Parallel Love

Parallel Love

Design Oriented and Money Maker Architectural Practices

Architectural practices often survive with common ways to handle the projects and costs, to deal with local authorities, to give acceptable services to their public or private clients as well as their staffs.
In era of “Globalisation” it is difficult to say “Architectural practices must be concerned about design”. In the area some of practices are trying to get ISO 9000 and something like that.
A number of practices are just building to have rising income to grow, targeting to absorb more clients than the other practices who would even be simple developers. However many of them are still struggling to remain in market with providing real architectural works instead of buildings.

But the remained questions are what the mission of architectural practices is, whether they should survive however and what an real architectural work in this new globalising world.

Paradise in Winter

Paradise in Winter; Les Crosets, Switzerland

PRP, Pracitce of the Year 2007 in the UK

I am very delighted to announce that at Building Awards ceremony on Monday April the 18th, PRP won Architectural Practice of the Year 2007 in the UK.The other shortlisted practices were:• Avanti Architects• John McAslan & Partners• Levitt Bernstein• PCKO Architects• Scott Brownrigg

PRP Architects, which I have been working for as a designer, is one of the leading practice in terms of green residential in the UK. The Practice has had a great effect on the Urban Regeneration term in this country. The issue of sustainability is one of the most significant parts of residential projects in the country, thanks to practices' like PRP efforts. In line with this type of activities PRP's book namely "Place & Home: the search for better housing" has been published last month.

Now the book is available for £35.70 on Amazon. For more information see the link: http://www.amazon.com/Place-Home-Search-Housing-Architects/dp/1904772668

Manchester City Hall

Manchester City Hall

Manchester Congestion Charge

New wave of Manchester city centre development since 1996, has had a great effect on central zone of the city. Moreover the effecitveness of the new role of Manchester in North-West which has been defining and redefining is undeniable. The procedure has chenged the city function and face overall the region namly the Greater Manchester.

Manchester Congestion Charge is the second shocking urban news about the city since January. Although in line with the sustainability policy in the country, some of experts and people believe this will certainly be the ideal solution for Manchester city centre increasing traffic. It seems these people and Lord Mayor are thinking that the plan can contribute to provide a greener city through the encouraging the people to use the public transportation. Meanwhile Manchester can benefit from this opportunity to improve the public transportation system efficiency.
Now the remained question is whether the congestion charge can affect decentralization process of the city.

Rochdale, Stockport and Trafford councils with almost same reasoning don't agree with this plan.

Swiss Bank or Fosters' Gherkin!

fosters' gherkin, London