Category Archives: News

ARCHITECTS’ JOURNAL AJ100 – DISRUPTORS

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AJ100 – Meet the DISRUPTORS

BBM are proud to announce being selected as one of the AJ100 DISRUPTORS! Check out the practices that are trying to shake up the the construction industry and tackle issues associated with the climate emergency, prejudice and equal rights. Including Architects Climate Action Network, Architecture 00, Assemble, Black Females in Architecture, Built By Us, Common Ground, Pride Road, Public Practice, Studio Bark, We Made That and others. 

“Responding to far-reaching changes shaking up the architecture profession and in particular the climate emergency, the AJ editorial team decided last year that the AJ100 in 2020 should go in a different direction, including highlighting smaller practices and networks who are challenging the norms of traditional practice in their drive to work in a more sustainable manner.

It was decided to select 25 of these to mark 25 years of the AJ100, which traditionally celebrates business success and focuses on the 100 largest architect practices in the UK, ordered by the number of qualified architects employed.”

Further details on all 25 selected practices/networks can be found here. 

 

UK CONSTRUCTION WEEK ROLE MODELS 2020 SHORTLIST

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Duncan Baker-Brown makes UK Construction Week Role Models 2020 shortlist.

After a reported record number of entries, we are pleased to announce that BBM Director, Duncan Baker-Brown has been shortlisted for the UKCW Role Models prize 2020

As the UK’s largest annual construction event, UKCW brings together members from all sectors of the built environment industry. Focused on knowledge sharing, encouraging good practice and problem solving, it is an opportunity to reflect and conceive how the construction industry should respond to present and future challenges. This has never been more prevalent than following declaration of the Climate Emergency.

As part of the nomination, Duncan will have the opportunity to present at UK Construction Week 2021 and contribute to UKCW’s student initiative and blogs.

The winner will be announced at UK Construction Week 2021 (4-6 May 2021). Click here for further information about the UKCW Role Models 2020 Campaign.

FAIRFORCE 100 GREEN DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

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We’re on the list! Fairforce release a curated Top 100 of influential Green Design Professionals

Fairforce is a community of green professionals and companies. This collaboration strives to boost success for green companies whilst maximising their carbon handprint – the environmental benefit of reducing their customers carbon footprint.

Last month their student ambassadors curated a list of 100 green design professionals who have made a significant impact on sustainability within their industry. We are delighted to see that both BBM directors, Duncan Baker-Brown and Ian McKay, make the top half of the list for their professional and academic work!

For more information on Fairforce and to see the list in full please click here.

LABC BUILDING EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2020

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Abbots Barn is a finalist for the 2020 LABC awards

BBM are excited to announce that Abbots Barn, completed summer 2019, has be nominated as a finalist for this years LABC Building Excellence Awards.

Category: Best Extension or Alteration to an Existing Dwelling
Winner to be announced: September 2020

Operating at below zero net carbon per annum, the gabled form was designed to sit respectively alongside the existing dwelling with black timber shingles providing a new interpretation of the dwelling’s existing material palette. The aspect of large glazed openings takes advantage of views over the South Downs National Park beyond and the annexe as a whole addresses the clients’ future multi-generational living aspirations.

Thank you to main contractor M B Cable Ltd for their attention to detail in every instance and to energy consultancy Mesh Energy for helping achieve below zero net carbon operation per annum. Excellent results all round!

THE ICARUS COMPLEX MAGAZINE ARTICLE

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“Get the built environment working properly and sort out the Climate & Ecological Emergency” 

The Icarus Complex Magazine

Full article link

Article release date: 19th June 2020 / Issue number 1

Icarus Complex

Duncan’s article “Get the built environment working properly and sort out the Climate & Ecological Emergency” was published in the June edition of The Icarus Complex Magazine. The article discusses Duncan’s stance on the Climate & Ecological Emergency and today’s current situation within the Covid-19 pandemic.

“2019 feels like a very long time ago, and definitely a different world away. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us humans across Planet Earth to completely change the way we operate in the short, medium, and perhaps the longer terms. Despite the dreadful numbers of people dying, the complete collapse of many corporations and multinational industries, lockdown has allowed many people the opportunity to breathe clean air, see whole mountain ranges for the first time, and hear bird song. The rest of the natural world is appreciating this pause from the normal ravenous appetites we have for consuming raw materials to make stuff which tends to get thrown away – all in the name of the twin corporate gods of growth and progress.”

The full article can be found here.

DUNCAN IS RUNNING FOR A SEAT ON THE RIBA COUNCIL

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Vote for Duncan next week!

We are delighted to announce that Duncan is standing as a candidate for a seat on the RIBA Council later this month. He will be competing against several others for a seat in the South East Region.

“I am standing for as seat on the RIBA Council as a RIBA South East Regional Member to make sure that our positive response to the Climate & Ecological Emergency stays centre stage on the agenda for Practice and Education – and to make sure this knowledge is shared and accessible to all”


Further details on Duncan’s candidate entry can be found here along with more details of the voting process.

THE ARCHITECTURE FOUNDATION – 100 DAY STUDIO

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The Architecture Foundation’s 100 Day Studio

The Architecture Foundation is currently offering daily live online lectures, interviews, building tours and panel discussions. Duncan will be speaking this Thursday between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm on day 60/100.

Duncan Baker-Brown“As we emerge from months of Covid-19 induced lockdown, architects are now open for business again, with the recent increase in job enquiries and construction sites being open again perhaps giving us all a reason to feel a bit more positive?

However, before we get back to some new form of ‘business as usual’ i.e., before we just buy into the Conservative Government’s ‘Project Speed’, can I ask you to pause and think back to 2019 because it was the year that 90% of UK local authorities pledged to be Net-Zero Carbon by 2030 and around the world over 814,000,000 people now live in regions that have declared a Climate & Ecological Emergency. So how do you square this philosophical and ethical position with the practice of architecture when the built environment is responsible for about 50% of all global CO2e emissions, consumes 50% of all raw materials harvested annually around the world, and is responsible for 60% (120 million tonnes) of the UK’s annual waste?”

Duncan will discuss some solutions to these existential problems this Thursday between 5:30pm and 6:30pm. Join him live via Zoom.

Further information on the 100 Day Studio can be found here.