August 23, 2017

HAT appointed to Ely Museum

We're delighted to have been selected as the architects for Ely Museum's redevelopment. We're passionate about the role of local museums as, for many people, their first heritage or museum experience. At Ely, the museum is a fantastically rich resource - telling compelling stories through both its collection and its building.

The museum is housed in a Grade 2 listed building that was formerly the Bishop of Ely's jail, and includes a courtyard garden in what was the felon's exercise yard. We're excited to be charged with its renovation and extension to create better exhibition, education and event spaces. With the museum having successfully gained Stage 1 HLF support, we will be working towards a planning application and Stage 2 HLF submission mid next year. Our winning team includes Max Fordham LLP, Momentum Engineering and People Friendly Design.

June 30, 2017

V&A Sackler refurb completes

In a continuation of our work with the V&A Museum, we've been quietly helping over the last few months, to tidy up some of the peripheral areas connected with the Exhibition Road project. The Sackler Centre - the education centre that has been the contractor's site offices for the last few years - was, not surprisingly, in need of some upgrading.

We've overhauled the all-important WCs, created the new John Lyon's Charity Community Gallery out of a foyer area that became redundant as a result of the new museum extension, and refurbished other areas to bring them up to the standards of design and detail for which the V&A is rightly proud.

We're delighted to have been a part of this exciting next chapter in the Museum's history, and to have brought the project in on a very quick timeframe, ready for the opening celebrations last night.

June 12, 2017

Hana Loftus speaking at Future Cities Forum

Hana is speaking at the influential Future Cities Forum on Art and Science Regeneration, on the 13th June at Burlington House. Other speakers include Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, Professor Flora Samuel from the University of Reading, and Sharon Ament, director of the Museum of London.

Hana will be speaking about arts regeneration in cities and our thoughts about how a healthy arts ecology is supported by planning and policy.

May 15, 2017

Stoke Barn starts on site

We're excited that our new-build house in the Shropshire Hills AONB has started on site. We'll post progress photos as we go, so check back soon.

May 12, 2017

Hopton Yard shortlisted for Housing Design Awards

We're thrilled that Hopton Yard has been shortlisted for a Housing Design Award. The award scheme is one of the most rigorous in the UK, with a large panel of experts including developers, housing association directors, architects, engineers, sustainability consultants and planners visiting each scheme. We were delighted to show them around the scheme yesterday - and thanks to David Birkbeck, the Design for Homes CEO for tweeting this picture of the judges in action!

May 4, 2017

DanceEast foyer completes

Our remodelling of the foyer at DanceEast in Ipswich has just completed - in time for DanceEast to launch their Catalyst fundraising campaign. It's already attracted lots of praise from audiences, class attenders, dancers and staff - we'll be posting proper photos soon, so do check back! Read more about the project here.

March 30, 2017

Crowdfund London - get involved!

We are working with GLA and Spacehive on a new round of the Mayor of London's Crowdfunding programme.

Part of what makes London special is the jumble of unique, quirky, human places shaped by local communities. This initiative by the Mayor is aimed at creating more places like this - by helping Londoners to crowdfund innovative project ideas on Spacehive. Crowdfund London gives Londoners the opportunity to pitch their ideas, big and small, for projects which will make their local area even better.

We have been commissioned to support grassroots groups hoping to pitch to the programme by producing information materials on project planning, budgeting and organisation, and running a support event at City Hall.

February 2, 2017

Hana speaking on 'Rural Futurism' for Twins in Brighton

Twins is a new series of architecture talks - exploring difficult alliances, strange bedfellows and new relationships, to which Hana has been invited to discuss the topic of 'Rural Futurism' at the next event, alongside Owen Hatherley, Dr Rosemary Shirley and Ken Worpole.

The debate will discuss a theme we are constantly exploring as a regional practice: the role of rural places in the development and experimentation with new ideas. Is it possible to be both modern and rural? Or is modernism an urban condition? What histories of radical modernism exist outside urban centres and what sort of futures do they suggest? Is the city the centre of rationalism and the countryside a place of superstitions and arcane beliefs? Is the rural always a backwater and the city always the centre?

Curated by Robert Mull and Charles Holland of the University of Brighton, the event will take place on Thursday 9th February at The Nightingale Room, Brighton, 6.30pm to 9.30pm, compered by Gemma Barton.

January 26, 2017

Hana reviews Paul Shepheard's new book for Architecture Today

The January edition of Architecture Today features Hana's review of Paul Shepheard's new book 'Buildings: Between Living Time and Rocky Space', "an idiosyncratic exploration of the architect's task". Hana ends up debating the merits of architects writing books on architecture for architects, via Ipswich railway station, of all places.

Further information here.

January 5, 2017

Happy New Year from HAT!

We've got into a little tradition the last few years, as our team has grown, of our office Christmas outing being a long country walk ending up at a good pub lunch. A way of getting some much-needed fresh air into our lungs at this time of year, enjoying the wonderful and contrasting Essex landscapes in which we live and work, and of course, each others company. See goofy photo!

This year we completed the estuarine Stour walk we started a couple of years ago when we walked from Wrabness upstream to Dedham. From Wrabness station and the gorgeous wayfarers chapel that is the House for Essex, we turned downstream and walked the 8 miles to the point of Harwich, ending up at the Alma for a feast.

From the expansive estuary landscape, past the pristine geometries of the oil refinery, into the suburbs of Harwich and round to the peculiarities of the High and Low lighthouses and Beacon Hill Fort, before diving into the narrow streets of merchants houses, it was another wonderful winter meander.

Thanks to all our team, collaborators and clients for another fantastic year, and we're looking forward to more exciting projects in 2017!