Professional Experiences, Architectural Tours & Spatial Experiences
My experiences were the most vigorous when entwined when displaced into new environments. The most significant international professional experiences were Hamburg and Hong Kong. It allowed me a fresh look at my experiences in London, the luxury of looking at my relationship to London through the lens of distance and other cultures.
London I. Experience jun. 1987 to jul. 1988
Office: Royal Academy Of Arts, Piccadilly, London
Responsibilities: Assistant to Academy Architect, Denis Serjeant
Projects and Duties and Activities:
RA School of Painting and Sculpture, Master Plan Proposals, Canteen realisation.
Computerised Heating System, Environment Control System, Galleries.
Design and Implementation of Motorised Lighting Tracks, Main Galleries: with Anthony Hunt Engineers.
Royal Academy Reorganisation Master Plan: with Foster Associates and Arups.
Measured Drawings: for Royal Academy records.
Life drawing at the Royal Academy School
Supervision of work done with builders, exhibitors and exhibition designers.
This was my first job in London as a very green year out student. I was the apprentice to a very experienced architect Denis Serjeant, and Jim Cadbury Brown, in my view the best of the post war generation attitude. Jim Cadbury Brown, was the designer of the RCA building with Hugh Casson. Denis Serjeant, was formerly a partner of Shepherd Robson. Denis often spoke of his great admiration for Sir Richard Shepherd. It also allowed me to engage with a large spectrum of society, Royal Academicians such as Eduardo Paolozzi, Roger de Grey, Sir Phillip Dowson and even the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. It also made me conscious of a lot of possibilities, through the generosities of the mature experiences of mature artists and architects.
I engaged in a variety of activities, walking through the galleries, taking climatic measurements, measuring and surveying in the Art School. In particular I learnt the joy of talking to specialists, every day workman, the beautiful debutantes working in fund-raising, the waitresses in the canteen, the marvellous and often-camp security team. I admired the ease in which Denis would be able to communicate with all these wonderful eccentric and interesting characters.
On my first day, Denis took me to one side and remarked, “look here Azhar, I have a very important task. I do not want it rushed at all, take your time, the importance is accuracy…”, I had already started to shake, “…take this notebook, measuring rule, and tape measure. Go to the room next to the printing studio, in the RA Art School and measure it. Measure it accurately, plans, sections, internal elevations etc. Remember do not rush it”. I went to my task head on, focused and possessed with a sense of duty and responsibility. I was in that room, feverishly, measuring and surveying. Obsessive and efficient. It took me five days to complete my task. I had not taken any notice that of the function of the room; I was far too focused, all the students looking at me as though I was mad. The girls that came into the room protested what did I think I was doing, I explained the importance of my task, and I really had no time to waste. The absurdity of being in the girl’s toilet had completely escaped me.
I know that Denis was enjoying all the stories of a little Asian student obsessively measuring the girl’s toilet. I fondly remember the story and often give as a task my own version of this responsibility when I am asked to take care of a junior staff member. Initiation into the profession is a very important life changing experience.
In short, my experiences here opened up a lot of possibilities and it was a very enlightening time. Sadly Denis passed away of his fight with cancer, of which he had already won so many battles, on my return from Pakistan in 1988. He is sorely missed.
Berlin - Budapest Experience aug. 1988 to sep.1988
Berlin Architecture Student Assembly 1988”
I attended a two-week workshop, where I lived and relaxed with Berlin residents, in Wieland Strasse, in Charlottenbourg, off the Kurfurstendamm. I decided to stay on in Berlin and went on to Budapest. I was amazed to be in Berlin. I loved the difference to London. I enveloped myself into Bohemian twenty-four hour dens, and indulged in intellectual and artistic thought and action. I was liberated from the city that I grew up in.
I knew the assembly organiser Sebastian Wagner from a competition workshop in London. Peter Greenaway, the film maker, set the competition, and we had been chosen as the winners. The assembly was on open land in Berlin at the Anhalter Bhannoff; a relic of World War II, a fantastic site where only the portico of the entrance building remained. The workshops run by tutors were thoughtful and reflective. It gave me an opportunity to interact with a lot of European students who were at the same stage of development as myself. From Polish students selling obscure Polish film posters, to a trio of Greek girls, it was a truly international experience. Berlin was an experimental city, I quickly got to know artists and I was meeting strange and wonderful people who would talk about curiosities that pre-occupied them, and always making tentative arrangements to meet later in a bar, restaurant, happening or club. The interactivity between people of different specialisms was extraordinary. I credit my stay here in Berlin and subsequently Budapest, of my awareness of the importance and delight of engaging with people in an open minded way.
It also allowed me to fulfil an ambition of being in central Europe. Through my teenage readings of Kafka, Hesse etc. the literature had created a real curiosity of the powers and romance of the great central European cities. My other motivation even then was to understand the European context, rather than just the reified context of London. After all this was the centre of Europe.
Pakistan I. Experience sep. 1988 to sep. 1989
Office: Kamil Khan Mumtaz Architects, Lahore, Pakistan, 1988-89
Projects: Residences, Lahore.
‘Khanqah’ - Monastery and Residence, Karachi.
Design development and detailing. Implementation in conjunction with craftsmen.
' Anjuman Mimiran’, Lahore, Pakistan, 1988-89
Society for the Traditional Architectural Heritage of Pakistan: Main administrator and events organiser. (Year out extension)
After my experiences at the Royal Academy and my visits to Berlin and Budapest, I decided to take the opportunity to go to Lahore, Pakistan. I was born in Lahore in 1966, and had left there at the age of four, arriving in London Heathrow, on New Years Day 1971. The reasons for working and living in Lahore was to de-mystify my relationship to my birth place and a culture which I had only known as a series of memories, mine and my family’s.
I contacted Choe Padamsee in London, an Indian by birth who was running the Masters course in Architecture in Developing Countries. He had studied at the AA in the fifties. He recommended several offices to contact. In Lahore I contacted several offices. Finally Kamil Khan Mumtaz, a student friend of Choe, interviewed me. Kamil had been a modernist architect in the 60s in Pakistan, working on social housing in the tradition of Corbusier. He subsequently became the Head of the School of Architecture at the National College of Arts in Lahore. By the eighties he was in private practice, as well as an advisor to the Agha Khan Architecture Award, as well as an authority on regional traditional architecture, he had just published a book on Architecture in Pakistan.
I worked in Kamil's office for a year as an assistant, helping on projects within the office as well as being the main administrator of the ‘Anjuman Mimiran’, Society for the Traditional Architectural Heritage of Pakistan. I was the main administrator as well as organising lecture and events as well as field trips.
Kamil had several commissions within the office for villas and residences, as well as a Sufi monastery in Karachi. He had moved away from his modernist roots in architecture, to a more regional vocabulary. He worked closely with craftsmen. He was very much interested in a regional vocabulary of materials, as well as exploring local symbolic elements within architecture. He also had worked on a strategic masterplanning study for the preservation and consolidation of the medieval walled city of Lahore.
· In parallel, I was involved with students at the National College of Art in Lahore. Incidentally, the first head of the school was the father of Rudyard Kipling. I decided to visit the Museum regularly, next to the College, and take lunch at a small café, canteen between the museum and the college. Over the period of a fortnight I slowly got to know some students. It was a tumultuous time, where the students had closed the college down and were occupying and running classes themselves. Student action had been unknown to me in London, apart from people handing out leaflets. The students in Lahore were protesting at the appointment of the Head of School. I got to know the most active students, and attended debates and discussions, often going deep into the night. I also attended life-drawing classes as well as became a critic to project reviews. I was impressed by the intelligence, consciousness and awareness of the people I met.
Again, I had a tremendous time, balanced between exploring and studying he city, working for Kamil and of course re-discovering my relatives. Professionally I experienced a lot of hands on experience in the production of the built environment at a variety of scales. As well as drawing experience from another mature architect.
London II. Experience oct.1989 to oct.1991
Office: Borough Architects, Havering, Essex, 1989
Project: Sixth Form College, Upminster, Essex.
On my return to London, I was short of money, no big surprise
there; I got a job at the Borough Architects in Havering.
They had been recently semi-privatised. I joined a team
working on a sixth form college in Upminster, I worked closely
to a very experienced technician. I learnt how to produce
work rapidly and efficiently. My responsibilities included
detailing for glass façade, steel structure, and
concrete decorative blockwork (Isocrete).
Again I was an apprentice. My responsibilities included steel detailing and glass facades. It was a very good working environment. Many of my colleagues had not been to architecture school, but had entered as apprentices at the age of sixteen. I enjoyed their perspective. I worked for 3 months before returning to the Bartlett for my diploma.
Aachen, Krefeld, Frankfurt, Berlin (nov. 1989)
As part of the pre-diploma course at the Bartlett, we visited Germany. We stayed in Aachen in a Hitler youth camp, much to the disgust of some of my fellow students. Aachen is a very pretty medieval town, with a reputable university, dominated by engineering. It is not very far from the Dutch border, and has a magnificent Cathedral from the period of Charlegmaine.
We mad field trips to Krefeld, to see a Mies van der Rohe house, now a museum / gallery. We went on to see the cultural building activities of Frankfurt. I stayed there for two days and subsequently caught a night train to Berlin. On the train a drunkard tried to explain to me that the beer had run out in Berlin. As I arrived in Berlin, my friend picked me up in Zoo Bhanoff, she was smiling and said that something very special was happening in Berlin. The Berlin Wall had fallen the night before.
I spent the next week recording and walking through the city. One knows when one is in an historical moment, but the significance of it is not apparent at the time. I had always had the benefit of being in many strange situations, and for some reason, I was not out of place. This was not normal, so it is easy to be amongst extraordinary situations.
Office: Hodges Jones Partnership, London.
Significant Projects:
Residential Conversion Project, Kentish Town, London:
Dulwich Picture Gallery, Competition.
Pearson Building Office Conversion, University College London.
New Offices for Engineers, Bank Conversion, London.
In the summer break of 1990, in order to counterbalance my spiralling overdraft, I worked in Smithfields for a small partnership. Jim Hodges was also an ‘old school’ gentleman in his late sixties, with an amazing amount of energy. I was primarily concerned in producing measured drawings for planning permission for a house in Kentish Town. My other duties included on helping out on other projects in the office. I was treated with respect and enjoyed and benefited from my stay there.
Pakistan II Experience jan. 1992
After my diploma at the Bartlett School of Architecture,I returned to Pakistan for the occasion of my brothers wedding, I stayed for two weeks, and revisited some of my haunts in Lahore. I had just finished my diploma, I entered the plane with trepidation, I had not wanted to visit Pakistan, but I had not protested are spoke of my reluctance to do so. My cautions were put to a side, with the joy of being connected to so many family members, and the pleasure of witnessing a change in my brother’s fate.
I revisited the medieval city, and the old fort to remind me of the great renaissance of culture of the Moghul dynasties. I stayed on the top floor of an apartment block near Lawrence gardens, where I would sit in the early morning sun and sketch, watching lazy kites find thermals. I was driven around the back of my cousin’s motorbike. I think the best way to understand a city like this, weaving through impossible places. It was wonderful to be comfortable in the city that I was born in.
London III. Experience feb.1992 to mar.1994
Office: Troughton McAslan Architects Ltd, London,
Significant Projects:
Jubilee Line Extension, Canning Town Station, London.
Jubilee Line Extension, Stratford Station, London.
Design development and detailed design.
Welcome to the Recession. On my return from Pakistan, I faced the daunting task of finding work. Nik Eldridge, formerly of Foster and Partners, interviewed me; he had been the project architect for the Mediateque in Nimes. This I would say was my first taste of a disciplined competitive office. The office was down to six staff, from about twenty, and I was brought in as cheap labour to develop, design and detail Canning Town, Jubilee Line Station.
My efforts at university, to learn Cad, despite the scepticism of my tutor had paid off. I learnt how to use Microstation and through myself into work, working seven days a week non-stop, and enjoying producing disciplined and well composed drawings, I worked with another guy, who had three or four years more experience than me, it was a perfect scenario, for a graduate, in an environment of a relatively young office, very ambitious and trying to compete with greater offices.
The partners were formerly at Fosters and Rogers, both were ambitious and seized the opportunities of the eighties to grow an office with some success, but the recession had been hard on their cash flow, and a crippling lease in Kensington Church Street, had put them under a huge amount of strain. The Jubilee project was funding the office.
The team should have been at least four or five people, but instead it was just the two of us. The benefit was that I gained responsibility and experience far beyond my age. Between the two of us for the final detail submission, between the two of we produced the final milestone package, of 120 drawings: general Arrangements, (1:100 and 1:500); Assembly drawings at 1:20; detail drawings at 1:5, 1:2 and 1:1. We produced them in the period of four weeks, during which we worked seven days a week, finishing work at four in the afternoon, to go home to sleep, and returning work at midnight on the last tube, to work through the night until the next afternoon, and so on. We submitted the drawings, and the same day I was unemployed, again.
Office: Alsop & Störmer Architects, London, 1992-1994
Major Projects:
Crossrail, railway station: Paddington, London.
Jubilee Line Extension, railway station: North Greenwich, London.
Bangkok Transit System, city wide above ground rail system: Thailand.
Key Achievements:
-Design development
-Co-ordination with technical consultants
-City planning liaison and negotiations
-Detail design package
On my departure from the Jubilee Line Project of Canning Town, within two weeks Will Alsop hired me. I was very pleased, I had been a fan of Will’s work, and I had seen him lecture three times before. He is a huge talent, and a great architect, and he entered the room when I was being interviewed, and asked only one question, whether I was in love, for some reason the question did not throw me, and I answered that I was not, but I had known love and was sorry that I was not in it at the moment. He left the room with a smile. Luckily my portfolio, (the 120 drawings of Canning Town) convinced them that I was very useful.
Project: Crossrail, railway station: Paddington, London.
I joined the team immediately, under the supervision of Peter Clash, the project architect, and two others to develop the scheme for Paddington. My responsibilities were to assist the project architect in pursuing a fixed design solution, in conjunction with all the other consultants, (i.e. Structures, M&E, QS). By processing 15 options over the period of 3 months we were able to achieve the definitive solution as an Outline Proposal. This was developed into a Scheme Design, over the period of another 6 months. My responsibilities included: Co-ordination with technical consultants: city planning liaison and negotiations: reporting to the clients representative. I helped produced continuous evaluations, “value engineering” reports for submission to the client. My responsibilities also included setting up the CAD system, and the transfer of data to other consultants, as outlined by the stringent requirements of the client.
After Scheme Design had been accepted by the client, the team grew to about 16 people, my particular responsibilities were to finalise the road design, and finalise work on the new structural solution (a new tunnelling method), the relationship of our building to the existing structures and connections to the Bakerloo Line, I worked closely with the fire officer to deliver an overall fire strategy. I was also involved in the co-ordination of the QA procedures required by our client, particularly related to production of Information. I developed a system of to standardise our drawings across the team, with a senior technician. Particular packages I was responsible for delivering were, The Bakerloo Line connection tunnel, The Ventilation, Service, and Escape Stair Boxes. Above Ground Structures, Finishes Strategy, Negotiations and liaisons with Chief Planning Officer of Westminster including analysis of the UDP, and local development plan. I also worked closely with the senior technician to produce a production guidelines report for the rest of the team. I also helped in producing the finalisation of project documentation for tendering purposes, preparing final drawings, documentation and specifications for client in order to tender project. The project has been put on hold due to political reasons.
Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Karlovy Vary, Marienske, mar.93
I had decided to go to do a competition in Prague around the Main station. As A child I had read a lot of Kafka, and had always wanted to n be in Prague, I had also watched the animations of Jan Svankmajer, a Czech animator, a brilliant story teller. It was a natural follow on to Berlin and Budapest. It was wonderful to see a city not ravaged by the great wars. At the time there was a great deal of interest in the city by young Americans, despite that it was fascinating to see the city. Anecdotally the American ambassador in Prague is the former child star Shirley Temple, which always delights me. Architecturally the city is beautiful
We hired a car from Prague to do a circle. We first stopped off at Cesky Krumlov, a wonderfully enchanting medieval town with the most magical castle. I had always been fascinated by medieval architecture, because the notion of “time built”, one can see decisions and contradictions in built form over a period of time. We then went off further to the spa town of Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) to drink the sulphurous water. This is an extremely picturesque town set in a valley. A highlight was to swim in a Brutalist swimming pool set into the side of the hills, and from the edge of the pool open can see the whole promenade of Karlovy Vary, and as one looks p one sees tree in the hills. A truly beautiful experience. We went on to Marienske, (Marienbad) where we took cooperated water. These spa towns have uniqueness, the promenade, to hold vessels of the water and promenade up and down the street to be seen and be seen.
Hamburg Experience mar.1994 to mar.1997
Office: Alsop & Störmer Architects, Hamburg, 1994 to 1997
Design & Project Architect on:
· Bank Office Building: Neuer Wall, Hamburg.
· High Rise Mixed Development: Kehrwiederspitze, Hamburg.
· University Revitalisation: University, Bremen.
· Warehouse Conversion: Stadtlagerhaus, Hamburg.
· Mixed Development: Eppendorf, Hamburg.
· Public Square: Eppendorf, Hamburg.
· High Rise Refurbishment: Heidenkampsweg, Hamburg.
· Berlin Workshop: Tempelhof Airport, Berlin.
· Development/Installation of fully automated Cad (Microstation) facilities.
Key Achievements:
· Senior design responsibilities
· Six competition-winning designs
· Co-ordination of teams in two cities
· Implementing new managerial procedures
A land between two rivers, “Fleetinsel”
Due to personal circumstances in London, I was offered a
position in Hamburg. I took it. A journey into the unknown,
I was never sure whether I was running to or running away.
It was both.
My professional position was to gain more experience. One
of my roles would be to bridge the two offices. The office
is attractive, located in the middle of Hamburg, between
two canals. My apartment was around the corner in the same
complex.
I had a key role as a work winner; I worked closely with the partner in evaluating potential projects and formed part of his key strategy in work winning. My responsibilities include instilling confidence in new clients of our capabilities. I was also responsible in evaluating particular projects to pursue, including suitable competitions. I worked on key projects at the inception and feasibility stages of the above projects.
I produced the Outline Proposals for all of the above projects as a project leader. I was personally responsible in setting up all projects and implementing a working strategy for delivery of these. This included resourcing and programming at all stages. This would include brief analysis and development. Parameters for the project would be agreed early on with the senior partners. Attending client meetings. Assembling the team to do the work, liasing with consultants. Assessing options and developing and finalising the Outline Proposals. I was also responsible for financial resourcing of the projects at this stage. I developed a streamlined approach to delivering the Scheme Design, but also developing a smooth transition into production information. I feel the ability to foresee this transition into production was that we brought to the projects that the client could see as an office strength. We were able to win confidence of the client with this fast track approach.
My responsibilities included managing all projects at Schemed Design and Production Information stages In particular the two projects I personally developed from inception to execution were a Mixed Development: (Eppendorf, Hamburg) and a Bank Office Building (Neuer Wall, Hamburg). For these two projects in particular, I developed a standard way for producing all detail design and production information, across all projects in the office. Producing a comprehensive drawing lists and programme did this. I was also responsible for liasing with the cost consultant, in order to have cost certainty, and also liasing with a senior architect in writing the specification. I supervised the building of mock-ups, and sample and finalising samples and material selection. Tender packages were co-ordinated and supervised. Price negotiations and finalising programmes with the senior partner.
I attended site meetings from ground works to the superstructure, façade installation and final fit-out. I authored and consulted the production of several office procedures, including:
· Office Management Manual
· CAD Management Manual
· IT Strategy Report
· CAD management System: Development / Installation of fully automated Cad facilities.
· Costing Information: CAD related cost analysis
· Visualisation and Graphics Development manual
· Resource Evaluation and Planning
· Production Information Guidelines
· Project Programming
· Office Promotion and liaison with magazines and publication
Cele and St Gottardo’s Pass
My addiction to work, also allowed me to develop a sense of preciousness of time, and I took opportunities to balance my working life with the pleasure of new experiences.
Gliding in Cele
I visited a friend in Hanover, to see some exhibitions at a new museum of modern art. Subsequently we drove to Cele and spent the day gliding. I spent quite a bit of time in the workshops, looking a t the gliding club’s gliders. This included a beautiful glider made from the 1930’s, which had been expertly restored and improved. Also there was a new high tech paired glider made form the latest high tech materials, I was amazed at the thoughts and level of innovation that continually improved gliders. The level of consciousness and discipline that went into making these were remarkable. Of course the real pleasure was to fly and I must admit that this has been a most remarkable experience, to find thermals and to soar in the sky with a sense of ease, as well as knowing that one flies with the elements of thermal heats and the wind. Unpowered flight is the most exhilarating.
Trekking in St.Gottardo’s Pass
Subsequently a friend asked to accompany him and his on to a trek through the St. Gottardos pass, form Switzerland to Italy. We took the night train from Hamburg to Basle, and subsequently to Lucerne, from there we went to a small town near the St. Gottardos pass, where we started our trek up the pass, incredible. This pass was the main gateway to the classical worlds.
The pass is ancient, was a main route for the Roman armies, but also for great scholars throughout the ages, from Goethe to Sir John Soane. Rising through the pass is a northerly experience, but as one descends one already feels and enjoys the warmth of the southerly world, It is the most exhilarating experience.
Marseille
I submitted a competition one week early in Hamburg for the office of Alsop and Stormer, and decided to join the office to go to Marseille for two weeks, where we visited a project that was nearing completion, The Big Blue, the Municipal headquarters in Marseille.
Will Alsop had won the project in an international competition, a few years earlier. We walked around the building with the project architect, Stephen Pimberley, we all stayed in the hired office. It was located on the main boulevard of the city, and was actually an apartment building. I took the opportunity to explore the city especially the old city, it was fascinating to see an older city which retained a vibrancy and pleasure.
Venice
I had arranged to meet my dear friend CS in St Marcos. He had flown from Hamburg, I from Sardinia, where I had spent a week at the invitation of friends in their house on the tip of Sardinia overlooking Corsica. He is an art consultant and modern art restorer. I had been to Venice as a first year student at the age of 18, and fallen in love with it totally. This was a return and I had known that I would always return it. I attended the Arts Biennale, and met artists, curators and museum directors from all over the world. This was a truly international experience, and made many good friends here.
Athens
This was a remarkable tour to visit a close friend s office in Athens, and also to experience the beauty of Athens. At university I had sat through many lectures where Athens had been mentioned again and again. I had never really experienced it. I took this opportunity to see and experience the classical architecture of Athens, but also to see its relationship to the modern world. The Parthenon and its surroundings is truly a powerful place and one only appreciates its power on visiting it. there are many things to be said about Athens. I was amazed of the power and influence of the Parthenon over Athens, sitting on its plateau; the architecture is created with an optical correction to the human eye, unbelievable and beautifully serene. We wound down from Athens to the Agora, this was the place of decisions and discussions of city life, it was also the place where citizens were voted to power, but also where if a citizen had more than 4000 votes he would be banished from Athens for more than 10 years, a very severe punishment, and something that modern democracy could learn from.
Barcelona UIA Conference ‘96
With a friend from Berlin, I attended the UIA (Union of International Architects) Conference in Barcelona. I felt that since I had been working so hard in Hamburg, I felt that I would like to understand what the international debate in architecture was, it was fascinating to not only experience a city full of thousands of architects from around the world, but also to experience the magnificent pleasures of Barcelona, the famously rejuvenated city through its holding of the Olympics a few years earlier.
London IV. Experience mar.1997 to sep.1997
Office: Terry Farrell & Partners, London. mar. 97 to sep. 98
Design Architect on:
· Blue Circle Cement Complex, Snodland Kent
· Mayfair St Office Building, London
After I had left Hamburg, many offices interviewed me,
and finally by Doug Streeter, a startling talented individual,
softly spoken and with great humour, he offered me a job
in the office of Terry Farrell. I took the job The office
had been under a lot of pressure in recent years and had
started to rebuild itself. It had started to hire many people
from a variety of different backgrounds to inject new blood.
At ths same time was a super guy in the office of Farrells
in a senior position, Aidan Potter, the quickest hand in
the west, and as bright to go with it......a sharp analyst,
and a great visualiser, clarifier of ideas and architectonics....also
was very kind to me.....
Where I was involved in the outline proposals of a cement
factory in Kent. I attended client-briefing meetings, and
developed presentation material to push forward the scheme.
I developed the scheme at a detail level, and produced external
envelope studies. The scheme moved very slowly. The reasons,
well......frustrating
I also worked on feasibility studies for a large redevelopment
in Mayfair. I specifically worked on the feasibility report
working closely with the planning consultants. It was an
interesting time, but also awkward, being involved in an
office, which was still trying to find its feet.
There were a lot of young architects trying to hussling
for position, and I do not necessarily think this was appropriate
for me at the time. Consequentially my stay there was not
totally rewarding. In hindsight, I must say that I cannot
blame the office for this, as turmoil in my own life created
a lack of focus and hence a lack of ability to see a better
perspective.
Venice
I returned to Venice for the Arts Biennale, this time it was Germano Celant who was the curator of the Bieannale. I met a lot of friends that I had made during the last Bieannale. This was an essential trip to balance the booming atmosphere of London. I had not been able to find my feet in London, and Venice had become a sanctuary.
Hong Kong Experience sep.1997 to jan.1998
Office: Terry Farrell & Partners, Hong Kong. sep. 97 to jan98
Design Architect on:
· KCRC Railway Projects, Yen Chow St. TS400
· KCRC Railway Projects, Kowloon. TS500
Due to my experiences on Crossrail and Jubilee Line, I was asked to go to Hong Kong, which initially I declined, as I had not been able to find my feet in London. Finally I accepted the offer.
I flew to Hong Kong, very excited. Flying in to the old airport, in the middle of the city, I knew this was going to be a very exciting city. I was out up in a hotel in Causeway Bay, for the first week. On my first morning in Hong Kong, I was so overwhelmed I felt I was the “Man Who Fell to Earth”, the film by Nic Roeg. I chose to walk the 2km or so to Central. It was amazing, walking the streets, looking up and across, the intensity was invigorating not exhausting. I knew from that day on that it was going to be an intense working time as well as an intense playtime.
I arrived in the office in Icehouse Street, and was received reasonably coolly, as there is always seems to be a mistrust of international office branches. It was made clears from my reception that I would have to prove myself here. I was not in the mood to strut a round, nor be political. I just wanted to do my job.
I further stayed in another hotel in Kowloon, and then a two-week in a house of a friend in Lama Island. Lama is a funny place, but getting a boat to work in the South China Sea, is incredibly awe inspiring, as you see in the horizons massive trade ships bigger than buildings gently floating, only appreciating there massiveness a some got closer to your boat. I know understood clearly what Corbusier meant by the influence of ships in architecture.
Hong Kong was an intense architectural experience compressed and tall, every centimetre counted, and that was amazing to see that such huge projects were created and conceived in such short times. I worked closely with the main design director, Steve Smith, a highly experienced and good architect. The projects that I worked on were huge developments on Yen Chow and Kowloon, these were railway stations with huge retail, commercial and residential developments on them.
Schemes filled A1 drawing sheets at 1:1000 and bigger, the discipline was to think and design strategically, and not get lost in detail, but add and suggest architectural experiences. As an example I worked on Yen Chow, which is one kilometre long with two railway stations, two bus stations, two shopping centres a huge car park and with 16 residential towers, each 30 floors high, with 8 apartments on each floor. Each apartment either having 3 or 4 bedrooms. That totals to about 4000 apartments, with their effective ground level being 15 metres above street level. With tennis courts and landscaping. This was real fast tracking at a huge scale. Steve Smith had developed a great confidence at this scale and was able to direct the team with flair. I worked with an international team, I was responsible design aspects of the entrances and specifically the shopping centre.
London V. Experience jan.1998 to jun.1999
Office: Virtual Artworks, London, jan. 98 to mar. 98
I worked with a friend who was running his own visualisation company; he produced images and illustrations for architects and developers. A German client commisioned visualisations and design concepts for 3 shopping malls in Turkey, had approached him. I was responsible for producing design studies and concepts for these projects. I also was directly involved in producing three dimensional computer models.
Office: HTA Ltd, London, jun. 98 to jun. 99
Design , technical and Production Architect on:
Greenwich Millennium Village, London (with Ralph Erskine, Stockholm)
Broughton Atterbury, Milton Keynes (Bid document)
Key Achievements:
Senior design responsibilities
Co-ordination of teams in two cities
Ecological and Sustainable design development and research
Design co-ordination, Design development, Production Strategy and execution
HTA had won the competition to build the Greenwich Millennium Village as a part of a large consortium, which included Ralph Erskine. I took this appointment. I was attracted to take the job, because I new that the project involved ecological and sustainable issues, and also that it would be a fast track project. I was particularly attracted to working with Battle McCarthy who are multi-disciplinary engineers, and have a particular emphasis on sustainable design and ecological expertise, they also were involved with the original bid document.
HTA as a practice had expertise in estate regeneration and were executive architects to the project. My responsibilities consisted of design development and technical architect. My expertise on large scale projects was particularly relevant to my appointment. I took on evaluating the design of all external envelope design elements, I did this by myself, particularly directed to communicate with the client body by producing all my information as reports to be presented to my directors as well as the client. This form of presenting clear information was also used to communicate to the team to the team in Drottinghom, the office of Ralph Erskine. I made regular visits with the engineers to Sweden to better communication links there. I particularly worked closely with the QS team in producing costing information.
All information was assembled within reports that had a multi tasking value. I worked on comparative evaluations of façade technology, prefabrication, as well as evaluating the superstructure. Because of my experience on working rapidly at different scales I was able to produce a huge quantity of work, which is what the project was suffering from, again this formed a good basis to win the confidence of the client.
I treated all elements and tasks of the project as a research project. All information was treated as presentation material, in order to build a resource to the office. Because of the emphasis of prefabrication and new processes, influenced by the Egan Report, we consulted experts and suppliers very early. I was also responsible for working very closely with the design team and led co-ordination team meetings. Unfortunately the client had not signed appointment documents and had been delaying this even before I started, the work started to be held back, and quite an antagonistic position developed. This finally culminated in the architects resigning from the project, in June 1999. After working on several bid documents, I too resigned.
Venice Film Festival ‘98
After working very hard on the Greenwich millennium Village I took a holiday to stay in Venice and watch films all day and night, my form of relaxation. This was another excuse to visit my favourite city, and indulge in my favourite passions, film and Venice.
I spent the days on the Lido, visiting friends who had their summer Cabina’s on the beach. These are small white tents, where one can change in and leave ones clothes and belongings. Aldo Rossi, the architect, was a professor in Venice and had written about them, as a typological hut, a minimum for living in. They are an extraordinary little structure, small ideal villas, with long views of the horizon, they are arranged as streets, and of course have a hierarchy of arrangement, according t o wealth and status in the city. There are family Cabinas that have been there for generations. There is an incredible sensuality due to the light and eroticism, which is extraordinary
I met a filmmaker friend form London, and we had tea in a hotel ballroom, the room was famously used by Sergio Leone in “Once Upon a time in America”, Robert de Niro’s character takes his sweetheart to dinner and hires the whole room for the use of them both, and cruelly and sadly rapes her in the Cadillac afterwards. The lido is an extraordinary place with no more than a few roads, but one long road along the beachfront, and remarkably people have cars to drive up and down in.
Pakistan III. Experience
On the invitation to be best man to my German friend’s wedding in Karachi, I took this opportunity to also have another chance to explore the country of my birth. I visited Lahore and also to Islamabad and also to take a short trip into Muree, a mountain resort. I had also met some interesting people as potential future clients.
London VI. Experience aug.1999 to aug.2000
Office: TPS (with Avci + Jurca), London, aug. 99 to aug. 2000
Project: Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana
I was appointed to create a strategy to win the confidence of the client. Working directly under the Design Director and Managing Director TPS Consult. My responsibilities included, creating a Strategic Development Report, and develop that into a Key Masterplanning Report which was developed into Key Options Report. The Options Report included, Technical and Aviation expertise.
I was responsible for producing an outline costing and programme, as well as key drawings at 1: 500. Drawings were developed for presentation to the client, for analysis with the Aviation expert, for costing purposes, communication to the probable contractor and to get the clients acceptance of the principle to proceed. I was also responsible for Assembling Fee and appointment offer as well as developing scope of works.
The Key Option (at 1:500) that was accepted by the client, was developed by myself as team leader, with three assistants. I was responsible in interviewing the consultants and briefing them. As team leader, I was responsible for briefing all consultants, which included QS, Structures, M&E, PHE, and Aviation. All consultants apart from the QS and Fire were within TPS Consult. This was rapidly developed into an Outline Proposal at 1:200 and was presented with supporting material in Accra to our client, The Civil Aviation Authority of Ghana. We then proceeded with the full scheme design report, this involved co-ordinating all of the consultants., The Scheme Design report consisted of drawings at 1:500, 1:200, 1:100 and key 1:50 and 1:20 information. Also an Outline Specification, Programme and Cost Report. The key element of the design was developed to produce a Phasing Strategy.
Scheme Design was accepted, and incorporated the client’s wishes. The team was expanded, and the project was split up into areas and packages, and responsibility given to individuals. The Phasing strategy was refined with the contractor. I finalised the drawing list that also related back to the client as a revised fee offer as well as a revised programme.
I re-organised the project in order to refine the production process. I directed all work packages and also reported back to senior management and the office in Ghana. I led design team meetings with all of the consultants, individually as well as a multi-disciplinary group.
I supervised all production information, and acted as a liaison between the management and the production team. The contractor had previously been appointed under a FIDIC contract to carry out a different scope of works with re-measurable quantities. This part of the works was treated as a variation to the original contract sum using existing rates controlled by a QS (MDA). The production information was issued as re-pricing set and a new sum agreed for each portion of the contract. The final contract sum had to remain within the original total sum of $74million. Contract value of the airport section is $24million. I left the project team on completion of re-pricing information with construction due to commence in Autumn 2000.
I was involved with a diverse amount of office management and skills development. I wrote numerous reports, they include:
CAD Management
IT Strategy and document transfer.
Visualisation and Graphics
Resource Evaluation and Planning
Project Programming
Costing Information:
Outline and Full Specification
Aviation report
Commercial viability, Report.
Phasing Strategy reports.
All Technical reports, including Finishes, Specialised Equipment, toilets, Servicing,
Schedules: Area, Finishes, Doors and Window Schedule
Venice Architecture Biennale jun.2001
In June 2000 I visited the Architecture Biennale. The director of the biennale was Massimilano Fuksas, and he set the theme to be “Less Aesthetics, more Ethics”. His principles for including architects were two fold. Firstly in the Giardine, the national pavilions included representatives of the nations, e.g. Jean Nouvel for the French pavilion, and Will Alsop, Zaha Hadid, David Chipperfield and Branson Coates, for the British pavilion. Secondly, at the Arsenale, a larger exhibitions of architects were chosen, this included having a large video wall 200m long in the Corderia showing the changing aspects of the city.
The exhibition was a brilliant exhibition of the world’s talents, and an inspiration of the quality and commitments of architects around the world in engaging with problematic of architectural practice.
London VII. Experience mar.2000 to aug.2000
Commissions
During this period, an acquaintance, who had several potential commissions, approached me. The projects included a residential building in Denmark Hill and a hotel in Bermondsey. I produced fee bids and strategic studies as well as feasibility studies for these.
Also another acquaintance asked me to consider the design of an apartment that he was thinking of buying in Hyde Park Square. It consisted of the top two floors of a Grade II listed building, owned by the Church of England. His brief included that the roof should be converted into a roof terrace. I prepared a planning submission, as well as a consent for listed building. We met with the freeholder’s agent several times in order to seek approval of the scheme in principle.
... For More Work Experience please see Profile Experience |
|
