The client's call

At Tower Bridge we designed a shelter with an enclosed heated kiosk for the ticket seller (architect Michael Squire), giving wind and rain protection for tourist queues. It was subsequently modified by the client by closing up gaps at the base and top of the glazing, thereby converting the shelter into a greenhouse solution that needed some form of cooling.

At Laban the transition from the old school environment to such a modern facility provided big cultural challenges to the client. Manuals were available at handover but clearly have been mislaid and it seems odd that there has been no attempt to correct this. Nor was the importance of putting in place suitably experienced facilities management fully appreciated.

Both are good lessons for clients moving from buildings with a “make do and mend” culture to a highly serviced environment.