Lecture By Peter Beard (member of the RIBA)

Peter Beard studied architecture at the University of Cambridge and Harvard Graduate School of Design. He  has worked independently since 1988 on a broad range of research, teaching and collaborative built projects.  Collaborations have included work with Peter Salter in Japan (public building for Toyama prefecture, responsible for detailed design development), and with Florian Beigel Architects and the Architecture Research Unit (two international competition wins, one for a site in the post-industrial mining landscapes south of Leipzig and one for a major housing development on an ex-military site at Lichterfelde-Süd Berlin).  Since 2002 he has acted as a consultant to both the Greater London Authority Architecture and Urbanism Unit (now Design for London), and to the London Development Agency. He was responsible for convening and coordinating the study team for the London Riverside Conservation Park from 2003, which has led to further strategic and built projects on Rainham marsh. He also led preparation of the East London Green Grid strategies for London Riverside and Bexley, Cray and Southern Marshes. Since 2003 he has also worked closely with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds on their reserves at Rainham and at Cliffe. This work has focussed on public access infrastructure and innovative responses to existing site heritage. In 2003 he was awarded a fellowship by NESTA (the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts) to develop his work in the field of post-industrial and post-military landscape spaces.  He has been a member of the Enabling Panel for CABE since 2005, and has taught in a range of schools of architecture including at Cambridge University and at the Architectural Association in London.

My thoughts about the presentation:  I came away with having learnt alot by what Peter said about the various intentions people have and collabarating with different associasions. The detail he showed us was intriging and me understand the mindset behind landscape architecture at a deeper level. The practice of detailing is encouraging and grounds me with the attention to detail a good designer goes too to achieve the overall effect. Its fasinating. I learned the deeper (under lying) theorys of place, purpose and materiality. A great lecture.