Children spent half-term testing out Sandwell’s new Play Pathfinder play areas and taking photographs for a new publication to encourage more young people to play outside.
The West Midlands Building for Life assessor network recently visited North West Leicestershire to find out about what they are doing to improve the quality of housing developments in their district.
Sustainable Development: Retrofitting Old Cities Peter Head, Arup
Thurs 15 July 5.45pm, Birmingham Conservatoire Peter will present an approach to transform a city like Birmingham by 2050, working with neighbourhoods and communities.
A few places are still available for the CABE 2010 urban design summer school at Aston University in Birmingham, which is taking place from 11th-14th July 2010. The theme of this year’s summer school, led by MADE, is ‘designing sustainable places’.
MADE has been awarded £53,000 in the CABE Regional Funding Programme for 2010-11. The funding will support MADE’s activities in the West Midlands in 2010/2011 and is the third highest award in this funding round.
New design guidelines for the development of more inclusive play areas have been published today, based on the experiences of 4546 children in Dudley, West Midlands.
“Many children feel excluded from play spaces. Good design can change this,” said Julia Ellis, Chief Executive of MADE, the Midlands architecture centre. “MADE works to improve quality of life by raising aspirations for excellent design in buildings and places. We have been working with Dudley’s Play Pathfinder to see how design can improve children’s play in the borough.”
An exciting and imaginative oasis in the heart of Bentley West – this is head teacher Dee Brigstock’s vision for her primary school. Last term, the school worked on a design to transform tarmac into adventurous play space, with MADE and architect Alison Davies.
Supported by MADE expert panel member Chris Morland, Wyre Forest District Council have been developing their plans for the regeneration of Kidderminster. The major statutory agencies have signed up to a Memorandum of Understanding to support a regeneration framework that has placemaking as a high priority. A recent presentation to business leaders was enthusiastically received. See the ‘Drawing inspiration…’ prospectus and video from October 15th at www.rewyre.org
From 5th October CABE and eight regional design review services, including MADE, have become ‘affiliated’.
Affiliation creates a national network of design review panels, providing all local planning authorities with access to independent practical design advice.
The network will collectively review more than 800 schemes a year. Affiliation means that there is an agreement defining shared values, a shared service, and a joint commitment to high standards in design review. It will ensure that capacity is increased, learning is shared, and a consistent service is provided to developers and planners across England.
As a new term starts, we have been reflecting on our recent work with schools across the West Midlands. We have shown how the built environment brings life to the curriculum, creates a sense of belonging, and promotes the personal development of students, teachers and practitioners.
Young people worked with Sjölander da Cruz Architects and artist Gwen Heeney to design this newly-opened youth shelter. The final installation from our Youth Space project, the shelter drew inspiration from the movement of local skateboarders. See it at Penn Road Island, Wolverhampton
Excellent design makes good economic sense for the West Midlands and should not be compromised by the current climate. A recent MADE event demonstrated consensus from 100 of the region’s leading regeneration professionals, private developers and architects of the value of excellent design to people’s quality of life.
We are delighted that MADE has been awarded a Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge! This reflects our approach to using the built environment as a learning resource for schools and getting students to work alongside external practitioners. It also shows our commitment to student participation and effective learning.
Excellent design makes good economic sense for the West Midlands and should not be compromised by the current climate. A recent MADE event demonstrated consensus from 100 of the region’s leading regeneration professionals, private developers and architects of the value of excellent design to people’s quality of life.
Vulnerable children avoid play spaces for fear of bullying. Working with Dudley Play Pathfinder, MADE enabler Alison Davies has developed an interim set of design principles to give excluded, bullied or tentative children the confidence to join in. This manifesto for inclusive design has been adopted across the Black Country and will be developed further by MADE as part of our enabling support for Dudley Council.
Capita Lovejoy, in conjunction with Architects Bryant Priest Newman and Artist David Patten have been selected as winners of the Golden Square Design Competition.
MADE is running a Design Enquiry for young people to inform the development of the former radio station at Rugby. Alongside this, all are invited to an open studio with the developer’s design team on 27 & 28 June at the radio station building on the heart of the site.
Many, many congratulations to Bromford Homes and North Solihull Partnership who have received HCA Academy Awards. The Homes and Communities Agency Academy recognised North Solihull Partnership for its regeneration ambition in the New Ventures category. Bromford Group was congratulated on its local carbon housing, designed to control heat loss through terracing, high insulation and green roofs (Low carbon Development). MADE’s Creative Communities project was shortlisted for Investing in Young People of our work in North Solihull, Tamworth and Sandwell which has featured in previous newsletters.
Whitefriars Housing and their private sector partners BKW are to use design coding to ensure the quality of new developments in Coventry’s New Deal for Communities area (known as WHEM). The redevelopment substantial areas of Wood End, Henley Green, Manor Farm and Deedmore, along with other initiatives carried out as part of the NDC programme, is intended to transform this deprived and undesirable area of the city.
Dealing with current complexity, looking to the future
Wednesday 10 June 2009 2.00-5.00pm (registration 1.30pm)
Successful regeneration demands the skills of a myriad of practitioners. Architects play a crucial role in creating places that meet the expectations and needs of those that use them. By working alongside fellow professionals, they translate the visions and ideas of communities into reality. They must do this within a context of changing political structures, new legislation and new and potent economic and social pressures. The expectations are high, but the rewards – for all those with an investment in a place – can be very significant.
Our speakers will draw from their experience to focus in upon the particular nature of the regeneration effort and the contribution of architects, signposting to current and future practice. There will be time to contribute your views in a debate led by RIBA Head of Practice Adrian Dobson.
MADE has appointed a new officer to champion artistic and cultural activity in new school buildings. Building Schools for the Future is a major capital programme which promises to transform secondary education. Funded by the Arts Council, this West Midlands-wide post will support local authorities and schools in excellent design and community engagement.
Anthony Ruck joins us as Arts and Culture Adviser (BSF) after Easter. Anthony has worked with the Sorrell Foundation and National Council for Voluntary Youth Service and more recently has been running his own design business in London.
Building for Life will ensure that local authority assessments of the quality of housing schemes will be consistent across the region and the country. That was the message when officers from 27 local planning authorities (out of 30 in the region) turned up to be trained as in-house building for life assessors.
The would-be assessors will now be completing their ‘homework’ before being accredited by CABE. These assessors will carry out assessments at pre-application and planning application stages as well as helping to complete the annual monitoring returns on completed schemes. They can also act as moderators for completed assessments.
March 26th will see the first meeting of a new network to help councillors from all over the West Midlands region who are Design and Historic Environment Champions to work together and learn from each other.
Supported by English Heritage and CABE the network will include both physical meetings and an online ‘social network’ website where councillors can access resources, ask questions, exchange views and even post photos.
MADE is working with CABE to ensure that the West Midlands pioneers the introduction of Building for Life (BfL) assessments. BfL is a way of assessing the quality of new and existing housing schemes. Government and regional policy says it should be used in the planning process to raise housing quality. MADE is inviting local authorities to nominate potential in-house assessors to receive training and accreditation.
The first training day for local authority BfL assessors will take place on 31st March 2009 in North Smethwick.
A partnership project between MADE, Sandwell MBC and Digital Native Academy (DNA) in 2008 has been nominated for its 4th Award. Having won the Ordnance Survey’s National Award for Innovation and been shortlisted for The Guardian Public Services Award it has now been nominated for the Local Government Chronicle/Health Service Journal Sustainable Communities Award: (announcement due February 09) and Sandwell Partnership Excellence and Achievement. It has also featured on the BBC's 'inside out' programme and is on YouTube
Students from Lord Silkin School, Telford, will be informing the design of their new ‘Building Schools for the Future’ premises, with support from MADE, the Education Business Partnership and ConstructionSkills. We organised an architecture tour of Birmingham, which took in Fort Dunlop (where the students were particularly impressed by the toilets and the roof garden) Castle Vale and Bournville.
Walsall primary school pupils are having fun after-school while learning more about their local area. So far, they have donned white gloves to handle local archive material, become urban explorers along the Wyrley & Esssington canal, and carried out oral history interviews with residents
Proclaiming ‘audacity’ as one of the principles for planning your city is a brave move and a tough commitment to live up to. That was the opening remark from David West at the recent Talking Cities Lecture at Birmingham Town Hall
Imagine a neighbourhood that uses resources efficiently, is well connected to public transport and encourages walking and cycling while at the same time allows children to play safely, creates a strong sense of community and is visually stunning. Too good to be true?
Flexible leases, working with existing buildings, and running events to attract people – some of the factors which have helped to regenerate South Bristol and could work for Birmingham’s Digbeth area, according to George Ferguson.
Placemaker Networks are a new initiative from MADE bringing officers and members from the West Midlands together in small groups to discuss how they can improve the way they work.
Congratulations to colleagues at Sandwell Council for winning a Guardian Public Service Award for its holistic approach to raising community and individual aspirations on the Tibbington Estate. MADE has been pleased to work with the ‘Tibby’ team on Creative Communities and design enabling projects. Award details here. This follows Gaming the Tibby receiving an award from Ordnance Survey.
More good news for Sandwell as Grade II listed Dartmouth Park in West Bromwich was awarded £4.4m second stage funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund/Big Lottery Parks for People programme. The money will go towards the refurbishment of the Victorian park and a new pavilion designed by architects Bryant Priest Newman. Further details here. Sandwell received enabling support from MADE for the stage 2 application.
Birmingham City Council is setting up a series of arts residencies in community venues as part of an action research project. Fee £9,800. Deadline for Expressions of Interest: 16th January 2009 More information Gurminder Sehint, 0121 303 2592
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Talking Cities is the 2008 Urban Design Public Lecture series organised between Birmingham City University, School of Architecture and MADE. Films of previous Talking Cities events can now be viewed at http://www.bcu.ac.uk/urbandesign
The report for MADE's Elemental Routes project, which formed part of the masterplan for IPL is now available. See the past projects section of the website.
MADE's regional Design Review Service was recently launched via two regional events: On March 20th in Stratford upon Avon and March 28th in Walsall. Please contact 0121 6339407 for further information.
New design guidelines for the development of more inclusive play areas have been published today, based on the experiences of 4546 children in Dudley, West Midlands.
An exciting and imaginative oasis in the heart of Bentley West – this is head teacher Dee Brigstock’s vision for her primary school. Last term, the school worked on a design to transform tarmac into adventurous play space, with MADE and architect Alison Davies.
Young people worked with Sjölander da Cruz Architects and artist Gwen Heeney to design this newly-opened youth shelter. The final installation from our Youth Space project, the shelter drew inspiration from the movement of local skateboarders. See it at Penn Road Island, Wolverhampton
We are delighted that MADE has been awarded a 
Whitefriars Housing and their private sector partners BKW are to use design coding to ensure the quality of new developments in Coventry’s New Deal for Communities area (known as WHEM). The redevelopment substantial areas of Wood End, Henley Green, Manor Farm and Deedmore, along with other initiatives carried out as part of the NDC programme, is intended to transform this deprived and undesirable area of the city.
Building for Life will ensure that local authority assessments of the quality of housing schemes will be consistent across the region and the country. That was the message when officers from 27 local planning authorities (out of 30 in the region) turned up to be trained as in-house building for life assessors.
March 26th will see the first meeting of a new network to help councillors from all over the West Midlands region who are Design and Historic Environment Champions to work together and learn from each other.
MADE is working with CABE to ensure that the West Midlands pioneers the introduction of Building for Life (BfL) assessments. BfL is a way of assessing the quality of new and existing housing schemes. Government and regional policy says it should be used in the planning process to raise housing quality. MADE is inviting local authorities to nominate potential in-house assessors to receive training and accreditation.
A partnership project between MADE, Sandwell MBC and Digital Native Academy (DNA) in 2008 has been nominated for its 4th Award. Having won the Ordnance Survey’s National Award for Innovation and been shortlisted for The Guardian Public Services Award it has now been nominated for the Local Government Chronicle/Health Service Journal Sustainable Communities Award: (announcement due February 09) and Sandwell Partnership Excellence and Achievement. It has also featured on the BBC's 'inside out' programme and is on
Students from Lord Silkin School, Telford, will be informing the design of their new ‘Building Schools for the Future’ premises, with support from MADE, the Education Business Partnership and ConstructionSkills. We organised an architecture tour of Birmingham, which took in Fort Dunlop (where the students were particularly impressed by the toilets and the roof garden) Castle Vale and Bournville.
Proclaiming ‘audacity’ as one of the principles for planning your city is a brave move and a tough commitment to live up to. That was the opening remark from David West at the recent Talking Cities Lecture at Birmingham Town Hall
More good news for Sandwell as Grade II listed Dartmouth Park in West Bromwich was awarded £4.4m second stage funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund/Big Lottery Parks for People programme. The money will go towards the refurbishment of the Victorian park and a new pavilion designed by architects Bryant Priest Newman. Further details 