfast in the early 20th Century.

Belfast Met's time at College Square East has come to a close...
Photo by Gary Potter.

So what of the future for College Square East and Brunswick Street?
Brunswick Street will likely be demolished when a buyer is found and a replacement commercial building will be developed. Already Belfast Met have submitted an outline planning application for a commercial building on the current site to attract a buyer. College Square East will also be put on the market and to attract buyers Belfast Met has submitted a series of planning applications seeking permission to alter the buildings use for mixes of hotel, office and residential use. Many local heritage groups will be keen to see a new owner as soon as possible to ensure that maintenance is kept up at the "old tech" to ensure that this vital piece of Belfast's architectural and social history is preserved for future generations.

As a new era approaches for the grand College Square East building a new era begins for the College in the up and coming Titanic Quarter. As the College moves forward with change and embraces new innovations and new industries it is fitting that the College has selected the Titanic Quarter as its location. The financial services, research and development, creative media and data communications sectors are flourishing at Queen's Island. The move has brought students to the heart of future growth sectors in Belfast in a 'state of the art' facility. "The Titanic Quarter campus demonstrates the ambition of the college to become a world-class provider of further education services".

By Gary Potter, with thanks to Belfast Metropolitan College for access to the new Belfast Met Titanic Quarter campus.

University of Ulster students in Derry~Londonderry

2011-10-18T18:53:00.003+01:00

PLACE hosted a research review today for Year 5 University of Ulster Architecture students. The students, led by lecturers Saul Golden and Emily Smyth, presented mapping investigations about the city to architects Mary Kerrigan and Michael Hegarty, and University of Ulster urban design PhD student Deirdre Greaney.

The entrance to Artillery Chambers on Artillery Street in Derry, which PLACE is temporarily programming with support from Caldwell & Robinson Solicitors.

The students from University of Ulster have been investigating various sites around Derry City in preparation for their Year 5 design project.

The students produced a complex map and model of the city as part of their initial research, on display at today's review.

Our thanks are due to Caldwell & Robinson for their kind support and use of their premises, and to the Playhouse Theatre for use of their equipment.

Call for expressions of interest: Architects-in-Practice working with Architects-in-Education

2011-10-16T10:43:00.001+01:00

Click to enlarge

PLACE is pleased to announce a new partnership with the University of Ulster and The Higher Education Academy, aimed at encouraging crossovers between architects in practice and those working in universities. A call for expressions of interest is ongoing - closing date 7th Nov 2011. Click the flyer above for more details.

Reconnecting the City: Design Workshop for Harbour Square in Derry ~ Londonderry

2011-10-13T15:39:00.002+01:00

On 9th June 2011 PLACE, in association with ILEX, University of Ulster, DoE, DRD, DSD, Derry City Council and Translink, delivered a one-day design workshop to collaboratively explore options for improving the area around Harbour Square in Derry~Londonderry. Harbour Square is a major civic space where the interest and influence of all stakeholders overlap. The intention of the workshop was to provide a forum for the main stakeholders to work together to discuss, share ideas and possibly create temporary interventions to develop, protect and enhance this place.

Sketches from the Harbour Square design workshop. Photo by Gary Potter

At the event Aideen McGinley (ILEX) commented: "This model of collaborative thinking can very quickly change the city and set the pace leading into 2013”.

The event was a huge success in collaborative thinking and within a few weeks some interventions had already taken place as a direct result of discussions held at the workshop. Unnecessary road signage was removed and a new pathway linking to Guildhall Street from the Peace Bridge was implemented.

A new path connects Guildhall Street with the crossing point
to the Peace Bridge were the cars are parked in this photo.
Photo by Gary Potter.

Going forward the key stakeholders will continue to work together to prepare Derry for the City of Culture year and build upon the lasting benefits that 2013 will provide for the city.

Click here to view the Reconnecting the City: Harbour Square and the Public Realm Report [PDF]

UAHS Hard Hat Tour: September 2011 - Part 2 of 2 (McMaster Street)

2011-10-10T13:13:00.001+01:00

On Wednesday 5 October we blogged about the recent Ulster Architectural Heritage Society’s (UAHS) hard had tour of Templemore Baths. Following the tour of the Baths the UAHS in association with Hearth Housing led the group around the McMaster Street area to explore the ongoing restoration work.

McMaster Street (30 Sept 2011). Photo by Gary Potter.

Hearth Housing Association was established in 1978 and now manages around 100 houses and flats across Northern Ireland. According to Marcus Patton of Hearth the organization aims to restore without ‘gentrification’. The organization can access housing funds and operate at lower market values to restore buildings that may otherwise be unviable to a commercial developer. On Friday 30th September one of Hearth’s four staff members (of which two are architects), Siobhan Brown led the UAHS tour around the old terraced ship workers housing which is now a protected Conservation Area.

McMaster Street (30 Sept 2011). Photo by Gary Potter.

Many of Belfast’s old terraced “two-up, two-down” streets have since disappeared but McMaster Street survives and is being given a new lease of life by Hearth. Over ten years ago Hearth acquired numbers 22 and 42 McMaster Street for restoration. Hearth’s in-house architects with McNally Contractors (Randalstown) Ltd restored the two one-bedroom houses between 2000 and 2001 with assistance from a Housing Association Grant and their own capital.

History of McMaster Street from Hearth Housing...

McMaster Street was developed by John McMaster and designed by J Frazer & Sons in 1898-99. Nos.2-14 and the odd-numbered side of the street had been developed by 1901, but it was not till 1908 that the remaining houses were erected.

The McMaster Street houses were "two-up two-down" terraced houses. Such houses would be either "Kitchen" houses or "Parlour" houses, the former having a kitchen and a bedroom on the ground floor. McMaster Street was of the better quality Parlour type with the front ground floor room being a Parlour reserved for good occasions, and the back room the Kitchen where food was cooked and eaten and much of the everyday life of the house took place. Beyond that was a single-storey return containing the Scullery or Working Kitchen with the jaw-box sink and a timber worktop. There would have been a larder and a meat-safe where perishable food would be kept cool and ventilated. In the tiled yard at the back there was an outside toilet and a coal house.

The house did not originally have a bathroom; the family would have filled a portable tin bath in the Kitchen with hot water drawn off the range, or gone to the nearby Templemore Avenue Baths. The two bedrooms upstairs might have housed quite a large family, the parents probably in the front room, perhaps with a baby, and older children sharing a bed in the back room. It would have been not uncommon for a family of five or six children to be brought up in a house like this. Since McMaster Street was built towards the end of Belfast's rapid development phase in the 19th century, the houses were built to a good standard with wide streets and back entries, running water and flush toilets.

The McMaster Street families were skilled artisans, able to afford the comparatively high rent of the houses. In 1909 the trades represented in the street included moulder, engineer, rivetter, engineer, fitter, plater, rivetter, brassfinisher, painter, joiner, caulker, craneman, cabinetmaker, blacksmith, boatman, upholsterer and fireman, all of whom could have been employed in the shipyards.

Numbers 22 and 42 had been vacant for some years and the worst of the two had been badly vandalised due to a fire lit in the first floor which damaged the roof timbers. Unfortunately the houses had also lost their original doors, windows and chimneys due to a Housing Executive “enveloping scheme” in the 1980’s.

Hearth believes that one of the most important elements of restoration is putting back a more sympathetic design of window. Sash windows and panel doors were put back (this time in double glazing) to fit the brick openings.

The decorative brick which had been painted over
throughout the years was restored and new windows
installed. Photo from Hearth Housing.

During restoration the dividing wall between the Parlour and Kitchen was put back, traditional balustrades added to the stairs and architraves restored around doors and windows. However the outside toilet was not reinstated. Instead the two homes were brought into the 21st century with gas central heating, insulation to external walls, a new bathroom and modern standards of wiring and plumbing. A compromise between full restoration and modern living ensures that Number 22 and 42 are fit for modern living for years to come.

At the opening of the two homes in 2001 by then Belfast Lord Mayor Sammy Wilson a representative of the DoE's Environment and Heritage Service (EHS), Michael Coulter, stated that "you don't need to sacrifice 21st century comfort to maintain 19th century Victorian style".

McMaster Street is a designated Conservation Area.
Click here for more details.

Michael Coulter (EHS) continued..."Hearth is to be congratulated on this high quality restoration programme and showcase of good building practice. This type of project greatly assists in the preservation of Belfast’s very fine collection of Victorian terraces and will ensure that late nineteenth century working class housing at its best continues to be represented in the city." Lord Mayor of Belfast, Cllr Sammy Wilson added that "it is wonderful to see the traditional terraced housing that Belfast is so famous for being carefully restored. This type of housing symbolises Belfast’s role as one of the great Victorian cities and major industrial centres".

McMaster Street. Image from Google Street View.

Fast forward around ten years and Hearth have now acquired a further six houses from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Numbers 20, 22, 31, 32, 33 and 37 had been neglected for some years and had lost many historical features during various ‘improvement’ works. Work on the latest scheme at McMaster Street is being carried out by Hearth and QMAC Construction with funding from the Department for Social Development and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

McMaster Street (30 Sept) 2011. Photo by Gary Potter.

Siobhan Brown (Hearth) believes that McMaster Street will demonstrate that historic buildings can be low energy consuming. The street is also a good ‘test bed’ for measuring the performance of a variety of materials and systems. Monitoring of the houses will provide invaluable data to improve and develop conservation and sustainability in historic buildings.

Outlining some of the issues that Hearth must consider when taking on a new project Siobhan notes the materials, technology and right people as key. It is also important to consider the impact on the building and the environment and be aware of the value for money and future maintenance costs.

“These questions must all be asked to ensure that we do the right thing”, explains Siobhan, “…as it is important to adopt systems that work with the existing building”. Air tightness in historic buildings is an important consideration and can inadvertently damage the building over time. It is important to consider how wet or dry a building is before deciding what materials and systems to adopt. Hearth are employing a variety of innovative materials on McMaster Street to deal with the issue of moisture in historic buildings. Sheeps wool insulation is an environmentally friendly solution which absorbs and releases moisture (used in 22-24), whilst magnesium board (made from recyclable materials) acts as a robust and breathable alternative to plasterboard (no plasterboard is used on the scheme).

A variety of insulation techniques have been used such as Uponor underfloor heating (all houses will have underfloor heating), Magnaline superslim insulation (10mm is the equivalent of 50mm of rigid insulation) and Hovatex, which is a 100% recycled woodbased insulation that allows the building to breath and has a slower rate of heat loss than other systems (can be fixed directly unto the existing wall). Phase change material is also used and consists of ‘in-sheet’ foil pockets that can absorb heat and release when the room temperature drops.

Insulation. McMaster Street. Photo by Gary Potter.

Four main types of insulation are used on the McMaster Street scheme and Siobhan hopes that when restoration is complete funding can be found to carry out detailed monitoring to determine which works best and provides value for money. It is also necessary to ensure that the interventions do not cause deterioration of the walls as the more insulation provided increases the risk that walls are unable to dry out if they get wet.

As with the first two houses Hearth restored on McMaster Street in 2000 the next set currently on site posed similar questions relating to windows. Hearth wanted to put back sash windows but sustainability concerns and listed status meant that a compromise would be required. The decision was taken to introduce Slimlite double glazing to the front of the properties and ‘Secure by Design’ double glazing to the rear.

This house is currently under restoration by Hearth Housing.
Image from Google Street View.

All the houses as part of Hearth’s second scheme on McMaster Street use green and recycled materials were possible. Magnesium boards are used as an alternative to plaster board and they are fitted with a whole house heat recovery system. Clearly this scheme looks further than the basic social and economic value in conserving historic buildings and a lot of consideration has gone into the long term impact of the restoration works on the structure. Issues of sustainability and energy efficiency are also clearly at the fore in this scheme.

McMaster Street (30 Sept 2011). Photo by Gary Potter.

Hearth will now seek funding to carry out the detailed monitoring of the materials and systems used in McMaster Street...

Peripheries Conference

2011-10-08T13:51:00.003+01:00

A message from Professor Ruth Morrow on the Peripheries conference taking place at Queen's from 27th-29th of October.

Queen's University Belfast is proud to host Peripheries, the 8th annual Architectural Humanities Research Association Conference 27-29 October 2011.The international event will include papers and short films presented by delegates from Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and Australia and New Zealand. We are delighted to announce that Professor M Christine Boyer, Princeton University will act as our Wrap-Up Chair for the conference; she joins a host of architects, poets, writers, historians and academics who will also act as keynote speakers:

- Professor Ciaran Carson, Poet, Queen's University Belfast
- Professor Kim Dovey, University of Melbourne
- Mary Arnold-Forster, Dualchas Architects, Scotland
- Professor Murray Fraser, Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
- Dr. Paul Larmour, Queen's University Belfast
- Professor Ruth Morrow, Queen's University Belfast
- Dr. William Roulston, Ulster Historical Foundation
- Tarla MacGabhann, MacGabhann Architects, Donegal
- Glenn Patterson, author, Belfast
- Shih-fu Peng, heneghan.peng.architects, Dublin

We are also pleased that a parallel event, a symposium on the Irish Kevin Kieran Award for architectural design and research will be held on Saturday 29 October 2011. Also interwoven amongst the papers and keynotes is an architecturally-themed film festival as part of the Belfast Festival at Queen's.

Please see our website for details on the event and on types of registration available. We look forward to welcoming you in Belfast this month for three exciting days of debate, discussion and exchange.

Queen's University Belfast is offering a special rate for RSUA, RIAI and AAI members to Peripheries.

The special rate of £120 will include access to the Friday 28 and Saturday 29 October 2011 paper sessions, including the parallel Kevin Kieran Award Symposium. Please note that this rate only applies to those who are not presenting papers and does not include receptions, films, or copy of the AHRA 2010 Critiques Series book.

Find out more about the conference: QUB - Peripheries 2011 Conference - 27th-29th October

UAHS Hard Hat Tour: September 2011 - Part 1 of 2 (Templemore Baths)

2011-10-05T08:45:00.001+01:00

On Friday 30th September 2011 the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (UAHS) held their first in a series of hard hat tours geared towards professionals. Using the Built Heritage at Risk register as a resource to explore listed buildings the UAHS hope to highlight the hundreds of buildings at risk across Northern Ireland.

Click here to learn more
about the NI Built Heritage at Risk Register.

The register is compiled and managed by the UAHS in partnership with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). Speaking at the introduction to the hard hat tour Jody Wylie, UAHS’s Heritage Projects Officer, explained that there are over 500 buildings at risk in Northern Ireland and 14% are government owned. He hoped that these tours would bring attention onto these buildings and highlight that we have many buildings in public ownership that we can take direct action to save and put back into active use.

Templemore Baths. Photo by Gary Potter.

The first UAHS hard hat tour explored both the Templemore Baths and the McMaster Street terraced houses in East Belfast. Beginning at the Templemore Baths Rita Harkin (UAHS Research Officer), Jody Wylie, David Elliott (Chair of the Templemore Users Trust) and Gary Proctor (Chair of the Templemore Aquatic Sports Club) provided the background information for the tour.

Plaque at the entrance to Templemore Baths. Photo by Gary Potter.

Templemore Baths is a Victorian red brick building on Templemore Avenue in East Belfast. It was opened in January 1893 and now has the only functioning Victorian swimming pool in Northern Ireland. The Baths came about due to the flourishing industries of Victorian Belfast which included the ship yard, rope works and other engineering works. The workers terraced homes in East Belfast were small and often lacked washing facilities and many of the men would end their working day covered in oil or coal. The Baths were of huge importance to industrial East Belfast and the main purpose of the facility according to the Belfast Corporation was to improve the health, hygiene and cleanliness of the areas population by providing washing facilities that were not available in the, mainly rented, terraced housing. Templemore Baths was one of four facilities commissioned by the Belfast Corporation at the time – one for each corner of Belfast. Templemore was constructed between 1891 – 1893 to a design by Robert Watt and at a cost of £21,660.

Third Class Baths. Photo by Gary Potter

There was only one tap - Cold! The attendant
would provide six inches of hot water and after
that you were responsible for the cold water tap!

Throughout the 20th Century the Baths became more recreation focused. By the 1980’s the now Belfast City Council began to develop new modern recreational facilities and the decision was taken in 1983 to close the Templemore Baths. A group of campaigners began to lobby for the retention of the Baths and in 1989 the Templemore Users Trust accepted responsibility for the facility. In 1987 the building became a B1 listed building (HB26/08/003) but around 50% of the building still remains unused.

Photo by Gary Potter.

In 1994, with the help of EU funding, the old public slipper baths area was converted into a Fitness Suite which provides some income to the Trust.

Fitness Suite. Photo by Gary Potter.

The Trust has also restored one of the buildings two swimming pools which is well used by the community and the local swimming club.

Swimming Pool. There would have been a balcony around this space.
Photo by Gary Potter.

In 2006, with financial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Belfast City Council, the Trust commissioned a Conservation Management Plan. This document established the significance of the Baths, identified threats to its continuing survival and set out policies whereby its significance could be retained.

Inside Templemore Baths. Photo by Gary Potter.

Despite the hard work of the Trust in keeping the Baths functioning it is clear that there is a lot of work ahead and much of the building is in a poor state. The former third class baths area is yet to be restored but with the help of the UAHS the Trust is now seeking to establish a Building Preservation Trust which would provide charitable status to access funds and take the building forward.

Third Class Baths. Photo by Gary Potter.

The courtyard area is currently under-utilized but provides fantastic opportunities as part of any future restoration and development of the Baths...

Courtyard area. Photo by Gary Potter.

The former swimming pool - at one time one of the largest in Ireland - lies abandoned awaiting a new lease of life...

Dis-used swimming pool. Photo by Gary Potter.

The boiler area... In the 21st century with new energy solutions this area could be converted into a more active space...

Boiler area. Photo by Gary Potter.

The tour takes in the more recent extension to the Templemore Baths which is now in a particularly bad state - Hard hats only in this section of the building...

Photo by Gary Potter.

The tour finished up at the rear of the Templemore Baths with the former manager's house on the right...

Rear of Templemore Baths. Photo by Gary Potter.

"Templemore Baths are iconic in East Belfast" claimed Cllr Robin Newton MLA and "represent an historic legacy for the community" explained Gary Proctor (Chair of the Templemore Aquatics Sports Club). Cllr Robin Newton MLA also commented that the building has "enjoyed a great past" and "hopefully by working together in partnership Templemore Bath's future can be secured and the building can enjoy a great future".

Templemore Baths. Photo by Gary Potter.

Part two of the UAHS Hard Hat Tour Report will explore the McMaster Street terraces being regenerated by Hearth Housing...

PLACE Pocket Park at Culture Night Belfast 2011

2011-10-04T16:14:00.002+01:00

This year in the Cathedral Quarter of Belfast, as part of Culture Night, PLACE creatively adapted several on street parking spaces into a small ‘Pocket Park’ inspired by the international Park(ing) Day.

'Pocket Park' - part of Culture Night Belfast 2011.

The ‘Pocket Park’ aimed to highlight the lack of quality urban open space within Belfast, green and otherwise and to raise an awareness of the spatial opportunity cost that occurs when private cars are brought into the city centre.

The project , carried out through somewhereto_, was led by PLACE intern and Urban Design student Aaron Coulter, later aided by PLACE intern Sarah Goss, with significant input from a multi-disciplinary group of students from both Queen’s University and University of Ulster.

PLACE is the Northern Ireland delivery body for somewhereto_. Somewhereto_ is a key project of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, with a focus on the arts, culture and sport, and is funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to create a cultural and sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games across the UK. Delivered by youth communications agency Livity in collaboration with media partner Channel 4 Education, somewhereto_ aims to connect young people with space-holders in their region to enable them to access free space where they can do the things they love and are passionate about (such as sport, culture and the arts).

'Pocket Park' brain storming session at PLACE. Wed 7 Sept 2011.

"As students we rarely have the opportunity to work with other disciplines, never mind between our two Universities. The diversity of the group brought a lot of varying perspectives to the table which led to interesting discussions and an output that could not have been achieved by one discipline, or indeed one university group alone"

Aaron Coulter (PLACE Intern)

Following months of preparation and brain storming sessions the 'Pocket Park' became a reality as part of the 2011 Culture Night. After reclaiming the parking spaces on Waring Street during the afternoon everyone set about preparing an urban retreat with materials kindly donated from various organisations, businesses and individuals. The results of which can be seen below...

Setting up for the evening.

Enjoying the ~~parking spaces~~ 'Pocket Park'.

Green in the city.

The Waring Street 'Pocket Park'.

Children are often under-represented in the urban environment - Not in the 'Pocket Park'!

People of all ages enjoyed the 'Pocket Park'.

We provided chalk for people to express themselves in the city.

Children make their mark on the urban environment.

The 'Pocket Park' continues into the evening.

Awaiting the pizza delivery to round of a very successful 'somewhereto_'

The 'Pocket Park' group aim to work on a small publication documenting the event in the near future. The PLACE Blog will be the first to let you know when it is available!

Thank you to the 'Pocket Park' Project Team: Aaron Coulter, Sarah Goss, Gary Potter, Janet Hall, Jennifer Cromie, Andrew Kenny, Christine Falkner, Dan, Fionbarr, Hannah Cahoon and Jason Taylor.

Thanks also to to Dundonald Nurseries, Queen's University Belfast, University of Ulster, PSNI, DRD Roads Service, o2 Think Big and somewhereto_ regional coordinators Amberlea and Conor at PLACE.

"Mind the Gap" - a response to the FAB Summer School 2011 by John Graham

2011-10-01T15:57:00.001+01:00

Architect John Graham gives his take on the Forum for Alternative Belfast Summer School 2011, which ran during August at Queen's. For background, see the series of PLACE reports on the event by Gary Potter.

3 years on from the enthusiastic beginnings the Summer School continues to face challenges those in possession of the brief seem too entangled in their own field to face into. The Summer school brought around this time sponsors in the form of the actual bodies tasked with collating and obtaining outcomes. The DOE, DRD, BCC, SBP, CRA, SMA and lobbyists,quangos were aboard for part of this 'third party' journey.

The thesis was alleged to be given by South Belfast Partnership but had many authors in essence. The failure to create consensus forming pathways, such as a functioning democracy, a city council with a proper function, urban, rural and transport integrated planning and strategies signed off on, all lead into a predicament where the good intentions of external groups have to take the lead into areas which have habitually proprietorial and aggressively static and fearful of vision and collaboration.

7 questions were poised on the back of the year one 'Missing City' map. Perception and alacrity spelt out the challenges the map lay testament to. The depopulation and remaining limbo of the city core was explicitly depicted. A map of property, spaces, abandoned land, dereliction, misappropriated transport links, decimated neighbourhoods were all there to see and very little of the limbo could be laid at the well used doormat of the 'troubles' except in so far as the abandonment clearly was a cause. New idealism, property boom, junior tiger has been and gone leaving behind it a tapestry of inherited wastefulness and civic vandalism. The ghost town morphed into a 'lisneyfication' of a city. Now shell apartments built without their 'planning gain' i.e. mixed uses and promised myths of spin and office buildings housing, corrupted finance systems, public quangos, along with very stretched public services, attest to another spin on the same agenda, in which the failed logic emanating from the same souls as hang on to the coat-tails of the idealised epoch, seek solutions to their 'wards'.

The question which year three was 'gifted' can be related to the 'Missing City' question 'V': "What if we could fill up abandoned land and look properly at the structure of our city?" Interesting question, graspingly put. Pointing to absence, ownership and shifting dogma off the page. Might even the peace-lines become part of the abandonment or have these sacrificial strips become a permanence of fastened boundaries. Most times, these included, the topic is off page.

Instead we usher in Café society logic once again as the preferred statement the city wishes to convey. So we go along with the pretence and spin it for all it is worth again. Locking onto propositions of rapid, interconnectivity, housing, commerce, night-life, attractiveness and epoch re-found motivations of green sustainable buildings the Bruce Street corridor is put up by the South Belfast Partnership for a deserved and much needed, no doubt exists there, makeover.

Frankly the time is long overdue but strategies are run up more flagpoles than there are poles to flag them in these parts as odd as that may seem. Counter this with ideas and innocence of youth; one astute and envious contributor from an area much more challenged than we ever were likely to inflict on ourselves, reminded the presentation audience the future belonged to the generations being patronised currently. If you are wondering how they are patronised consider the fallouts on finance, education, healthcare and mainly and catastrophically, career opportunity.

The landscape has been utterly transformed and attitudinal change is foremost in their conscious if not previous generations. On page was the strip south central to the City Hall. The Bruce Street and peripheral lineage. No other aspect of the city was to be taken into account. The holistic was considered to be present without being clarified as fact or pure illogical fantasy absent of planning coherence. Immediately the trade, council and commercial communities could identify the locality, if reinvented, would act as another change in certain centres of gravity. How they respond is interesting. How their lobby is shown to be a hindrance is another.

Transport was examined for us in the form of video of a morning/noon/night scenario at the back of the City Hall. This 'illustrated the peaks and troughs allegedly; without telling you that 60% of City centre traffic is in DRD survey THROUGH traffic. So pedestrians, cyclists, tourists, essential traffic, public transport and workers spend quite a bit of their time; 60% avoiding this extraordinary flow which encircles, includes the said 'on plan' area.

Transport is an area of great concern and of competing forces. It became clear from discourses that revenue (parking, car-park rateable value, commuter ease, insurance, car leasing, ownership, industry) was all relevant and above board as a design driver (sic.). Hubs and general well being were added as tangibles. The lets link hands across the gap philosophies abound and laudable as they are, do not actually manifest as design except as Belfast knows where you literally drive a coach and horses, gun carriages excepted, through communities knitted together over several hundred years.

The Hubs were identified up to a point. The central significance of Great Victoria Street rear car park and Boyne Bridge got a mention. What did not get mentioned was the Bus Station Depot, Durham Street (leading unfortunately onto the rat run of Barrack Street – past St Mary's school) The Grosvenor Road, The North hinterlands and pockets off the College Green area. The BT site and on the other side of the Bridge, Railway, Murray's Exchange (north-side) Weavers Court, Hope Street, Linfield Road and beyond Distillery area, the West link, Northumberland routes any number of which are wide expanses as needed for integrated and meaningful, not signal and manoeuvre car predicated routes. Seeing the speeds involved on the West-link and Motorway locations you will soon see how illogical applying a term 'rapid' to an inner city transit system is.

What is the scope for taking people into and out of the West and North sides by public transport? What is the connectivity with the East? The message seemed to be, please ignore these, they do not allow focus on prime real estate (land resources) in the city centre. Nearly all transport usage is by car with the buses and train links playing an underutilised or non-integrated role. Spasmodic and subject to entrapment via districts has enforced boundaries rather than disenfranchised them.

There are Hubs which have no distinct advantage of linkages, a railway system inner city which has fragmented connections and super-services, sub utility services in single locations. The large tract of land on the North side of Great Victoria Street Bus station is accessed through an underpass below the Boyne Bridge. The buses flow freely and connections are avoided with North West routes. Province wide bus hub fails to utilise its location to the fullest and in actuality gives over much of its space to parking buses and public parking.

What strategy is at work? Again we have to decide how the 'mini – bus arras' termini, having the independently run Black Taxi service gets slotted into integrated transport or is it to attest to division into the future? I would love to see the levels and complexities given structured and real professional thought as it potentially; more a probable outcome than not, would see the integration the City needs. Through having good easily accessed frequent public transport; essentially a Luas light tram system exploiting the levels and over under routes along existing WIDE thoroughfares is essentially the key to the surrounding built environment. Not the reverse. The signals for a rapid transit system – kept off page here at the Summer School – are I have found to be resignalling, designated bus only areas, fiddling and reshuffling what we have got with the professionalism of STEM and ex-Luas personnel ramping up the spin and appearance of 'movement, in a 'Rapid Transit Strategy.' The anticipated all spin and no content.

The hub needs to be examined more fully and not obliquely as the Summer School has chosen this time around. It need to be properly brought into the integrated quest for solutions instead of being left on another 'favoured' consultants desk, led by agenda and politically driven transport interests. We even have within the province a major transport manufacturer with whom local investment and reform strategies can be advanced. If a hybrid transport vehicle is needed then why can 'Wrightbus' in possible partnerships with others, not pioneer a new vehicle(s) and give a lead, utilising all that has gone before.

The electric tram, if I am not mistaken, was first sighted on the road to Bushmill or Dunluce. A radical set of decisions are needed to advance the economy locally and the past in relation to Belfast and Northern Ireland has seen more than it's measure of advancement here in transport methods. The imagination exists to follow this. Using the basic problems we face can be exploited further than is presently imagined if a bold and purposeful best practice agenda is pursued straight away. The buildings and spaces are, it has been realised only lately as functionally dependant and operational through proper planning and citizen led needs. Recently, post the ignorance and greed driven sang-froid of the property led prophets, it has become evident the examples of development have had very few gems or much appreciated buildings amongst them. Even Dublin during its boom period ended up with a few. We have none. Only exceptions on the horizon are the Lyric Theatre and The Causeway visitors centre.

In the presentation of the Bruce Street area across the plan were in the region of 18 new build sites variously cut out of the street mapping and displaced pockets and junctions of land making up this spine South of the City Centre. It was a stark and immediate response of the Summer School, though how immediate and how predetermined these advanced proposals were before reaching the School is questionable. It seemed the solution had been festering in a pragmatic form before the School took place. The 'solutions' were nothing if not pragmatic and led the viewer in a direction which sought appeasement instead of vision; to such an extent when I drew attention to the absence of public transport, in ANY of the presentation slides, save an outline of a coach, there was an intake of breath at the audacity of pointing this out. It said a lot about the 'decide amongst ourselves' interface this process is. Criticisms are disallowed/discouraged, no-brainer was one hurried response to the 'vision' on display. (For a brief period only) no in depth analysis was to be proved or made flesh. Instead the word 'rapid transit' system I believe flashed up on one slide causing me to think most inner city systems, excepting underground or levy type systems are all the better for being at the majority of places under speed restrictions. Even the car dependants seem resigned to the fact for a better environment and massively increased safety we need to limit city car speeds to around twenty mph.

The Housing issues where spoken of only tangentially; a two year old planning school scheme (Posnett Street) slide appeared, as poor an example of one hit solutions as you would be likely to find and itself ignoring – on the slide – the transport comprising a train station and its separated car park – themselves components of any solution that might be found there.

There were also representatives whose recent contributions have been luxurious speculation apartments, authors of Public Housing inner city town housing from vintage '80's and 'Essex' design' clap boarded housing built to outdated proxies for lamentable absent vision. The 'Green line route' for that is how I believe it was presented, was indeed heavy on environmental symbolism, trees – in full leaf, wide spaces and pavements. Landscaped terraced frontages and the occasionally lofty eyrie,that streets were locations in which cars and people happily co-exist. Then you have illustrations of the weave of traffic management, its devices, disability unfriendly junctions and the return of the belisha beacon along with ready-made poster tubs. Presto the near future presides.

The functionality of these new build spaces was interesting to decode. Firstly they existed on plots of land readily identifiable, for the most part, were inclusive of a strip of green either side - I wondered if in homage to Mies van der Rohe whose adherence to space at the foot of buildings was transformative even if most post Mies advocates discarded the need for street level space.

This space on these plots does not even conceive of the spaces between buildings as belonging to the public space. No courtyard, public or private, being formed, no under croft sheltering the pedestrian forming colonnade, no straight avenue or dominating civic entity or identity. Nothing except looming buildings negatively placed on tried and failed spatial planning logic. No avenue or single note of functionality is advanced. The fact is the spaces shown were the forms of spaces replicated elsewhere in the city where shared ownership is contested, civic amenity left to its own definitions and low public awareness of 'franchised' space. The breakdown of these spaces is quick, environmentally and architecturally.

The dynamic of a foot way becoming bridge at a line through the Gasworks seemed to be taken up as a non contentious object crossing the river. It did this through having no destination as such and once again highlighted the lack of strategy. Indeed if it were to follow the prescribed route you will find a precursor for the type of land grab which breaks down land uses as it can be noted already at the Hotel location only one side of the significant water element is a public foot way as the other has been fenced off for the Hotel use only. Add to this the failure to set up the possibilities of City Airport dedicated transport use and Titanic use alongside and there is a huge deficit in aims. Not only for locals but for visitors who might avail of a direct across city route to other West and North 'tourist' Hotels and features. The greater call would be for East /West connections which access Titanic (a No. 28 bus appears to be the current extent of ambitions) and George Best City Airport etc. Not all, indeed any of these might be formative elements but the placement of these buildings has a pattern familiar to short term design enablement not the complex strategic thinking where each element – transport need, housing, commerce, market, natural, civic, utilitarian, future flexibility, densities and land usages are encompassed. Nowhere is it possible to form these collective concerns as we have neither a functioning City Town Planning department, no hard strategic thinking, no administration of will and determination, no pioneering vision, no digital ordnance (An OS capability of central access is needed, see previous submissions) or oversight.

The discourse must continue to address the major concerns this city has in respect of ALL elements of the identified Missing City and get round to confronting the use of the exploitative Housing Markets and the economic interests they pursue to the Cities disadvantage. It need advance recovery of the small business and industry (light or knowledge driven) with lead infrastructure enabling it to develop properly instead of the ad-hoc ways of approach I still see as being all pervading.