Archinect - News

Colin Fournier, popular Archigram co-founder and UCL professor, passes away at 79

2024-09-17T12:35:00-04:00

Colin Fournier, the British architect and planner who helped form Archigram with Sir Peter Cook and others in the early 1960s, has passed away at age 79. He was best known for the firm’s 2003 Kunsthaus Graz and work with Bernard Tschumi on the design of Parc de la Villette in Paris.

A commemoration from the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture notes: “In addition to his architectural practice, Colin was a dedicated and well-loved educator. He joined The Bartlett in 1998 and inspired generations of students for almost two decades with his distinctive approach to design. As Professor of Urban Design, he was instrumental in the formation and directorship of the Urban Design MArch and led the successful Unit 18 on the Architecture MArch programme for several years with a number of teaching partners. Colin inspired countless students and colleagues throughout his life, and his absence will be felt profoundly by all who were fortunate enough to know him."

In a statement to the Architects’ ...

'Cool roofs' found to be most effective in combatting urban heat, Bartlett study says

2024-07-31T20:17:00-04:00

Researchers at the University College London have put forth a new argument in favor of a simple solution to combating the issue of extreme heat in cities without air conditioning. The so-called “cool roof” method they found had the best mitigation performance metrics over others surveyed (green roofs, A/C, solar panels, and street-level plant integrations), reducing heat by between 1.3 and 2 degrees Celsius when applied in the right conditions.

Lead author Dr. Oscar Brousse of the UCL Bartlett School Environment, Energy & Resources said: “We comprehensively tested multiple methods that cities like London could use to adapt to and mitigate warming temperatures, and found that cool roofs were the best way to keep temperatures down during extremely hot summer days. Other methods had various important side benefits, but none were able to reduce outdoor urban heat to nearly the same level.”

The findings will of course have bearings on public health and urban design efforts outside of Lo...

UCL issues an apology and published report on the decades-long investigation of misconduct at the Bartlett School of Architecture

2022-06-09T19:09:00-04:00

A resolution has been provided in the saga at the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture that has made waves in the press since first coming to light last year.

The institution has now issued a formal apology in response to the independent investigation into educational practices and environment that permeated at the school for decades.

UCL says it is also in receipt of the recommendations for improvement put forth in a recent investigative report created by independent consultancy Howlett Brown using a survey of more than 300 former faculty and students. As was expected based on previous reporting of first-hand accounts, the respondents in their survey detailed a frightening and toxic culture of abuse, racism, bullying, and even sexual harassment occurring at every level. Accordingly, the school has announced it will be removing several faculty members from student-facing administrative duties in addition to setting up a new working group that will help further adapt the recommended ...

Bartlett voted best UK architecture school for 15th year by Architects' Journal

2018-06-07T16:10:00-04:00

The Bartlett has been named as the architecture school of choice by AJ100 practices for the 15th successive year. University College London’s architecture faculty came out top when the UK’s largest practices were asked their favourite school as part of the AJ’s annual poll. This comes despite the Bartlett slipping to fourth in the Guardian’s league table, behind Sheffield, Cambridge and Bath.

Over a fifth of AJ100 practices chose UCL's Bartlett with Bath close behind and no other establishment receiving more than 5% of the votes. The Bartlett was also ranked as the 2nd best architecture school by the higher education network QS.

The AJ100 top five architecture schools:

1. The Bartlett, University College London
2. University of Bath
3. Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art
4. University of Nottingham
5. University of Sheffield

Step inside The Bartlett's new central London HQ, designed by Hawkins\Brown

2016-12-16T20:09:00-05:00

After calling the Wates House their home since the 1970s, the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture celebrated the official opening of its newly refurbished headquarters today on 22 Gordon Street in Bloomsbury. Collaborating with the Bartlett and UCL Estates, architect Hawkins\Brown doubled the size of the existing building to 8,500 square meters.

Preserving some of the original fabric of the old Wates House and using the existing structural concrete frame, the new “flexible and robust” building now includes a public gallery and provides more open working space for the school's 1,000 students and staff.

Hawkins\Brown added a fifth and sixth floor, and a main spiraling stairway within a full-height atrium. The renovation also includes double-height glazing at ground level and a new prominent entrance to create a more inviting building in its city-center location.

“A large number of the Hawkins\Brown team are alumni of the Bartlett and have fond memories of the old Wates House,” Hawkins\B...

Get Lectured: The Bartlett, Fall '16

2016-10-14T14:24:00-04:00

Gearing up for another eventful school year this fall? Archinect's Get Lectured is back in session. Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss. Mark those calendars!

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Have a look at some of the events that are coming up at the Bartlett School of Architecture's 2016-17 International Lecture Series.

Oct 19
Jonathan Hill / The Bartlett

Oct 26
Thom Mayne / Morphosis

Nov 2
Peggy Deamer / Yale University

Nov 10
Nicholas de Monchaux / UC Berkeley

Nov 16
Charles Holland / Ordinary Architecture

Nov 23
Murray Fraser / The Bartlett

Nov 30
Nigel Coates

Dec 8
Dan Hill + Joseph Grima / City of Sound & Space Caviar

Dec 14
Felicity Scott / Columbia University

Lectures begin at 6:30 p.m. For further event info and updates, visit bartle...

Is psychedelia the new black in student architectural work?

2016-07-14T15:22:00-04:00

Architects might be known for wearing black, as if in permanent mourning for the lives they once had, and for spending months searching for the perfect shade of grey. But judging by this year’s student shows, that monochromatic hegemony is under threat: the next generation appears to be plotting a psychedelic revolution.

Incorporating influences drawn from popular media and gaming, architecture is increasingly reflecting the multi-faceted world in which we live, at least if you take a look at this new UK-based student work. Students from The Bartlett at the University College London, The Royal College of Art, and the Architectural Association have created unusually vibrant and occasionally pop-culture referential drawings:

In the mood for more trippy-ness? Here's a sampling:

UCL researchers present a new kind of self-cleaning nano-engineered window

2016-01-21T17:46:00-05:00

Researchers at University College London (UCL) claim that a “revolutionary” new type of window could cut cleaning costs in tall buildings and reduce heating bills by up to 40% thanks to a new combination of nano-scale engineering inspired by the eyes of moths, and thermochromic coating. The prototype, revealed today, has conical nanostructures engraved on its surface that trap air and prevent all but a tiny amount of water coming into actual contact with the glass.

"The lead UCL researcher said this would be a big draw for high-rise building owners, since the cost of cleaning the windows surpasses the cost of installing them after the first five years."

Get Lectured: The Bartlett, Fall '15

2015-10-21T12:58:00-04:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Fall 2015

Archinect's Get Lectured is ready for another school year. Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

The next featured poster comes from The Bartlett School of Architecture at the University College London.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Listed below are upcoming events. Lectures begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Chemistry Auditorium, Christopher Ingold Building at UCL: 20 Gordon St, London. Free and open to the public.

Oct 28
Asif Khan

Nov 4
Peg Rawes

Nov 11
Fabrizio Barozzi + Alberto Veiga / Barozzi Veiga

Nov 18
James Corner / James Corner Field Operations

Nov 25
Adam Greenfield

Dec 2
Sheila O'Donnell + John Tuomey / O'Donnell + Tuomey Architects

Dec 9
Endo Shuhei / Endo Shuhei Architect In...

Get Lectured: The Bartlett, Spring '15

2015-01-07T13:55:00-05:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Winter-Spring 2015

Archinect's Get Lectured is back in session! Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

The next featured poster comes from The Bartlett School of Architecture at the University College London with their International Lecture Series.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Lectures begin at 6:30 pm at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, Rm. G02: 140 Hampstead Road, NW1 2BX, London. Free and open to the public. Some lectures may be ticketed.

JANUARY

Jan 14
Arthur Ganson

Jan 21
Steven Pippin

Jan 28
Adam Lowe / Factum Arte

FEBRUARY

Feb 4
Vo Trong Nghia / Vo Trong Nghia Architects

Feb 11
Frédéric Migayrou / The Bartlett, Pompidou Centre

Feb 18
Adrian Lahoud / The Bartlett

Feb 24
Crist...

Get Lectured: The Bartlett, Fall '14

2014-10-21T13:32:00-04:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Fall 2014

Say hello to another edition of Archinect's Get Lectured! As a refresher, we'll be featuring a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. If you're not doing so already, be sure to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

Our featured poster for today comes from The Bartlett School of Architecture at the University College London with their International Lecture Series.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Below are upcoming lectures only. Lectures begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Darwin Lecture Theatre, Darwin Building, UCL. Free and open to the public. Some lectures may be ticketed.

OCTOBER

Oct. 22
Raj Rewal / Raj Rewal Associates

Oct. 27
Neil Denari / NMDA

Oct. 29
Greyshed + Scanlab

NOVEMBER

Nov. 5
Emmanuel Petit / The Bartlett

Nov. 12
Benedetta Tagliabue / EMBT

Nov. 19
Tatiana Bilbao

Nov. 26
Lucy Mcrae

Dec. 3
John ...

The Bartlett exhibiting award-winning “Innovation in Technology” projects now until Jan. 31

2014-01-23T21:13:00-05:00

To any of our readers in the London area, you can still get a chance to stop by The Bartlett's Innovation in Technology Prizewinners' Exhibition at The Lobby Gallery now until next Friday, Jan. 31. The event is free and open to the public! The exhibition highlights five award-winning projects all by students in The Bartlett's BSc and MArch Architecture programs.

Here's a glimpse of the projects if you can't check out the exhibition in person:

Pictured above: Superimposed Landscapes – Fragments of misperception by Andrew Walker, MArch Architecture Year 4, 2013, Unit 14.

MAMM Pavilion, Medellín, Colombia, 2013
By Unit 22, MArch Architecture, Years 4 & 5

3D Lenticular Façade, 2014
By Matthew Lyall, BSc Architecture, completed 2013, Unit 1

PEMY (Pre‐Ecopoiesis Mars Yard), 2013
By Sonila Kadillari, MArch Architecture, completed 2013, Unit 11

The Reward System, 2014
By Yoonjin Kim, BSc Architecture, completed 2013, Unit 0

You can learn more about the exhibition on Bustler.

Images courtesy of The Bartlett School of Architecture.

Get Lectured: The Bartlett, Spring '14

2014-01-15T12:34:00-05:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Winter/Spring 2014

Archinect's Get Lectured is up and running again for the Winter/Spring '14 term! As a refresher from our Fall 2013 guide, every week we'll feature a school's lecture series — and their snazzy posters — for the current season. Be sure to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

Today's featured poster is from The Bartlett School of Architecture / University College London.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Unless noted otherwise, lectures will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Christopher Ingold Auditorium - UCL Chemistry Building: 20 Gordon St, London WC1H 0AJ

Can't be there in person? Lectures will also be archived on the Bartlett Vimeo page.

JANUARY

Jan 15
Usman Haque / Umbrellium

Jan 22
Kees Christiaanse / KCAP

Jan 29
Felipe Mesa / plan:b

FEBRUARY

Feb 5
Manuel Herz / Manuel Herz Archite...