Context 152 - November 2017

44 C O N T E X T 1 5 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 pioneered the use of pre-cast concrete, often with exposed aggregate finishes, and exploited the raw texture of timber and other materials. Several of these buildings, including the monumental Hilda Besse Building at St Antony’s College, Oxford, the Acland Burghley School at Tufnell Park, London, and the Mathematics Research Centre Houses at the University of Warwick, are now listed, the latter at Grade II*. Unlike other architects who could be classified as embracing brutalism, however, they had a sensitive understanding of context, and Geraint Franklin reveals the breadth of their historic sources. In a series of lectures in 1970, Howell explained their theories around ‘vertebrate buildings’ which could be read as a series of structured spaces, and which underpinned the organisation and structural expression of all their work. Howell found prototypes in Celtic beehive tombs, Gothic structural engineering, the Crystal Palace and Buckminster Fuller’s Domes. After two introductory chapters, the book is divided into sections dealing with different building types. From Roehampton onwards, residential buildings were an abiding interest of the team members, and the sociological concerns of Jane Jacobs became an important influence. The performing arts were a specialist area in which they excelled, the Young Vic and Regent’s Park Theatres being pioneers of flexible planning and elemental design. The political shift in the 1970s and 80s from spending on higher education to law and order led to HKPA taking commissions for courthouses, prisons and work for the defence sector. The scale of projects changed too, the massive Devonport Dockyard complex, housing nuclear submarines, and Belmarsh Prison being among their most notable achievements. Their most complex vertebrate structure was the Hall of Justice, Trinidad, a tough but elegant solution to the tortuous problems of planning criminal courts, which was completed in 1985. When establishing the practice, the partners thought that they would all retire on the same day, but the early deaths of Killick in 1971 from multiple sclerosis, and Howell in a car accident in 1974, had a profound effect. Amis retired in 1989, and Partridge, who was never comfortable with the values of the Thatcher era, finally wound up the practice in 1995. The book is illustrated with archive photos, plans and striking new images by the Historic England photographer James O Davies, and comes with a set of post cards and a fold-out strip featuring eight staircases designed by HKPA. Franklin’s incisive and sympathetic analysis of one of the most important architectural practices of the 20th century has been worth waiting for. Peter de Figueiredo, heritage consultant Down to earth Practical Building Conservation: Earth, Brick and Terracotta Historic England, Ashgate, 2015, 1,020 pages, profusely illustrated, ISBN 978 0 754645 53 5, £95 The Practical Building Conservation series, first authored by John and Nicola Ashurst 28 years ago, had become a key reference for many practitioners. Originally of five volumes, the series has recently been expanded to 10 volumes by a team at Historic England, with the assistance of expert contributors. More than simply a revised edition, the volume on earth, brick and terracotta has been comprehensively rewritten. Totalling 1,020 pages, it is written by Alison Henry, Iain McCaig, Clara Willett, Sophie Godfraind and John Stewart. Each of the three materials is introduced with a review of how it has been used in England through history. In this respect the volume is much more than a technical handbook. Regional variations are explained in great detail – for example, there are pages on the different characteristics of cob buildings across the country – followed by comprehensive sections assessing and diagnosing defects, and repair and maintenance. Although wordy, the information is easily accessible; the section on daub, for example, describes its preparation, including the merits of hay and straw, and the different lengths to which each should be chopped. The method given for temporary support of a leaning cob wall is an example of the practical advice found throughout. The coverage of brickwork stabilisation techniques, in preference to dismantling and rebuilding, is one of many valuable technical sections. Terracotta and faience are served equally well, and anyone reading this chapter in full would finish with a very good appreciation of this often misunderstood material. Of note is a special chapter on tiles which, although it does not feature in the title of the book, is substantial in itself and similar in coverage to those on the other three materials. The text is well illustrated throughout, with cogent, annotated drawings and a very broad range of photographs, many showing defects and repairs in action and having real educational value. The chapter on each of the materials ends with a selection of case studies showing how the theory is put into practice, and the lessons learnt. Its encyclopaedic nature makes the volume a one-stop reference for most matters relating to clay- based building materials, and it is essentially four books in one, which goes a long way to justifying its price. Thankfully it is particularly well set out, with coloured dividers aiding its use as a reference text. Helpfully, there is a colour-coded key system for referencing other relevant volumes in the series, although this volume serves perfectly well in isolation. As the name suggests, the book does indeed provide practical advice on building conservation, and is aimed primarily at those who work on or look after historic buildings. It will also be of interest to owners or those in education looking to acquire a detailed understanding of the subject. While the focus is on buildings in England, the characteristics of the materials and the approach for their conservation are relevant across the UK and beyond. Although most likely to be used as a reference text for dipping into when presented with a particular defect, Earth, Brick and Terracotta is also an absorbing read. Simon Malam, accredited conservation architect, Donald Insall Associates