Lord Foster and his Spanish wife Elena Ochoa graced Blain's art gallery in Mayfair for the private view of an exhibition by Ben Johnson, a painter who interprets modern architecture. Throughout the slide show, Elena kept whispering into her husband's ear: "Don't you have this one?" Later, Johnson told me that Foster was indeed one of his greatest patrons, but that the great man kept his work in storage. I hear that Foster does in fact have an artwork on the only non-glazed wall of his Battersea penthouse – muddy handprints put there by nature-loving artist Richard Long.
Keeping the faith
Word reaches me that Faithful & Gould, the QS that won surveying practice of the year at the Building Awards last week, is due for a name change – three years after it was taken over by megaconsultant WS Atkins. No doubt months of detailed and sensitive consideration went into dreaming up the ultimate compromise. The firm is to be called – wait for it – Atkins Faithful & Gould. The announcement is due any time now. Insiders tell me that the Faithful tag will remain to keep clients happy, but stress that there were no big bust-ups over the rebranding. "A few of the old boys kicked up a fuss, but there was nothing serious," as one insider put it.
Yes, quite important
Construction minister Brian Wilson has been criticised by some for his low profile in the industry, but it was a little alarming that he wasn't recognised by a couple of the dignitaries on his table at last week's Building Awards. "I just wasn't sure who he was," remarked one high-ranking developer. "But there was a bit of a fuss made of him when he arrived, so he must be quite important."
Wilson is, I gather, acutely aware of the problem, and he intends to exploit his new role as energy and construction minister to make more of an impact on the industry. Expect a whole new approach from our man in Whitehall over the coming months.
Pig tales
How much do the British public know – or care – about architecture? CABE has commissioned pollster MORI to find out. Early findings show a mixed picture. When asked to name a living architect, one of the most common answers was "Sir Christopher Wren". CABE was delighted, though, to learn that a surprising number of respondents had heard that it existed – although most admitted that they didn't know what it did. "CABE – isn't it that talking pig?" one is understood to have enquired.
Testament of experience
Rosie Millard, the BBC's arts correspondent, was the surprising choice of speaker to launch a joint CABE/Department for Education and Skills initiative to improve the design of nurseries in underprivileged areas.
Millard, who has two young children and is heavily pregnant with another, spoke in cut-glass tones about the strains of driving her toddlers to a private nursery in Islington, and the traumas of interviewing au pairs. This rather conflicted with the gritty video that she then presented of shabby childcare facilities in Bury, Sheffield and Bexley.
Seven Samurai (times two)
If you thought construction companies were immune to the corporate fad of gritty teambuilding expeditions in the middle of nowhere, think again. Two contractors are each sending a team of seven to the five-day "adventure racing" contest on Exmoor. Dubbed "The Microsoft Challenge" in honour of its mighty sponsor, the event costs £12,000 to enter and the proceeds are donated to the NSPCC. Carillion and Gunite Eastern, a St Ives-based concrete repair specialist, will be flying the flag for the construction sector. The tasks awaiting them are a surprise; challenges in previous years have included fording rivers, orienteering on mountain bikes and building catapults. But the toughest challenge of all could be missing England's second round World Cup game if they manage to finish top of the Group of Death.
Anyone wanting to sponsor Gunite's effort should get in touch with Tim Ellis on 01480-466880.
Smoke without fire
A still-smoking press release has arrived at Building from Capital Roofing, a contractor from Blackheath, south London. The firm went bananas after reports in the press suggested that a firm in Blackheath with a similar name had started the recent fire at the Center Parcs resort. The report led the firm's insurance broker to ask for details. The incident brought back bad memories for Capital: 20 years ago the BBC said – wrongly – that it produced shoddy work. Directors Gary and Terry Peck reckon there should be tighter controls on names. The press release concludes: "With the current free-for-all, no doubt Arthur Daley Motor can assume the trading name Rolls-Royce and nobody in authority cares."
Setting the agenda
Funny how things happen. A government insider tells me that owners of stately homes, including the residents of Buckingham Palace, were horrified to read in Building that changes to the Building Regulations could force them to replace their windows with vulgar PVCu glazing. As a result, ministers were inundated with letters from the great and the good, and historic buildings were hurriedly exempted from the rules.
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