West Dean College Gardens Visitor’s Center: King of Wales to Open Visitor Center by World-Reknown Architect & Theorist

02/08/1996

Article Publication, Notification

Two-page announcement for the opening of the West Dean Visitor’s Center, with a brief presentation of the unique building process applied in response to its sensitive environment. It includes two images of Christopher Alexander on site, checking a tile mockup.

Content of

Article

The Alexander Technique _ The Visitor Centre at West Dean Breaks new ground 01/08/1996

Article

Authors:

Alan Powers

Published in:

Perspectives on Architecture, Vol. 24, pp. 44-47

Publisher:

Perspectives on Architecture Ltd. & The Prince of the Wales's Institute of Architecture, London, U.K.

References

Projects

West Dean College Gardens Visitor's Center 1994 to 1996

Near Chichester, West Sussex, U.K.

Civic, Realized , Construction completed in Nov. 1995

Client:

Edward James Foundation

C.E.S. staff:

Christopher Alexander, John Hewitt, students from "The Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture", students from Portsmouth University

Contractor:

Center for Environmetal Structure, as Management Contractor and General Contractor of record, with John Hewitt as Project Manager

Project stages:

Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Use of full scale mock-ups Design Development and Building Permit drawings done after layout Direct construction management and on-site design decisions Budget and subcontractors under C.E.S. control Innovativ

The West Dean Center is a simple one-story masonry building with a large red-tiled roof and intricate brickwork for its thick walls. The building is surrounded by gardens, and its south facing wall has large arched windows overlooking the garden ...