After a bit of a break over Christmas, I’m going to carry on with my rambling treatise on rural design, but before I do, it’s worth mentioning a couple of more generally design-related events to look forward to in 2011.
In October this year, the Norfolk Association of Architects will stage the second biennial Festival of Architecture for Norwich and Norfolk. FANN-XI follows the inaugural festival held in the autumn of 2009, which was intended to replace the RIBA and Arts Council’s Architecture Week, scrapped as a national event in 2008. The first event was done on a shoe-string budget but was none-the-less well supported. Plenty of people turned out for the lunchtime and evening talks, a specially selected program of architecture-related films at Cinema City and, most successfully, the exhibition of work by Norfolk-based architects in the foyer of the Michael Hopkins-designed Forum. More details on FANN11 here when I have them.
Looking back before looking forward (a habit of mine), I went back to the FANN09 website. I’d forgotten the piece by Mike Innes – formerly of Lambert Scott and Innes (LSI Architects) and now President of the NAA – called ‘Norfolk Style’. It’s quite hard to read, because of the size of the font and photos, but worth the effort if you’re interested in the idea of regionally distinctive architecture. I have put a conversation with Mike on my ‘to-do list’ for 2011; I think he will be able to architecturally ‘locate’ Crown Paddock for me.
And if you’re in Norwich/Norfolk but can’t wait ‘til FANN11 in November for a bit of creative brainstorming, keep your eyes open for Pecha Kucha Norwich, hopefully starting in March. Watch this space.