Posts Tagged: hta
Golden Lane – 24 May 2015
Chamberlin Powell & Bon designed the Golden Lane Estate in London before they designed it’s larger and more famous neighbour, the Barbican. They’re both outstanding, but I prefer Golden Lane.
We went for a visit with HTA’s London Sketch Club and the London Society. The ‘kids’ weren’t that impressed, which certainly ups the ante next time I’m reviewing their work.
It’s a bit windy and not that warm but this could well be summer, so the real kids and I played outside whilst Julie did some shopping.
Baked potatoes for tea.
Some Summer – 17 May 2015
It’s the start of a new year for the business and time to look back on the last one. 
A weekend in sunny London spent in Clissold Park and Mike’s back garden. Me and the gang catching up with old friends and colleagues. 
Back in Edinburgh looking at the hard, but still attractive, Bakehouse Close. A comfortable scale of space with some nice details by Oberlanders.
The Cock – 25 March 2015
The Cock is a pub designed by HTA about thirty years ago.
At that time HTA were specialists in what people called ‘Public Housing’ so when someone called looking for a ‘Public House’, the entrepreneurial partners got right down to it. They did another twenty pubs after that, of which this is one. Just off Portland Place, this one’s a cheap place for a pint in an expensive part of town. I’m across the street for breakfast, reflecting on talking about sketching last night in Camden.
In the Lighthouse in Glasgow listening in on design charette follow up…
…and listening to Matt Smith’s leaving stories.
Spring – 21 March 2015
At last, the spring equinox. I like the dark, but on balance, we’re now in the better half of the year.
Sunnier, brighter and a bit more colourful: we’re all quite excited. F & I have a birthday…
… and I have a talk to do:
Just in case you’d like to talk about drawing in Camden on a Tuesday evening.
MIPIM – 12 March 2015
In Cannes for MIPIM. It’s our market, condensed. When I headed out I thought it might be about pitching, but it’s not. It’s a chance to talk to the people who’s needs will shape our business. But we can’t do everything for everyone so the trick, I think, is to work out who to listen most closely to amongst the 20,000 voices. Getting to do this on a beach in the south of France is nice, but it doesn’t make it any easier.
Some of this information gets delivered quite formally.
Statistics on places: design, value, people, quality, crisis etc. I imagined I might be sketching the beach and the boats, but there isn’t any time.
Instead I’m listening to what other people think the future holds, and trying to work out who’s right.
Most of the time it’s less formal discussion: breakfasts, lunches, afternoon beers, dinners, late night pints. I’m not sure copious coffee and alcohol consumption helps with clarity but it was my first time, so I went along with it.
On the plane home, I see I’m not alone in finding it exhausting.
Party Season – 21 December 2014
Sitting next to the Arbroath Smokies stall the morning after the HTA Christmas party.
If I’d have found this yesterday I might have come up with a better ‘Secret Santa’.
To me, the party looked a bit like this. In reality it looked more like this.
At another party the next day with Fraser and Isla. The parents looked a little worn, but the kids were having a great time.
V&A – 25 November 2014
Round the Constable exhibition at the V&A with the Our Enterprise team after hearing from Sandy Richardson about the new V&A in Dundee.
No sketching allowed, no explanation given.
Sketching at the Brunswick Centre. I was going slowly so later filled the page with scenes from the Citizen M lobby, still busy around midnight.
Good foyer spaces, small but well designed bedrooms.
Watching people eating, at Kings Cross. Do you take the food to your mouth or your mouth to the food?
Leeds Town Hall – 10 November 2014
On the left, Leeds Town Hall designed by Cuthbert Brodrick in the 1850’s.
On the right, consultants selling their design skills in 2014. It’s interesting to hear their pitch. I want to know what they’ll do that will make our project better. Over the course of the day, only a couple of people are clear on that.
Some Performers – 5 November 2014
First, on the left a kind of calibration setting: Alistair Darling, on his way to London, after announcing he’ll stand down at the next election. His likeness gives you an idea of how much/ little the other folk I draw look like themselves. He was nice enough to not object to my drawing him.
In the middle is our Richard Foxley reminding HTA London about the importance of post occupancy evaluation. How are you going to know what to design next if you don’t know what people really thought, and felt, about what you designed last time?
At the BPF dinner in London listening to Sir Howard Davies and an exuberant gospel choir.
Halloween Fraser.
SPF Dinner – 30 October 2014
Listening to Brian Taylor’s insights into the consequences of a narrow No vote in the referendum. It’s fairly sober stuff. In a minute ex referee Willie Young will warm us up with a few jokes.
With Grosvenor, at the SPF Dinner in Edinburgh.
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