The built environment needs a radical transformation.

All of us have probably heard someone else talking about carbon emissions, excessive consumer patterns, energy production crisis and extinction of renewable resources. The most important thing about this is to understand the urgent need of switching from these patterns to more sustainable ones in all aspects of our lives. As architects, one of our social responsibilities is the transformation of the built environment, which in my opinion needs to be radical at this point to address these issues. As does the change in people’s minds and the only way to achieve that is through trust and education within society. That is a huge concept worth exploring much deeper, but here I would like to use it in the sense of saying that everything we were taught is being reflected in the crisis we are facing at the moment. In the same way, the education and trust principles we provide to the coming generations will determinate the best path to follow. So sustainable consumption patterns, rational use of energy and any other aspects of a sustainable lifestyle is what we need to put into practice, including trust and share with others as one day this pattern will have to be something innate in ourselves.

Strongly linked to trust and education is another key concept which is both the reason for the crisis but at the same time a way out of it, and that is innovation. We have managed to create objects, mechanisms, technologies and buildings that are polluting our world and absorbing all our non-renewable resources as supposedly the only way of making our lives easier or more comfortable. In a way they have, but the environmental price we are paying for it is immeasurable. We have not made radical transformation in time, so now we’ll have to move faster to be saved from catastrophe. Innovation then can be understood as transformation, to do things for the same purpose but in a more efficient and way, to think differently. This concept has made us realise an exciting junction point of opportunities, a point from which, in my opinion, some people have already moved forward but there are still millions to spread the message to.

In building I think there are three possible options to incorporate these patterns:

1. In new building. What we build today will still be around us in 2050, a time where the world will have to have changed – radically. So there is an opportunity to start from scratch by incorporating stronger sustainable design principles, non-(or very low) polluting technologies and construction materials which are already available in the market and moreover showing continuous improvements.

2. Existing buildings. 80% of the buildings we will be using in 2050 are already built, and these are the buildings we must address now. It is very clear this is a large scale of sustainable refurbishment but it is possible to start working on them now.

3. Use of energy by property users. New design ideas, technologies and materials on their own will not be enough to achieve an Energy efficient building; they need to work in conjunction with a common, clear and rational concept of energy consumption by the users.

At David Le Lay we have already started to be part of these changes. Working on existing properties and conservation projects mainly, we have had the opportunity to carry out all sort of changes in different buildings, things like improving the use of natural light as much as possible, specifying a maximum possible thermal insulation where needed and construction materials produced from renewable resources, clean technologies, timber products coming from certificated eco-forestry, natural paints with a minimum chemical content, and hundreds of other changes, which when considered as a whole they make a substantial reduction on the environmental impact of the building.

Architects who believe in sustainability and their multidisciplinary teams would like to see more commitment and support from the government and the general public, to be able to direct the changes in the built environment through innovation and in the same way to reflect social transformation in buildings.

Guillermo Sanmiguel

Colour and Light in Architecture, The Founders' Hall, Radnor Walk, Chelsea

This month our office celebrated the opening of The Founders' Hall for Hill House International Junior School. I would like to describe my experience in choosing the colour scheme and its influence on the scheme design, as it was something I enjoyed doing.

Colour has a fundamental role in our perception of the built environment, which can affect our mood and behaviour. It also has the power to improve aspects of our lives such as health, security, emotion and feeling. Different people will perceive light and colour in different ways, and furthermore, architectural context has a strong influence on this perception. Despite the importance of light and colour, it is not unusual for this to be considered only in the latter stages of design. The reason for colour choice is almost never questioned. Colour is considered secondary to building form and structure, reflecting attitudes held by many design professionals.

Nothing changes interiors more than colour. Colour is a tool, used together with lighting as a necessary and vital component of a building to create a sense of drama in interiors. Colour and light belong to a single radiant spectrum, so without light, colour cannot exist. The use of colour can be understated or dramatic with boundless possibilities in changing the tone of space.

I started by becoming familiar with the history of the building. The hall is built in the grounds of a manor house, leased in 1838 to Mr Richard Smith and then developed by him. A tavern was opened on the site of the Chelsea Potter with pleasure gardens to the rear of the Manor House. A hall building was constructed adjacent to the tavern. In 1842 these were known as the Commercial Tavern and Commercial Rooms, or Commercial Hall. The hall was built in a Grecian neo-classical style, popular in the 1830s. The terraced row of houses to the south of the hall were built in 1845.

The hall was extensively refurbished in 1851 and became a popular venue for military balls. The building was acquired by the Congregational Church in 1855, passed to the South Kensington Primitive Methodists after 1860 and then on to the Welsh Congregational Church in 1880. The building was used by them until 2008. The building was listed Grade II in October 2008. In 2009 the former Welsh Church was purchased by Hill House International Junior School.

As I found out, many historical colours were muted because vibrant chemical dyes had not been developed, but a few stronger colours were available. The stronger colours were expensive and so used for details or highlights. Pastel colours were used in most interiors. The cheapest and therefore more typical colours were shades of grey, light blue, brown and olive green, and then chocolate for doors, skirting and other woodwork. Whites at this time were slightly grey or yellow. So this was the palette I chose to follow.

I decided to choose a softer neutral colour palette based on the Georgian grey colour rather than the bright, bold options. I knew that neutral-toned spaces create a sense of calm. I mixed tones using very slight variations of colour. A subtle palette was the key for me while keeping to historical colours. In order to highlight the importance of the building, I wanted to find a sense of balance using paints and light to create an intimacy between the colour, lighting and other elements in a given space.

I initially focused on the smaller existing elements like the colours of the obscure glass in the main Hall. I was looking for a perfect balance between history, existing details and lighting, and to add elegance to the space. The choice of tones and colours was crucial to highlight the existing structure of rib arches and columns and expand ceiling space.

A perfect style is summed up in three words: texture, shape and tone. Colour in interiors should be always checked against a neutral background and in natural light. The finish of a surface communicates meaning, which can be smooth or sharp, and accentuated by the paint finishes as well. Paint can be oil or water based. Oil based paint is durable and longer lasting while water based is easier to clean.

Finishes vary according to how much light they reflect such that with oil based paints, eggshell paint provides mid-sheen, and gloss paint offers a shiny, durable coat. With water based paints, matt paint has no sheen at all and it is always warmer than gloss.

Everyone sees colour in different ways and we never observe colour consistently. People often try to make judge or criticise colour choices out of context, or representing personal views that are inconsequential.

Colour can be identified by hierarchy, opposition, separation, connection, transition and assimilation. Colour choices in the conceptual phase, although abstract and diagrammatic, will begin to influence choices in lighting, materials and surfaces that continue throughout the design process. Light and colour are our builders of space.

Dominika Kruzel-Scigalska