Keynote Lecture: City Transport 'Movers and Shakers: Who Decides how we travel?'

On the 24 February the Architecture centre hosted a keynote lecture to support the launch of its most recent City ideas Studio residency: Transport. Guests gathered in the gallery beforehand to view and discuss the display, before heading upstairs to hear the talks and take part in the discussion.

James Durie of the West of England Initiative introduced the event and its two keynote speakers. Anne O'Driscoll, Director of North Bristol Suscom, spoke about how businesses and students are turning to more sustainable methods of travel. Jon usher, West of England Programme Manager at Sustrans, outlined the aims and the key initiatives in the recently published 'A Good transport plan for Bristol'. A lively debate ensued that raised questions with regards to the cost of travel in Bristol, obstacles on the road that effect buses and freight vehicles, a congestion charge (as part of a carrot and stick approach) as well as the subject of devolution.

It was a thoroughly engaging and informative event - a great way start the City Ideas Studio: Transport exhibition.

A video of the evenings talks will be available to view on the Architecture Centre’s website soon.

The City Ideas Studio: Transport residency is on until 10 April, open 11-5 Wednesday-Friday and 12-5 Saturday-Sunday. 

Visit our website to find out more about events happening soon.

Private View: City Ideas Studio - Transport

Wednesday 10 February saw the official launch and private view of our Transport residency at the City Ideas Studio. Guests viewed the display and took part in a lively discussion on ways in which we can improve public transport, active travel and make better use of our streets.

Working with our studio partner The West of England Initiative, the exhibition uses the recently published Good Transport Plan for Bristol as a framework for exploring key issues, with projects including those by Sustrans, Playing Out, Let's Walk Bedminster, North Bristol SusCom and UWE.

City Ideas Studio: Transport is on display until 10 April, open 11-5 Wednesday-Friday and 12-5 Saturday-Sunday.

Visit our website to find out more about events happening soon.

Keynote Lecture: City Energy - Solarsense and Max Fordham

On the 16 November the Architecture Centre held a keynote lecture to support the launch of its most recent City Ideas Studio residency: Energy. With contributions from renewables consultants, Solarsense, and engineers specialising in sustainability, Max Fordham, the talk addressed the subject of renewables and how Bristol might increase investment in solar across the city.

First to talk was David Snape from Solarsense. He gave an overview of the history of the company and offered examples of the broad range of solar installations they’ve completed over the years. A particular example, which is featured in the City Ideas Studio: Energy exhibition, is a solar power installation fitted on to the roof the science centre, At-Bristol, which was completed in just four weeks. He explained how solar technology has gradually become a more viable option, for both businesses and home owners, for reasons relating to innovations in the technology used, which makes it both cheaper and more efficient.

Next up was Richard Lowe, Investment Programme Manager at Bristol City Council. He outlined the aims and achievements so far of some of their current programmes. These include ‘Warm Up Bristol’, a scheme designed to ensure that Bristol’s homes are as energy efficient as they can be, by  maximising the performance of the building fabric itself. He also spoke about the Heat Network that the council is developing in the city. A network of underground pipes supply heat to a number of buildings from a local energy centre, which ultimately provide more efficient and lower-cost heat to the surrounding area.

The third speaker was David Saunders from Bristol Energy Network. He spoke about the role of the community in shaping and developing sustainable resources. The Bristol Energy Network has recently launched Energy Champions, which aims to offer every person in Bristol someone to turn to for energy advice and who will champion energy saving in the local community.

The final talk was from the keynote speaker Hareth Pochee, physicist and engineer at Max Fordham. He explained that a significant percentage of the total of the United Kingdom’s energy demand and CO2 emissions comes from heating buildings. He outlined the technical, economic and social details of government proposals to reduce this percentage which include CHP (combined heat and power), district heating, heat pumps and insulation and presented a number of alternatives to these proposals. These included hydrogen infrastructure and radical retrofit. In both instances deep energy saving methods are incorporated with other architectural design features to yield additional benefits. Keynsham Civic Centre, a case study featured in the current City Ideas Studio exhibition, offers an example of where these measures have had an immensely positive effect on the building's energy performance and the surrounding area. Haresh ended by outlining the huge potential for these measures to drastically reduce the energy demands of the UK’s buildings, as well as drastically change the appearance of our streets.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative evening – a great way to kickstart the City Ideas Studio: Energy exhibition.

A video of the evenings talks will be available to view on the Architecture Centre’s website in the new year.

The City Ideas Studio: Energy residency is on until 24 January, open 11-5 Wednesday-Friday and 12-5 Saturday-Sunday. Please note the Architecture Centre gallery is closed for the festive period from 21 December, reopening on Wed 6 January 2016.

Visit our website to find out more about events happening soon.

Images courtesy Angelica Catton

City Ideas Studio: Energy - The Private View

Wednesday 9 December saw the official launch and private view of our Energy residency at the City Ideas Studio. Opened and introduced by Assistant Mayor for Place, Councillor Simon Cook, guests gathered to discuss and find out about how we can produce better, cleaner energy and use less of it.

The exhibition showcases work and projects from our studio partner Solarsense, with local energy projects by Bristol City Council, Bristol Energy Network, Centre for Sustainable Energy, The GreenRegister, Max Fordham and others, as well as provocations by staff and students from the UWE Department of Architecture and the Built Environment.

There was also the opportunity to find out more about the Bristol Child Friendly City initiative in our pop-up foyer display. The Bristol Child Friendly City Network,  comprising the Architecture Centre, Playing Out, Room 13 Hareclive and the University of Bristol, hosted Bristol’s first Child Friendly City Symposium as part of the Thinking Futures Festival in November. The symposium brought together people from different backgrounds to share thoughts and experiences contributing to the beginnings of a vision for Bristol’s future as a more child friendly city. Adults and children worked  together to agree further calls to make Bristol more child friendly. Some of these outcomes are on display in an illustration by Laurie Stansfield, until the 24 January.

City Ideas Studio: Energy is on display until 24 January, open 11-5 Wednesday-Friday and 12-5 Saturday-Sunday. Please note the Architecture Centre gallery is closed for the festive period from 21 December, reopening on Wed 6 January 2016.

Visit our website to find out more.

Images © Frances Gard

My Green City outreach workshops at Bristol Family Arts Festival

As part of the 2015 Bristol Family Arts Festival the Architecture Centre, Watershed and Children's Scrapstore  hosted two creative family outreach workshops at Junction 3 Library, Easton and Lawrence Weston Community Farm. Families were asked to help populate a green city full of eco-friendly buildings, green transport and sustainable energy solutions. Some great creations were made!

Learn more about projects around Bristol that are helping the city be more green at our City Ideas Studio

Visit our website for information on upcoming events

Shoe boxes and shipping containers! Make your own snug home

The City Ideas Studio was taken over for our Snug Homes family workshop last Friday (30 October), as part of the Bristol Family Arts Festival and Art Weekender.

Families were asked to model their own eco-friendly snug home. A really small house, still containing all the essentials that a house should have. It was a busy and creative afternoon of designing and making, take a look at some of the great creations that were made...

Learn more about Ecomotive SNUG homes here and at our Resources residency.

Visit the Architecture Centre's website for more events and information.

City Ideas Studio: Resources

We are a few weeks into our third City Ideas Studio residency, Resources, where we are addressing the question: How can we make more of the things we have? Visit the gallery 11-5 Wednesday-Friday and 12-5 Saturday-Sunday to explore all aspects of resourcefulness.

Seat made by Round Wood Design, based at Bower
Ashton Woodyard

The exhibition explores not only how best to use finite resources such as building
materials, land and money, but also how cities should harness the powerful resource
of human inventiveness and action.

There is a lot to find out about and explore:

• BuroHappold Engineering's range of global and local resourceful initiatives
• Our touch screen where you can learn about our previous exhibitions, projects and organisations that are exploring solutions for a sustainable future, we’re gradually adding all our City Ideas Studio content onto the touch screen so have a read up on our previous residencies.
• Watch videos and read up on local resourceful projects including: Bristol Green Doors, Bristol ReUse Network and Ecomotive SNUG Homes
• Take part in our SNUG Homes family activity - can you design a 'snug' home (a compact and environmentally friendly house)
• Add your comments and ideas to our map on resourceful projects in Bristol
• View UWE Department of Architecture and the Built Environment's installation, that offers a thought-provoking response to the exhibition theme
• Learn about Bower Ashton Woodyard and Round Wood Design and try out the wood furniture
• Visit our foyer to learn about the Architecture Centre's Shape My City #livebuild sustainable building project

Visit the Architecture Centre website for information on events and exhibitions coming soon.

Visit the City Ideas Studio resources exhibition after hours in our special twilight opening on 30 October, part of Art Weekender: Bristol & Bath

Bristol Green Doors: The Route to Retrofit

Add your comments to our map

City of Ideas touch screen

Early prototype design of a SNUG Home by Ecomotive

UWE Department of Architecture and the Built Environment display

Shape My City #livebuild foyer exhibition