Chilling out... a winter warmer

That one is from a book of vintage patterns on Amazon; for free pet warmer jacket patterns:

http://www.barlowscientific.com/technotes/home/sweater.htm

Temperatures are plummeting and there's a foot of snow outside. We could be in for another long, hard winter.

How did we manage in the past, without, for most people, central heating?  I recall it well. We were bloody cold at times and we had frost patterns inside the windows, since you ask. We wore warm clothes (oh the joys of a Liberty bodice...) and huddled round the fire. We ate warming soups and stews with seasonal veg and bulked them out with barley, followed by jam roly poly or spotted dick  with custard.

Etymology:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2031/whats-the-origin-of-spotted-dick

I'm not suggesting a total return to days of austerity, unless we must,  but if we want to be 'eco-aware', save on energy costs and keep warm then we could look at the past to help inform the present.

We could eat more local and seasonal produce. Yesterday I made the veg crumble from here:

http://www.fifediet.co.uk/recipes/

eaten with home grown baked spud and buttery cabbage. It was delicious.

For those of us with older properties*, we can cut out draughts and take simple steps to conserve heat without spending a great deal of cash and ripping out historic windows (not really very 'green' in a wider view) and their beautiful wobbly old glass, which gives so much life to properties which modern flat glass cannot.

I have written in past blogs about this, here's one with further useful links to research and advice

http://nemesisrepublic.blogspot.com/2009/02/breathing-deeply-trash-plastic.html

Edinburgh World Heritage (which is doing outstanding work in research and dissemination of information re upgrading period buildings to make them eco-friendly and energy efficient without spoiling their historic interest and fabric) recently took thermal images of windows with curtains and shutters closed and found that highly effective:

http://www.ewht.org.uk/news/109/102/Thermal-imaging-survey-reveals-close-your-shutters

Here's the BBC report, with video:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-11759023

At least one company which purveys replacement windows has been trying to suggest that fitting its products is far more eco-friendly and saving of energy than the straightforward advice of EWH; please remember that double glazing salespeople are there to make money not save your bank balance and the planet, don't really see much beyond the next few years, certainly aren't interested in the long-term future of their products, and that in listed buildings, ripping out historic windows without consent is unlawful (and hopefully also such consent would not be granted).

Here's English Heritage on why you should save your historic windows (although warning: Simon Thurley talking alert in the video, it is worth watching!):

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/your-property/energy-efficiency/sash-windows/

Windows are a precious part of our built heritage that makes the places we work and live special. Most people find them attractive.

But keeping them is not just a matter of taste. It also makes economic and ecological sense. Original timber windows were made of very high quality wood seldom found nowadays. It is a waste to replace them unnecessarily. Plastic windows consume a lot of energy in their production and most are only expected to last for around 20 years. When broken, most go to land-fills.

Besides, sash windows are a unique feature of your property. It gives it character and special appeal. 82% of estate agents we surveyed this year felt that original features such as sash windows tend to add financial value to properties and 78% believed they helped a property to sell more quickly.

The common objection to original sash windows is that they are not energy efficient and there are very limited ways of upgrading them. Now, for the first time an important piece of research has been commissioned by English Heritage at Glasgow Caledonian University that is going to show people just how easy and effective it is to bring a sash window up to modern standards. Download the research report to find out more.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/content/imported-docs/p-t/sash-windows-research-summary

DIY draughtproofing is available from numerous  places (do a google!)

Small selection

http://www.reddiseals.com/acatalog/sash_window_timber_staff_beads.html

http://www.sashwindows.co.uk/

(Guide also available to buy via that site, as well as components)

and here's an online  DIY guide

http://www.sashwindowspecialist.com/diyguide.html

Even the Guardian has a simple repair guide

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/mar/01/diy.homes5

One specialist firm which can do the draughtproofing job for you and repair even the most knackered windows (those who moan about draughty, rattly sash windows really should do something about that, it's not how they are meant to be) is currently featuring on TV:

It made environmental, aesthetic and financial sense to use Ventrolla to restore all 147 sash windows we had at Rise Hall that were on the brink of collapse.

They then fitted them with their two patented systems - first Ventrolla Perimeter Sealing System which draught proofs the windows, preventing heat from escaping and therefore making them energy efficient.

Secondly with their Sash Removal System (SRS), which allows the window to be easily removed from inside so future repainting and repairs will now be quick, easy and most importantly cheaper, as no scaffolding will be needed.

Ventrolla were not only a pleasure to deal with and by transforming the windows they have also transformed the façade of Rise Hall.

Graham Swift and Sarah Beeny

http://www.risehall.com/renovation/joinery/ventrolla-windows

My own home's historic sash windows are currently 'draughtproofed' by pushing loo roll in the gaps. Works fine. 

For those interested, there's also the possibility of secondary glazing, which can be very simple or more sophisticated:

http://www.dealtime.co.uk/diy-secondary-glazing-kits/products

http://www.stormwindows.co.uk/

although for historic windows consent will be required for anything which alters the existing windows. Also of course costs can add up, and payback time should be factored in.

Edinburgh World Heritage has also produced two online guides to basic energy saving measures which are worth reading

http://www.ewht.org.uk/looking-after-our-heritage/energy-efficiency-and-sustainability

Energy Efficiency and Historic Buildings

Relatively simple measures can make historic buildings as energy efficient as most modern constructions,  for example draft proofing windows or reinstating wooden shutters. This project aims to reduce carbon emissions over the 16 month period and continue to generate savings on an ongoing basis, with a significant reduction in the overall carbon footprint of the city.


Those links also give links to advice on how to make simple draught excluders.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/05/how-to-make-draught-excluder

(comments worth reading)

http://www.craftycrafty.tv/2007/09/how_to_make_your_own_dog_or_sn_1.html

Well, when it's freezing outside a few homecrafts will help make the long dark nights indoors pass by rapidly. What else would you be doing?

For those with a wider interest in both homecrafts and vintage fashion, as well as keeping warm and how it used to be, the V & A has a smashing free online selection of 1940s knitting patterns.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/features/knitting/1940s/index.html

From fetchingly attractive warm hats to wool undies via stockings and bedsocks with pompoms ('make a very acceptable present')  all your Christmas gifts dilemmas solved?

'The balaclava helmet', from Essentials for the Forces, 1940s. Jaeger Handknit. With ear flaps to enable good hearing during telephone operations (or for use with a mobile phone).



Nem


*Of course this blog is the most basic of guides. For further reading on how to deal appropriately with period buildings here's an excellent start:

http://huntwriter.com/?page_id=11

Festering sores and parapets

It's difficult at times to raise a head above a parapet and speak out about something you feel is wrong; it's especially difficult when it involves crticism of fellow professionals, but there are occasions  it has to be done if you can look yourself in the eye in the mirror in the morning.

So well done Jon-Marc Creaney of GCA Architecture + Design Glasgow

http://twitter.com/#!/scarpadog/

for penning this piece for the STV News Airdrie website, about the new Community Health Centre undergoing construction.

I hope he and STV don't mind me stealing the text and his photographs. There's not a lot to disagree with in what he says. However, is it too late to stop this? And in a wider view what on earth is the purpose of Architecture + Design Scotland  if a damning Design Review results in no change to the plans?

http://local.stv.tv/airdrie/news/496-airdrie-community-health-centre/

Airdrie Community Health Centre

Local architect Jon-Marc Creaney gives STV Airdrie his view about the development of the Airdrie Community Health Centre
13 October 2010

In 2000, Airdrie gained the dubious honour of winning the Carbuncle Cup for being the most dismal town in Scotland.

Ten years on, huge sums of money have been invested in the town, millions on streetscape improvements, the award-winning and environmentally accredited business centre has been constructed, and the oldest church in Airdrie , Old Wellwynd, which lay empty for fifteen years, has been rescued and re-used through conversion into a modern community facility.

http://gcaarchitects.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/wellwynd/

Airdrie’s problems are shared with many places in Scotland; it is a former industrial town struggling to find a new identity in tough economic times, and it is a victim of poor planning and design decisions of the past few decades.

At the time it was given the Carbuncle Award, the accompanying statement was clear: This is not a criticism of the people of Airdrie, it is a criticism of the professionals who decide what does and does not happen.

This is why I feel strongly enough, as a local architect, to voice my concerns over what I perceive as a fresh mistake, the recently commenced Airdrie Community Health Centre.

The Health Centre is a welcome major investment of £27million; it will provide a wide range of primary care and community-based services under one roof in the heart of Airdrie, and bringing these services together is an opportunity to breathe further life into the town centre.

The problem begins, however, and this is where I see history repeating itself, and the potential for future criticism of the professionals involved, in the design of the proposed new building. I feel this is misconceived, in terms of a lack of civic presence, a failure of integration with the town centre, and visual appearance.

I understand fully issues of budget and design constraints in the delivery of a building of this type; however, in a building of such importance to the regeneration of the town, I believe there is a duty amongst design professionals to stick our heads above the parapet, difficult though this is, and question exactly what is being built.

The design of this building has gone through a rigorous planning process and a design assessment carried out by the government official body Architecture and Design Scotland; yet the comments and recommendations made by A&DS in its report, which heavily criticise the proposals for a lack of civic presence, have been paid barely lip service in the final design.

The architects claim, on their website, that they are a team ‘driven by design excellence’, and they are indeed an award-winning practice.

I have no doubt they will be working to a tight budget, on a challenging site, to a demanding brief. All this will have to be delivered for a ridiculously low fee. However, all this should not prevent appropriate design considerations to be a priority.

The façade of the proposed building includes large amounts of white render.This a fundamental mistake for a building situated where it is proposed; one only has to look at the problems of this material at Glasgow’s Homes of the Future, Glasgow Green, to understand the inherent difficulties posed by white render in the Scottish climate in a building situated next to a busy roundabout.

It will soon shed its bright new image and become very grimy indeed.

In addition, the facades are featureless and bland, a nod to modernism without any of its soul, and a repeat of why Scotland has so few really good modern buildings.

There is little articulation or sense of what this building could be. No doubt the designers could argue there is little local context to draw on, but that is no excuse to build something as architecturally uninspiring as the lump being torn down to make way for the new.

This building should be an exemplar of what Airdrie could achieve in future and allow it to finally shake off its Carbuncle image.

The new building does nothing to enhance or engage with the streetscape, and it turns its back on Graham Street; these issues have been raised during the design process so there is no excuse for the decision makers if this goes wrong.

I believe architects have a responsibility to the wider built environment and should not consider their designs in isolation. They should be brave enough to question the brief, to explore alternative approaches to present to clients to demonstrate how buildings can work better as part of a holistic solution rather than merely providing an envelope to house the brief.

There is a wider question of the purpose of a Design Review; why bother, if comments made are not acted upon?

A building of this civic importance should be designed as an integral part of what will become the Conservation Area of the centre of Airdrie, and designed to stand many decades into the future.

As things are, it will be lucky if it survives as long as its 1960s predecessor.

Here is the Design Assessment report from A+DS April 2009

http://www.ads.org.uk/what_we_do/design_review/reports/608_airdrie-community-health-centre-development

Introduction

This report relates to proposals submitted for Planning Approval for a development of a retail and primary care facility in Airdrie town centre. A+DS carried out an earlier Design Assessment through our Health Programme, in conjunction with the building developers, NHS Lanarkshire and the Local Authority. The Assessment report was issued on 13th November 2008 and was forwarded to the Planning Authority for guidance.

Our comments are based on a desk top analysis of the information in discussion with a member of the original A+DS Design Assessment panel and with reference to the previous Design Assessment Report.

A+DS Views

1.0 General Comments

1.1 We support the principle of locating public facilities in the centre of Airdrie, providing a major new public building and helping to reactivate the town centre.

1.2 When the design was previously assessed, our report raised a number of issues including: the lack of an entrance to the Health Centre from Graham Street; poor quality of the surrounding public spaces, particularly along the west side of the building; a confusing and functionally difficult internal layout; and a lack of a confident or unified expression in the external form.

1.3 We welcome the process of reviewing the proposals and some amendments in the submitted scheme, particularly the inclusion of a public entrance to Graham Street, and some improvements to internal wayfinding and the quality of some public areas. However, there are still a number of issues which we feel need to be addressed.

2.0 Wider Context

2.1 Community Context and Development

This part of Airdrie is set for significant change, with the development of the rail station and improvements to retail and community developments on this and adjacent sites. This important public building should become an integral part of the vision for the town. We previously recommended that the Council develop a strategic framework for spatial development and the public realm across the broader area, considering the location and nature of public routes and spaces, within which the designs for this site can be developed. If this opportunity is not taken at this stage then the town could lose the opportunities that come with the planned new developments, potentially resulting instead in a series of dislocated interventions.

2.2 Urban analysis / design statement

We note that a Design Statement has not been included in the referred documents. Without this, or an analysis of the urban grain and fabric, it is not possible to assess how the building and surrounding spaces will integrate with the town, or how design principles have been applied. There is not sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the current designs will best use the opportunities available to achieve a high standard of development.

2.3 Urban Design

2.3.1. Entrance Strategy

We welcome the introduction of an entrance to the Health Centre from Graham Street, and the omission of the overly prominent escape stair at the north east corner. However we note that the south entrance from the car park, which has been retained with a projecting lobby, still reads as the most significant. In contrast, the new entrance to the major public space to the north is smaller and recessed. Neither entrance has the sense of occasion or spatial generosity that one would expect from the entrances to a major public facility.

2.3.2. Building footprint / Lane along West side of building

We believe that there are significant opportunities to activate the areas around the building by modifications to the building line, particularly along the north and east sides. These improvements to the quality of the public realm would create a more attractive area for retailers and shoppers, maximizing the benefit of the increased footfall generated by the Health Centre. These spaces should be used to clearly direct the public to the Health Centre entrances and link into the other routes through the town.

The pedestrian access along the west elevation, which is currently a narrow and hostile alley, is also a well used route to the shopping area, and will be even more so once the Health Centre is open and the station upgraded. We acknowledge that some improvements are now proposed that address some problems of this route, with the public realm works now extended into this area. However the lane itself is still ungenerous: the addition of 600mm to the width is not really ‘significant’ as stated, and the cross section remains tight, meaning that the lane is still likely to be overshadowed and unwelcoming.

2.3.3. Form and surface of the building

The elevations have been rationalised and are more unified than previously, but this has been to the extent that they have become faceless, and still lack civic presence. We welcome the larger areas of glazing where waiting and circulation spaces have been brought to the exterior providing animation to the street. However, we feel that there are considerable opportunities to lend the building greater articulation by celebrating the entrances to the Health Centre which, particularly at Graham Street, currently appear highly underplayed. The Design Team should be more ambitious in aiming to achieve a far more confident expression to give the building a greater civic presence in line with its important public role.

There is potential for creating additional life on surrounding streets by the provision on the ground floor of shop units and the Council Social Work facility, where there are currently blank facades. However, we remain concerned that the proposals for these frontages will not necessarily create the activation as well as they should, given the unit layouts and elevations. We note the frontages appear likely to be made from standard commercial shopfronts with some areas closed off, and we would like to see a more imaginative approach that contributes positively to the streets. We have particular concerns about the introduction of the long dark brick wall along most of the east side pavement which prevents any overlooking and invites vandalism. We would suggest looking at other more varied facade proposals to resolve the issue of blank side walls to shop units facing Graham Street. Similarly we recommend solutions that can add real animation, better than using advertising panels, to deal with their side walls onto the lane, e.g. opening up the entrance lobbies visually to this side as well.

3.0 Internal Design

3.1 Plan layout in relation to entrances

There have been a number of improvements in the proposed layout, but it is still potentially confusing for many users of the building, particularly those who are not familiar with it. The inclusion of a central reception point on each floor, adjacent to the daylit open central court, is welcome, but has significant problems in being located away from the vertical circulation / entrances on the corners on the east side. There will be issues for many visitors in needing to be directed to it and then navigating the building to other receptions elsewhere. We note that staff-only areas in the north east on each floor can still only be accessed through other practice areas, which we understand need to be locked down individually.

3.2 Use of Courtyard

The central courtyard is inaccessible and isolated, and is unlikely to be a pleasant environment for rooms to look out onto. We believe that the courtyard could be better used. We are aware of similar facilities where the design has been able to resolve the demands of circulation and privacy to create a usable and pleasant place that also aids in wayfinding, daylighting and ventilation. Again, we believe that a more imaginative approach to the entrance and internal plan arrangements could achieve this, with a minimal loss of ground floor commercial area and large gains in usability.

3.3 Circulation and waiting spaces

We welcome the relocation of some waiting areas to the external facade, allowing natural light and views. However, several other waiting areas, and the majority of corridors, remain entirely internal, resulting in poor quality spaces and a lack of legibility or opportunities for orientation from within them.

3.4 Connection to Social Work offices

We note that there does not appear to be a fully accessible connection between the Social Work offices on the Ground Floor and the Health Centre above. We acknowledge that there is no current requirement for this link. However, we suggest that the inclusion of such a connection could produce great potential benefits for future flexibility and the integrated functioning of these facilities.

4.0 Sustainability

We note the intention to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ but are not clear how this will be achieved. Several occupied rooms remain entirely internal, and so will be reliant on mechanical ventilation and artificial light, with implications on build and running costs and carbon emissions. There are still opportunities that could be exploited by using the central courtyard, which would allow it to contribute to both natural daylighting and the ventilation strategy within the building, and assist in achieving the ambitious targets set.

Conclusion

We support the project in its aspiration to improve accessibility to services and in the potential of enlivening the town centre. This initiative presents a unique opportunity for the town to acquire a building and public space of civic presence and which will set the standards for surrounding developments. As currently presented the proposals do not demonstrates that this will be achieved. We encourage the Design Team to continue to develop the designs, to match the aspirations and commitments given in the Council’s own guidance ‘Designing North Lanarkshire’, the Scottish Government’s ‘Designing Places’ and the ‘Policy on Design Quality for NHS Scotland’.

We believe there are opportunities that can be taken to achieve a project of a standard that will help promote a vision for improvements in the town centre and enhance the lives of the people of Airdrie. We look forward to having the opportunity to comment on a revised scheme in the future.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/39276123/Airdrie-Elevations

Airdrie: Elevations

What has been altered as a result of that damning report? Not a great deal it appears.

Is it too late to do anything other than gnash teeth?

Probably.

Sad, but so many professionals involved in this, and it seems that lessons have still not been learned from 2000:

At the time it was given the Carbuncle Award, the accompanying statement was clear: This is not a criticism of the people of Airdrie, it is a criticism of the professionals who decide what does and does not happen.

Airdrie, futher picture gallery:

http://www.airdrie.net/weblog2/2005/03/13/photo-gallery/

Airdrie Town Trail:

http://www.monklandsheritagesociety.org.uk/page3.html


Old Wellwynd Church:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gertie_du/3295849960/in/photostream/


Nem

Don't destroy the Madelvic factory!

                                      The Madelvic electric car


UPDATE May 7th

Short article (slightly garbled) in Building Design:

Fraser slams Maldevic (sic) demolition

6 May, 2010

By David Rogers

Architect Malcolm Fraser has spoken out against plans by Edinburgh Council to demolish the listed Maldevic electric car factory in the Granton area of the city to make way for new houses.

                                                                     Malcolm Fraser

Council-owned developer EDI has (had?) linked up with the Burrell Company to convert the factory, which opened in 1898, into apartments and commercial space. The developers will retain its office block but demolish the main factory building.

Fraser said it should not be demolished and added: “Is it the case that, in a recession, any listed building can be sent for landfill?”

 Read more: http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=426&storycode=3163001&channel=426&c=1#ixzz0nESuvUEN

UPDATE 30th April

Madelvic in the Guardian, excellent piece by Tom Allan

http://www.guardian.co.uk/edinburgh/2010/apr/30/madelvic-factory-demolition-malcolm-fraser-edinburgh


 A request has been made (by me) to have the factory placed on the Scottish Buildings at Risk Register:

http://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/BAR/

(Also of course there is the sad loss of most of the historic interest of this piece of motoring heritage in Glasgow.

http://www.botanicgardensgarage.org/ )

It's a worry, is Scotland, and failure to really protect listed buildings.  Cynical of me I know, but it does seem that it's so easy to override national policy...

Original post

The Madelvic Factory production block at Granton, Edinburgh, is under threat of demolition.  This is the oldest remaining purpose-built car factory in the UK; it may be the oldest in Europe. It dates from c1898. Alongside the small office block (not currently under direct threat) this is an important piece of historic industrial architecture.

Listed building description: 

http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/hsstart?P_HBNUM=45654

Requests for the permission to demolish by City of Edinburgh Council to be called in by the Scottish Government (Historic Scotland objected to the demolition, the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland and SAVE Britain's Heritage all sought a call-in, arguing that not all avenues for retention and re-use have been explored and it is believed that  national policy has not been fully followed or taken into account) have been refused. This is a worrying situation, and this really should have been fully explored at an inquiry.

Urban Realm has taken up the story, and published yesterday and today two articles, one with the background, the other multi-award-winning Edinburgh architect Malcolm Fraser making a passionate plea for retention and re-use, if not with the scheme his practice has already designed then for another scheme.

I agree; landfill should not be an option, and the building should be properly mothballed and secured until such time as the market picks up again and viabilty of a re-use scheme can be looked at further.

Listed buildings should not be so lightly disposed of. Sadly, Edinburgh Council seems to see them not as an asset but a nuisance which get in the way of development.

And so our shared history and national heritage is wiped out, historic landmarks razed, because it's more convenient than imaginative re-use, and of course the profit motive is more important to some than those wider issues. No it's not a 'pretty' building, that's not always the point;  it is certainly of historic importance.

Urban Realm reports:

http://www.urbanrealm.co.uk/news/2336/Demolition_of_B_listed_Madelvic_factory_wont_be_called_in.html


http://www.urbanrealm.co.uk/news/2338/Fraser_mounts_impassioned_Madelvic_plea.html

and as Malcolm Fraser says:

“But the buildings are not dropped yet! And if there is any specialist developer out there who is interested, come and see me, and we can approach the site’s owner together.”


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9fQdYYB3vk



The Granton History Group has an excellent website detailing the interesting history of the Madelvic car and factory:

http://www.grantonhistory.org/industry/madelvic.htm

 Secret Scotland:

http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/MadelvicCarriageCo


Nem

Boldly going...

The Caley's brewing coppers

This section of the Republic has in the past week roused itself from its customary sloth mode and travelled far, with investigation into various building and culcha related stuff, and along the way local fayre and ales have had to be sampled, all in the cause of fearless blogging natch. The National Trust is to be congratulated on the standard of its scones at Rufford Old Hall, and I can report with some authority that a glass (straight sided, none of yer soft, southern fancy tankards with handles here north of the Wash) of Deuchar's IPA tasted just as good at the Sea View Inn, Chorley as it did in Edinburgh.

Cheers to the Caledonian Brewery, aka The Caley, sole survivor of more than forty breweries which once graced Edinburgh, long may it continue:

Every brewery will have stories you say. Well how about this then? The only other place you'll find the same chute of our steels masher (which, incidentally, we use everyday) is in Burton on Trent - in the Bass Brewing Museum.

And speaking of a museum, that's essentially what we are - a living, working, thriving museum. A team of highly skilled brewers and motivated individuals all passionately dedicated to continuing the tradition of brewing ale in a Victorian Brew house which remains relatively unchanged since it's opening in 1869...

Our History
As authentic as Victorian distilling may be - there's a very distinct smell to the process. And so it's no wonder that Edinburgh was known as “Aulde Reekie” in the 1800s, given that there were over 40 breweries in very close proximity to one another clustered in the city centre. Whilst beer was the drink of choice (over water) for the working man at the time, high demand was not the only reason for the concentration of breweries...

...a pure supply of water (as one of the chief ingredients in brewing beer) was, and in Edinburgh it was known as the Charmed Circle of Brewing Wells.

The Caledonian was one these breweries and was opened by George Lorimer Jr. in 1869. It was as a result of two things: the death of his father and his love of the golf course. On the links he befriended many eminent Edinburgh brewers. Robert Clarke being one of them and when he inherited his father's estate, the two of them opened Lorimer and Clark's Caledonian Brewery on the current site.

More here:

http://www.caledonian-brewery.co.uk/

The hope for its continuation is not only because if it didn't the world would lose some mighty fine beers, but also because the historic site would be sold off and no doubt something nasty and wildly unsuitable built in its place.

City of Edinburgh Council's dealings with Mountgrange over Caltongate continue to amaze; it is now revealed that the developers, who went bust before managing to demolish the listed buildings which the council was only too happy to bend over backwards, and indeed bend planning policies, to allow, as is its wont, haven't even paid the promised rent on the former city architect Ebenezer MacRae-designed tenements from which the residents were decanted.

http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=200699

MacRae was one of the pioneers of conservation. He renovated a number of Old Town buildings and where that was not practicable he rebuilt several facades in their original form. In his survey of the Old Town he was assisted by a newly qualified planner, William Dey, later of Gordon & Dey, and produced a policy report; and from that he proceeded to produce another policy document, 'The Heritage of Greater Edinburgh', which listed all the traditional buildings in the city which were worthy of retention, very much in parallel with the Marquess of Bute's lists for the country as a whole. A large collection of related papers is preserved in Edinburgh Central Library. His interest also extended to historic statuary, and he published an essay on the 'Lead Equestrian Statue of Charles II' in the Old Edinburgh Club Transactions.

(For more on the statue, and the current funding appeal to repair, see: http://www.ewht.org.uk/Appeal-launched-to-restore-Charles-II-statue.aspx)

More here about the rental fiasco, and a picture of the tenements:

http://independentrepublicofthecanongate.blogspot.com/2009/05/mountgrange-owes-18000-in-rent.html

The grand plan was that these, built on the Royal Mile as model housing for the poor, were to form part the fakery facade of a Sofitel five star hotel. That was alongside the facade of the adjacent Sailor's Ark, a listed building, which once served as a seamen's hostel. Not sure if this was intended as ironic or was just plain insensitive. Despite long waiting lists for social and affordable housing, the tenements, perfectly sound buildings in a good state of repair, have been standing empty for a considerable time. The council also emptied a handsome listed building, the Canongate Venture, latterly re-used as small business units but for decades the school for children of the Canongate. Mountgrange was also intending to buy this from the council to demolish, to build a conference centre as part of its Caltongate development. The legality of the deal has never really been explained.

Here's an article which first appeared in the spring 2008 newsletter of ICOMOS-UK by renowned Edinburgh conservation architect James Simpson OBE, on exactly what was wrong with Caltongate:

http://www.eh8.org.uk/whos_who

The “Caltongate” development as it stands will have a profoundly negative impact on the values of the World Heritage Site: it is also a missed opportunity to show that, if the fundamentals of size, scale and grain are got right, new development, however brave architecturally, can be successfully integrated with urban landscapes of international value. Edinburgh was for many years seen as a trailblazer for urban conservation, commended for its far-sighted town planning policies initiated by Patrick Geddes - the father of town planning and of urban conservation - which had allowed the city’s skyline and urban spaces to evolve but maintain their significance over time.“Caltongate” is symptomatic of a new trend towards development of extensive areas of cites as single projects - reminiscent, alas, of the Comprehensive Development Areas of the 1960s. Bath Western Riverside, a large, highly contentious scheme in the centre of the Bath World Heritage Site, is another...

(For more on Western Riverside, those splendid campaigners at Bath Heritage Watchdog are keeping the world updated: http://www.bathheritagewatchdog.org/western.htm)

and under that link to the article by James Simpson is a little more about Mountgrange, Manesh Chande, and a few others involved in the sorry tale of Caltongate.

Manesh Chande, millionare co-owner of Mountgrange, the man who owes City of Edinburgh Council the rent, and the people of Edinburgh a huge apology, is currently serving a second term of office as a Commissioner for English Heritage.

It is widely expected that UNESCO, in its forthcoming World Heritage Site report following an investigative visit to Edinburgh in November triggered by mounting concern over Caltongate and other developments, will be very critical of the Caltongate scheme, and the failure of the City of Edinburgh Council to masterplan the site. Instead, it left that to the developer, and architect Allan Murray, and Mountgrange failed to properly consult with residents and heritage bodies over the scheme. Objections were ignored by the council. Historic Scotland also has little of which to be proud over this.

http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/pa_reappoint_ehcommissioners07.pdf

Mr Chande serves on the Finance and Business Committees of English Heritage. He is also a Commissioner Director of English Heritage Trading Ltd. No, honestly, I'm not kidding, he does, it says so here:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.00100400100a004

Other battles currently being fought in Edinburgh are the Tiger Developments/Richard Murphy designed Haymarket Tower (public inquiry soon) and the B Listed (although Historic Scotland is hoping to upgrade to A) Odeon Cinema, Clerk Street, where the all-important auditorium has been given permission to be demolished to build - yes, another hotel, although it sounds as though Historic Scotland, alongside the Cinema Theatre Association in Scotland

http://www.cinema-theatre.org.uk/scotland/sco_home.htm

is at least on the side of right over that, and hopefully an inquiry will be called there too. The Theatres Trust and SAVE both objected strongly too, but the council knows best. Developers' profits are of far more importance than the preservation of listed buildings.

It appears, though, that the council-commissioned-and-paid-for report by Montagu Evans, which handily concluded, following the payment of around seven grand of public cash for work which took no longer than a fortnight to produce, and on the basis of information supplied by the (gosh) developer and the council, that demolition was the best option, has been looked at again. Historic Scotland has paid for another report (Drivers Jonas- what a nice little earner all these reports are for 'consultants') which says that the Montagu Evans report ('Montagu Evans LLP is a highly focused and dynamic property conultancy with a commitment to provide our clients with the best possible advice', clients list: Edinburgh City Council http://www.montagu-evans.co.uk/?pid=4&dept=0&type=6&letter=C)

was (let's be charitable) a tad erroneous and limited in its findings, and should possibly be disregarded. As one insider from the CTA says:

'The Drivers Jonas report concludes that the valuations and rental expectations quoted in the Montagu Evans report were unrealistic and inappropriately calculated, and that the only thing proven was that Duddingston House Properties were only interested in the maximum return for the property. It concludes firmly that "demolition is not the minimum necessary to retain the building. Indeed, we do not believe the demolition of the auditorium is justified". '

Lost is probably the cause of Princes Street, where the council gave permission last week for the demolition of another listed building and the erection of a new Premier Hotel and shop of not a great deal of architectural merit. Historic Scotland, Edinburgh World Heritage, and Architecture and Design Scotland all opposed the scheme, alongside other heritage bodies, but hey, what can they know? The developer, Deramore, wanted somewhere with nice views of the castle. Shame the views from the castle won't be as nice. Shame too that the tram system currently causing uproar will disfigure Princes Street, and views of many world class buildings, with poles and wires, but that's another fine mess by Edinburgh Council which will run and run, unlike the trams, behind schedule and way over budget I believe, which many would like to see scrapped even at this stage.

Recently unveiled too is the new Allan Murray (Caltongate) Hotel Missoni, in the heart of the World Heritage Site, which replaced a building by Sir Robert Matthew. Yes, heritage bodies objected to the demolition, but, surprise surprise, down it came, and the Hotel Missoni is another of those buildings from which it's best to avert the gaze.

Still to come is the Allan Murray Cube, nearing completion near his Omni Centre, and the demolition of the St James' Centre (no loss, although the buildings demolished in the recent past to build it are) for - yes, another Allan Murray. Then there is his SoCo development on the site where a major chunk of the Old Town was consumed by fire, again passed by the council despite it not conforming to the Development Brief, objections from Historic Scotland, Edinburgh World Heritage, etc etc.

As Marcus Linklater wrote in the Times:

Why leave a city's designs in one man's hands?
Edinburgh's celebrated skyline is threatened by a planning policy that puts mediocrity before imagination or beauty...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/magnus_linklater/article4517781.ece

Thank you again to the Society of Antiquaries for another mention of the Republic:

http://www.sal.org.uk/salon/#section18

and the advice given in a recent edition of SALON:

Fellow Adam Wilkinson, Director of Edinburgh World Heritage, responded to Mark Horton’s concerns about the impact on archaeology of a Severn barrage with news that solar water heating panels are being installed successfully on the roofs of Georgian tenements in the heart of the World Heritage Site and are already supplying more than 50 per cent of the annual hot water requirement of forty-nine listed properties. Adam says it is essential to ‘dispel the myth that historic buildings are neither energy efficient nor capable of being sensitively retro-fitted with sustainable energy measures’.

He also recommends that Fellows visiting Edinburgh between now and 7 June 2009 should make time to visit the stunning exhibition at the National Gallery of Scotland celebrating Turner’s love affair with ancient Italy.

Well, the exhibition was duly visited, and it is indeed excellent. Do not miss it. You don't have to be a Fellow, all are welcome.

Friday was the major conference on historic buildings and which I mentioned in the blog here:

http://nemesisrepublic.blogspot.com/2009/04/renewable-heritage-microgeneration-in.html

This is a Changeworks event, funded by eaga Charitable Trust and Edinburgh World Heritage

It was held, appropriately, at the Hub, a former church in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, now converted to other uses.

I gather that in general the advice was to not worry overmuch about spending a fortune on too many eco-gadgets which may not be terribly effective.

Adam Wilkinson of Edinburgh World Heritage's advice was that sustainability is possibly best served by first of all looking at simple measures such as closing the shutters, draughtproofing and good insulation of existing stock, and above all by retaining and adapting solidly built historic buildings, not demolition, as the embodied energy which they represent is long paid for environmentally. Howard Liddell, of Gaia Architects, a major expert, was rather of the opinion that we are doomed anyhow, unless we really do wake up to the impending crisis, which few in governments, here and elsewhere, seem to be keen to do.

His book is duly ordered:

(Eco minimalism)the Antidote to Eco-Bling

Howard Liddell

In this age of ‘eco-bling' where sustainability becomes yet another buzz word and people rush to technically fix green badges to their unsuspecting buildings, not all ‘green' additions to buildings are necessary. Eco-minimalism: the antidote to eco-bling is timely in highlighting more realistic and cost effective approaches to becoming ‘green' and in showcasing ‘eco-minimalism' - a good-housekeeping approach to ecological building design and specification, involving apparently non-glaringly obvious strategies such as insulation, draught-proofing and the use of healthy materials. This book aims to expose the pitfalls of ‘greenwashing' in an immediate, visually-arresting and authoritative way. The intention is to present basic tenets in a quickfire, highly accessible format that is based on 30 years of practical experience. A number of case studies support its central message, that the scattergun, ‘Christmas tree' approach should be ditched in favour of ‘eco-minimalism' – the holistic, considered and appropriate deployment of building science in support of truly ecological, affordable sustainable architecture for everyone.

Reviewed by Adrian Cave, Principal, Adrian Cave Associates:

This compact little book practises what it preaches, using the minimum number of words and resources to convey important ideas about sustainable design. The author, who is recognised as one of the leading ecological design architects in Europe, with expertise in building biology, ecological design, sustainable development, masterplanning and community architecture begins by refuting many common assumptions about sustainable design. This will make uncomfortable reading for many architects by demonstrating the irrelevance of much current practice...

http://www.ribabookshops.com/site/viewtitle.asp?pid=9059

From a 2002 paper by Howard Liddell, Gaia Architects:

http://www.seda2.org/articles/Ecominimalism.html

Summary
To return to the beginning of this paper - it is not the fact that the responsibility of delivering sustainable developments and the whole ecological agenda in buildings is “daunting”- it is the fact that it is being made more complicated than it need be. The world is suddenly full of carpetbaggers purveying their eco-goodies and quack doctors with their snake oil remedies, whilst the populace is still insufficiently knowledgeable about the nature of the status quo to be able to resist.

The advice therefore is simple. Trust your traditional instincts to do the straightforward thing first and be wary of strangers bearing gifts.

Much of ecological design lies in the identification and revival of commonsense and good practice - albeit it often requires new knowledge and insight to underpin it. It also needs for us to go back and question all the new man-made and often "magical remedy" materials that have rushed into buildings over the past four decades.

Nothing wrong with a good wool vest, is my view. Warm and ecologically sound.

http://www.theretroknittingcompany.co.uk/underwear.html

Finally, I cannot allow anyone to pass by this site without reading the latest offering from Caius Plinius, and I hope the letter from from Archibald Clark-Kerr, 1st Baron Inverchapel, British Ambassador to Moscow first penned in 1943, and which I wonder if he ever thought would become quite so public, continues to bring a little ray of light to illuminate the gloom!

http://caiusplinius.blogspot.com/2009/05/as-storm-clouds-gather.html

Enjoy!

Nem

PS Republic Follower Jayne has sent me this e-mail:

It's so depressing that absolutely nothing seems to stand in the way of developers massacring such beautiful places. See this article about St George's Square http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2008/08/28/new-no-to-chinese-stone-in-st-george-s-square-86081-21622031/ No heed was paid. Our lovely cobbles were dug up and replaced with pink Chinese tiles which look horrendous. And to add to all the fun - the main contractor doing the job went bust a couple of months back before work was finished. God knows what the end result is going to look like :(

Jayne

Too Lidl too late?

The now bulldozed Auld Fowler's HQ - click to enlarge

The Republic computer is throwing a hissy fit. While I'm still able to use it before it goes in for repair, it's in short bursts, so here's a briefish blog for today.

As mentioned in the Independent Republic of the Canongate blog at the weekend,

http://independentrepublicofthecanongate.blogspot.com/2009/04/demolition-derby-in-pans.html

some sad demolition news:

http://www.prestoungrange.org/arts-festival/html/news/show_news.asp?newsid=2546

'Not worth keeping' says Historic Scotland'.

'Historic Scotland tell me what to say, and I'm not disagreeing' says The Minister.

For more history of the campaign to save the building, and further pictures:

http://www.prestoungrange.org/arts-festival/html/news/show_news.asp?newsid=2138

'We can issue demolition authority as we please' says East Lothian Council Building Control. And we can ignore what the community in Prestonpans thinks.'We're elected to run their town for them. We might say in our political manifesto that we are going to listen to local communities but in practice that certainly doesn't mean we'll take their unanimous views on board. 'We should not stand in the way if Lidl seeks to maximise the profit from the lands they bought from Coeval in The Pans. The fact they said they would retain the Auld Fowler's HQ when we agreed to their present glass store on the site doesn't mean we hold them to their word.'

Historic Scotland may not have decided that it was worth listing, although many disagree, but surely a handsome building, with interesting and high-quality fixtures and fittings, as can be seen in the picture gallery via the link above, a building cherished by the local community, and now simply bulldozed, in order that these can be built:

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/mortgageandpropertynews/Cheapest-new-flats-in-Scotland.5144484.jp

What price sustainability, eh Lidl?

Who enjoyed the English Heritage programme on Friday?

Although it pains me to say it, as it could have been a great opportunity, and sad though possibly unsurprising that Dr Thurley came over as a tad too precious, which will simply confirm to yer average viewer that conservation is the preserve of an effete elite (when the Restoration Revisited this week showed it certainly isn't), you have to wonder why he allowed the entire thing in the first place. It was always destined to be a hatchet job, if past docusoaps of this type are anything to judge from.

Apethorpe was portrayed as a Dr T vanity project; the reality is that we have laws and planning policies in this country which are too often not put into operation, and here was a long-standing problem, a house of exceptional quality left neglected and seriously at risk. Repair orders were ignored, and the inexorable march of the long arm of the law meant that in the end the DCMS had no option other than to step in and take it into state ownership.

It was never going to be an easy one, as there is little land, a far from grand access, not really in the most desirable location, and it still requires a vast pot of cash spending on it.

The recent history is a difficult one, but really, a house of this importance did not need to be kept in any sort of institutional use, converted into flats, have 'enabling development' encroaching on it, and I have no problem with what has, in the end, happened.

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?storycode=3032678

(Take some of that with a pinch of salt...)

http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news-features/Apethorpe-Hall-Hope-and-glory.4368099.jp

The inspector concluded that none of the developer's proposals would safeguard the hall and the order was confirmed.

If the place has to be mothballed until the right buyer is found, considering the current economic climate, then OK, although I understand it is rumoured that there are a couple of seriously interested buyers in the offing. It may be that the buyer will also want to repay the grant aid spent, but if not, the public will have access for 28 days a year, and a piece of history has been retained, beautifully repaired (with more to do I accept) rather than being the target for yet another 'mystery fire'.

For Apethorpe the movie see here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7436409.stm

Summer 2009 tours, and a great deal more info from English Heritage:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.20414

So in this humble opinion, the slighting comments about the insistence of using the correct local Collyweston roofing stone, and making it sound as though using lime plaster and wooden floats conservation barminess, were just cheap shots to make the average TV viewer sneer at the 'waste' of public cash. Is this country's leading heritage organisation supposed to have used concrete tiles and Polyfilla? What's wrong with the correct materials and fine craftsmanship? Or should the Lidl approach - pile 'em high sell 'em cheap and to hell with heritage - be what is required in the new soulless Britain of the 21st century?

Memory Lane 1971 for Auld Fowler's HQ

Those were the days . Auld Fowler's HQ looking every bit the part in 1971 - photograph thanks to Sinclair Macleod, whose family were the last owners of The Scottish Salt Company producing Prestonpans Salt. Handsome looking brewery buildings too. Wonder why all our history was demolished? No sign of Lidl's fine new store.

http://www.what2doineh32.info/eh32/html/show_news.asp?newsid=2524

You do wonder though:

http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/applicationsanddecisions/Decisions/2009/200801616.asp

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/petitions/petitionsubmissions/sub-08/08-PE1176D.pdf

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/fowlers-briefing-oct-08.pdf

And:

http://www.battleofprestonpans1745.org/heritagetrust/html/news/show_news.asp?newsid=2525

All the excitement is about the double-cross proposed from Lidl and Taylor Wimpey's G2 way back in 2007. They applied then for Planning Consent to East Lothian Council to knock down the Auld Fowler's HQ and build 50+ low cost flats. That's the same Auld Fowler's Building as they successfully argued was an integral design element when they applied for permission to build their new glass supermarket next door - which is incidentally a very fine store inside.

Their proposal to demolish led to:

1. An application by the Arts Festival for Listing which Historic Scotland [HS] rejected on very unsafe grounds indeed, point blank refusing to consider historical significance despite the requirements of the Act;

2. That rejection led to a Petition at Holyrood to reform the way Historic Scotland works, which is still ongoing;

3. Requests to the Scottish Information Commissioner [one upheld and the second ongoing] on how Historic Scotland works when it advises Ministers;

4. An application by 800 signatories [10% of the town's population] for Community Right to Buy the property.N.B. The full story so far is documented @ the Arts Festival website linked here


Nem

Breathing deeply: trash the plastic!

(click to enlarge)

Following on from yesterday's news about the English Heritage circular regarding buildings regs Part L, I have had it suggested to me that the problem is, although it sounds as though leeway will be given for more than only listed and conservation area buildings, and it is indeed welcome news that there is recognition that traditional buildings other than listed also need to be allowed the 'breathe', there is room for further confusion and demands for a loss of character by over-zealous Building Control Officers. Not all of those seem to have the ability to think outside the tick list. Overworked Conservation Officers (and many local authorities don't actually employ one) will find it difficult to argue even where listed buildings are concerned, if it's left up to individuals to interpret as they see fit.

There. I have ranted in private and no doubt will return to the subject in future alongside more damning photographs. Suffice to say, the supposed 'eco-friendliness' of ripping out perfectly good timber windows in traditional buildings and replacing them with, in too many cases, hideously ugly, bright white and with flat glass uPVC double glazing remains in doubt. As for uPVC doors - what can I say? I wonder who designs these things? A computer set in 'kitsch' mode?

However, I hear many cry, there are now available nice slimline double glazing units which can be fitted into timber sashes and 'look just like the originals'. Indeed, these were even spouted about on Channels 4's Grand Designs (for which more see posts below...) when it was claimed (see the Bath Grade II Listed barn 'conversion' episode) that these were now being fitted to listed buildings in Edinburgh, as though it was a routine matter to rip out historic windows and glass and chuck in new. Of course, there are those who wish it was so, but thankfully it isn't.

Given also that the seals in double glazed units are prone to fail unless buried into rebates in the timber, I also wonder how long the replica windows with thin astragals will actually last. If windows have to be replaced every couple of decades instead of centuries, then it's not really green, cash or energy saving, is it? Modern timber tends not to last like historic stuff either.

Historic windows are items to be treasured, alongside the historic glass. Once they are gone there's no way they can be replaced. Defacing a period building, no matter how humble, with plastic or even slightly more tasteful modern timber when the originals are repairable simply because of claims of eco friendliness, is a little like taking an electric sander to an antique table then slapping a coat of polyurethane varnish on, on the grounds it makes it so much easier to maintain and will protect the wood.

In Scotland, Historic Scotland is taking a lead in researching the realities of the claimed heat losses through historic windows (in reality I suspect nothing like as much as is claimed, many period buildings have tiny windows):

Q. S3W-19118 Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the planning guidelines and Scottish Planning Policies relating to listed buildings to clarify the situation regarding replacement of single-glazed windows by windows with improved heat-retention properties. (SP 17/12/08)

A. Answered by Linda Fabiani (14/01/09): The Scottish Planning Policy for the Historic Environment and the Scottish Historic Environment Policy (SHEP) were both published in revised form, after public consultation, on 28 October 2008; the SHEP included revised ministerial policy on listed building consent. Neither document makes specific mention of the issue of glazing options as this is an operational matter; however, the SHEP sets out the general approach and principles. Historic Scotland is undertaking research on the energy performance of older buildings, and this will inform revised guidance on windows for applicants and local authorities, to be published in spring 2009, to replace the guidance in the Memorandum of Guidance on Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas. Applications relating to windows are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Wider research is being carried out, some of it in partnership with other bodies such as Edinburgh World Heritage:

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/heritage/climatechange/climatechangeresearch.htm

http://www.ewht.org.uk/Energy-Heritage-Project.aspx

The thermal performance of traditional windows publication is here:

This report summarises the results of research on the thermal performance of traditional windows and methods of reducing heat loss carried out by the Centre for Research on Indoor Climate & Health, Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) on behalf of Historic Scotland.

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/learning/publications/publicationsresultsdetail.htm?id=499231977

HS has also published this informative guide to windows:

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/learning/publications/publicationsresultsdetail.htm?id=499231601e

and glass:

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/learning/publications/publicationsresultsdetail.htm?id=4992315a7

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/learning/publications/publicationsresultsdetail.htm?id=499231591e

timber doors:

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/learning/publications/publicationsresultsdetail.htm?id=499231631e

That little gem is in Bowness on Solway, snapped January 2006. I hope the plastic salespeople have not yet reached it.

Nem