Open House at Stonebridge

As part of the Open House London weekend, we held a breakfast event at the Stonebridge Hillside Hub; a mixed-use building that we saw through to completion earlier this year. Greeted with coffee and tea and a selection of pastries, attendees were then given a talk by architects, Roddy Langmuir and David Cawston, which explained the design and structure of the Hub and the local community's involvement in the design process. This was followed by a tour of the building.

Last Thursday, the Stonebridge Hillside Hub won the Mail on Sunday British Homes Award for Mixed-Use Regeneration Development of the Year and has also been shortlisted for a Regeneration and Renewal Award, for which the winners will be announced later this week.

The Stonebridge Hillside Hub is located in the Stonebridge Estate in north west London, near Harlesden.

The Community Hall set up for the presentation.

Roddy Langmuir, Project Director for the Hub, talks about the early stages of the project and the community's involvement in shaping the final design.

The communal garden at the rear of the scheme, overlooked by the Community Hall.

The main reception area leading to the PCT Health Centre.

The three storey atrium at the main entrance to the Health Centre, which is due to open in November.

A model of the local area shows the regeneration of the estate and the Hillside Hub in context.

Fitzwilliam College Library

Progress on site at Brampton Manor School

The Performing Arts block is nearing completion (plant enclosure and the landscaping to be completed), the new circulation link is also nearing completion and the Dance Studio is complete.

10:10

The 10:10 climate change campaign is the brainchild of Franny Armstrong (Director of 'The Age of Stupid' film) and was launched today in partnership with The Guardian. Ted Cullinan is one of many well-known individuals and organisations from the arts, sport, tv, politics, etc., to have joined the campaign. Ted joined them this afternoon for the official launch in the Tate Modern Turbine Hall.

The project aims to bring every sector of British society to work together to achieve a 10% cut in the UK's carbon emissions in 2010. Scientists now agree that global emissions must peak within the next five to ten years and then begin to fall. 10:10 believes that in order to give ourselves a chance, we need to act now. By cutting emissions by 10%, it provides an immediate action that is achievable for everyone. This is a brilliant first step towards the 85% cuts by 2050.

Ted designed and built his own passive-solar house in Camden in 1964, and this has recently been listed Grade II*. But buildings are currently responsible for 40% of UK emissions, so there is a lot for us architects to be doing. Our practice has been monitoring its footprint for just under two years and although originally aiming for a 5% reduction in utilities usage, we are now well on target for a 20% reduction, comparing 2009 against 2008 consumption.

On his return to the office Ted said of the inauguration that it was "brilliantly organised chaos".