News
Celebrating Excellence in Wood Architecture: 2016-17 Wood Design Award Winners
12.2017
The Smile has been published in the Wood Design & Building Awards’ book ‘Celebrating Excellence in Wood Architecture’ which features all 2016-17 winning projects across the globe.
“This structure cleverly uses site placement and materials. It’s a symmetrical, lifting, heavy object in front of an old building that is heavily grounded, and the two work together beautifully. It has this automatic connection with such incredible difference that it’s surprising and delightful.” – Jury
Books will be available to purchase shortly.
designboom: Interview with Alison Brooks
11.2017
At the World Architecture Festival 2017 in Berlin, Alison was interviewed by designboom about our award winning ‘The Smile’ and why she thinks the public should be involved in discussions about architecture.
The Smile wins Wood Awards ‘Structural Award’
11.2017
The Smile has been awarded the Wood Awards 2017 Structural Award.
The Awards aim to recognise, encourage and promote outstanding design, craftsmanship and installation using wood.
Conceived as a habitable arc, The Smile was a 3.5m high, 4.5m wide and 34m long curved cross-laminated tulipwood tube that cantilevered 12m in two directions with viewing platforms at both ends. ABA collaborated with The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), Arup and the London Design Festival 2016 to present the structure at the Chelsea College of Art Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground.
The Modern Timber House in the UK
11.2017
Herringbone houses features in Peter Wilson’s ‘The Modern Timber House in the UK: New Paradigms and Technologies’, published in September 2017.
Uniquely sited in a backlands plot, overlooking a Wandsworth bowling green, Herringbone Houses consists of two 400sqm urban woodland houses for developer Lyford Investments. Like a Victorian house turned inside out, the building’s herringbone cladding is a traditional timber floor pattern transferred to facades, creating an optical illusion of accordion-like surfaces. Light filled atriums illuminate suspended stairs at the centre of each house; high-ceilinged open-plan spaces interlock with gardens; full basements decrease the footprint but add space.
These houses are a rare example of a developer aiming to match the craftsmanship of neighbouring Victorian villas within a contemporary architectural language. The houses were conceived from the principle of manipulating two continuous planes of timber and graphite render, that extend from exterior to interior, forming walls, floors, external decking and fences.
Copies of the book can be purchased for £35 online.
Alison Brooks to lecture at Greenwich University
11.2017
As part of Greenwich University’s Hawksmoor International Lecture Series 2017-2018, open to all, Alison Brooks is giving a talk on ‘ The Ideal and the Real – why Civicness is the project’ at the Tessa Blackstone Lecture Theatre, Greenwich on Thursday 23 November.
In her lecture, Alison will speak about the recent and current work of Alison Brooks Architects, including: The Cohen Quadrangle at Oxford University; a high rise urban block in Kings Cross, London, The Smile Pavilion and housing scheme Ely Court, shortlisted for the 2017 Mies Award for contemporary European architecture. She will discuss the notions of civicness and performance, the role of experimental materials and making, and how these can transform both our expectation and everyday experience of cities.
Architecture Masters
11.2017
Alison Brooks was interviewed by Owen Wainhouse for episode 11 of Architecture Masters, the new podcast from the London Festival of Architecture.
In this episode Alison talks about her early experience, her career, current projects and housing in Britain.