The Strand Quadrangle King’s College Architectural Competition Preliminary briefing paper 1 Expressions of interest are This is a £20 million project at invited from architects for the the College’s historic Strand redevelopment of the in London WC2. The Campus Quadrangle Building Quad project will provide an and associated areas for King’s additional 3,700 square metres College London. of teaching space and student facilities.

View of and King’s Strand Campus from the south bank of the River Thames.

2 King’s is one of England’s oldest and most prestigious universities, with four main Thames-side campuses in the centre of London. It has nine Schools of study, covering arts and humanities, law, medicine, dentistry, biomedical, natural and social sciences, nursing and psychiatry, with more than 24,000 students.

Students on the River Terrace, Strand Campus.

3 01 02 The Strand is the College’s founding campus, dating from the early 19th century, and is a Grade 1 listed site. It is at the heart of the King’s estate, with a prime location overlooking the Thames, mid-way between the Houses of Parliament and St Paul’s Cathedral.

It has a particular focus on arts and sciences, and is home to the College’s Schools of Arts & Humanities, Social Science & Public Policy, and Natural & Mathematical 03 04 Sciences, and to the Dickson Poon School of Law. Because of the distinction of King’s research and teaching and this campus’ key location close to Westminster, the City, the West End, the South Bank and the Law Courts, the College has important links with the worlds of policy, the law, culture and the arts, which it wishes to develop still further.

01 02 03 04 The Quad viewed from the north, Students in the Strand Reception area. Students in a seminar. Entrance to the Strand Campus from showing the King’s Building. the Strand, showing the front of the Strand Building.

4 The Strand Campus accommodates some 9,200 students and more than 1,500 staff. Over the next five years the College plans to add a further 2,600 students at this campus, and the redevelopment of the Quad site will therefore form a crucial part of King’s plans to provide high-quality facilities and infrastructure for teaching and research at this campus, and to nurture its connections with the surrounding area. King’s College London is committed to appointing an architect based on their ability to bring innovative thinking to a significant historical site in order to revitalise a learning community. The qualification criteria for the submission are designed to allow all architects to respond inventively.

King’s students in the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court, Somerset House. King’s Somerset House East Wing is shown in the background.

5 Strand Campus The Maughan Guy’s Campus Waterloo Campus St Thomas’ Campus Denmark Hill Campus

Denmark Hill Campus lies 2.3 miles due south of the Guy’s Campus

Context 6 01 02 King’s College London was established by King George IV in 1829. Its founding campus opened in 1831 at the Strand, adjoining Somerset House, with which King’s shares a neo-classical Thames- side frontage. The College has recently been extended into the East Wing of Somerset House, adjacent to the Strand Campus.

This area of London is rich in history, and has seen successively a Saxon settlement, medieval bishops’ 03 04 residences, and a royal palace (Old Somerset House). The Strand Campus now comprises a diverse mix of celebrated historic buildings, state-of-the art modern architecture and functional post-war architecture.

01 02 04 Somerset House and King’s College Historic image of the Quad showing A memorial plaque in the Quad was unveiled in 1993 by Professor Maurice London before the Embankment was light well structures. Wilkins (second right) and some members of the team who carried out the x-ray constructed. 03 diffraction studies which led to the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. World War II bomb damage in the Quad. 7 Before the College and the Embankment were built, the Quad area formed the East Street of Somerset House, sloping steeply down to the Thames and providing a slipway for boats.

Although in its present state and condition it is far removed from the traditional image of a university quadrangle, it was part of the original plan for the College and has played an important part in the history of King’s. In particular, laboratories here were the site for the key experiments carried out by Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin and others that led to the discovery of the double- helix structure of the DNA molecule in 1953 and the award of the Nobel Prize to Professor Wilkins in 1962.

The Quad today viewed from the north, showing the King’s Building to the left and Somerset House East Wing to the right.

8 01 02 The Quad today is a long and narrow site lying between the main (King’s) building at the Strand (designed by Sir Robert Smirke, also architect of the ) and the Somerset House East Wing (designed by Sir William Chambers). The College’s recent extension into Somerset House East Wing means that this campus is more than ever focused on the Quad.

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01 02 03 Entrance to the Quad from the River Light-well between the Quad and View of the south side of the Quad, Terrace. Somerset House East Wing. View from showing the river and south bank the south towards the Strand. beyond.

9 01 02 At the deck or surface level there is currently access for vehicles and pedestrians and car-parking space which extends from the Strand to the River Terrace. Beneath this lie two levels of substantial basements, accommodating laboratories, offices and teaching space, with light- wells along the sides. This current building is poorly configured for modern use and its roof is a surface that is in need of landscaping. We wish to retain the steel-frame outer structure which may require structural repairs.

01 02 The Quad viewed from the north. River Terrace entrance to the Quad.

10 Somerset House East Wing viewed from the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court of The vision Somerset House. 11 This key space is now ready for renovation and redevelopment by 2014 as part of King’s commitments to enhancing the student experience through the provision of flexible, technology-rich learning, teaching and social spaces, and providing a high-quality, outward-facing estate environment, with buildings that contribute to the regeneration and distinction of London.

12 01 02 King’s is a leader in environmental sustainability and in 2011 it became the first university to achieve Energy Management Standard BS EN 16001. The College wishes to take the opportunity of all new renovation, refurbishment and development of its estate to reinforce the King’s brand and to enhance its interface with its external surroundings.

01 02 Social space in the refurbished south King’s , , range of the King’s Building. opened in 2002.

13 The project Entrance to the Quad from the Strand. 14 Outline project brief The proposed plan includes: l renovation of the two floors of the underground Quad building in a light, flexible contemporary style as a ‘Learning Commons’, providing 600-900 square metres of space. This area will connect into King’s Building on the east, to the East Wing of Somerset House on the west, to the Strand Building on the north, and it will also provide for future connectivity south to the Embankment and north into the former Laws Building on the Strand, when these are redeveloped;

Current basement buildings below the Quad.

15 l relandscaping the current car park into a learning area, including break out areas to allow light (and access) down into the floors below. This area provides the College with its probably only realistic opportunity to develop a campus open space of quality and significant size at the Strand; l creating a new entrance and reception area from the Strand;

The Quad viewed from the south, showing Somerset House East Wing to the left and the King’s Building to the right.

16 l refurbishment of the 320 seat Arthur & Paula Lucas Lecture Theatre, and suggestions of how to improve access to this area from the Quadrangle;

The Arthur & Paula Lucas Lecture Theatre.

17 l enhancing access and the entrance from the Embankment; l providing a coffee-shop open to both the Strand (and the public) and the Quad deck.

The architectural design will need to take into consideration the findings of a six month consultation led by Nomad RDC to ascertain student and staff perceptions of how the Quad space could be used.

View of the entrance from the Victoria Embankment.

18 Budget Competition programme The proposed overall budget is £20m. Key dates, which may be subject to alteration, are as follows:

Eligibility Activity Date Practising architects must be registered with the Architects Registration Board Competition Launched Wednesday 25 April 2012 in the UK, or an equivalent regulatory authority for overseas based applicants. Deadline for issue of Stage 1 documents Wednesday 30 May 2012 at midday Deadline for receipt of PQQs & Expressions of Interest Friday 1 June 2012 at 2.00pm Competition format Selection of shortlist meeting w/c 11 June 2012 Stage one Anonymous Expressions of Interest, Pre Qualification Questionnaires and Shortlist notified & Stage 2 Brief issued Monday 18 June 2012 Selection of Shortlist a) Expressions of Interest (EOI) and completed PQQ invited from Site visit / briefing session / feedback from Stage 1 w/c 25 June 2012 architects/practices. The PQQ will be evaluated by King’s College Jury Panel visits to shortlisted offices w/c 2 July 2012 London and in order to proceed further, architects will need to Submission of Stage 2 material Monday 30 July 2012 meet the criteria outlined in the PQQ. Exhibition of design proposals 6 – 17 August 2012 inclusive b) Using the ‘Criteria for Selection’ to assess the EOI’s, a shortlist of five will be selected and invited to the design stage of the Final interviews / presentations w/c 20 August 2012 competition. Result Monday 3 September 2012 Stage two Submission and Presentation of Design Concepts c) Five architects/practices will be invited to the design stage, which The final decision on the appointment of the winning architect/practice will will involve a site visit and briefing session. At this stage the Jury rest with the Quad Project Board. Panel will take up references and this may include site visits. The role of the Jury Panel will be to make a recommendation to the Quad d) A public exhibition of the five shortlisted designs will be held at the Project Board for their consideration and ratification. King’s College London College. reserves the right not to proceed beyond the competition in the event that no e) Final judging will involve a presentation and interview with each one scheme meets the requirements and aspirations set for this competition. shortlisted architect/practice. The winning architect/practice would be appointed under the CIC Each architect/practice short-listed to proceed to the design phase of Consultants’ Contract Condition (Second Edition – 2011) subject to a set of the competition will receive an equal honorarium of £5,000 (plus VAT). project-specific amendments. Honorarium payments will be paid following submission and presentation of design proposals at a final interview.

19 Stage 1 Submission requirements The Expression of Interest Document should comprise the following: Submissions should comprise: An anonymous A4 document no greater than twenty pages in length in direct response to the questions posed below. l 20 page (maximum) Anonymous Expression of Interest (EoI), A4 size document l Completed PQQ 1. Please demonstrate your motivation for applying and how your experience matches the client’s ethos for this project. Architects are not expected to demonstrate a 1. Anonymous Expression of Interest document perfect or literal match for this building type but instead to demonstrate flair and wit 4x hard copies required plus an electronic copy (PDF format) to be submitted in matching experience to the client’s ethos as outlined in the Outline Project Brief. on an accompanying CD. The electronic copy should be contained in a single 2. King’s College London Quad is situated between William Chambers’ Somerset PDF document of <5Mb file size. House and Robert Smirke’s King’s Building. The quad itself is part of an Anonymity must be preserved throughout the first stage selection process. The Unique ensemble that overlooks the Thames embankment in the centre of the city. Registration Number – URN – (supplied on registration) must be prominently These are significant buildings in a spectacular setting. King’s College London displayed on the front cover of each Expression of Interest document in the top right recognises that these were highly innovative and daring buildings in their time corner. No names, mottos or distinguishing marks should feature on any part of the EoI and that they transformed this part of the city. document. The submission should be collated and consist of a maximum of 20 x Please demonstrate how you have faced similar challenges in a sensitive setting or single sides of A4. The submission may be printed double-sided provided the environment (eg historic setting, conservation area, Area of Outstanding Natural specified single side limit is not exceeded. Beauty, listed buildings etc). This should take the form of a case study showing a design evolution from initial concept through to realisation of the completed project Practices should not give the names of their own organisation or any individuals on site. employed within it. Images and drawings of designed or completed projects may be featured within the submission and these projects can be named 3. King’s College London wants to attract students based on their reputation as a and described in detail including client names if necessary. The distinction centre for innovative and creative thinking. The new buildings need to represent should be clearly made between photographic images of completed projects, this ethos in a way that creates genuine excitement and then sustains it. and computer generated visualisations of on-going projects or competition Show how your work is both innovative and substantial. submissions. 4. The Learning Commons will bring together different groups of students and staff into a new community. Architects will need to develop an understanding of the 2. Pre-Qualification Questionnaire particular requirements of each group and yet design something with its own The Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (available from RIBA Competitions on singular identity. registration) should be completed by the named architect. Tell us how you have combined intelligent listening and good design leadership in the past. 1x hard copy of the PQQ is required together with an electronic copy (PDF format) to be submitted on a further separate CD. (Please note this CD should In response to these questions Architects may draw on examples and use contain only the PQQ and not the EOI information to retain anonymity). relevant images providing anonymity is retained. Architects should explain the relevance of their examples. It is permissible to name sites/buildings and to name clients worked with providing the applicant name or practice name is not revealed.

20 Submission method Jury Panel These submissions should be received no later than 2.00pm on Friday 1 June 2012. The Jury Panel, which may be subject to change, is expected to include: The submission should be contained in a single package and sent carriage paid to: Name Affiliation Niall McLaughlin Niall McLaughlin Architects, RIBA Adviser (Chair) King’s College London Architectural Competition Will Hunter Deputy Editor, Architectural Review RIBA Competitions The Studio (5th Floor) Patrick Cullen Director of Facilities, Google 32 The Calls Prof Sir Richard Trainor Principal, King’s College London Leeds Holly Walsh VP Student Activities and Facilities, King’s College London Student’s Union LS2 7EW Ian Caldwell Director of Estates & Facilities, King’s College London Holger Hansel Director of Space & Estates MIS, King’s College London Please note: Oluchi Uduku Senior Project Manager, King’s College London Robert Hall Director of Library Services & Employability, King’s College London l Only architects responding in accordance with the submission requirements

and deadline for receipt of applications will be considered. Joanne Wallis (RIBA Competitions) will attend the assessments to document l The Expression of Interest and Pre-Qualification Questionnaire must be the selection process and provide procedural support. annotated with the Unique Registration Number (supplied on registration). The URN must be prominently displayed on the front cover of each The PQQ will be subject to an independent financial check, and in order to Expression of Interest document (in the top right corner), on the proceed further in the competition, teams will need to: CD-ROM and inserted in the appropriate box of the Pre-Qualification a) indicate their willingness to work together with a delivery architect if the Questionnaire. The name of the lead architect should also be prominently College considers this arrangement necessary; and displayed. b) satisfy King’s College London’s minimum requirements as outlined in l UK based competitors should note that First Class post does not necessarily the Pass/Fail sections of the PQQ. The PQQ document indicates which guarantee next day delivery and should plan their submission schedule responses are to be provided for information purposes only, and which accordingly. Packages with insufficient postage may result in your package responses will be subject to a Pass/Fail evaluation. being returned unopened. l Overseas competitors should note that for Customs purposes no commercial value should be assigned to the submission. Failure to do so may result in your submission being delayed and/or returned to you unopened, as the RIBA will not be liable for any charges otherwise incurred. l Late submissions will not be accepted and it will not be possible to submit entries via e-mail.

21 Selection Criteria (Expressions of Interest) Scoring Guidance

The following criteria will be used to evaluate the Expressions of Interest, Rating Score Broad Definition assuming qualification standards are met: Excellent (exceeds the requirement) The response exceeds what is expected for the criteria. Leaves no doubt as CRITERIA WEIGHTING to the capability and commitment to deliver what is required. The response Motivation for applying and evidence of understanding the Client’s ethos 25% therefore shows: • very good understanding of the requirements Excellent 9-10 Ability to design innovatively and with distinction 25% • considerable competence demonstrated through relevant evidence Ability to design projects in a sensitive setting or environment 25% • considerable insight into the relevant issues • the response is also likely to propose additional value in several respects Evidence of working effectively with clients and demonstration of good leadership 25% above that expected.

Good (meets the requirement) The response broadly meets what is expected for the criteria. There are no significant areas of concern, although there may be limited minor issues. The response therefore shows: Good 7-8 • good understanding of the requirements • sufficient competence demonstrated through relevant evidence • some insight demonstrated into the relevant issues.

Adequate (meets most of the requirement) The response meets most of the requirement but there is at least one significant issue of concern, several smaller issues or lack of demonstrated capability and/or appropriate evidence. The response therefore shows: Adequate 5-6 • basic understanding of the requirements • sufficient competence demonstrated through relevant evidence • some areas of concern that require attention.

Mediocre (meets some of the requirement) The response meets elements of the requirement but gives concern in a number of significant areas. There are reservations because of one or all of the following: Mediocre 3-4 • there is at least one significant issue meeting considerable attention. • there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate competence or understanding • the response is light and unconvincing.

The response is significantly below what would be expected because of one or all of the following: • the response indicates a significant lack of understanding Poor 0-2 • the response fails to meet the requirement.

22 Stage 2 (Design concept phase) Documentation charge and how to register It is anticipated that five teams will be invited to proceed to the design phase of There is a registration/documentation charge of £50 (plus VAT). Upon the competition, which will involve: payment of this charge RIBA Competitions will issue you with a Unique Registration Number (URN) and a word format version of the pre-qualification l A site visit and ‘open’ briefing session to include presentations from the questionnaire relating to the project. Only submissions bearing a URN and client team. accompanied by the PQQ will be accepted. l Submission of up to 4x A1 boards and a simple sketch model to illustrate possible design approach, together with an accompanying short design Registrations can be made online via the website www.architecture.com/ report. competitions. Please go to the Live Competitions page where you will be l Final judging will involve an interview with each short-listed architect/ required to sign in to make your payment. If you have not used the website practice and presentation of design proposals. before, you will need to go through a short sign up process before proceeding to the payment area. The deadline for issuing Stage 1 documentation is Award criteria Wednesday 30 May at 12.00 midday. The competition seeks to select a preferred architect/practice on the basis Once your payment has been processed you will automatically receive of possible design approach (rather than a finite design solution) for the confirmation of your registration. RIBA Competitions will send your unique redevelopment of the Quad at the Strand Campus for King’s College London. identification number and a copy of the PQQ to the email address provided Details of the Award Criteria will be included in the Stage 2 Design Brief and within 2 working days. supporting documents, but are expected to include: l quality and appropriateness of the proposed design approach; Enquiries l understanding of client expectations, brief and ability to work in partnership The competition is being managed by RIBA Competitions. Any enquiries with the client team; should be addressed to the RIBA. Members of the Jury Panel and the client l appreciation of the site and consequent planning issues, including team should not be solicited for information as this may lead to disqualification preliminary response to site and context. from the competition. RIBA Competitions The Studio (5th Floor) 32 The Calls Leeds LS2 7EW T + 44 (0) 113 203 1490 E [email protected] W www.architecture.com/competitions

The photography featured in this document is by Nick Kane, Alfredo Falvo, Phil Sayer and Julian Anderson. 23