:: PLACE :: FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an “architecture and built environment centre”?

PLACE is one in a large, loosely-connected network of centres and organisations across the world, from Canada to Japan. They usually have names like Architecture Centre, Urban Design Centre, Architectural League, Architecture Foundation and so on. Some of these organisations have a centre which anyone can visit, some mount exhibitions in different places, some only exist on the internet, some are a mixture of all of them.

The mission and activities of each centre or organisation are often very different, though similar: as part of their mission, most will have something about “promoting design quality” or “improving architecture” or “public engagement with the built environment”. What you can usually gather from this is that these organisations recognise the importance of the built environment in our daily lives and want to bring people into the discussion of how we can maintain it, improve it, or change it entirely.

What does PLACE stand for?

PLACE is an acronym for Planning, Landscape, Architecture, Community and Environment.

What is the mission of PLACE?

Our mission is to positively influence the creating and sustaining of excellent places and buildings, making Northern Ireland an environment of exceptional quality for all.

So, what does PLACE do?

PLACE wants to get people thinking and talking about their built environment in an informed way, and to be able to do something if they need to! There are lots of ways we seek to achieve this:

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: Starting in 2010, PLACE began consultations in the Northern Ireland community, working with local people and representatives to get them genuinely involved in decision-making on proposals which will affect their lives. The first such participation exercise is on the Expo West development in Andersonstown, West Belfast.

Since 2004 PLACE has hosted EXHIBITIONS at its gallery in Belfast’s Fountain Street, also sometimes travelling to other venues across Northern Ireland. Our exhibitions to date have featured:
- examples of design quality in recently completed buildings (such as in the biannual RSUA Awards and the annual AAI Awards);
- important built environment issues (Happy to Live Here? in 2005 looked at standards of housing across Northern Ireland and Home Front in 2009 explored the home environments of older people across Ulster);
- crossovers between art and architecture (Xavier Ribas’ Habitus, which ran in partnership with Belfast Exposed for the Belfast Festival in 2009 was an artistic response to archaeological findings and their implementation in new developments);
- aspects of architectural practice (Notebooks and Narratives: The Secret Laboratory, 2010, was an intimate look at the “ideas we carry with us in our pocket”: the personal notebooks of 15 prominent architects from Ireland North & South).

SEMINARS, PANEL DISCUSSIONS & TALKS: Usually, public discussions at PLACE will complement an exhibition or series of events ongoing at the time, such as a panel discussion on Housing for Older People held during the Home Front exhibition. At other events, important issues of the moment will be discussed, such as the Architecture in the Recession: Lessons from the Past and Elsewhere event we held in September 2009. Where possible, reports and/or recordings of such events will be made available for people to join the discussion online.

We have submitted CONSULTATIONS to various bodies based on our experience and expertise, seeking consideration for design quality where it is otherwise absent.

We occasionally produce PUBLICATIONS on key topics in the built environment, usually coinciding with exhibitions or developments in the built environment. In the past these have included Happy to Live Here, based on the exhibition of the same name. Coming soon: Building Our Children’s Futures, on recent developments in architecture for education.

In 2010, PLACE expanded its EDUCATION PROGRAMME with the outreach-based Primary School Curriculum Initiative, which aims to give teachers and built environment professionals practical skills to engage with Key Stage 2 students in the classroom using architecture as a link to the curriculum, and vice-versa. The first group of participants are now building up their plans of work for the classroom.

BOOKSHOP: PLACE hosts a RIBA Bookshop at its premises in 40 Fountain Street. The RIBA Bookshop at PLACE has a select collection of titles designed to entertain, engage and inspire not just architects but also the general public of Northern Ireland, by stocking a diverse range of items relating to Irish, UK and international practice and theory. From monographs on individual architects to wider studies of townscape, design histories to participatory practices, urban policy to visions of the future, our selection aims to demonstrate how architecture affects us all, every day.

A small REFERENCE LIBRARY is currently under construction at PLACE, organised and designed by our small team of volunteers. It is made up of various items on the built environment gathered at PLACE over the past 5 years.

Our FLICKR GROUP launched at the end of 2009 and features lots of images of what people see as the best places and buildings in Northern Ireland – if you love photography and architecture, why not add your photos? Join up here!

Is PLACE an architecture firm or practice?

No. PLACE does not design buildings, landscapes or other public spaces. Instead, we look at the various issues that surround such designs – hence Planning, Landscape, Architecture, Community and Environment.

Does PLACE represent architects?

No. The Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) is the professional body for architects in Northern Ireland, and they represent architects’ interests. PLACE acts more as an interface between what architects do (design the buildings and spaces around us), key community groups, and the general public. We are involved in communicating architecture, rather than creating it.

Does PLACE lobby for the preservation of listed buildings?

No. This role is carried out ably by our friends at the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society. Of course, design quality doesn’t just apply to brand new buildings, and we often host events to celebrate design quality in our built heritage, and UAHS members have given talks and presentations at PLACE on key built heritage issues.

Does PLACE represent the views of any government departments or other bodies?

No. While PLACE conducts work, such as community participation exercises, on behalf of government departments, we are an independent organisation which is outside the influence of such bodies.

Where is PLACE?

PLACE is based at 40 Fountain Street, Belfast BT1 5EE. We are also online at place.uk.net, with a blog at placeni.blogspot.com, a Facebook group you can join, and we also tweet! So there’s lots of ways to stay in touch!

What is in the centre?

The main feature of the centre is the exhibition space, which features exhibitions year-round, usually changing on a bi-monthly basis. weePLACE is a small cabinet which is used for one-off mini exhibitions and displays. See Exhibitions & Events for details of our programme.

Also in the centre is the RIBA Bookshop.

When can I visit?

The centre is open to the public from Tues-Sat from 11.30am to 5.30pm, with later opening on a Thursday evening until 7.30pm. Occasionally we will be closed for a meeting, private event or to install a new exhibition, but we aim to be open for as much of the week as possible.

Do you have a mailing list?

We sure do. Sign up here! (Updates usually go out once or twice a month and you can unsubscribe at any time by emailing info[AT]place[DOT]uk[DOT]net with STOP in the subject line. We will never release your data to any third party.)

What is the built environment?

There are lots of definitions and interpretations of the built environment, but the basic idea is that it’s the man-made stuff you see around you every day, in your city, town, village, townland and even your house: it’s our buildings, streets, parks, squares and much more. A key aspect of the built environment is that it’s designed.

What is “design quality”?

Design quality is key to what PLACE does and why it exists. Some of the basic concepts of design quality are contained in PLACE’s response to the ‘Reform of the Planning System in Northern Ireland’ consultation paper, published in September 2009.

“PLACE considers that sustainability and quality are intrinsically linked. Quality places can and do enhance learning, health, leisure, work and the economy. Good design has a much wider scope than mere aesthetics, important though this is. Whilst it should be self-evident, there is now well documented objective research by CABE and other bodies illustrating how good design can positively affect outcomes – well designed schools increase pupil concentration and learning, well designed hospitals aid patient recovery, well designed workplaces help increase productivity and aid staff retention, well designed towns and cities have vibrancy and vitality. At a very basic level well designed environments give us all a psychological lift – they are places which we seek out – they are pleasant places to be in or to pass through. They are good places to invest.”

Who runs PLACE?

At present, PLACE has a full-time staff of three, a voluntary management board of interested and enthusiastic people in related professions, and a team of more than 20 volunteers.

How is it funded?

Our funding comes from several bodies and groups – see Funding for more info. We also run a bookshop at our premises in Fountain Street. However, PLACE is not for profit.

Who is it for?

As an architecture and built environment centre, we are not just here for architects and people of related professions – in fact, our main target audience is the general public of Northern Ireland. Though the centre itself is in Belfast, our activities are expanding across Northern Ireland.

Does PLACE work with any other organisations?

In the UK, PLACE is a member of the Architecture Centre Network, which brings together architecture centres from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. On the island of Ireland, the Irish Architecture Foundation is probably the most closely-related to PLACE in terms of its mission, though its activities are somewhat different.

PLACE has collaborated with the Architecture Centre Bristol to bring an exhibition on the subject of sustainable housing to Northern Ireland, the Solent Centre for Architecture + Design to facilitate teacher/built environment professional workshops on architecture in the curriculum, the Irish Architecture Foundation in delivering events in Belfast, and the Architecture Association of Ireland in bringing its annual awards for architecture to Northern Ireland.

The RSUA is PLACE’s parent organisation, and we collaborate closely with them in terms of our administration and organisational policies.

Can I get involved?

That’s what we’re here for! We encourage you to visit our exhibitions and leave comments, come to events and ask questions, and feel free to share your ideas and opinions with us.

Northern Ireland schools/teachers: get in touch to find out more about our education scheme, the PLACE Primary School Curriculum Initiative. Email info[at]place.uk.net or phone 028 9023 2524.

Do you have an idea for an event or exhibition?
Before PLACE commits to any projects, we need you to draw up a detailed proposal including the following:
- Theme
- Audience
- Format – wall panels, models, publication, film etc.
- Curator – name and short biog of the curator/curating team
- Budget – anticipated budget
- Related Events – Examples of events that you feel could tie your project together
- Experience – Past experience in developing exhibitions/publications etc.
When we receive the proposal we will assess how it meets the strategic aims of PLACE and if we decide to proceed, we will meet to discuss a schedule of time and delivery. As you can imagine, we receive hundreds of queries per year and this system makes sure we deliver the best work, reaching the widest audiences. Send your initial proposal (1 or 2 A4 pages) to us by mail or email: see Contact Us.

We regularly seek volunteers to help out at PLACE, whether giving a hand in the gallery or at events, writing on the blog or updating the website, keeping the gallery open on weekends or any other ways you might be able to help out! Send an email to info+volunteers[at]place.uk.net

What’s on?