2006
Easterhouse has been nominated for RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award (November 2006)
DNA are extremely pleased that one of our recently completed projects - Easterhouse Arts Factory or The Bridge has been nominated for the biggest financial prize in UK architecture, the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award 2006. This project is a result of our on-going collaboration with Gareth Hoskins Architects and we wish them success at the forthcoming award presentation.
The assessors will now visit all 10 of the shortlisted buildings, before announcing the overall winner at a presentation dinner at the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh on 16 November.
For more information on Best Building in Scotland Award, visit www.rias.org.uk.
David Narro Associates celebrate 20 years in practice and the opening of the extended office.
During the last ten months our office has seen some radical changes. Walls have been removed, bigger lighter and airy spaces created and a new feature stair installed. All of this was accompanied by a lot of drilling, sawing, hammering and all the other attributes of a construction site. Finally, it was over. We were proud to show our new sparkling clean office to our guests: architects, clients, quantity surveyors, project managers, contractors.
We also had another cause to celebrate. Coincidentally, it is twenty years since David Narro started his own practice as a sole trader from the back room of his house. We now have a staff of eighteen and a good name which is very precious to us. We have completed more than four thousand projects varying in size from small house extensions to multi-million pound art centres and industrial buildings.
We would like to thank all our friends who came to our party for helping us to make it a success. It was nice to see so many people we worked with and to know that we manage to maintain a good relationship for so many years.
David Narro joins Enablers Panel of Architecture and Design Scotland (August 2006)
David Narro has recently been invited to join the Enablers' Panel of Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS). On 1 April 2005 A+DS took over the Design Review role from the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland. In addition A+DS has further roles including Enabling and Research and Communication.
A+DS is a public body charged with:
- Inspiring excellence in the built environment.
- Encouraging high quality public buildings and public spaces.
- Stimulating and supporting a demand for better design by clients and the public for improved quality.
This is a confirmation of the perception in the construction community of our Practice as a company that is committed to good quality design, and that we are highly regarded by similarly committed Architects.
Easterhouse opens to public (August 2006)
Easterhouse Cultural Campus, or The Bridge, has been one of our biggest projects to date. Finally it was officially opened to the public on 17 August 2006. There is a little doubt that the new venture will be a building of enormous presence within Easterhouse area of Glasgow and, hopefully, a catalyst for the revitalisation and regeneration of the area.
The building is a predominantly steel-framed structure housing three main elements: Platform, the library and the Den.
Platform is an uncompromising 50m long by 17m wide by 12m tall structure containing the 210-seat auditorium, cafe, studio theatre, workshop, meeting and exhibition spaces as well as the new offices of the National Theatre of Scotland.
A forest of slender tubular steel columns with circular roof lights at their heads supports the new library roof. The main roof beams are connected either side of the roof light to a vertical steel plate at the head of the column. The vertical plate maximises the amount of natural light entering the building and creates a perception of 'lightness' to the visible elements of the roof structure.
Finally, the Den, is a self-contained pod linked by a slender concrete bridge to John Wheatley College and the auditorium. The bridge contributes to the lateral stability of the structure, which is inherently unstable due to the random arrangement of raking columns providing vertical support.
We are proud to be a part of the design team lead by Gareth Hoskins Architects and hope to extend our collaboration into future.
New members of staff (June 2006)
We welcome three new members of staff: Robbie Templeton is our new Graduate Engineer and Alastair Hood and Jon Chambers are Structural Technicians.
Study trip to Rome (May 2006)
For the fourth year running we went on a study trip and Rome was chosen as this year location.
The weather was just right for the people of Rome to take off their third jumper and for us to put on an extra layer of sun cream.
It is impossible to describe the overwhelming presence of the magnificent ancient ruins or the splendour and grandeur of the Renaissance and Baroque churches. We spent three days exploring the streets of Rome, trying to follow our busy schedule and left with a feeling that we only saw a tiny part of the eternal city.
David Narro selected to IStructE Council
In May 2006 David Narro has been elected a member of the Council which is a governing body of The Institution of Structural Engineers. His election statement says:
Unless we have the self-belief to express our beliefs - we cannot expect anyone to understand our role. We must show that we care about our work and relationships with clients and architects. We are an integral part of the design process and need the self-confidence to fulfil it.
The role of the engineer is to be ingenious - to imagine, not just calculate. We must be freethinking, not restrained. We should be producing work that is elegant and sophisticated, and not be limited to simple solutions. Safe not boring - secure but exciting.
We must change our public image of poor aesthetic awareness. We have a longer education plus experience training of any profession and yet less status than architects and less financial recompense than lawyers. Can we learn from other professionals? The Institution's role is to protect and enhance the interests of the members, including a degree of public education. It also has a duty to educate and encourage the members. However, the individual engineer must be helped to fight his, or her, own corner.
Saltire Society Civil Engineering Awards Panel
In March 2006 Andrew Brown accepted an invitation to join the Saltire Society Civil Engineering Awards Panel. The panel of assessors is made up of representatives from each of the main contributing bodies including CECA, SEPA, ACE, SDD and ICE. The Saltire Civil Engineering Awards are unique to Scotland and their purpose is to promote and reward excellence in the design and construction of Civil Engineering Projects. As one of the assessors, Andrew's role will be to consider the merits of the various competition entries and to assist in the arrangements for the awards ceremony held alternatively in Glasgow and Edinburgh in the Autumn.
New member of staff (January 2006)
We are very pleased to announce a new member of staff. Stephen Farrar joined us as a Project Engineer. Stephen has over ten years experience in various aspects of engineering work, his main interests being ecological design and conservation of historic buildings.
