We are delighted to have received a second round grant of £1,918,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for The Fratry Project.  This award comes at the end of 5 years’ careful work to shape plans for an extension to the Fratry and to develop the Cathedral’s teaching and learning work. The extension will provide easy physical access to both levels of the Fratry building as well as a new space for hospitality and catering, Work on site should begin early in 2018 and the building should be completed by summer 2019.

The Dean of Carlisle, the Very Reverend Mark Boyling, said, “We’re delighted that we have received this support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Cathedral is open and active every day of the year and we need the right facilities if we are to meet the needs of the many people from the city and far afield who come to this mustsee location with a message. It is good to know that we will be able to reach more people in new ways.” 

Nathan Lee, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund North West said: “This is an important project which the Heritage Lottery Fund is delighted to be able to support. Lottery players’ money will be put to excellent use by the Cathedral, which will as a result be able to offer better facilities and opportunities to engage with heritage, for both local people and visitors to this wonderful city.”

Read the press release in full here.

Feilden Fowles has won a competition run by Malcolm Reading Consultants to design a £7 million dining hall for Homerton College, University of Cambridge. Feilden Fowles’ design features masonry piers and a faience and glass corona, while the scheme also includes new kitchens and support spaces.

The London-based practice saw off a shortlist that included dRMM, which came second in the competition; last year’s Stirling Prize winner Caruso St John; Hall McKnight; and Walters & Cohen. Some 155 practices registered their interest in the competition at the first stage, with 24 selected for the long list. 

“We are thrilled to win this open competition to design new dining facilities for Homerton College. We feel very honoured to be given the opportunity ahead of more established practices and feel it reflects the genuine openness of the competition process, as well as the college’s belief in investing in young talent. The project offers a unique chance to create a transformational space at the heart of an already stunning site. This is a privilege we do not take lightly and we are determined to deliver a world class facility. We can’t wait to get started.”

Read the Malcolm Reading press release here. More details on the project here.

The most recent RIBA President’s Debate proposed the motion Robots Are Tomorrow’s Architects. Invited speakers argued both sides of a 21st century debate about the future of architecture, posing questions regarding advances in technology which have long been recognised as a threat to manual labour. But now skilled jobs, including those in architecture, are at risk. Can we adapt to this new digital age or will we face the rise of the robots?

Chaired by Professor Flora Samuel, Chair of the RIBA Research and Innovation Group.

For the motion was Dale Sinclair, RIBA’s Ambassador for Collaboration and Technical, a Director of AECOM and CIC Board member; and Alastair Parvin, ‎Co-founder at WikiHouse Foundation.

Against the motion was Edmund Fowles, Feilden Fowles and Gillian Lambert, AOC Architecture, who advocated the value traditional methods of design and the in-depth thought processes that architects contribute to every project.

Charlie Bigham’s new food production and office facilities are progressing rapidly on site at Dulcote quarry.

More on the project here.

Brief write up published in the AJ on Carlisle planning triumph – “the most significant physical intervention on the site for more than 150 years”.

More project details here.

Feilden Fowles’ self-initiated studio project has been shortlisted for the AJ Small Projects Award.

Further details on the project here.

The feature talks about Feilden Fowles emergence following the 2008 recession and how the practice has carved a niche in community minded projects.
Read the full article here.

Carlisle Cathedral Fratry project has gained planning permission and CFCE permissions. This is a great triumph for the client and design team achieving consents for a project first conceived ten years ago. This is the first new building in the precinct for over 300 years and it replaces the west range of the cloister destroyed during the reformation.

The practice has made the final shortlist of 5 for the new Homerton College Dining Hall, Cambridge. This shortlist has been reduced from an initial 150 submissions from around Europe and marks the growing recognition of the practices approach and design credentials. The interview will be in January with the successful team being announced in February.