LETTERS: MARCH 2010

We welcome letters but retain the right to edit them. Email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), fax 020 7490 4957, or write to us at RIBAJ, Atom Publishing, Clerkenwell House, 45/47 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0EB

Winning words
For several months now I have been intending to compliment you on the  improvements in content and presentation of our journal. Having received the February 2010 issue, I can delay no longer.
From the superb Basil Fawlty cover, through ‘Oasis of the Seas’ to Elwall’s ‘Parting Shot’  via Bodley’s Breakfast, it is a winner. I am proud to show it to my friends.
Thank you.
Leon Easter

Cover prized
Great cover to the February 2010 issue!
John Harris, London N7

Smoking guns
‘Smoking gun’ (RIBAJ February 2010) gave an impression of confusion and complexity.
Building fire safety can be considered in three parts: design, construction and use. The design team is not always involved directly in all three.
Design: Approved Document B and BS 9999:2008 contain the principal guidance. At this level of complexity it would be wise to include a good fire safety engineer in the design team. If the design stretches the boundaries of both ADB and BS 9999 the fire safety engineer may apply some of the relevant basic engineering design equations in BS7974 –  the British foundation of fire engineering. Once the design is fit for presentation, the buildings and fire authorities can be asked for an opinion noting that Fire and Rescue Service officers will act as advisers to building control.
Construction: the architect need only be aware that there are controls over fire safety on site. These are exercised by the contractor’s insurer and either the fire authority or HSE. The principal contractor should prepare method statements for all activities and safety data sheets for all products and materials used on site. In addition, the fire emergency plan will adjust as the building develops. There is a serious problem with buildings being erected using modern methods of construction.
Use: your February story suggested the architect may be involved in the fire risk assessment for the completed and occupied building. At this stage the ‘responsible person’ – the owner or manager of the building – is expected to carry out a fire risk assessment based on the fire safety design of the building collected by the requirement of a new regulation (16B), under which the owner should receive documentation about the fire safety design of the building. The architect contributes here because of the specifications of materials, components and techniques used to construct the building, although he is likely to have the knowledge or expertise to undertake a fire risk assessment. Truly complex heritage buildings require a depth of knowledge and skill far beyond that which would be gained from BSI PAS 79. However, the architect needs to undertake a fire risk assessment anyway as his own office needs one. Here the local fire authority has two roles: to give generic, not specific, advice and guidance; and to assess the fire risk assessment itself. The assessor is expected to identify deficiencies and specify the remedial works so a competent person can arrange for the works to be done.
Although it is mentioned that the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order does not affect domestic buildings it does apply to the common areas of housing blocks.
Finally,  Fire Certificates issued under the Fire Precautions Act 1971, 1977 are no longer supplied or valid.
Dr Eric W Marchant, Edinburgh Fire Consultants

Tower talk
Having been an architect in private practice in Ipswich for over 40 years I was interested to read about The Mill development on the waterside (RIBAJ November 2009). More particularly, having been involved for 25 years with the Ipswich Historic Churches Trust in seeking new uses and maintaining several redundant churches in the town centre, I noted the picture of St Lawrence Church and the reference to it in the text.
Readers may be interested to know that although the tower is correctly described as being 15th century, it was originally a plain structure with four urns on its corners. It became unsafe and in 1882 was clad with the richly decorated flint, stone and brick designed by Howard Gaye and built by Frederick Barnes. It was illustrated in the December issue of Building News in that year and is an attractive and much admired feature in the town. The Trust carried out major restoration work on the tower in 1993 and the five 15th century bells (the oldest set of five in the country) have recently been restored and
re-hung. After 29 years the church was reopened as a community centre in 2008.
John L Harding, Ipswich IP4

Worth exploring
I was very interested by your piece on the Oasis of the Seas (RIBAJ February 2010)  as I spent Christmas on the slightly smaller sister ship, Explorer of the Seas.
While I initially saw the ship as a temple to vulgarity, I was quickly won over in admiration of the quite wonderful integration of the ship’s structure, systems and logistical organisation.
More importantly, I can contradict your assertion that these are fair weather ships – our return to New York was in a Force 11 ‘violent storm’, of which we were scarcely aware.  (Force 12 is a ‘hurricane’ on the Beaufort scale).
Charles Lawrence, via email

Cat naps
May I suggest a solution to the problem of domesticating hotel rooms (‘A Room of my Own’, February 2010)? Optional cats (with cat-flaps).
Jan Morris, Gwynedd, Cymru