New client Hudson Architects is led by Anthony Hudson who is already an acclaimed architect. Tribe negotiated a regular column for him in the Eastern Daily Press, with a very wide-ranging remit of 'design'. His first thought-provoking column was published on Friday 5 February and is reproduced below.
For further information contact
Patrick Peal or visit
www.hudsonarchitects.co.uk
It has taken me 14 years to bring my architects’ practice to Norwich since moving home to Norfolk in 1996. Now here, already I know I should have done it earlier. But why so long? It reflected a genuine concern that good modern architecture was not appreciated in the regions and that exciting projects were generated in London, due to our very capital-centric culture. It’s a different story in France, Germany or Holland since their cities are better promoters of good architecture and planning.
Happily things are changing in the UK. Not only are city regions now recognised as the drivers of the economy but also the anticipated trend to more devolved power and decision-making gives us the opportunity to drive investment in our cities in the direction we wish. Cities Outlook 2010, a report from Centre for Cities, reinforces this positive scenario, emphasising that it is cities with knowledge-intensive businesses that are positioned best to recover in the recession. This is good news for Norwich that has high percentage employment in this UK sector. However there are major caveats regarding good governance including ensuring that authority boundaries coincide with economic activity; something that unfortunately the current boundary review is not resolving.
Separately a growing interest in design is taking centre stage from television programs through to local authorities having considerable encouragement from CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment). Architecture lost a critical friend with the deliberate abolishment of Local Authority Architects’ Departments during the latter half of the 20th century. This lack of in-house understanding has had a hugely detrimental impact on design and only in the past five years has the advisory part of their role been taken up by local Design Review Panels. There are 89 across the UK, including our Norwich Quality Panel, but there is still a long way to go.
Notwithstanding this, the abiding danger is increasing parochialism and short-term political gains passing over the general good. We see it with lowering of quality standards in the Kickstart housing program run by the Housing & Communities Agency, supposedly reduced to help get the construction industry back on its feet. Similar arguments are used to give planning permission to schemes of little merit. There is much more of this short-term thinking on our doorstep.
We need open debate on issues that affect our environment and this is partly the purpose of this column. It astonishes me how little is understood about or invested in the spaces we inhabit and how much the design of them affects our behaviour and ability to live as civilised human beings. There are fantastic opportunities here with planned new housing to develop vibrant and resilient communities. Within the city there are neglected areas that need creative regeneration and imaginative architecture that will encourage us to live life more fully.
These aims too often fall short but as an architect I have seen a positive shift forward in the region that gives me confidence for the future.
Anthony Hudson, Director of Hudson Architects.
Click here to read Hudson's article 'Designs for Better Living' online.
Posted: 05/02/2010