The Building Exploratory seeks Freelance Associates

The Building Exploratory is a highly regarded learning and engagement organisation with a focus on the built environment. We believe that creatively engaging local people with architecture, heritage and planning is essential to successful neighbourhoods.

Our community engagement projects ensure that local stakeholders can celebrate their local area and inform local regeneration. We are beginning a number of new projects with communities across south and east London and we are looking for experienced freelance associates to help us. The following combination of skills and experience is required:

• Project management and administration
• Communication written and spoken
• Engagement and negotiating skills

• Experience of delivering projects in secondary schools
• Experience of recruiting and working with hard to reach groups
• Experience of overseeing digital media projects
• Experience of overseeing creative project outputs
• Experience creating and working with maps

• Knowledge of secondary school curriculum in Humanities and Arts
• A good understanding of the use and value of maps and mapping
• A good understanding of London’s heritage and built environment

If you have the necessary skills and would like to be considered for one of our roles, please send us your CV and a letter, no longer than one page of A4 please, outlining your suitability to “the Administrator” by 15 August 2014: mail@buildingexploratory.org.uk

Terms 
Hours are flexible, one to two days per week, with some weekend work required. Day rates are dependent on experience and levels of responsibility.

Wonderful Wild Flower Walk with Bob Gilbert

On Friday 20th June we took a walk from Hackney Wick station through to the Olympic Park with Wild Flower expert and author of The Green London Way, Bob Gilbert.

Bob began his talk by discussing Hackney Wick with us. Wick being the old name for farmstead, Hackney Wick has always been set apart from Hackney, a kind of edge land by the River Lea. It used to denote the boundary between Middlesex and Essex.

'Dirty' industries took root here (tanneries, factories), with noxious fumes carried away by the prevailing wind. It is an area of great character, independence and industry.

Bill pointed out Geranium Pratense (purple flowers) growing on the bank by Hackney Wick station - these are commonly known as Crane's Bills.

Buddleja and Alianthus ('the tree of heaven') were pointed out to the group

By the Canal, Bob showed us some Mallow which sounds like 'mellow' and soothing / calming effect on the nerves. Marshmallows were made from taking sap of marsh mallow and mixing it with sugar.

'Adam and Eve go up your sleeve' - watch as this ear of corn creeps up your sleeve. Bob used to call these caterpillars in his youth.

Gipsy wort is also found by the canal (green) - rub the leaves into your hand and green dye appears. Gipsys washed in the canal waters and this may be what contributed to their swarthy tans.

Bird foot trefoil (yellow) country name: eggs and bacon (red buds)

Before we waved goodbye to the plants, Bob identified Achillea millefolium, otherwise known as Yarrow. In ancient myth, Achilles had healing powers - Yarrow was known to  staunch the flow of blood: it is still used to treat nose bleeds today, as well as being used to flavour beer.
Snuff was made from it, and it was told that one could tell the future with this plant. Put it under your pillow and you will  dream of the person you are going to marry.


Bob then asked us to recite an ancient rhyme, whilst sticking this green plant up our noses!

Yarrow way yarrow way
Bear a white blow
If my love loves me
My nose will bleed now

No nose bleeds, which left some of us worried!

Bob found some Elder - dwarf elder - or also known as Dane Wort - some say that the Elder sprung up on the blood of slaughtered Danes at King Alfred's defeat of the Danes.

We passed the famous matchstick factory, at the end of our walk: Barbara Windsor's grandmother worked here.

Our thanks to Bob Gilbert for leading a fascinating walk and to the Senior BEEs for their contributions and participation.

Party time in De Beavoir Square - this Saturday, 2-5pm

Come along and join us for a Party in the Park at De Beauvoir Square tomorrow!

We will be populating a map of London with plasticine creations, and conducting a series of historical walks around the area.

Do pop by and say hello!

Thanks to De Beauvoir Square Association for inviting us along!

Come and see Hoxton Hall film screening, featuring our Senior BEEs!

The Building Exploratory invites you to join us at the Capital Age Festival’s film screening 'Through the Lens' next Monday 7 July from 3.30 – 6.15

Our film of the Senior BEEs A tale of Hoxton Hall is to be shown as part of the screening which features a series of films made by an for older people. Please see the attached a PDF document for the full event programme.

The event is free but you’ll need to book a place by calling the Capital Age Festival on 020 7820 6788

The event will be taking place at the Russet, a café near to Hackney Downs Park at Hackney Downs Studios, 17 Amhurst Terrace, E8 2BT

Here’s a link The Russet’s website – which has a link to a map on their contact us page


For further information about the Capital Age Festival follow this link to their website.

We hope you can join us there!

CZWG show Islington History & Architecture Group Islington Square

Islington History & Architecture Group – notes from 1st session of the summer term to find out about CZWG’s Islington Square

Lead by Astrid Rehwald – lead architect on the IslingtonSquare project

We met Astrid at the former Mitre pub on Upper Street – a building which will form part of the Islington Square development and is currently being used to house a model of the development

 

Astrid talked us through the project which will see former Post Office buildings transformed into a mixed use scheme including housing / commercial – space for retail and offices / leisure

Using plans, images and the model Astrid shared her knowledge and experience of working on the project, she explained:

• how they got planning permission
• the different elements of the project – part refurbishment / adaption of Edwardian buildings and demolition and new build
• how they work with their client / developer
• the plans for the existing buildings – how they are to be transformed
• each floor of the development – floor by floor – taking in the different aspects, from the retail arcade and new pedestrian link on the ground floor – to the luxury penthouses on the top 

 

The talk was followed up with a visit to the site – we were able to visit “Block A” the former Post Office north London sorting office.

Astrid took us up floor by floor – right to the top. Giving the group a chance to see the building in its current state and better understand how the building will be adapted. Having a chance to visit the building enabled the group to understand the complexities of working with historic buildings. 

The group took great interest in the window specifications – and were able to see and test the various window options CZWG have installed in order to find which one works best (and meets the approval of the Islington planning department). The views from the top of the building were amazing – all of London’s landmarks – it was easy to imagine the space as penthouse rooftop gardens in the future.

It was a great privilege to see a redundant historic building in transition – in its current derelict state before transformation.

Experiencing the building in a derelict state was evocative – giving a glimpse of the past - whilst also thinking about the future – the visit will be a reference point for the group – having a chance to experience it “before” we now look forward watching it develop in the years ahead and seeing and experiencing it again in its renewed design.

We benefited from Astrid’s knowledge and passion – someone who knows the building inside out – she communicated CZWG’s vision and intentions for the scheme with clarity and enthusiasm.

Haggerston Treasures walk this Saturday, places still available

The Haggerston Treasures walk takes place this Saturday at 11am from the Geffrye Museum!

Email us to join the walk (free of charge): mail@buildingexploratory.org.uk

Join Nicole Crockett on a guided tour of some of the listed buildings of the southern part of Haggerston. Meet at the Geffrye Museum reception at 11am.

The walk begins on the lawn just outside the main entrance at the Geffrye Museum and ends at Shoreditch Town Hall.

It is approximately 1.5-2 miles long and will take around an hour and a half.

Final session at NANA’s

It was the final session at NANA’s where we have been running a series of activity sessions with older people.

We met at the Convenience to review the last few weeks. The group discussed how the sessions have been really worthwhile - they’ve enjoyed learning about the local area, coming together as a group to share a common interest and finding out new things about the history and buildings of Clapton.

As the sessions have focused on how the buildings and built environment of Homerton and Clapton have changed over the years (and been based in a café that was formerly a public toilet) it was a fitting end to visit Chat’s Palace – originally a library, now a community arts centre.

Candy Horsbrugh, Centre Director, kindly showed us around, talking us through the history of the building and how it came to be a community arts venue. 

The group were fascinated to see the original features of the building. They inspected the commemorative foundation stone, admired the decorative coving, parquet flooring, the matching criss-cross motif on the windows and balustrades.

It was not hard to imagine the building in its former use; indeed some members of the group remembered visiting when it was a library.

Many of the group also remembered the building when it was as the base for the Hackney Marsh Festival in the 70s and 80s. [image source: Chat's Place]

The highlight was going up into the lovely bright and airy room on the first floor, top lit through an impressive roof light (which used to light the library below – now separated into two floors to create a dark theatre space on the ground floor).

 
The group were delighted to see that 100 years after it was built as a library, Chats Palace is still in use by the local community: for dance and performance events, workshops, a youth group, a community photography project, darkroom facilities and a café.  

We look forward to revisiting with the Senior BEEs in the autumn – with a view to exploring Chats Palace’s fascinating photographic archive as well as the building.

A big thank you to NANAs for hosting the activity sessions!