RIBA: The Latest Architecture and News

The Met in Bangkok, Thailand by WOHA has scooped the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) prestigious RIBA Lubetkin Prize for the most outstanding work of international architecture by a member of the RIBA.

A residential skyscraper incorporating outdoor spaces, balconies and gardens, The Met is a 66 storey perforate tower which uses the power of nature to cool the apartments. Wind speeds at that height are considerable, so by punching holes through the building and drawing air up vertical voids in the structure, the architects have been able to introduce natural ventilation to flats at all levels. Some of these floors are kept open to provide communal spaces, which include a garden, a gym, a 50 metre swimming pool and other leisure facilities, such as barbecue and seating areas. More information on the award after the break.

In May, we covered the RIBA Awards 2011 and today, we have a great set of photos of Stephen Marshall Architects’ latest project which has been recognized for its architectural excellence by the Royal Institute of British Architects. The project houses the Rothschild Foundation and the Waddesdon Archives in a renovated dairy building situated on the Estate at Windmill Hill, in Aylesbury, England.

More about the project after the break.

What will the architecture profession look like in 2025? According to the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) think tank Building Futures new survey, we have a tough road ahead of us. The year long study asked, who will design our built environment, what role will architects have, and how might practice change by 2025.

Our global economy and the economic recession have effected our business practices and the RIBA has taken a look at how these factors have transformed our profession and what trends we may see continuing in the future. The survey suggests that not only will architecture firms have to focus on a financial and business approach rather than predominantly design-led offices, but also company names are predicted to drop ‘architect’ altogether and insert ‘spatial agencies’ and ‘design houses’.

The 2011 RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship was launched today and invites applications from RIBA-accredited schools of architecture around the world. A £6,000 grant will be awarded to one student by a panel of judges which includes Norman Foster and the President of the RIBA. Regarding last year’s competition Foster stated, “we were greatly impressed with the breadth and quality of last year’s entries, but the proposals that really stood out for the jury were focused, setting out clear aims and looking afresh at a current issue. I look forward to seeing the many creative ways in which students will develop their research proposals early next year.”

The RIBA has announced that this year’s Stirling Prize will be shown on BBC Two’s The Culture Show, after viewing figures dipped to an all time low on Channel 4 last year.

The RIBA is delighted to announce the launch of an international open design competition on behalf of The Royal Parks Foundation and Tiffany & Co. Foundation for the design of a new drinking fountain which can then be installed throughout the Royal Parks in London. The programme, called Tiffany – Across the Water, focuses on ornamental and drinking fountains in the capital’s eight Royal Parks and will see the creation of a stunning new fountain in St James’s Park, restoration of the Italian Gardens in Kensington Gardens, as well as improvements to drinking fountains to benefit the Royal Parks’ 37 million visitors each year.

The Royal Institute of British Architects just announced 102 buildings that were awarded for the 2010 Awards. These buildings, 93 sprawled across the UK and 9 in the rest of the EU, include 6 which were nominated for the Stirling Prize.

More about the winners and more images after the break.

The RIBA Royal Gold Medal for 2010 goes to an architect whose renown has been built over several decades of consistently producing a very particular kind of structure — often aspired to, rarely achieved.