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December 2009

Back from China- and in possession of some great images and memories of an extraordinary trip, Martine found both Ningbo and Shanghai incredible. The approach to the built environment and the management of the local population as the authorites clear slums in order to replace them with high rise, high density housing for the 21st century is quite different to our own experience in the west. Whole communites seem quite cheerful to accept their movement to modern housing, yet lessons from the UK in the 60's seem unheeded, will the new housing really be able to re-create the extended, vibrant commmunites which happily exist in the shadow of the new high-tec, high rise city? 

Martine says "I was made very welcome wherever I went, and found the quality of the new buildings in the business districts very high, with great attention to detail. As a child growing up in the early 70's, China seemed as if it would be 'off limits' forever, so to be able to go with freedom and travel as I pleased, see the sights I saw, and to witness the modern renaissance of one of the great world destinations, was something I shall never forget".  

November 2009

Despite this being more a NottinghamVision bulletin, Martine thinks it worth highlighting the fact that she is off to China this month- where a major show of her work opens in Ningbo - a large port city south  of Shanghai, and home to some six million residents. The exhibition, which runs 26th November-4th January will feature 96 of her photographs of Nottingham which is Ningbo's twin city. Of course, she's packing her camera too, as she spends a couple of days in Shanghai before returning to the UK. Shanghai is host to the world Expo in 2010, and it will be interesting to see if any of the buildings are complete yet. Thomas Heatherwick is designing the British Pavilion, and Martine has visited three previous Expo's- Seville in '92 (where Grimshaw did his famous water building), Lisbon in '98, and Hannover in 2000, where she wrote a peice for Architecture Today.

October 2009

The conclusion to the RIBA awards took place this month- on October 16th, Martine went down to London for the Stirling Prize ceremony- this year held at the former Billingsgate Market in the City, and televised by Channel 4 as usual. It was really interesting to watch the live broadcast hosted by the ever charismatic Kevin McCloud- in fact, it felt a bit like the 'Kevin Show', rather than being about the architecture this year- lots of witty anecdotes and jokes to camera on the workings of medical practices etc....

Nonetheless, Martine says that she found it a great opportunity to spend more time in the company of her wonderful fellow judge Alastair Lansley (now CBE!), and to catch up with familiar faces from the other regions. Stephen Hodder (whose work is on this website) was on an adjoining table and it was good to see him too. In the end, The Maggie's Centre in north London triumphed, and this choice, together with the judge's feeling that buildings that respond to their user should be lauded seemed a fitting conclusion to the whole event. Martine in particular felt that whilst the Maggie's Centre didn't really break new ground, it was a 'quiet' success, much like her choice back in April by HLM, the oncology department for Castle Hill Hospital in Hull.

August 2009

Two of Builtvision's clients have had buildings shortlisted for this year's RIBA EM Awards for Architecture. They are Clash Associates for their Level Centre in Rowsley , Derbyshire, and Evans Vettori for a private house in Matlock which Martine shot in the snow in February this year. (see pics).

This family home is on a steep hillside plot with far reaching views that simply didn't maximize on the stunning outlook. Evans Vettori have made a big sun deck and a fully glazed lounge which picks up the west light to great effect. Martine had fun lighting and styling the interiors with the occupant's young daughter and new kitten, and even more fun sliding around outside in the crisp snow under big blue skies. Perfect! Hope you win Robert!

June 2009

Martine has been asked to be a judge for this year's Nottingham Creative Business Awards. As you will recall, she won the title for 'Photography 2008' last autumn, which was presented at a glittering night at Nottingham's beautiful Council House in the Market Square. The deadline for this year's awards is July 31st 2009 and there is a category for ARCHITECTURE which we encourage our local clients to consider entering.
See www.creativeawards.biz for more details and entry requirements.

May 2009

The RIBA has just announced winners of this year's national awards. Of the 16 that Martine was involved in judging, most were decided to be of a high enough calibre to be awarded as follows -

for more details click here

April 2009

Martine has just returned from three back to back days judging this years national RIBA Award entries. Alongside fellow judges Alastair Lansley MBE (architect of St.Pancras's grand restoration), Peter Cartwright (Cartwright Pickard) and Dolan Conway (North East RIBA Chair), the team travelled some 700 miles and visited 16 shortlisted schemes. Martine declared the experience to be one of the best of her 19 years in business- "it simply was the most amazing road trip I've ever been on!" she declared after returning from Newcastle on 9th April. (see pics)

   

Martine with the Yorkshire panel and the North East judging panel from the 2009 RIBA awards

March 2009

Martine went up to Leeds on March 10th to assist with the short listing of the 2009 RIBA award submissions. As lay member for two regions, Yorkshire and the North East, submitted buildings varied in location from one just over the county line north from Nottinghamshire, all the way up to the Scottish border in Berwick on Tweed. Entries were judged through submission of their drawings, verbal descriptions, and of course photographs. from this, the team were immediately able to assess which, in their view merited a site visit, and those which simply did not meet a sufficient standard for inclusion on the shortlist. It was a a fascinating exercise, and a strong field in this 2008/9 year- a period which has seen hundreds of millions of pounds spent on architecture in both regions. Proper judging takes place in April, with winners announced mid May. The Stirling Prize is in October and takes place at Spitalfields this year with a live broadcast on Channel Four as usual.

January 2009

Tony Chapman, head of the RIBA awards scheme has phoned Martine to ask if she will be lay assessor for two regions in this year's programme. Excited? Honoured to be asked? You bet... Martine is delighted to have the opportunity to look at quality architecture for once without having to worry about how on earth to photograph it!!!

November 2008

Martine is one of the key speakers at this year's national SCALA conference which is being held in the county this year, and is speaking to up to 300 local authority architects about her work. Other key speakers include Adam Caruso from Caruso St.John, architects of the new gallery www.nottinghamcontemporary.org and Neil Porter from the award winning Gustafson Porter, landscape architects for the Old Market Square in Nottingham.

Old Market Square, Nottingham by Gustafson Porter

October 2008

Martine won 'THE NOTTINGHAM CREATIVE BUSINESS AWARDS 2008 - PHOTOGRAPHY' for her images of 'River Crescent', a luxury residential development in the city. This latest accolade for her work is one treasured by Martine, as even though her photographs are feted nationally, most of all, she prefers working locally and making images of her home city. The night was held at The Council House and included a dinner for some 250 guests plus entertainment from previous creative industry winners for the evening.