{"id":765280,"date":"2024-11-25T11:18:46","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T11:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=765280"},"modified":"2024-11-25T13:51:40","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T13:51:40","slug":"environmental-campaigners-join-bid-to-save-hodders-centenary-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/environmental-campaigners-join-bid-to-save-hodders-centenary-building","title":{"rendered":"Environmental campaigners join bid to save Hodder\u2019s Centenary Building"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 29-year-old building, which won the first RIBA Stirling Prize in 1996 yet has sat empty for nearly a decade, is due to be flattened as part of the redevelopment of the Adelphi Village area, a scheme backed by the University of Salford, Salford City Council and the English City Fund, as the AJ revealed<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n

Now, heritage group The Twentieth Century Society<\/a> \u2013 which has made a bid to Historic England to have the building listed \u2013 has received support in its efforts to save the building from three industry campaign groups committed to highlighting the up-front carbon impact of demolition and rebuild: Architects Declare<\/a>, Architects Climate Action Network<\/a> (ACAN), and Don\u2019t Waste Buildings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since the launch of the AJ RetroFirst campaign<\/a> five years ago, the high up-front or \u2018embodied\u2019 carbon impact of new-build construction has increasingly intersected with heritage arguments in recent cases of buildings at risk of demolition and replacement, such as M&S Oxford Street<\/a> and Derby Assembly Rooms.<\/p>\n

Catherine Croft, director of The Twentieth Century Society, insisted the Centenary Building was \u2018very suitable\u2019 for conversion and re-use.<\/p>\n

She said: \u2018It is irresponsible and short-sighted to destroy decent buildings which are only 30 years old, and will result in cities which are less rich and diverse, as well as having a very negative impact on the environment. Retrofit is a much better, extremely obvious and attainable alternative.\u2019<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Waste Buildings, a voluntary group which has so far attracted 1,200 supporters on LinkedIn<\/a> and involves the AJ\u2019s Will Hurst, is calling on the government to make re-use of existing buildings simpler and more profitable.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s irresponsible and short-sighted to destroy decent buildings\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The group\u2019s co-founder, Leanne Tritton, said: \u2018While we can\u2019t comment on the specifics of this building, the decision to demolish an award-winning building of less than 30 years old highlights the absurdity of the current approach to sustainability in the UK and the lack of strategy in achieving the government\u2019s net zero commitment.<\/p>\n

\u2018There is more clarity over the regulation and use of shopping bags than there is for the demolition of buildings, which produces two-thirds of all UK waste (63 million tonnes).\u2019<\/p>\n

Architects Declare and ACAN said in a joint statement that they fully supported efforts to preserve the \u2018pioneering\u2019 building.<\/p>\n

\u2018We should be creating structures that endure for centuries and stand the test of time, not just a mere fashion statement of the decade,\u2019 the statement said.<\/p>\n

\u2018Could the Stirling Prize evolve to become a benchmark for buildings that are designed to serve multiple generations, demonstrate adaptability for re-use, and withstand the challenges of climate change?<\/p>\n

\u2018If we are to reduce carbon emissions to the extent necessary to avoid catastrophic climate breakdown and biodiversity loss, upgrading existing buildings, as opposed to building new, must now become the default. Prioritising retrofit over new build is going to mean a change in \u201cbusiness as usual\u201d.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Hodder<\/a> block was completed in 1995<\/a> and was described as a \u2018dynamic, modern and sophisticated exercise in steel, glass and concrete\u2019 when it won the first RIBA Stirling Prize the following year. It was originally designed to be the University of Salford\u2019s School of Electrical Engineering before a change of use, during construction, to the Faculty of Art and Design Technology.<\/p>\n

In 2018<\/a>, plans were unveiled to convert the building into a primary school under wider proposals by 5plus Architects for the university\u2019s existing campus and surrounding area, which included the delivery of a significant amount of new housing.<\/p>\n

But the school scheme has now been ditched and the development team, having \u2018explored multiple options\u2019 for the long-vacant four-storey block, said it intended to press ahead with demolition.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the project backers told the AJ earlier this month: \u2018While the Centenary Building has been part of our university estate for a number of decades, unfortunately, its ageing infrastructure means it no longer meets modern standards and requirements. It has now been vacant for a third of its built life.<\/p>\n

\u2018Careful consideration has been given to the history of the building, and the partnership intends to demolish the building as part of the comprehensive development of Adelphi Village.\u2019<\/p>\n

In an update to this statement, the university told the AJ today (25 November): ‘Future proposals will also seek to incorporate sustainable building design practices and materials, ensuring support for Salford\u2019s sustainability goals.’<\/p>\n

\n

Statements in full<\/h3>\n

Architects Declare and ACAN<\/h4>\n

We fully support the Twentieth Century Society\u2019s bid to preserve Hodder Associates\u2019 Centenary Building – the pioneering structure that was the first to win the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize.<\/p>\n

This highlights the question \u2018How is a building that won the Stirling Prize being considered for demolition in less than 30 years?\u2019 We should be creating structures that endure for centuries and stand the test of time, not just a mere fashion statement of the decade! Could the Stirling Prize evolve to become a benchmark for buildings that are designed to serve multiple generations, demonstrate adaptability for re-use, and withstand the challenges of climate change?<\/p>\n

If we are to reduce carbon emissions to the extent necessary to avoid catastrophic climate breakdown and biodiversity loss, upgrading existing buildings, as opposed to building new, must now become the default. Prioritising retrofit over new build is going to mean a change in \u2018business as usual\u2019; refurbishments often don\u2019t yield the same profit levels as new builds, and in a volatile economy this is not easy but certainly necessary.\u00a0Architects Declare\u00a0advocate for VAT reform in their Building Blocks<\/a>\u00a0manifesto to ensure retrofit is not penalised with higher VAT costs than new build.<\/p>\n

We call upon the industry to stand united in pushing for necessary system change and to celebrate the creativity that can come with retrofit.<\/p>\n

Twentieth Century Society director Catherine Croft<\/h4>\n

Demolishing the Centenary Building would not only squander its embodied carbon, but would erase the memories of a rapidly changing city, which the building contains. It is very suitable for conversion and re-use, and could provide an excellent and distinctive base for a range of the community facilities which this part of the city will definitely need.<\/p>\n

It is irresponsible and short-sighted to destroy decent buildings which are only thirty years old, and will result in cities which are less rich and diverse, as well as having a very negative impact on the environment. Retrofit is a much better, extremely obvious and attainable alternative.<\/p>\n

Don’t Waste Buildings co-founder Leanne Tritton<\/h4>\n

Whilst we can\u2019t comment on the specifics of this building, the decision to demolish an award-winning building of less than 30 years old highlights the absurdity of the current approach to sustainability in the UK and the lack of strategy in achieving the Government\u2019s net zero commitment. There is more clarity over the regulation and use of shopping bags than there is for the demolition of buildings, which produces two-thirds of all UK waste (63 million tonnes).<\/p>\n

Aiming to reuse all buildings should be simple common sense in the fight against climate change. If the core driver for demolition of the Centenary Building is financial, then it is a clear signal that the government needs to urgently review the current status quo where it is perceived to be cheaper to demolish rather than to reuse.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Don\u2019t Waste Buildings is calling on the government to introduce financial incentives and consistent policies that will make the reuse of existing buildings simpler and more profitable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

See the Centenary Building in the AJ Buildings Library<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"Hodder<\/p>\n