Architecture Masters

Our guest this week is the architect Eric Parry.  Eric was born in Kuwait in 1952 where his father was the country’s Chief Medical Officer, helping establish its health service.  When Eric was ten, the family returned to the UK and settled in Liverpool.

Eric later studied architecture at Newcastle University in the early 1970s before going on to spend a year in Iran studying nomadic settlements.

Returning again to the UK, Eric studied at Hornsey College of Art, before going on to gain his MA at the Royal College of Art, and then on to the Architectural Association.

Eric began his professional career as a lecturer at Cambridge University – where he taught for 14 years. Alongside his teaching, in 1983 he founded Eric Parry Architects. But in 1997 he made a decision to focus principally on the business – which is now a 90 person strong practice based just off Old Street in East London. The practice has developed a huge body of critically acclaimed work, especially in the cultural and conservation sectors, and mainly in London. Much of his work has a strong focus on the materials used, with a strong artistic influence.

In this week’s episode we talk about Eric’s early influences in Athens and Rome – as well as his interest in nomadic settlements.  We talk about his work teaching and the move from academia to practice. We touch on some of the practice’s most notable projects including the renovation – or renewal – of St Martin in the Fields church just off Trafalgar Square in London, as well as Pembroke College in Cambridge and One Eagle Place, just of Piccadilly.

And finally we hear about the practice’s recent plans for 1 Underschaft, which is set to become one of the tallest buildings in the City of London

Programme Notes

Some of the practice’s other work, mentioned in the episode includes:

Four Pancras Square, a new office block in Kings Cross, for developer Argent, with facades of rich weathering steel and white glazed ceramics (also referenced in Episode Nine with Roger Madelin)

The new museum, café and learning centre for London’s Charterhouse, a former 14th-century Carthusian monastery and burial ground in Clerkenwell.

Eric also talks about teaching alongside the late Sandy Wilson and also mentions the Indian Architect Doshi

On the programme this week is the architect Patty Hopkins.

Patty studied architecture at the Architectural Association where she met her future husband Michael Hopkins. After graduating from the AA Patty ran her own practice whilst Michael worked in partnership with Norman Foster. But in 1976 the couple decided to start their own firm together – which went on to become the firm now known as Hopkins Architects.

The practice has gone on to design hugely iconic buildings such as the 2012 Olympic Velodrome, Portcullis House providing offices for Members of Parliament, to Lords Cricket Ground and Glyndebourne Opera House, to name but a few.

In 1994 Patty and her husband Michael were jointly awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture, the profession’s highest personal award

Of their early work, their own multi-award-winning home in Hampstead, which they built for themselves in 1976, with its lightweight steel structure and glass façade is an early example of the modern and high-tech style for which they would become known.

Another of the practice’s early work was Fleet Infant School, in Hampshire. The practice was commissioned by Colin Stansfield Smith, then Chief Architect at Hampshire County Council. Stansfield Smith, Sir Colin as he later became, was largely responsible for turning Hampshire into a beacon of exemplary-designed state schools.

A few weeks before our interview, and quite by chance, Fleet Infant’s School was given a Grade II listing by Historic England.  The school also happens to be where your interviewer first went to school.

For this week’s episode we spoke to Patty in her home in Hampstead, where they founded the practice, and where the couple still live.

On the programme this week is the architect Patty Hopkins. Patty studied architecture at the Architectural Association where she met her future husband Michael Hopkins. After graduating from the AA Patty ran her own practice whilst Michael worked in partnership with Norman Foster. But in 1976 the couple decided to start their own firm together – which went on to become the firm now known […]

The post Patty Hopkins – Episode 12 first appeared on // Moving On //.

On the programme this week is the architect Alison Brooks. Alison was born in Canada and studied architecture at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. As part of Canada’s co-op system, during her studies she alternated between university and practice, gaining experience with many of Canada’s top architecture firms. After university Alison left Canada and moved to London, initially on a working holiday visa. Her […]

The post Alison Brooks – Episode 11 first appeared on // Moving On //.

On the programme this week is the architect Alison Brooks.

Alison was born in Canada and studied architecture at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. As part of Canada’s co-op system, during her studies she alternated between university and practice, gaining experience with many of Canada’s top architecture firms.

After university Alison left Canada and moved to London, initially on a working holiday visa. Her big break came when she found a job with Israeli designer Ron Arad, first on the competition – and later the delivery – for the Tel Aviv Opera House.  Ron had previously made a name for himself with his design and production company One-Off,  and later the One-Off Showroom in Covent Garden.

Alison went on to become a partner in the practice, Ron Arad Associates, where she stayed for seven years. But in 1996 she left to start her own firm, Alison Brooks Architects, which quickly earned a reputation for delivering award-winning housing schemes.

Alison shot to prominence in 2008 for her work on Accordia, a housing scheme in Cambridge, with Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and Maccreanor Lavington. The project went on to jointly win them the RIBA Stirling Prize that year.

She was shortlisted again for Stirling in 2013, for Newhall Be, a housing development in Harlow in Essex.  The practice has also won the two other big RIBA architecture prizes, the Manser Medal for Salt House and the Stephen Lawrence prize for Wrap House.

In this week’s episode we talk about drawing the straight lines for petrol station canopies and, perhaps more rewardingly, the complex non-orthogonal curves for the Tel Aviv Opera House.  We talk about Alison’s early experience measuring every detail of her childhood house and detailing every measure of a project by hand.

We talk about Canadian education and British housing. And we consider the benefits of winning work through competitions.

We joined Alison in her bustling office early one evening .

On the programme this week is Sadie Morgan. In 1995, Alex de Rijke, Philip Marsh and Sadie Morgan founded the architecture practice dRMM. Sadie Morgan (c) Andy Matthews The practice has had an extraordinary few years, having been shortlisted three times for the prestigious RIBA Stirling prize, in 2010 for Clapham Manor Primary School, 2016 for Trafalgar Place, Elephant and Castle, and most recently in […]

The post Sadie Morgan – Episode 10 first appeared on // Moving On //.

On the programme  this week is Sadie Morgan.

In 1995, Alex de Rijke, Philip Marsh and Sadie Morgan founded the architecture practice dRMM.

The practice has had an extraordinary few years, having been shortlisted three times for the prestigious RIBA Stirling prize, in 2010 for Clapham Manor Primary  School, 2016 for Trafalgar Place, Elephant and Castle, and most recently in 2017 for Hastings Pier.  I joined Sadie a few days after their third nomination, Hastings Pier, had just been named the winner of this year’s Prize.

Sadie studied Interior Architecture at Kingston Polytechnic where she met her future colleagues, before going on to the Royal College of Art.

The practice’s first built project was at One Centaur Street in London for Solidspace, the developer led by architect Roger Zogolovitch (previously the Z in practice CZWG).

In addition to her role as Founding Director of the practice, Sadie has taken on a wide range of other roles including Professor of Professional Practice at the University of Westminster; Design Panel Chair for High Speed Two; Commissioner on the National Infrastructure Commission; one of the Mayor of London’s Design Advocates, and many other roles.

In this week’s episode we talk about climbing mountains and cycling across countries; about starting practices, sailing boats and surviving cancer.

We joined Sadie in the practice’s offices near City Hall in London.