PART TWO: A NEW FRONTIER Excerpt
by +1, Intermediate Unit 10
27 May 2013
The Rooftop of 33 Bedford Square, London
The politics of fabrication. Something Eric Parry talked about in his lecture at the AA during the winter term. Something about which a majority of us, paradoxically, seem to know very little about indeed.
From the outset, when the first introductions were made between students and tutor at the start of the academic year, Inter 10 appeared to have a wealth of experience in this field, an embarrassment of riches. Students had built houses and bars before, worked on building projects in Japan, Dubai, Barking. Opening up a rooftop? No problem.
No problem?
As the year progressed, it became increasingly and acutely clear that this was not going to be quite as easy as it had initially seemed.
Following the approval of the initial planning application to construct an access door from the rear office of the second floor presentation space to the rooftop in question, and the installation of handrails to secure the site for public usage, the real business began. Getting the planning through is the tip of the iceberg. We then had to submit an application to building control to ensure our deigns would comply with regulations. An engineer stepped in. Things got trickier. Orders were placed, fall restraint safety systems commissioned, method statements and risk assessments were completed, fire escape regulations modified. Politics of fabrication.
For now, the business end of things is, for the most part, taken care of and the construction is well under way. Within the week, the AA will have a new terrace. But, it’s not just a new terrace but rather a platform for the unit to continue its ongoing brief.
A launch pad for the plus one.
For more information:
Intermediate Unit 10 Programme Brief
Part One: Plus One
Video by Intermediate Unit 10 for their Term 3 Final Jury
Text by Rory Sherlock, AA 2nd Year