Shhh... Library has potential to get lively

Tom Hughes

Alina was at the fantastic Font theatre festival recently, and got chatting to Laura Macrae, a producer with Notts based companies Nonsuch and Sheep Soup. One of those chance encounters that were always meant to happen: Laura with a building and a performance space idea, just looking for an architect... and Alina an architect looking to expand her involvement in the theatre.

We've worked with several arts organisations on the adaptation of existing buildings to meet their needs, most notably at One Thoresby Street. And it is an exciting time for our home neighbourhood on the Eastside of Nottingham: a cluster of independents including OTS, Backlit, Surface Gallery and the Bohunk Institute have led the way and the council is now adding a critical mass via the Creative Quarter and the weighty Dakeyne Street and Sneinton Market redevelopments. Dance4's ambitious dance centre project may be on ice, but the organisation was ahead of the curve in seeing the potential of the area.

We look forward to supporting Laura's plan in the formative stages and — with the support of NTU's Future Factory — hope to work with recent graduates from the Interior Architecture and Design and Theatre Design courses to develop initial ideas for the building. My involvement with community group Sneinton Alchemy and our community engagement expertise will help Laura to make this the supportive and embedded project she aims for.

Watch this space, it won't stay quiet for long...

Founding Director Alina to leave 2hD

Tom Hughes

2hD co-founder Alina Hughes is leaving the practice after 12 years to pursue new creative directions.

2hD was started in 2003 by Alina, Tom Hughes and Thibaut Devulder when they collaborated on the competition-winning Sky Vault landmark design. Since then the practice has evolved with the three founders collaborating on a series of successful projects. Alina in particular has been instrumental in networking and putting the practice in front of new audiences through competition entries and her role as Nottingham and Derby Society of Architects President from 2009 to 2012. Alina has built up her role in architectural education, including the setting up of a new Architecture course at Nottingham Trent University (now finishing its 9th year), whilst retaining her role as Design Director at 2hD.

A fresh faced 2hD: as we were in 2003... (from left: Thibaut, Tom and Alina)

A fresh faced 2hD: as we were in 2003... (from left: Thibaut, Tom and Alina)

“Starting up 2hD and seeing it develop has been an amazing experience, intensely hard work at times but with some real high points,” said Alina. “I’m proud of what we’ve achieved in building up a body of work and supporting our community, both locally and within the profession. I look forward to seeing 2hD develop with Tom, Thibaut and Chris at the helm, and will continue to be involved as a collaborator in particular projects in the future. The time is right for me to explore my creative practice outside of architecture.”

“Alina has had a huge contribution to 2hD’s trajectory and development” said Tom Hughes. “Her passion and intensity has remained undaunted and she has worked to bring a small startup practice recognition on the local, national and international stage. I’m sure Alina will be keeping a watching brief as we move on — and we look forward to collaborating with her in the future."

Co-founder Thibaut Devulder said "Alina has ensured that we have continued to be principled and deeply thoughtful in our design work, and has embedded this approach so that it will endure for the future. I wish Alina every success in her new ventures."

Exhibition: Qubo Gas at Art Connexion

Thibaut Devulder

While in Lille, I got a chance to visit an exhibition by the Qubo Gas collective, with whom we are collaborating on the Ooo-Ya-Tsu performance.

Morgan Dimnet and Jef Ablézot, of art collective Qubo Gas

Entitled "Rêveries des Roches Perforées" ("Daydream of Perforated Rocks"), this exhibition presented at contemporary art gallery Art Connexion showcases some of their latest work, including a recent woodblock print made during a residency in Japan — using the traditional Japanese technique Ukiyo-e — as well as the eponymous piece of the exhibition: a large three-dimensional transposition of their graphic universe into a giant flurry of pleated felt and threads.

Fascinating to see how Qubo Gas manage to express their intricate poetic universe of wild gardens and abstract superpositions of colours and details in so many forms...

Workshop visit: Warrington & Rose

Tom Hughes

Looking at potential suppliers of concrete worktops for a fit out project recently, I contacted Warrington & Rose. Locally based and with some really interesting pieces on their website, including an intriguing experimental piece with cinnamon sticks cast in to a concrete table top. 

I had a good chat with Michael Thorpe, who turned out to be an ex-student of mine from Nottingham Trent University who set the company up after graduating and a few years working in the industry.

Great to see a former student creating some quality products, taking experimental risks and branching out as an entrepreneur!

 

La Malterie

Thibaut Devulder

In preparation for our exhibition with Pictanovo about our Ooo-Ya-Tsu collaborative performance project, I spent a few days working with Qubo Gas at La Malterie — an experimental music and visual art centre in Lille (France) — to sort out some of the technical aspects of the project, such as calibrating the video projection and remotely tracking the motion of drawing gestures with brushes and pens.

We will continue working on the animation and graphics of the performance in two weeks time at the Hospice d'Havré.

Artist residency with Pictanovo

Thibaut Devulder

We have been invited to present our collaborative performance project Ooo-Ya-Tsu as part of the Experiences Interactives exhibition, starting in 29th May 2015.

Hospice d'Havré (Photo © Bruno Parmentier)

Hospice d'Havré (Photo © Bruno Parmentier)

The exhibition is organised by Pictanovo, a French association supporting the development of visual arts in Northern France and one of the main sponsors of our project.

The event will take place in the stunning Hospice d'Havré in Tourcoing and will showcase over the summer 2015 a selection of art projects supported by the organisation.

Prior to the exhibition, Pictanovo has kindly invited us to continue developing our visual and musical performance during a week-long artist residency in the exhibition space.

In collaboration with art collective QuboGas and musician DDDIXIE, our performance project Ooo-Ya-Tsu is also supported by the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée (CNC), L'Aéronef, the French Civil Society of Multimedia Authors (SCAM), Le Cube and La Malterie.

Chris' doctorate research proposal accepted by NTU

Chris Heuvel

Further to our social sustainability ethos, we want to learn more about how we can grow as a practice as a result of (rather than in spite of) our involvement in community engagement activities.

This topic has been recognised by Nottingham Trent University School of Architecture as a suitable subject for investigation within the context of their professional doctorate programme, and Chris has therefore been developing a formal research proposal since the beginning of January.

Chris would welcome any correspondence on this subject: please read his Practice and Community blog and email him with your comments or suggestions.

Chris Heuvel: joining 2hD as a Director

Chris Heuvel

I am delighted that my appointment as a Director of 2hD has been confirmed today. Most immediately, my enhanced role with the practice will involve me in reviewing our quality systems, but I am keen to develop a strategic plan for our business to begin to handle larger-scale projects. From an additional base in Norwich (Paragon House, Earlham Road, NR2 3RA), I hope also to win new commissions and to extend our network of friends, collaborators and well-wishers.

My interest in the company was originally sparked by its distinctive ethos of community engagement. In every project we undertake, there is a strong commitment to exploring the wider social context, involving ourselves in the identification of local needs and aspirations, and responding creatively with development proposals that will bring long-term benefits — not merely to our immediate clients but to the whole neighbourhood.

I am committed to 2hD keeping hold of these very special ‘social sustainability’ ideals as our business grows. I have therefore embarked upon a three-year research programme supported by Nottingham Trent University, looking at how architectural practices such as ours can develop and expand through promotion of, and involvement in, community-based projects. I take the view that 2hD’s specialist skills in drawing local people into our design activities — practised through our architectural work, regular teaching activities and involvement in our local communities — should be harnessed as an asset and promoted as a primary feature of the way we work.  

If you’d like to follow the development of my research, please look from time to time at my Practice and Community blog (and let me know what you think).

Portfolio project
Squint: a micro-exhibition module

Thibaut Devulder

Mining some of our old files recently, we dug up this little gem from 2006: a mobile exhibition module we called Squint. It's an installation we originally designed for a competition in Calgary, for the temporary transformation of an urban space situated under a railway bridge.

Squint in the streets of Calgary (from our competition entry in 2006)

Excited by the idea of the self-building something we would then send to the other side of the world, we took the approach of a foldable crate system that could be deployed in an unlimited number of configurations, playfully modulating the openness — or enclosure — of the micro exhibition space it hosted.

Set on its site and then manipulated by the public, the articulated and perforated little structure offered glimpses of its content to passers-by, "leaking" some of its content to the surrounding urban space.

In another context: Nottingham's Exchange Arcade...

And of course, for easy transportation, the whole thing can be neatly folded into a tiny, self-contained crate containing both the panels and the exhibition materials, ready for shipping!

This was a fun little project and maybe something to prototype again?
Interested? Get in touch with us!

Interior shots of self-build house

Thibaut Devulder

Our client and his family have now moved into their new self-build house on a hillside in Eidsvoll, Norway. Here are some early interior shots of the finished house.

Photo @ Caroline Prøven Brohaug, CABRO Photo

Prequals for the redesign of Tungestølen

Thibaut Devulder

We have just sent in a prequalification entry for the reconstruction of the Tungestølen turisthytte. This mountain refuge stood at the foot of Jostedalsbreen — Europe's largest glacier — for a hundred years until destroyed by the Dagmar storm in 2011.

We have teamed up (once more) with Norwegian architect Brit Sejersted Bødtker to create our vision and practice presentation for the jury. Five teams of architects should be shortlisted sometime next month to start the design competition. We would love to be on that list!

The prequalification application had to be very concise (two A4 pages), explaining what we would bring to the project. You can view our application below (in Norwegian), with an extract translated into English underneath...

Jostedalsbreen glacier (Photo: Alberto Abouganem Stephens)

Jostedalsbreen glacier (Photo: Alberto Abouganem Stephens)

Click image to view the original prequalification application (in Norwegian)

Click image to view the original prequalification application (in Norwegian)

Our vision for Tungestølen

We imagine Tungestølen as the intersection of two eroding forces.

One force, exterior, created by the natural elements in all their rawness and their monumental scale, shaping this man-made shelter. As the great Jostedalsbreen erodes a valley out of the surrounding mountains. As wind and precipitations sweep the plateau. Responding to these, Tungestølen stands, as carved out of the site by these tremendous forces.

The other, carved softly from the inside, by the haptic movements of the countless visitors seeking shelter. Not just physical shelter, but also an emotional shelter. One that redefines a human scale in the midst of Nature’s grandiose setting. One that reconnects both casual visitors and explorers of Europe’s greatest glacier to the long tradition and history of the site, as a refuge and as a place of gathering.

Converging on the site, these two forces are carving a place of rest and awe. Of calm and conviviality.

These two forces are carving Tungestølen.

What we can bring to the project

The dramatic natural setting of the site, with its extreme exposure to the elements, calls for innovative structural forms that are both distinct and recognisable. From folded structures to aerodynamic forms, we will apply our wide theoretical and practical experience in the field of advanced structural formfinding techniques to create striking architecture that will subtly merge into the materiality and the social context of its site.

With our extensive research into the field of prefabrication in architecture and experience in timber construction, we understand the design and cost implication of integrating prefabrication from the outset of the design process. We believe that this skill is essential for this remote site, with innovative design that is easy to build. Combined with our love of craftsmanship and our understanding of materials and traditional detailing, we will create a tactile architectural design that is both durable and cost-effective.

We have successfully designed and built architecture that achieves zero energy-in-use and total energy self-reliance. We focus on passive environmental design strategy (meeting PassivHaus standards), complemented by discrete harvesting of local energy using proven technologies. We are confident that we can design a new striking cabin that meets the highest standard of comfort — year round — while keeping a minimal energy footprint throughout its lifespan.

Our strength is an ability to deeply integrate these architectural, construction and sustainability aspects into a coherent design strategy, expressed all the way from the initial concept down to the detailed design of every component.

But most importantly, we thrive in designing architecture in sensitive environments. Through our practices, our team has constantly explored the ambivalent relationship between man-made structure and fragile natural settings, between tourism and nature preservation. Thinking at the intersection of natural and social patterns. On the thin edge between architecture and nature.

An edge on which Tungestølen still stands.

Support for Neighbourhood Planning

Tom Hughes

Under English planning laws introduced in 2011, local communities are able to put together a Neighbourhood Plan. This is a planning document with 'teeth' in the system, which can set out policies formulated by the local community for their particular area.

The local area around the 2hD HQ, the Sneinton neighbourhood of Nottingham, is getting together to produce their own Neighbourhood Plan, and 2hD are signed up as members of the Sneinton Neighbourhood Forum which will produce it. I'm giving support as a Steering Group member and helping with the consultation process, mapping, graphics and communications. To explain the big idea of Neighbourhood Planning, I put together the short video below.

The Plan has evolved from the Sneinton Vision project, which 2hD also supported. We're delighted to see that the visioning work is going to be continued and gain real traction in the planning system. We've built up considerable expertise in meaningful consultation during the process and it's great to see our local community becoming more empowered and engaged as a result.

Chris to join the 2hD team

Tom Hughes

We're delighted that Chris Heuvel is set to join the 2hD team!

Chris is joining us as a specialist in architectural project and practice management, and is keen to promote ‘design technology’ – the integration of elegant detailing with overall architectural vision. He has over 30 years of experience in several different kinds of architectural practice, and possesses additional qualifications in town planning, management and education. Within 2hD, Chris is extending our project base and setting up a branch in Norwich.

Porch complete

Tom Hughes

The Geze sliding door works like a charm and has appropriately minimal lines.

Our clients have sent us these pictures following the successful completion of their "porch that turns a house around".

The porch features a brick plinth that creates a seat within the space, and a superstructure made of standard sized galvanised steel channels. At the top of the structure, the channels form structural gutters which carry the rain away without the need for an overhang.

The overall effect is of a large three-sided window frame: one window faces the sky to allow natural light into the existing kitchen window, one holds the welcoming entrance door and the third frames views down the garden from the kitchen sink.

Simple looking projects are not always easy to complete, and the glazing contractor found it impossible to get the right door components from Geze UK for this one. However a couple of nicely worded emails to the uber efficient head office in Germany unlocked the supply chain and the key component eventually made it to site.

In place, the sliding door works like a charm and has appropriately minimal lines... Everyone happy in the end!

The upper channels are structural gutters, channeling water away without requiring an overhang.

The upper channels are structural gutters, channeling water away without requiring an overhang.

The porch has a brick plinth/seat with the main structure in galvanised steel. A high proportion of glass allows plenty of daylight in through the kitchen window and maintains views down the garden.