Artisans of Devizes CPD

Hub recently took part in a RIBA approved CPD session exploring ‘The Art of Specifying Natural Stone’. We were given insightful knowledge of the geology and makeup of the stone varieties that are commonly used in architecture and design such as marble and granite, and learnt about the issues that can occur with these particular stones. With this in mind, we were encouraged to place importance in asking the appropriate questions when specifying natural stone in order to find which is most suitable for our applications.

Artisans of Devizes is a British Company sourcing and supplying natural stone. The company offers expert knowledge on natural stone selection, stone sourcing worldwide, and bespoke stone creation. We look forward to specifying their products for future projects.

You can find more information at: http://artisansofdevizes.com

BIID Membership

Congratulations to Kate who has successfully completed Module 5 of the Professional Pathway and is now a full member of the British Institute of Interior Design.

Membership of the BIID is selective and only given to those who demonstrate the highest level of professional knowledge and experience.   This highly competent and committed membership drives their position as the preeminent representative of the UK interior design profession.

Copenhagen – Home of Design

Copenhagen has been simultaneously voted the “Most Liveable City” and “Happiest City” time and time again. The Danish Capital is desirable in countless ways, with an equal focus on work-life balance, quality of life, sustainability, open green spaces, and its friendly citizens. The bike-friendly city is a hub for any design / interiors fan full of world-class architecture complimented with cutting edge designers – it is the leading nation in the design field, and a long weekend visit confirmed exactly why.

I visited Designmuseum Danmark, a central forum for industrial design. It serves as a source of inspiration particularly for those in the design industry, sitting in one of the city’s finest rococo buildings and houses a beautiful collection showcasing chairs by Arne Jacobsen, Alvar Aalto, and Mies van der Rohe.

A 40-minute train ride north to Humlebæk took us to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. The museum is on the coast with a stunning view overlooking Helsingborg, Sweden. We took part in the playful, interactive retrospective Yayoi Kusama exhibition ‘In Infinity’ with obsessively repetitive patterns throughout. We were handed a dot to add to the ‘Polka Dot Love Room’, were locked for 15 seconds in a tiny-mirrored room giving the perspective we were standing in an endless field of Kusama’s toys, and got lost through a maze of multiple gigantic balloons.

I learnt of the importance in Danish culture of “Hygge”. It has no direct translation, but is illustrated in the cafes and restaurants of the city. It represents cosiness. When we entered the famous Atelier September café, we instantly felt at home. The interior is designed with natural wooden furnishings, paintings, and traditional Scandinavian candlelight. The edgy Amass restaurant’s hygge is not only through its pleasant design (they make graffiti in a restaurant somehow elegant!), but the way they curate their guests’ experience. You arrive from the top floor, overlooking the welcoming ex-warehouse, and are greeted by your host as you walk down.

The city is inspiring and pleasant in so many ways from art to architecture to food to landscape. Copenhagen is definitely worth a visit for anyone with an interest in design!

Author: Kim Francis

Weekend in Munich

Despite its reputation as a city of beer with the highlight being the annual Oktoberfest (originally established as a royal wedding celebration in 1810) Munich has so much more to offer visitors all year round. For a city of about 1.5 million people, it has nearly forty top class museums, world class art galleries and a thriving music and theatre scene, yet it still feels like a fairly small town. It’s clean, friendly, safe and has a fascinating history – from unscrupulous monarchs to the birthplace of National Socialism.

The city is a great mix of architectural styles. Traditional and modern sit beside each other. The striking Ohel Jakob Synagogue (2006) on St Jakob’s Platz sits near the site of the original one destroyed in 1938 surrounded by traditional Bavarian buildings. It is made of travertine stone topped with a glass cube, and the interior walls are panelled with warm cedar decorated with gold.

Having taken a guided tour around the city centre, we learned how the candle lit National Theatre was saved from being totally burned to the ground. The roof had been designed as an inverted dome to collect rainwater, with pipes attached to become the world’s first sprinkler system. However on the night of the fire in January 1823, the water had frozen so help came from the nearby brewery who doused the blaze with barrels of beer, which by the sound of it also turned into a big street party. Electricity was installed when it was rebuilt to prevent this happening again.