British High Commission Colombo short listed for the RIBA Lubetkin prize

We are thrilled that the British High Commission is included in the shortlist for this highly prestigious prize. The Lubetkin prize is effectively for RIBA architects beyond the UK. Our competitors are the new Beijing Airport Terminal 3 by Foster and Partners, the National Stadium Beijing by Herzog & de Meuron, The Water Cube Olympic Aquatics Centre Beijing by PTW Architects, the Brandhorst Gallery Munich by Sauerbruch Hutton and the Sean O’Casey Community Centre in Dublin, designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey.

The announcement takes place at an event in the Durbar Hall in the Foreign Office Whitehall on 14th July. A link to the RIBA Awards information is here. Matt Bremner showed Paul Monaghan and Tony Chapman of the RIBA Awards group around the building earlier this month. The British High Commissioner in Colombo H.E. Dr. Peter Hayes said “I am delighted that the British High Commission building in Colombo has been nominated for the prestigious RIBA Lubetkin Prize. This nomination recognises the extraordinary achievement of Richard Murphy Architects, and their Sri Lankan partners Milroy Perera Associates, in combining the best traditions of Sri Lankan vernacular design with the needs of a modern office environment. The result is a building of real beauty, as well as one that makes environmental sustainability a key feature of the design”.

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Two 2009 RIBA Awards and Scottish Design Awards

The Colombo project also won an RIBA Award as did our housing at Moore Street in Glasgow for Molendinar Park Housing Association. The award was shared with our colleagues Page & Park, JM and Elder and Cannon as we each built a building on the site which overall was master-planned by ourselves. This year’s announcement brings our tally of RIBA awards to seventeen; one each for every complete year of the practice’s existence! We are delighted that Moore Street also won the best affordable housing award at the Scottish design Awards presented at the Glasgow Crowne Plaza Hotel at the end of May. The High Commission won a commendation in the Public Building Section.

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The Edinburgh Academy Nursery School is officially opened by Alexander McCall-Smith

In a delightful ceremony where guests were entertained musically by all the eighty children in the school the famous Edinburgh author officially opened the new school, the first of a number of improvements to the Arboretum Road campus. New pictures have been posted on the website.

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Stratheden Mental Health Unit Complete

For the NHS in Fife we have now completed the first of two residential dementia centres at Stratheden Hospital near Cupar. Pictures have been posted on the website and we are expecting residents to begin moving in at the beginning of August. Our second centre adjacent has begun on site built by the same contractor Interserve and is scheduled to be complete by March 2010. Landscaping will follow on this summer.

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Stratford Campus for the University of East London Complete

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All our buildings at the Stratford campus of University East London have been handed over to the University. The students have immediately taken possession of them as well as the College Green we have created between the new buildings. New photos have been placed on the three websites of the three individual buildings. Ann Slater head of Education in her new faculty Building said of the new facilities “It is wonderful… We've now moved in; everyone loves the building - students and staff”.

Site photos from Justice Mill Lane, Aberdeen

The latest photos of our major office and hotel building in Justice Mill Lane Aberdeen.

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Timmer Market starts on Site

Our project for Grampian Housing Association and Grampian NHS Trust starts on site this month. This £8m project will see 53 social housing flats placed around a south facing garden. Beneath them and accessed from an adjacent road will be a purpose built drug rehabilitation unity for the NHS.

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Recent Press

The announcement of the shortlist for the highly prestigious Lubetkin prize has been widely publicised in the national and international press.

Finally our proposed scheme at the Haymarket was publicised in the national and local press - relating to the public inquiry into the development on the former Morrison Street goods yard. InterContinental Hotels Group have also announced agreement to form part of Tiger Developments proposals to regenerate the Haymarket area creating offices, restaurants and shops; the five star InterContinental hotel will be a significant contribution to the city. Richard also featured in a BBC Scotland news item on the development.

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...and Finally

In May George Ferguson, a recent ex-President of the RIBA experienced the high life with Richard Murphy as he braves a trip above the clouds in his microlight aircraft. “I have always admired Murphy’s talent as an architect — and now I do his skill as a pilot in a Scottish wind!” said Ferguson. “We buzzed a few of East Lothian’s greatest houses and he brought me back on time and, more importantly, intact”.

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