Big names call on government to adopt RetroFirst reforms
A host of big names in architecture and the built environment have called on the government to adopt the recommendations of the AJ RetroFirst campaign
A letter to the Times newspaper, published on Saturday, said the government ‘cannot ignore our wasteful addiction to demolition and rebuilding’, particularly amid preparations for the UK to host the COP26 climate summit later this year.
The letter was signed by 35 individuals including Doreen Lawrence, Norman Foster, David Chipperfield, Thomas Heatherwick, Amin Taha, Sadie Morgan and former environment secretary John Gummer.
The letter said adopting the three recommendations of the RetroFirst campaign – cutting VAT on refurbishment to 5 per cent or less; amending planning guidance and the Building Regs to promote reuse of existing buildings; and insisting all publicly funded projects look to retrofit solutions first – ‘would not only underline the UK’s leadership
2021-01-18T13:12:00+00:00
As part of
Property Week’s annual preview feature we asked some of the industry’s leading lights to list their personal and/or professional resolutions for the new year. This is what they said…
Source: Shutterstock/ Rembolle
Head of UK, CC Land
On a personal level, my 2021 resolution is to continue to serve our occupiers and move towards our aspiration of becoming a first-class custodian, giving our communities the environment to attract best in class talent. Furthermore, to help our mixed-use developments at Whiteley’s and Nine Elms take shape and see further progress in 2021.
Lynda Shillaw
Architect David Chipperfield has been given one of the highest awards available to a British citizen while designers including Yinka Ilori, Ilse Crawford and 6a Architects have received honours in the 2021 New Year Honours list.
Chipperfield was added to the elite Order of the Companions of Honour in the annual list of awards given for achievements by British citizens.
Interior designer Crawford has been awarded a CBE, 6a Architects co-founders Thomas Emerson and Stephanie Macdonald OBEs and London designer Ilori an MBE.
David Chipperfield has designed numerous cultural buildings including the renovation of the Neues Museum. photo is by Joerg von Buchhausen
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Architects, not Architecture is turning five and is celebrating it with a Virtual World Tour. With its new event series, „AnA“ brings the architectural community a bit closer together by taking participants on a tour around the globe to “visit” selected cities and virtually meet some of their most relevant architects.
The list of countries includes Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, South Korea, China, Ukraine/Lithuania, Mexico, and the United States. The event series will last until April 2021. You can find the full list of events at www.architectsnotarchitecture.com.
Originally scheduled as the opening event, Ma Yansong and Thomas Heatherwick shared their biggest influences at the third event of Architects, not Architecture’s Virtual World Tour.