INTERNATIONAL NEWS
James Jones ’ s visitor building scoops two Scottish Design Awards
James Jones ' s new visitor building has won two awards in the Scottish Design Awards 2021 , winning both the Architecture award for a ‘ Commercial / Office / Hotel Building or Project ’ and the overall ‘ Architecture Grand Prix for Architecture ’.
The Scottish Design Awards are open to all architects , engineers , graphic , interior and digital designers to celebrate class leading work , best practice , sustainability and innovation in all its forms .
“ As a business , they ' re putting their stamp on the building ,” said the judges . “ Simple , elegant , sustainable and a showcase for its owner .”
The Lockerbie site is the largest single site sawmill complex in the UK and the most technically advanced . As such , pre-pandemic , Lockerbie received a high number of visitors – including small groups of customer visits , customer training courses , academic institutions , and industry events .
The idea for the building recognised the need to provide increased office accommodation , better visitor facilities , and the opportunity to host on-site training courses and industry meetings , which previously had to be conducted offsite . James Jones & Sons held a design competition between two architectural firms and the winning team was Konishi Gaffney from Edinburgh , led by Kieran Gaffney .
“ We are really pleased and proud to have been recognised in these awards ,” said Kieran Gaffney . “ Both in the commercial category , which had some very strong work , and the Grand Prix for Architecture which is a very exciting achievement . Working with James Jones & Sons on their visitor building was a brilliant opportunity to showcase their materials and explore the possibilities of timber construction . We ' d like to thank them for their trust in us ;
TTJ our consultant team for their expertise and the builder for their hard work and patience . Lastly thanks to the Scottish Design Awards for this huge honour .”
“ We are delighted the new building received two architectural awards in last week ’ s virtual ceremony ,” added Rob MacKenna , general manager at the Lockerbie site . “ The striking design and innovative use of solid and engineered timber products are a great example of how timber can be used to deliver high quality office and meeting areas . Konishi Gaffney architects were able to articulate this in the building ’ s design and its fantastic their efforts have been recognised by the Scottish Design Awards . Congratulations to all of the evening ’ s winners , thanks to Scottish Design Awards as virtual hosts , and we ’ re looking forward to welcoming visitors to our Lockerbie site very soon .”
Source : Timber Trades Journal ( TTJ )
Prefab modular apartment creates 100 + homes for homeless
In the face of America ’ s housing crisis , Star Apartments is a shining example of a rising trend to think outside the box by taking advantage of prefabricated , sustainable building systems — like modular wood construction — to deliver more affordable housing solutions . And the solutions can ’ t come fast enough .
At first glance , the Star Apartments in downtown Los Angles could be mistaken for an avant-garde luxury condo development . The six-storey 95 000-square-foot project is instead home to over 100 formerly homeless residents . Designed by architect Michael Maltzan , an alum of Gehry Partners , the stacked , sculptural form levitating above Skid Row seems almost out of place in a part of the city most known for its transient population .
Checking all the boxes : The Star Apartments in LA ’ s Skid Row make a bold architectural statement complete with four terraced floors of residences , along with community and public health facilities including a 15 000-square-foot Health and Wellness Centre . Other amenities include a community garden , running track , exercise and art rooms , and a library .
6 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2021 // www . timberiq . co . za