King Solomon Academy in Westminster was completed. The final phase was the refurbishment of the Leonard Mannaseh school building.

We have been invited to undertake a feasibility study into transforming The Academy's Sir Jack Lyons Theatre which was opened in 1976. The Theatre, which currently seats 230, is used for opera, jazz and media music as well as some chamber music performances. The study will take place early in 2010.

Ian Ritchie was unanimously elected by the RIAS Council an Honorary Fellow.

Ian Ritchie delivered a lecture on Light, his first as Honorary Visiting Professor, and was followed by a master class with third year students.

Competition entry for Dance 4 Nottingham; East Renfrewshire and Midlothian Council joint Schools Project; TfL Bermondsey Station overdevelopment, London; Royal Victoria Dock Pedestrian Link, London.

Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts (SCVA) at UEA in Norwich has appointed Ian Ritchie to oversee the last phase of the refurbishment. Ian was the project architect while working at Foster Associates until 1976. The centre opened in 1978, since when two further additions have been made to the building.

We have designed a new wall light 'Livis' and a linear pendant light 'Linis' for the North House project. Both are being manufactured by Prolumena.

Erik Havadi obtained his Masters in Scenography from Laban.

Ian Ritchie, along with Professor Andy McMillan, Professor Kathryn Findlay and the RIAS president David Dunbar judged Scotland's most prestigious architectural award, the Doolan Award, worth £25,000. The winner was the Small Animal Hospital, Glasgow, with the presentation taking place at the Scottish Parliament. Ian Ritchie gave a keynote lecture on "Innovation and Collaboration" at a symposium 'Architect & Engineer' in the context of the new Aalto University, Helsinki. Aalto University is created through a merger between the Helsinki School of Economics, the University of Art and Design Helsinki and the Helsinki University of Technology, which will start operating on the 1st of January 2010.

Institute of Food Research John Innes Centre, Norwich.

Ian Ritchie gave a keynote lecture on "Innovation and Collaboration" at a symposium ´Architect & Engineer´ in the context of the new Aalto University, Helsinki. Aalto University is created through a merger between the Helsinki School of Economics, the University of Art and Design Helsinki and the Helsinki University of Technology, which will start operating on the 1st of January 2010.

Following a rigorous public procurement process over several months, we emerged as the winning architects selected to lead the design for The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour at UCL.

Shortlisted with Ulrike Brandi Licht to design Christmas Illuminations for the avenue des Champs Elysees, Paris; University of London School for Speech and Drama.

Wood Lane Station has been shortlisted for the Institute of Structural Engineers Award for Transportation Structures 2009

A critical review by Ian Ritchie was published in Architecture Today, Issue AT200 August 2009.

Wood Lane Station has been shortlisted for:

• National Transport Awards 2009 'Rail Station of the Year'
• The British Construction Industry (BCI) Awards and the Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award 2009

The Courtyard Theatre has been shortlisted for a RICS National Award 2009.

Ian Ritchie has been conferred the title of Honorary Visiting Professor to the School of Architecture by the University of Liverpool.

Wood Lane Station has been awarded the 2009 ROSPA Gold Award for Occupational Health and Safety to the construction manager Costain and their team.

NLA Major London Issues exhibition is an evolving display including seminars, lectures and debates highlighting key issues facing London in 2009 with a monthly focus on the following 12 sectors; Energy, Public Realm, Housing, Conservation, Work Place, Education, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Water, Environment, Hotels and Retail.

The exhibition opened at the beginning of April 2009. Wood Lane Station will feature from June in the Infrastructure Sector, which will supported by specific events in October 2009.

The Building Centre
26 Store Street
London WC1E 7BT
www.newlondonarchitecture.org
Free entry

Our design for a mixed use development at the old Dylon Factory in Bromley will be exhibited to the public on 9th May at the site near Lower Sydenham railway station. It will be submitted for planning permission later this month.

The RSC Courtyard Theatre was awarded the RICS Community Benefit Award and shortlisted for its Sustainability Award.

Ian Ritchie gave one of the talks at the RIAS Annual Convention held in Dundee. He focussed upon Innovation, a great Scottish tradition, and the challenges faced in today's political and economic conditions.

Gordon Talbot and Ian Ritchie will be undertaking RIBA External Examiner's roles this year at Greenwich Diploma School and Oxford Brookes' post-diploma Masters.

Our designs for a significant mixed use development in Dublin will be submitted for planning permission in June 2009.

The project has been shortlisted for a RIBA Award.

Stefan Lengen has joined Mark Bagguley, who left last month, to work on a project in Vienna, Austria with CRAB Architects, led by Peter Cook.

We submitted our entry (1 of 14) for the Magdeburger Hafen competition in Hamburg for a project consisting of three buildings forming an urban block including a new headquarters for Greenpeace Germany, DesignXport, and housing. We collaborated with Max Fordham LLP, Ulrike Brandi Licht and with our 'sister' office in Hamburg, Jan Braker of blp Architekten to develop a new environmental office building typology.

Collaborating with our 'sister' office in Leipzig, we completed our submission for the Dresden Cultural Palace which consists of a new 1800 seat concert hall and a smaller one, together with a new library. This is housed in a listed early 60's building, for which the authorities wish to retain the facades and roofline.

We have been invited by Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester University and Chichester District Council to prepare a feasibility study to include the creation of an outdoor amphitheatre, and the refurbishment and additions to Oaklands Park House into a centre for theatre, leadership and research.

Following successful pre-planning presentations, Mountbrook have instructed us to proceed with the planning application of a 52,00m2 mixed-use development in Dublin. The design concept is an architecture of urban landscape which, while accepting the verticality of urban buildings, expands the idea of the flow of landscape through the site.

A second prototype of our desk lamp has been manufactured in Germany. It has been designed and engineered in collaboration with Ulrike Brandi Licht and Hamburg Licht. Production is now anticipated in September.

After many years with the practice, Mark Bagguley is leaving to work on a project based in Austria, and Paul Byrne after a year back in the UK, has decided to return to Australia with his wife in order to seek out new opportunities.

We have recently designed and installed a large stainless steel sculpture named Turville Sun. It is based upon the geometric arrangement of an equatorial sundial, with time marking on the gnomon.

Taylor Wimpey has sold the 6 hectare site to Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation.

Ian will give an Annual Lecture in the 1200 seat Bovard Hall at the University of Southern California USC Arts & Humanities, School of Architecture on the 21st January at 7pm entitled 'This Land is OUR Land, Greening Architecture, Ethics and the Environment.' An illustrated on-line download will be available on our website from 26th January in the 'writings' section.

Ian will also lecture in Scotland at:

• Edinburgh University on the 27th February, 6pm
• Aberdeen University on the 18th March, 6.30pm
• RIAS Annual Conference keynote speech at Dundee University on the 15th May

Gordon Talbot will give a lecture on the 26th March at Lincoln University.