publications
Renovations: An Inspirational Design Primer Wrap House Lens House
2016
This book features ABA projects Wrap House and Lens House. In Renovations, Richard Wilcock analyses a host of cutting-edge projects to examine the challenges of adapting traditional house types; retaining historic features whilst introducing modern interventions.
This book features ABA projects Wrap House and Lens House. In Renovations, Richard Wilcock analyses a host of cutting-edge projects to examine the challenges of adapting traditional house types; retaining historic features whilst introducing modern interventions.
The book brings together more than two decades of research to showcase the best examples of domestic extensions and internal remodelling in the UK today.
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The Guardian
Placemaking and value
02.2016
Newhall and Accordia are two of the five case study projects that RICS use as exemplars for delivering “Placemaking and Value” in the first edition of their publication of that title.
Newhall and Accordia are two of the five case study projects that RICS use as exemplars for delivering “Placemaking and Value” in the first edition of their publication of that title.
On Newhall:
“Newhall very clearly creates something new; there is nothing like it in the local area and the strong commitment to quality and materials, together with the attention to detail in the public realm, helps create a coherent settlement that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing.”
“The success of Newhall’s design can be attributed to the architects themselves, the developers who took the risk, and the original masterplanners and landowners who created the vision… Crucially, the additional build costs are subsequently recouped at end-sale receipts.”
“It is evident that residents of Newhall – the longest-term being ten years – feel a strong sense of pride and ownership over their neighbourhood; both the public and private space is very well kept.”
On Accordia:
“The architecture is innovative, with regards to the typologies, layouts and the use of integrated public and private space. Adopting innovative design solutions increased risk given that they had not been market-tested and might not meet with buyer expectations, particularly at this price point and against the economic backdrop of the preceding 10 years. The distinctive design, in conjunction with the undeniably high standard of materials and finish, helped the settlement establish its own identity and a positive reputation.”
“The emphasis on green space and garden living is very effective and creates a very attractive environment in which to live. Again, the standard is high, with well-maintained pear trees and extensive planting of fruits. Furthermore, the blurred distinction between private and public space enhances the community feel.”
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Architects’ Journal
February 16, 2016
“The scheme includes 84 homes alongside commercial spaces set within eight blocks which vary in height.
The development will reinstate one of the city’s nineteenth-century lanes with ’meandering buildings’ framing a pedestrian and cycle-friendly streetscape.
“The scheme includes 84 homes alongside commercial spaces set within eight blocks which vary in height.
The development will reinstate one of the city’s nineteenth-century lanes with ’meandering buildings’ framing a pedestrian and cycle-friendly streetscape.
It will reconnect two of Cambridge’s existing neighbourhoods with a new urban passage framed by high density housing.
Using brick as the main material, each apartment block will be given its own identity through subtle changes in colour, texture and reflectivity.
Each of the residential blocks will feature generously sized private balconies, projecting porches and decks.
According to the practice the scheme ‘presents new urban housing as a device for reinstating diversity, complexity and resilience into a quintessentially suburban context’.”
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Architects’ Journal Knight’s Park
November 24, 2015
ABA’s Veteran Oak Quarter scheme at the North West Cambridge Development was published in the Architects’ Journal, after the scheme was awarded with planning permission.
ABA’s Veteran Oak Quarter scheme at the North West Cambridge Development was published in the Architects’ Journal, after the scheme was awarded with planning permission.
“Alison Brooks Architects and Pollard Thomas Edwards have been given the green light for 240-homes as part of the North West Cambridge development.
“The scheme is the first private housing within the University of Cambridge’s huge £1 billion masterplan which is being designed and delivered by, among others, Stanton Williams, Mecanoo, Mole and Witherford Watson Mann.
“The latest plans include apartments, townhouses, and detached family homes.
“The new homes will feature ‘front hallways, generous ceiling heights, large living areas and spaces for home working’.
“The schemes form part of the massive 140 hectare project which includes 3,000 homes, 100,000m² of research space, a local centre and community facilities including a primary school, nursery, doctors’ surgery, supermarket and retail units.
“Andy Hill, chief executive of Hill, said: ‘We are really pleased that the North West Cambridge site is moving forward – this new phase offers great family homes and pioneering design, which is exactly what Cambridge needs as it continues to grow in the years ahead. Providing more new homes will help to ensure that local families and those who work in our growing science sector are able to live close to the centre of Cambridge.
“He added: ‘The new homes at the site will be highly sustainable and offer great living spaces, thanks to the excellent design team working on the project. We are now starting to see the foundations of a new community take shape at North West Cambridge and we are keen to get started on this latest stage of the development.’
“Construction is due to start on the new homes next year.”
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Building Design Knight’s Park
November 24, 2015
ABA’s Veteran Oak Quarter scheme at the North West Cambridge Development was published in Building Design, after the scheme was awarded with planning permission.
ABA’s Veteran Oak Quarter scheme at the North West Cambridge Development was published in Building Design, after the scheme was awarded with planning permission.
“Architects join host of others working on Cambridge housing
“Alison Brooks and Pollard Thomas Edwards (PTE) have won planning for housing at the £1 billion North West Cambridge development.
“The first phase of market housing at the Cambridge University-promoted urban extension will provide 240 new homes set along streets and around public spaces.
“The scheme, to be built by Hill, includes apartments, townhouses and detached family homes and is designed to be a sustainable urban neighbourhood.
“They will have “generous” front halls and ceiling heights, plus large living areas and spaces for home working. The homes will be designed to level 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
“The North West Cambridge Development is the largest single capital project the university has undertaken in its 800-year history. Outline planning was granted in February 2013 for the 150ha site between Huntingdon Road, Madingley Road and the M11. The masterplan includes 3,000 homes.
“Other architects working on it include Stanton Williams, Cottrell & Vermeulen, the AOC, Proctor & Matthews and Sarah Wigglesworth.
“The university’s vice-chancellor, Leszek Borysiewicz, said: “[The] North West Cambridge Development will contribute to the long-term success of the city and the university.”
“Construction of the new homes is expected to start in the new year.”
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Wall Street Journal
November 23, 2015
ABA’s Newhall Be was featured in a Wall Street Journal article entitled What the Future of Working at Home May Look Like: Innovative designs find new ways to combine living and work spaces.
ABA’s Newhall Be was featured in a Wall Street Journal article entitled What the Future of Working at Home May Look Like: Innovative designs find new ways to combine living and work spaces.
“Newhall Be, designed by Alison Brooks Architects, not only creates a community of workhomes—it also gives the residents who want it an easy and effective way to put themselves before the public.
“Forty-three of the 84 units in Newhall Be, which is part of a larger development in Harlow, Essex, in the U.K., include a ground-floor room that can be used as a workspace. A prominent feature of the rooms is a large window that faces onto the street. This lets people in the development engage with the neighborhood and, if they want to, make their home-based work visible to those outside.”
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NLA Project Showcase: New Ideas for Housing Ely Court Kilburn Quarter
2015
Two of ABA’s projects within the South Kilburn Estate Regeneration Masterplan have been featured in New London Architecture’s book, showcasing new ideas for housing in London.
Two of ABA’s projects within the South Kilburn Estate Regeneration Masterplan have been featured in New London Architecture’s book, showcasing new ideas for housing in London.
NLA selected “the best new housing developments currently taking place across the capital… These schemes show how different tenures are accommodated across the city, and how some are breaking into new typologies and management structures to harness London’s needs.“
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Architects’ Journal
29.07.2015
In the first of a new series looking at influential housing plans, Alison Brooks picked OMA’s proposals for Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin.
In the first of a new series looking at influential housing plans, Alison Brooks picked OMA’s proposals for Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin.
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Architectural Review Accordia Sky Villas
07.2015
ABA’s Accordia ABA01 Sky Villas were used as a case study of the semi-detached house typology – “England’s modern domestic type par excellence“.
ABA’s Accordia ABA01 Sky Villas were used as a case study of the semi-detached house typology – “England’s modern domestic type par excellence“.
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Architects’ Journal Wildspace Warehouse
17.07.2015
ABA’s Wildspace Warehouse was featured in a special issue of the Architects’ Journal, documenting the ‘Co-ordinated Transformation’ of Rainham.
ABA’s Wildspace Warehouse was featured in a special issue of the Architects’ Journal, documenting the ‘Co-ordinated Transformation’ of Rainham.
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Exemplary Housing Estate Regeneration in Europe
2015
This showcase of contemporary housing estate regeneration projects features ABA’s South Kilburn Estate Regeneration: Phase 1A. It comes at a time when housing has become a central issue in British politics and is in need of the kind of clear thinking embodied in the book’s content.
This showcase of contemporary housing estate regeneration projects features ABA’s South Kilburn Estate Regeneration: Phase 1A. It comes at a time when housing has become a central issue in British politics and is in need of the kind of clear thinking embodied in the book’s content.
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Architizer: A+ Awards 2015 Lens House
2015
This collection of winners from the 2015 Architizer A+ Awards includes ABA’s Lens House, which won in the Large Private House category.
This collection of winners from the 2015 Architizer A+ Awards includes ABA’s Lens House, which won in the Large Private House category.
The A+Awards celebrate the diversity of the world’s architecture. The entrants, from over 100 countries, run the gamut of architectural typology and form, ranging from the tallest towers to the tiniest apartments and everything in between. From a sinuous elevated bike path to a “human-sized birdhouse,” the winners represent the full spectrum of architectural endeavor: There is a next-generation prefab construction method, a pop-up tower “grown” from mushrooms, conscientious renovations in China, and even a radical revitalization of the NYC waterfront.
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Cambridge Architecture Severn Place
April 26, 2015
“Alison Brooks Architects’ development at Severn Place highlights the value of detailed planning guidance for discrete areas.”
“Alison Brooks Architects’ development at Severn Place highlights the value of detailed planning guidance for discrete areas.”
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Architects’ Journal Severn Place
The Guardian Kitchen Stool
September 9, 2014
“Brooks and De Pass’s design has an elegant silhouette and a curved indentation in the seat.”
“Brooks and De Pass’s design has an elegant silhouette and a curved indentation in the seat.”
Alison Brooks’s collaboration with Felix De Pass Homes was featured in an article entitled: ‘Big names and fresh talent creating ‘wish list’ designs in wood’.
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Architects’ Journal Lens House
Architects’ Journal
10.04.2014
Alison Brooks’s participation in a crit revisiting the original 1959 designs for Churchill College, Cambridge was documented in this article.
Alison Brooks’s participation in a crit revisiting the original 1959 designs for Churchill College, Cambridge was documented in this article.
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Architects’ Journal Accordia Sky Villas Accordia Masterplan Accordia Brass Building Newhall Be
Architects’ Journal Newhall Be
23.12.2013
“Using her practice’s Stirling Prize-shortlisted Newhall Be scheme in Harlow as a case study, Brooks argues that future housing schemes will have to ‘adapt housing typologies to 21st century lifestyle and technologies’.”
“Using her practice’s Stirling Prize-shortlisted Newhall Be scheme in Harlow as a case study, Brooks argues that future housing schemes will have to ‘adapt housing typologies to 21st century lifestyle and technologies’.”
“Brooks also explains how Newhall Be has been future proofed by including a study for homeworkers and the option to add an extra room in the roof for only £8,000. A model that she said proves that ‘…development density could be added while increasing volume and increasing quality of life.’”
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YAPI Magazine Newhall Be
11.2013
Newhall Be features across eight pages in this edition of YAPI Magazine: one of Turkey’s most established architecture and culture magazines.
Newhall Be features across eight pages in this edition of YAPI Magazine: one of Turkey’s most established architecture and culture magazines.
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Exeter College: The First 700 Years Exeter College Cohen Quad
2013
“The challenge was radically to revitalise the Ruskin College site. The victors were Alison Brooks Architects, fresh from winning the Stirling Prize for architecture for a housing project in Cambridge, who impressed the judges with a bold proposal to build two new quadrangles with great patterned curved roofs inspired by the rich colours of the Victorian Chapel.”
“The challenge was radically to revitalise the Ruskin College site. The victors were Alison Brooks Architects, fresh from winning the Stirling Prize for architecture for a housing project in Cambridge, who impressed the judges with a bold proposal to build two new quadrangles with great patterned curved roofs inspired by the rich colours of the Victorian Chapel.”
“The Walton Street Site has been re-imagined as a ‘third quadrangle’ for Exeter, a college which has never had more than two presentable quads (as the inhabitants of Hell Quad in the 18th century would testify, and the users of the ‘Fourth Quad’ in the mid-20th century would concur). In terms of reshaping and expanding the physical space of the College, this will be the biggest step since [George Gilbert] Scott.”
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The Architects’ Journal Newhall Be
20.09.2013
“It’s Newhall Be’s utopian social vision and what Alison Brooks calls its ‘cultural infastructure’, with their attendant spatial qualities, that sets it apart: really big windows and split-level planning, thoughtfully designed, dedicated workspaces which enliven the public spaces they look on to, thresholds with the right balance of permeability and privacy, super-high ceilings and ready adaptability for occupants who want another bedroom.
“It’s Newhall Be’s utopian social vision and what Alison Brooks calls its ‘cultural infastructure’, with their attendant spatial qualities, that sets it apart: really big windows and split-level planning, thoughtfully designed, dedicated workspaces which enliven the public spaces they look on to, thresholds with the right balance of permeability and privacy, super-high ceilings and ready adaptability for occupants who want another bedroom.
“A site agent on a complex theatre project once told me: ‘You don’t need architects’. And an architect once told me his profession had no meaningful role in volume housing, the area in which he specialised. I’d like to send them both down to Newhall Be and see what they have to say.”
ABA’s Newhall was featured in this article about the nominees for the Stirling Prize.
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Architects Choice Newhall Be
08.2013
“The radical re-thinking of the shape and interior of the UK house is tackled masterfully with these 84 new homes in suburban Essex that clearly illustrate that good design quality and committed developers can transform peoples’ lives. A new model for British housing perhaps.”
“The radical re-thinking of the shape and interior of the UK house is tackled masterfully with these 84 new homes in suburban Essex that clearly illustrate that good design quality and committed developers can transform peoples’ lives. A new model for British housing perhaps.”
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Architects’ Journal Newhall Be
13.06.2013
“Newhall Be represents a departure from the design associated with house building. The 84-house scheme is an intelligent rethinking of suburban housing. The innovation of terraced patio houses enabled higher density on the site. The whole is an efficient mix of new and familiar house typologies united by a strong geometric and material consistency, inspired by the sculptural roof forms and simple materials of traditional Essex barns. On a tight budget this project delivers houses that are a joy to live in, designed with intelligence and imagination.”
“Newhall Be represents a departure from the design associated with house building. The 84-house scheme is an intelligent rethinking of suburban housing. The innovation of terraced patio houses enabled higher density on the site. The whole is an efficient mix of new and familiar house typologies united by a strong geometric and material consistency, inspired by the sculptural roof forms and simple materials of traditional Essex barns. On a tight budget this project delivers houses that are a joy to live in, designed with intelligence and imagination.”
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Grand Designs Lens House
06.2013
“Brooks completely remodelled the house interior, as well as designing two extensions: one on the side, for the owners’ photo agency business, and the other on the upper-ground floor for the living room, projecting out like a lens to frame views of a majestic walnut tree in the garden.”
“Brooks completely remodelled the house interior, as well as designing two extensions: one on the side, for the owners’ photo agency business, and the other on the upper-ground floor for the living room, projecting out like a lens to frame views of a majestic walnut tree in the garden.”
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Architectural Review Newhall Be
06.2013
“The public sector points to Newhall as an exemplar for future developments, yet really its success has been dependent on the long-term planning allowed by private patronage. Having completed its latest phase, architect Alison brooks is on a mission to champion the importance of design innovation in adding value to housing.” Isabel Allen
“The public sector points to Newhall as an exemplar for future developments, yet really its success has been dependent on the long-term planning allowed by private patronage. Having completed its latest phase, architect Alison brooks is on a mission to champion the importance of design innovation in adding value to housing.” Isabel Allen
This Issue sees the conclusion of The Big Rethink, the AR’s campaign to articulate a new vision of the potential of architecture and how it can re-engage more resonantly with wider social and human concerns. Underscoring the series has been the question ‘How do we want to live?’, and in this final chapter Peter Buchanan addresses this more explicitly in his proposal for a prototypical neighbourhood that encompasses and elaborates on many of the ideas discussed in the series.
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architektur. aktuell Lens House
2013
“Alison Brooks interpreted this classic small building task intelligently and charmingly. The extension of a historically protected residential building creates a baroque spatial experience which is modernist in its abstraction.“
“Alison Brooks interpreted this classic small building task intelligently and charmingly. The extension of a historically protected residential building creates a baroque spatial experience which is modernist in its abstraction.“
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Luxure Lens House
03.2013
‘The Lens House is remarkable for its extraordinary utilisation of Corian – a material usually used for kitchen countertops – and the transformation of an everyday extension into a truly visionary, sculptural work of art’
‘The Lens House is remarkable for its extraordinary utilisation of Corian – a material usually used for kitchen countertops – and the transformation of an everyday extension into a truly visionary, sculptural work of art’
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The Observer Newhall Be
24.02.2013
“The most recent extension [at Newhall] consists of 84 houses in black timber and yellowish brick by Alison Brooks, an architect who not only talks more sense than most on the fraught subject of housing, but also puts it into practice… The assets of these houses are things that almost anyone would want – light, an intelligent use of space, good planning, a sense of connection.”
“The most recent extension [at Newhall] consists of 84 houses in black timber and yellowish brick by Alison Brooks, an architect who not only talks more sense than most on the fraught subject of housing, but also puts it into practice… The assets of these houses are things that almost anyone would want – light, an intelligent use of space, good planning, a sense of connection.”
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BD Online Newhall Be
16.01.2013
“Having built a reputation for adventurous one-off homes, Alison Brooks Architects has brought its talents to bear on volume housing in the form of 85 units at Newhall in Essex.”
“Having built a reputation for adventurous one-off homes, Alison Brooks Architects has brought its talents to bear on volume housing in the form of 85 units at Newhall in Essex.”
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ARCH+ Lens House
12.2012
This edition of the German journal features a 4 page spread on ABA’s Lens House.
This edition of the German journal features a 4 page spread on ABA’s Lens House.
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e-architect Lens House
31.10.2012
“Discreet from street level behind an 1860 North London house sits a spectacular new extension designed by Stirling Prize winning Alison Brooks Architects. An angular projection of dynamic shapes and planes, the structure is distinguished not only by its creative vision, but also by the use of DuPont™ Corian® to form a striking rain screen façade.”
“Discreet from street level behind an 1860 North London house sits a spectacular new extension designed by Stirling Prize winning Alison Brooks Architects. An angular projection of dynamic shapes and planes, the structure is distinguished not only by its creative vision, but also by the use of DuPont™ Corian® to form a striking rain screen façade.”
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BD Online Lens House
29.10.2012
ABA’s Lens House was featured on this website in an article entitled “Alison Brooks’ Sculptural House Extension”.
ABA’s Lens House was featured on this website in an article entitled “Alison Brooks’ Sculptural House Extension”.
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Architects’ Journal Lens House
25.10.2012
ABA’s Lens House was featured in an article entitled “Alison Brooks polishes off corian-clad house overhaul“.
ABA’s Lens House was featured in an article entitled “Alison Brooks polishes off corian-clad house overhaul“.
World Architecture News Lens House
23.10.2012
“A spectacular new extension sits discreetly behind an 1860 North London house. Designed by Stirling Prize winning Alison Brooks Architects, this new space is formed from an angular projection of dynamic shapes and planes. The structure is unique in its creative vision which is emphasised by a striking rain screen façade.”
“A spectacular new extension sits discreetly behind an 1860 North London house. Designed by Stirling Prize winning Alison Brooks Architects, this new space is formed from an angular projection of dynamic shapes and planes. The structure is unique in its creative vision which is emphasised by a striking rain screen façade.”
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Dezeen Lens House
21.10.2012
The main contractor, Steven Epstein commented: “We built it and it was a labour of love… Alison Brooks have a fine eye for detail as does the client who were a pleasure to work for. Very brave and committed to their vision.”
The main contractor, Steven Epstein commented: “We built it and it was a labour of love… Alison Brooks have a fine eye for detail as does the client who were a pleasure to work for. Very brave and committed to their vision.”
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The Best Of Grand Designs Salt House
2012
“Salt House at St Lawrence Bay, Essex, is one of a succession of elegant and startling one-off houses by architect Alison Brooks. This one is a beach house overlooking the Blackwater Estuary, an endstop to a row of Victorian cottages built by oyster fishermen. It is a rare instance of an experimental British beach house in the Modernist tradition; the house has neither front nor back, but reads as an irregular crystalline form.”
“Salt House at St Lawrence Bay, Essex, is one of a succession of elegant and startling one-off houses by architect Alison Brooks. This one is a beach house overlooking the Blackwater Estuary, an endstop to a row of Victorian cottages built by oyster fishermen. It is a rare instance of an experimental British beach house in the Modernist tradition; the house has neither front nor back, but reads as an irregular crystalline form.”
To celebrate fourteen years of film-making, 100 editions of Grand Designs Magazine, 100 separate programmes and ten years of hosting the Stirling Prize, Kevin McCloud now delves into the archives to highlight his favourite projects. The Best of Grand Designs charts where domestic architecture has come from, and is moving to, in the first decade or so of a new millennium. And it places people at the centre of the stories of these buildings.
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21st Century London, The New Architecture Wrap House VXO House
2012
“Striking, intelligent and completely original, [Wrap House] by Alison Brooks Architects is one of the most impressive residential extensions recently built in the capital.”
“Striking, intelligent and completely original, [Wrap House] by Alison Brooks Architects is one of the most impressive residential extensions recently built in the capital.”
This book presents a selection of the most exciting building projects in London since the year 2000. The first decade of the twenty-first century has marked out London as arguably the pre-eminent international city for innovative and ambitious architecture, with the design and construction of imaginative buildings of all types. It features ABA’s VXO House and Wrap House.
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