Public Eye – the final spring Show + Tell Social on 19 March

Gort Scott’s design for Harrow Civic Centre

The third in our series of Show + Tell Socials focusing on design methodologies, features architects working on public and community buildings.

Fiona Scott of Gort Scott, will talk through the practice’s designs for Harrow Civic Centre, while John Puttick will present his scheme for the refurbishment of Preston Bus Station, the listed 1960s landmark that was rescued from demolition in 2013, and a new youth community building beside it. Both projects were won in competition, and have transformed the practices of Gort Scott and Puttick Associates. Finn Williams, who recently set up Public Practice to boost the design capacity and expertise of local authorities, will give his response and join the discussion.

We’ll discuss the issues affecting the design of public buildings: do such projects require a greater commitment to sustainability? What does it mean today to imbue architecture with civic values; and how can architects be more public-spirited?

Book here

Speaker biographies:

Fiona Scott Fiona studied architecture at Cambridge University and the Royal College of Art. She has taught and lectured at various architecture schools, including Cambridge University and the London Metropolitan University. Fiona was appointed to the Mayors Design Advisory Group in 2013 and is currently one of the Mayor’s Design Advocates. She was previously Project Architect at Adjaye Associates where she contributed to projects including the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver and 77e77: A House for a Collector in New York. She has also worked at MVRDV in Rotterdam and DSDHA in London.

John Puttick John studied architecture at The University of Nottingham and The Bartlett, London where he subsequently taught a diploma unit. His own diploma project The Land of Scattered Seeds has been published and exhibited internationally and a copy is held in the collection of Museum of Modern Art in New York. He established John Puttick Associates in 2014 having worked for several years on major building projects in the UK, Europe and China.

Finn Williams Finn Williams is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Public Practice. He previously worked for OMA, Croydon Council and the Greater London Authority, and was co-curator of the British Pavilion at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale.

Concept sketch for Preston Bus station by John Puttick