NEWS
March 2011: Coe Design’s County Council and Heritage Lottery Fund backed Chesil Beach Visitor Centre features on architecturetoday.com and worldarchitecturenews.com
Click here to read the full article on architecturetoday.co.uk
Click here to read the full article on worldarchitecturenews.com
March 2011: Coe completes Queen Mary University of London New Humanities Building with Wilkinson Eyre architects
The new £12M Humanities Building was commissioned in 2006, furthering the continuing development of the Queen Mary University of London campus on the Mile End Road. Situated adjacent to the oldest Spanish and Portuguese Cemetery in the UK and a Grade 2 listed conservation area, Coe Design has developed a landscape scheme to complement the elegance of the built form by architects Wilkinson Eyre.
Our landscape design includes a series of ground floor spaces and an enclosed courtyard on the Second Floor, both incorporating repetition of colour and high quality materials with subtle contrasts to maximise the impact of the architecture. The streetscape is enhanced with raised planting beds, while low mound-forming plants provide an evergreen cushion from which large drought tolerant grasses emerge. Light coloured tall grasses animate the building by creating shadows against the auditorium wall, and form a transparent screen to the road edge. The Courtyard features light contrasting stone to create definition and to brighten the surrounding rooms.
February 2011: Coe Design welcomes Office Administrator Janice Bitmead to the team!
Coe Design welcomes Office Administrator Janice Bitmead to the team. Janice brings a wealth of skills and expertise that will be invaluable to the practice. Welcome Janice!
February 2011: Jenny Coe and Susanna Bickford visit UAE plant nurseries to investigate native plant species
Coe Design’s Jennifer Coe and Susanna Bickford recently travelled to the United Arab Emirates to undertake a study into the procurement of native plant species. Numerous nurseries were visited to further the existing practice knowledge of regional plant species, their technical requirements and lead in times to support a recent sustainable design commission.
February 2011: The Willows School – Completion of Phase 5
Phase 5 of The Willows School in Wolverhampton, UK, was completed on 14th February. One of Coe Design’s key design challenges for this phase of the works was delivering an efficient and safe pickup and drop-off system for Green Park S.E.N (Special Education Needs) School. Access for school minibuses had previously been a logistical nightmare. Only one minibus could access the school entrance at any given time. Pick-up and drop-off of the pupils (many of which require mobility assistance) was a time consuming process, resulting in car park congestion and a bottleneck of staff and pupils within the school entrance.
Coe’s new design enables multiple buses to be safely and simultaneously accessed to reduce pickup and drop off times and to enable the car park and building entrance to function as intended without excessive congestion.
“GPS pupil’s arrival and drop off went like a dream – 10 minutes ALL pupils in building and vans departing. Everyone calm and settled in the school…” Elrond Burrell – Associate Architect with ARCHITYPE, architects of The Willows School
February 2011: Sumner Park residents apply for Cleaner, Greener, Safer Funding to reinstate some of the Coe designed park’s ‘original delights’
Residents of Sumner Park in Peckham, London, have applied for funding to reinstate the timber board walk and planting from the original design scheme by Coe Design. We were able to assist by supplying original plans to the residents to support their claim. Coe Design wishes them the best of luck for the forthcoming Community Council decision.
January 2011: Chesil Beach Visitor Centre receives Heritage Lottery Funding
Approval has been given for Coe Design’s proposal for the redevelopment of the Chesil Beach Visitor Centre, situated on the 17-mile long Chesil Beach at the heart of England’s Jurassic Coast in Dorset, a place of international importance for its birds and marine wildlife.
The £1 million redevelopment project has been awarded £550,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and will be developed in time for the Olympic & Paralympic Games sailing events in 2012. The redeveloped Centre will provide the opportunity for visitors of all ages to find out more about the heritage resource of Chesil Beach, the Fleet and the adjacent Lyme Bay and Portland Harbour, set within the context of the World Heritage Site.
December 2010: Local college students visit the Coe Design studio
Coe Design welcomed pupils from Dorset based Kingston Maurward College. Students of the Environmental and Land-based Studies Diploma visited the studio to assist with their studies into careers in the environmental based work sector. Jim de bertrand and Richard Gossage from Coe design introduced the students to the practice’s work and received a presentation on the Landscape Architecture profession, skills and qualifications required and a typical day as a Landscape Architect.
Course lecturer Catherine Cservenka said “The feedback from the students has been very positive, with one student in particular now looking to pursue a career as a Landscape Architect.”
October 2010: Pupils celebrate progress of Wolverhampton Schools
Oak Meadow and Bushbury Hill Primary Schools have appeared in a local authority press release article publicising the recent celebration event at Bushbury Hill School.
Click the link below to read the article:
http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/council/news/2010/november/241110a.htm
October 2010: Jim de Bertrand travels to Khartoum, Sudan
Jim de Bertrand travelled to Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan along the River Nile to undertake research and a site visit to support a recent commission. The trip included a visit to the Khartoum National Botanic Garden to study native plant species along with visits to local plant nurseries and recent projects.
Jim de Bertrand found the trip to be “extremely educational, visiting the National Botanic Gardens was a highlight, many rare native flora can be seen which are not readily available at commercial nurseries. The gardens are a tranquil escape from the busy al-Mogran district of Khartoum.”
October 2010: Coe Design with the Architype-led team were awarded the Sorrell Foundation Schools Prize at the acclaimed Stirling Prize 2010
On behalf of Coe Design, Jennifer Coe and Jim de Bertrand attended the Stirling Prize awards ceremony at the Roundhouse in Camden, London, with the Architype-led team. Highlight of the night was being awarded the Sorrell Foundation Schools Award for St Luke’s Primary School in Wolverhampton, UK.
Speaking about St. Luke’s, Lady Sorrell, Director of the Sorrell Foundation, said, “St. Luke’s is an inspiration. Anyone involved in building a new primary school should go and see this school before doing anything else”.
Coe Design received a special mention during the award presentation for the way the landscape “complements the architecture wonderfully, making for a genuine sense of community, allowing for children of different ages to interact in a way that simply doesn’t happen in most schools today.”
September 2010: Two Wolverhampton Schools start on site
Bushbury Hill Primary School – Phase 1
Bushbury Hill Primary School and Oak Meadow Primary School projects, both based in Wolverhampton, have started on site this month. Both schools are phased developments on existing sites with the present schools remaining operational until completion of the new building and core landscape spaces. The functional requirements of Coe Design’s designs for the school landscapes are integrated with the creation of garden classrooms and habitats including the reinstatement of historic hedgerows, regeneration of existing school grounds to species rich fields and meadows, and the introduction of productive gardens.
We’ll keep you updated on progress on both sites.
August 2010: Jennifer Coe and Susanna Bickford travel to the ‘City of Canals’ in Italy to attend the Venice Biennale
Jennifer Coe and Susanna Bickford attended the 12th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale meeting old and new faces, soaking up the atmosphere of this special city and enjoying the variety and quality of the national exhibitions.
2010 June: St.Luke’s wins the 2010 bcse sustainable school of the year award
On 27.06.10 at an awards ceremony and also at the Quality in Construction Awards held on the same night, St Luke’s won Project of the Year under £10m and Environmental Project of the Year.
(bcse is the British Council for School Environments. www.bcse.net)
2010 June: Sue Coucher CMLI awarded
Following on from her recent Pathway to Chartership examination Sue Coucher who has been with Coe Design for two years has been recommended by the examiners for chartered status as a fully qualified member of the Landscape Institute (CMLI). Well Done!
2010 May: St.Luke’s wins 2010 RIBA Award
It was announced today (20.05.2010) that the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has given a prestigious RIBA award in recognition of the school’s exceptional environmental and design features which has achieved a transformational approach to education within a standard budget. The RIBA was impressed by the light and airy building which teachers testify is a pleasure to teach in. The design team was led by Herefordshire based architects Architype and in addition to Coe Design included Price and Myers (Structural and Drainage Engineers), Ernest Griffiths (M+E Engineers) and Smith Thomas Consult (QS and Project Management).
2010 April: Nigel Koch, Principal Landscape Architect in Australia
Adelaide Zoo Roof Landscapes:
Nigel Koch participated in a tour of roof gardens associated with the new Entrance Precinct Complex by Hassell Architects and the rooftop ‘camp’ located on the research centre for visiting zoologist students.
Arid & indigenous landscape case studies:
Nigel visited Australian arid and indigenous landscape projects in South Australia and Victoria. Notably, the Arid Lands Botanic Garden and Courthouse, Port Augusta, Warriparinga Living Kaurna Cultural Centre, Adelaide and the Australia Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne.
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| (Rooftop ‘camp’ – Adelaide Zoo) | Port Augusta Court House | Warriparinga Living Kaurna Cultural Centre |
2010 March: St.Luke’s awarded a 2010 Civic Trust Award
St. Luke’s CE Primary School has been awarded a 2010 Civic Trust Award which is given to projects that make an outstanding contribution to the quality and appearance of the environment, and are of benefit to the local community.
2010 March: Adler Hall site visit
CDLA has been involved in this contemporary garden scheme for an Estate in Riga, Latvia since concept design began in 2002. It was completed in 2008–9. Jenny Coe, practice founder and director was recently asked by the client to make a visit to discuss additions to the garden for the forthcoming summer season.
2009 December: Jim de Bertrand CMLI awarded
Following on from his recent Pathway to Chartership examination Jim de Bertrand who has been with Coe Design for a number of years has been recommended by the examiners for chartered status as a fully qualified member of the Landscape Institute (CMLI). Congratulations!
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2009 November: Research trip to Santiago, Spain
While in Galicia, Spain, Roger Wild paid a visit to Eisenman’s ‘Cidade da Cultura de Galicia’ scheme currently under construction.
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| California Academy of Sciences |
2009 November: Research trip to San Francisco
As part of his trip to San Francisco, Manuel Guemes,one of our landscape architects paid a visit to Renzo Piano’s California Academy of Sciences with its living roofs followed by de Young Museum by Herzog & de Meuron to research precedents for our current international green roof and courtyard projects.
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| de Young Museum | Living roof detail, California Academy of Sciences |
2009 September: Coe Design Teamwork Training
Every year we hold a ‘Colourworks’ training day in a local hotel where we have the opportunity to develop our team working skills. Part of the day was spent on Weymouth beach where we bemused passersby. We hold additional training sessions throughout the year to develop our staff’s core skills.
2009 October: St.Luke’s Opening Ceremony
Roger Wild, Director of Coe Design attended the official celebrations for the opening of St. Luke’s Church of England Primary School. The day included a guided tour by pupils, the unveiling of commemorative plaques and carnival celebrations with parents and friends of the school invited to attend.
2009 July: St.Luke’s is the first primary school to be awarded BREEAM Excellent
St.Luke’s Church of England Primary School in Wolverhampton has been awarded a BREEAM Schools rating of ‘Excellent’ and thus becomes the first school in Britain to achieve this accolade.
May 2009: PEABODY AVENUE CELEBRATES
Peabody, one of London’s leading social housing providers celebrates with a ‘topping out’ ceremony held on the top storey of the new housing buildings. Our involvement with the project in association with Howarth Tompkins, the project architects, consists of works to improve the existing distinctive Avenue courtyard including improving. conditions for the existing plane trees, upgrading the surfaces and to create ecological planting. A courtyard play, sports and community garden areas for the new build housing scheme site are due to be completed by March 2011.
Site last updated March 2011.