Oxford Circus
2008 continuing |
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Oxford
Street, one of the principal shopping centres in Britain,
is no fun for pedestrians! The pavements are narrow and
overcrowded and at Oxford Circus barriers restrict pedestrian
movement and give priority to vehicular traffic. The Oxford
Street, Regent Street and Bond Street Improvement Project
(ORB), for which I am the Access Consultant, is coordinated
by Westminster City Council and includes a radical reorganisation
of pedestrian and vehicular movement at Oxford Circus.
The barriers will be removed, the pavements widened, the
quality of paving and lighting improved and the clutter
of street furniture reduced. The traffic lights will regularly
stop all traffic, enabling pedestrians to cross freely,
including diagonally. The detailed design will include
limited amounts of blister paving to assist people with
impaired vision and dropped kerbs to provide step-free
access for everyone, including wheelchair users. Work
has now started on site and is due for completion in 2010. |
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Tate
Modern extension
2006 continuing |
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Following
the success of the Tate Modern conversion designed by
Herzog and de Meuron of a former power station, the same
architects were appointed to design an extension at the
south side of the Turbine Hall. The proposed 11-storey
building includes banks of high-speed lifts, together
with a unique series of curved and spiral staircases designed
to provide a sequence of spatial experiences for visitors
to the gallery. The project, carried out in association
with DBA, received planning permission in 2009 and is
due for completion in 2012. |
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Olympic Athletes'
Village
2006 continuing |
image to come |
The
site for the 2012 Olympic Games at Stratford in East London
covers an area of some 500 acres. This ambitious project
includes residential development and facilities which
will be used for the Olympic Games and these will then
provide a legacy of housing, shops, a new college and
a large public park on a sloping site. The planning and
design of the public realm, including a new landscaped
hill, water features and bridges have presented particularly
challenging problems in meeting the criteria for inclusive
accessible design. The project, carried out with the Olympic
Development Agency, Lend Lease and DBA, is due for completion
by 2012. |
link to come |
Strawberry
Hill
2004 - 08 |
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The proposed refurbishment
project for Hugh Walpole's romantic Gothic house dating
from 1740-80 involved subtle access improvements designed
to enable visitors to see the ground floor and the famous
first floor gallery without intrusive alterations to the
historic fabric. The proposals include a lift inserted
discreetly into a former service area. The scheme was
approved by English Heritage and received funding from
the Heritage Lottery Fund. |
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Royal Festival
Hall
2003 - 07 |
 |
Access consultancy
with David Bonnett Associates (DBA) and Allies + Morrison
for the refurbishment and improvement of this iconic building,
50 years after it had opened in 1953, included a new glass
lift internally and new shops and cafes externally. The
external works included new terraces, steps and ramps
to facilitate access and activities at the Thames frontage. |
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Tate Modern
Shop
2003 - 04 |
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After the opening
of Tate Modern in 2000 the main entrance on the riverside
frontage was dark and uninviting. I contributed to the
design of the new shop as a 'sparkling jewel' with bright
illumination and the minimum of manifestation signs on
the glass. The project was carried out with David Bonnett
Associates (DBA). |
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St George's
Bloomsbury
2003 |
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The last church designed
by Nicholas Hawksmoor is a Grade 1 listed building and
was completed in 1731. Now, after restoration works led
by World Monuments Fund in Britain, has a magnificent
interior over a large vaulted brick crypt. Originally
staircases provided the only routes up to the church and
down to the crypt. During the design of the refurbishment
project I was asked to advise on the options for providing
step-free access to both levels and assistance in obtaining
listed building consent. After examining many options,
I recommended the installation of platform lifts at the
side of the church with minimal and reversible alterations
to the historic structure. The work was completed in 2003
and the building has been restored to its former glory
and is now fully accessible. |
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Royal Hospital
Chelsea
2000 - 01 |
 |
Designed by Christopher
Wren in the early 18th century, most of the buildings
on this site were accessible only by staircases, which
caused serious problems for the elderly Chelsea Pensioners.
One of my proposals for improved access, approved by English
Heritage, was for a new lift concealed behind 18th century
panelling to serve the main Dining Hall which is used
daily by the residents.The photographs were taken during
the initial access audit. |
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RNIB/New College
Worcester
1985 - 92 |
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During this project
for blind and partially-sighted pupils I was so impressed
by the determination of the young pupils to achieve their
full academic and social potential that I decided to learn
more about the needs of disabled people. When the Disability
Discrimination Act of 1995 was published I discovered
that I was already well on the way to having a specialist
knowledge of the subject and in 2002 I became the first
member of the National Register of Access Consultants.
After preparing many articles and talks on the subject
of 'inclusive accessible design, my two books were published
in 2007. (See
Books and Articles>>>). |
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