The following are a range of articles on conservation, heritage, education, public, commercial, religious, residential and urban design by architects firm in London, Wimbledon, Marcus Beale Architects
MBA Drawing Prize 2017 – Winner Announced
Artist Janine Hall has been awarded the inaugural Marcus Beale Architects Drawing Prize 2017.
The prize is awarded to a student on the MA course at Wimbledon College of Art for depicting space. Janine’s works which include etchings, graphite, ink, and wool showed an accomplished and imaginative engagement with the invisible three dimensions – ‘Alternative Worlds’. Hers was one of six very strong submissions and we would like to thank all the contributors for their fine and throught-provoking work.
Here is Janine’s description of Blob and Shadow, illustrated:
I have made the ‘black blob’ an object by giving it a shadow… by doing so it lifts off the paper to float in space. If you turn the paper over the stain of the ink becomes a shadow seeping through… and the hole turns back on itself. We are looking through the hole into space… it has become a window.
As well as a cash prize, the MBA Drawing Prize involves a period as artist in residence at MBA.
Watch out for the results which will be posted here in due course.
More about Janine Hall can be found here.
More about the Wimbledon College of Art MA drawing course here.
Work Experience Student Placement
Shanice Michaels and Jemma Kightley joined Marcus Beale Architects on a two week work experience programme. The students are currently working on physical models for a residential project in Croydon. They have engaged in internal design meetings and will be attending site visits of current projects.
MBA is proud to support the local community by offering students an insight into architectural practice.
Overton-Public Consultation; Monday 14 August 2017
Court Drove, Overton, Public Consultation; Monday 14 Aug 2017
A public exhibition and consultation looking at the design for the proposed development East of Court Drove, Overton was held at The Club Room in Overton Community Centre from 5:30pm to 8:00pm on Monday 14 August 2017. The proposed residential development is for 12 new dwellings. The purpose of this exhibition was to inform, consult and gain feedback from the local community on the proposed development. Members of the design team were present to discuss the proposals. 35 people attended and 21 feedback forms were received.
MBA recruiting
We are looking for new talent to join our team, particularly Part 2 qualified assistants, but we are also interested in hearing from Part 1s and newly qualified architects. For more information see our careers page.
New staff at MBA
Architect Alfonso Spina and Assistant Ola Wojciak have joined the practice. (more…)
Drawing Space Seminar 22 June 2017
DRAW and architect Marcus Beale at Chelsea College of Arts – Drawing Space, an event reflecting on architectural drawing and its role in defining space. Despite the fact that we ‘design’ = think at the tip of a pencil, architecture is not a visual art. It is not about what buildings look like. What we see in architecture is the surface, the boundary between air and solid. We can see the edges of the space, a superficial understanding. Neither can architecture be described sufficiently by its three dimensional form and materials. It is not only about where buildings are and what they are made of. This describes the enclosure itself, but does not begin to address what is enclosed. Architectural drawings have a purpose, to record, to analyse, to set-out, to instruct, to give an impression. In the Drawing Space seminar Marcus will talk about the role of drawing in past and current architectural practice, from masons’ marks, through Beaux-Arts, upward axonometrics, choreography, cubism and computer modelling, with particular reference to the creation of new spaces and his work at Marcus Beale Architects (MBA). MBA specialise in doing ‘new things in old places’ and have instigated radical alterations to protected buildings and historic sites, as well as realising striking new developments in sensitive settings. Marcus’s presentation – Drawing Space – was followed by a discussion chaired by Tania Kovats, Course Director, MA Drawing.
The Drawing Space seminar was at Chelsea College of Arts, John Islip Street, SW1P 4JU opposite Tate Britain.
This event organised by DRAW (Drawing Research at Wimbledon), a postgraduate reading group focusing on interdisciplinary approaches to drawing. DRAW is led by Tania Kovats, (Course Director, MA Drawing) and supported by the UAL Postgraduate Community. A review of the event here.
Conservation Brochure Updated
MBA Conservation Brochure with the latest case studies of our work in historic and highly protected environments, including in inner city areas, Grade I and II* Listed buildings and landscapes, Conservation Areas, Scheduled Monuments and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Link to the Conservation page here or directly to the Conservation Brochure.
New College Oxford, Morris Building
Planning and listed building applications have been submitted for the Morris building, Morris yard and adjacent buildings 18-21 Longwall Street at New College Oxford.
The scheme includes a new garden building providing fully accessible rooms, the conservation of four adjacent listed buildings, re-landscaping the Morris Yard, adjusting the collegiate offer to provide improved student accommodation and cluster flats including three fully accessible suites.
The new Garden building sits within the area of the outer ditch of Oxford’s medieval City Wall which dominates the New College campus.
21 Longwall Street was built in 1910 to house the showrooms of Morris Motors making it a key part of Oxford’s industrial heritage. A fine Edwardian-Baroque façade remains intact and will be conserved as part of the scheme.
New-build Garden Rooms and the surrounding landscape alterations will provide access to high-quality self-catering study rooms accessible for everyone.
Wimbledon Windmill sails again
Wimbledon windmill, a high value heritage asset and grade 2* listed building, now has its sails back thanks to renovation carried out by Reading millwrights and building conservationists, Owlsworth IJP under the direction of Marcus Beale Architects. The project, funded by local donations and the National Heritage Lottery Fund completed on 9 November 2016. It involved re-cladding the tower, over a designed substrate which takes account of the high wind loads, and reinstalling the sails, one of which broke off due to a shear force in the block, the pin which holds the sails together. MBA have advised on the windmill since 2014, preparing a conservation statement which pointed out that the mill was clad in metal for most of its history, and suggesting this as an alternative, a radical step too far for the conservatives of Wimbledon. This is MBA’s fourth completed project for the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators. Others have been the Information Centre, Mill Cottage, and the new flat at the Richardson Evans Memorial Pavilion. The Wimbledon Common Act of 1871 forbids new building or new enclosure on the common land, which belongs to everybody. No land which was unenclosed in 1871 can become enclosed, and no land which was un-built can be built upon, unless the new structure can be taken down within 48 hours.
Burn Bullock, Mitcham-Public Consultation; Sunday 13 Nov 2016
A public exhibition and consultation looking at concept designs for the proposed development of the Burn Bullock will be held on Sunday 13 November 2016 from 12 noon to 2 pm at Tooting and Mitcham Community Sports Club KNK Stadium, Imperial Fields, Bishopsford Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 6BF.
Site Visit
After the consultation, at 2:15pm the architects will be pleased to show interested parties around the site. Please note that the site is not fully accessible. Those attending should wear stout shoes and trousers. Some parking will be available on site.
