Published by Blakes for more
than a quarter of a century
than a quarter of a century
Carl Fisher Partnership, The
ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE IN THE NEW MILLENIUM
The Carl Fisher Partnership is an established (1947) architectural and design consultancy practice based in the City of London, which has grown to achieve a substantial reputation in the planning, design and management of projects. We work with our sister practice, the Carl Fisher Sibbald Partnership in Edinburgh, to provide national coverage. In recent years we have completed projects throughout England, in Wales, in Northern Ireland and in Scotland. We have also worked in partnership with European architectural practices.
Clients
Our commissions have been undertaken for a wide range of clients including developers, government and local authorities, design and build/construct contractors, hospital and health care, universities, colleges, schools, investors and institutions, housing associations, prison service and police.
Our work
New build, refurbishment and fitting-out commissions are all central to the work and expertise of the practice. Projects have ranged to over ?70mn in value. The practice is also employed in the strategic planning of client property assets and portfolios, and this includes the master planning of large estates and the business cases for their implementation.
Significant projects completed in recent years have ranged from a new Financial Services building in the City, a new Heart Science Centre at Harefield Hospital, a new Paediatrics Out-Patients Unit inserted as a mezzanine level at the Royal Brompton Hospital and, most recently, the completion of the refurbishment and alterations to the old General Lying-In Hospital for Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital.
Future trends
We are aware of the changing trends in real estate and how rapidly ways of working are taking new directions as a consequence of economic pressures, best-value objectives and advances in information technology. We have sought, as a practice, to be at the forefront of these new directions and to utilise the changes that are occurring in business organisation and technology, to design for the space and for its quality and for energy consumption in new and creative ways.
Procurement
As well as delivering our traditional objectives of quality architectural products and services, we have engaged with the new forms of procurement promoted during the last few years, and are currently competing for a new primary school for Surrey County Council under a PPC2000 Partnering Agreement with Mansell. We are also currently delivering a Cardiac Catheter Unit as a Design and Build project with Charter Construction for the Princess Alexandra Hospital. We have previously worked as construction managers and with management contractors; our partners have been self-builders, and we have also been members of the NHBC. We therefore procure specific projects for our clients in the most advantageous contractual way possible.
Innovation
We are constantly investigating new products and methods of achieving architectural objectives, built upon our experience of tried-and-tested traditional products and methods of construction. To this end, we have taken on board the new global objectives of sustainability and green issues. We have found that some of the best 'traditional' forms of construction are still good sustainable solutions, and therefore approach these new forms of construction qualified by the desire not to discard the old just for the sake of taking on the new.
Sustainability
In relation to sustainable and green issues, before considering new products and techniques, the first objective should be to do what we do best: design to minimise waste based on old-fashioned co-ordinated construction standards. For example, brick-sized work to avoid cutting and waste, board-sized spaces to minimise board, ceiling tile and carpet waste; these types of considerations will also save cost and time. We are advocates of the quality and benefits of improved insulation, passive stack ventilation and day lighting to minimise energy input and, in keeping with today's standards, minimise carbon input.
IT
This is a two-edged tool. The benefits of knowledge management, CAD, Internet-based virtual project working etc, are well known. However, these tools come with the negative attitude of 'if it can be done, lets do it', producing an excess of irrelevant or unnecessary information, choking up servers and the Internet and leading to confusion for those implementing and using our architectural input.
People
We strive not to overlook that we are people employing others, to work with others, to achieve created spaces for other people to use, enjoy, benefit by and appreciate. Architecture is not an objective in its own right, it is the created world about us, and if past experience is anything to go by then much of what we create will still be in use by generations to come.
Design quality and satisfaction
In the process of creating this future environment we firmly believe that those in our practice, from partners to the most junior staff, should enjoy what they do, and hopefully derive satisfaction as each project is completed.
Community, mixed-use and flexibility
Traditionally, architectural projects were for one-off use, that is for a single client. Today, with the emphasis on meeting the needs of communities, making best use of existing urban sites, and maximising the financial investment (public and/or private), mixed or multiple use is often at the heart of architectural design. One of our projects this year -through a private developer, in partnership with local health and other bodies - is for a development in south London, incorporating a community healthcare centre, major retail units, affordable and private residential accommodation in the heart of the community. This and other projects, particularly those for health and education clients, must be designed with future flexibility requirements in mind. Design requirements are constantly changing, and we must strive to deliver projects that will allow future changes and developments of use.
Clients
Our commissions have been undertaken for a wide range of clients including developers, government and local authorities, design and build/construct contractors, hospital and health care, universities, colleges, schools, investors and institutions, housing associations, prison service and police.
Our work
New build, refurbishment and fitting-out commissions are all central to the work and expertise of the practice. Projects have ranged to over ?70mn in value. The practice is also employed in the strategic planning of client property assets and portfolios, and this includes the master planning of large estates and the business cases for their implementation.
Significant projects completed in recent years have ranged from a new Financial Services building in the City, a new Heart Science Centre at Harefield Hospital, a new Paediatrics Out-Patients Unit inserted as a mezzanine level at the Royal Brompton Hospital and, most recently, the completion of the refurbishment and alterations to the old General Lying-In Hospital for Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital.
Future trends
We are aware of the changing trends in real estate and how rapidly ways of working are taking new directions as a consequence of economic pressures, best-value objectives and advances in information technology. We have sought, as a practice, to be at the forefront of these new directions and to utilise the changes that are occurring in business organisation and technology, to design for the space and for its quality and for energy consumption in new and creative ways.
Procurement
As well as delivering our traditional objectives of quality architectural products and services, we have engaged with the new forms of procurement promoted during the last few years, and are currently competing for a new primary school for Surrey County Council under a PPC2000 Partnering Agreement with Mansell. We are also currently delivering a Cardiac Catheter Unit as a Design and Build project with Charter Construction for the Princess Alexandra Hospital. We have previously worked as construction managers and with management contractors; our partners have been self-builders, and we have also been members of the NHBC. We therefore procure specific projects for our clients in the most advantageous contractual way possible.
Innovation
We are constantly investigating new products and methods of achieving architectural objectives, built upon our experience of tried-and-tested traditional products and methods of construction. To this end, we have taken on board the new global objectives of sustainability and green issues. We have found that some of the best 'traditional' forms of construction are still good sustainable solutions, and therefore approach these new forms of construction qualified by the desire not to discard the old just for the sake of taking on the new.
Sustainability
In relation to sustainable and green issues, before considering new products and techniques, the first objective should be to do what we do best: design to minimise waste based on old-fashioned co-ordinated construction standards. For example, brick-sized work to avoid cutting and waste, board-sized spaces to minimise board, ceiling tile and carpet waste; these types of considerations will also save cost and time. We are advocates of the quality and benefits of improved insulation, passive stack ventilation and day lighting to minimise energy input and, in keeping with today's standards, minimise carbon input.
IT
This is a two-edged tool. The benefits of knowledge management, CAD, Internet-based virtual project working etc, are well known. However, these tools come with the negative attitude of 'if it can be done, lets do it', producing an excess of irrelevant or unnecessary information, choking up servers and the Internet and leading to confusion for those implementing and using our architectural input.
People
We strive not to overlook that we are people employing others, to work with others, to achieve created spaces for other people to use, enjoy, benefit by and appreciate. Architecture is not an objective in its own right, it is the created world about us, and if past experience is anything to go by then much of what we create will still be in use by generations to come.
Design quality and satisfaction
In the process of creating this future environment we firmly believe that those in our practice, from partners to the most junior staff, should enjoy what they do, and hopefully derive satisfaction as each project is completed.
Community, mixed-use and flexibility
Traditionally, architectural projects were for one-off use, that is for a single client. Today, with the emphasis on meeting the needs of communities, making best use of existing urban sites, and maximising the financial investment (public and/or private), mixed or multiple use is often at the heart of architectural design. One of our projects this year -through a private developer, in partnership with local health and other bodies - is for a development in south London, incorporating a community healthcare centre, major retail units, affordable and private residential accommodation in the heart of the community. This and other projects, particularly those for health and education clients, must be designed with future flexibility requirements in mind. Design requirements are constantly changing, and we must strive to deliver projects that will allow future changes and developments of use.
The late Barry Hill RIBA
Chartered Architect, Partner
The Carl Fisher Partnership
Copyright © 2005 Blake.