Ross Langdon Health Education Centre in Mannya/Uganda

We are so grateful to Felix and his team for their continued work towards completing Ross' projects. Ross was working on 18 projects at the time of his death, this was one of them.

Felix Holland of Studio FH Architects writes:

We are happy to report that another of Ross’ designs has been recently completed. The ‘Ross Langdon Health Education Centre’ as it has been named is a small community hall located in the village of Mannya in Rakai, South-western Uganda. It provides space for about 150 people, sitting on simple clay tile steps, and for a speaker, standing on a small elevated platform. Adjacent to the hall is a room for private meetings and a store. At the front is a walkway covered by a pergola providing shade for informal gatherings and relaxation.

As good as we can tell in his absence, Ross envisioned the Health Education Centre as a small pavilion, entirely inward-looking and made of the most basic of building materials available in Southern Uganda: eucalyptus poles as the main structure with clay brick infills and clay tile floors. There are no windows, and instead the building envelop filters light in various ways; perforations in the brickwork, a gap between walls and roof, a high-level roof vent with skylight and the ‘Liters of Light’ that illuminate the stage. The roof cover is made of zinc-al roof sheets supported by Eucalyptus trusses, and the ceiling is made of purpose-designed handmade ‘Mukeka’ reed mats.

Design and construction was a real team effort and not a straight-forward process at all. At the time of Ross’ death, the building was at schematic design stage, just about developed enough to be submitted for planning approval, but nowhere near ready to be priced and built. The design team led by Felix Holland of Studio FH Architects went ahead on a bit of a detective mission deciphering Ross’ design intentions, guessing at times and disagreeing at others, and finally realising a building that we hope does justice to his ideas and visions.

Our thanks go to Tim Diamond of the Cotton On Foundation who was absolutely unwavering in his determination to complete the project in Ross’ memory, to his family who gives us great support in what we are doing, and finally to Ross himself for leaving behind this little gem of a building.

Design Architect: Ross Langdon

Implementing Architect: Studio FH Architects

Structural Engineer: MBW Consulting

Quantity Surveyor: Dudley Kasibante and Partners

Contractor: CMD Investments

Developer: Cotton On Foundation

Photographs: Will Boase

Location: Mannya, Uganda

Area: 260m²

Project year: 2016

Ross' continued influence in architecture

In the below article, Terrain Architects discuss Ross Langdon as their inspiration for their design methodology - developing a relationship with local communities and using local skills and materials.

http://architectureau.com/articles/nomadic-architecture-terrain-architects/

"We admire Ross Langdon. His way of thinking about the architect’s role in Africa and his contribution through architecture encourages us to be present." Ikko Kobayashi and Fumi Kashimura.

http://terrain-arch.com/index.html

Thank-you Ikko & Fumi for remembering Ross and pursuing such a valuable and interesting design practise.

Music

Ross enjoyed music. He worked and studied to music; always with his headphones on and focused on the designs in front of him. Or acting as the office DJ with the latest and greatest playlists. I have many albums and playlists recommended to me by Ross, as many of his friends, colleagues and family do.

After the event, we received the below note from a friend of Ross and Elif's in nairobi. Thanks for sharing Paul.

"Friends, when I got our landrover back from Westgate 10 days after what happened, this track came booming on: I mentioned to some of you it must have been the last thing Ross & Elif would have been playing just as they parked up and headed into the mall. It was on a USB stick, stuck into the stereo, of Elif's that I then gave to her mother. Have been meaning to share this for a while. Uplifting in its own special way.

Enjoy, friends, and share! Paul x"

Studio FH Architects - realising Ross' designs

"One year ago we lost our friend and colleague Ross Langdon in the most brutal of ways. Ross left behind a number of beautiful architectural concepts and schemes. We feel immensely honoured to have since been approached by a number of his clients with the request to help realise what was on his drawing board, whatever stage it may have been at. As any Architect would know, this is not always an easy task; we do our best to stay true to his ideas but at times feel like interpreters of rediscovered poetry with all the guess work that goes along with that!

Today we are happy to report that the first of these projects, Coppice Road Poolhouse in Kampala, has been completed. The project consists of the refurbishment and extension of a tiny garden house besides a swimming pool and its conversion into a self-contained studio apartment of a total area of just 54m².

Ross’ doubled the footprint of the house by extending it length-wise to the rear. And because this still didn’t create enough space, he added four little cantilevering timber pods sticking out of both old and new creating daybed and office nooks. The roof trusses over the existing building were exposed and the gable end glazed. Over the new part, the same structure was replicated but an additional vent roof added, a common theme in rural Ugandan coffee factories which were so close to Ross’ heart. Hardly surprising for an Aussie Architect, all timber work is made of Eucalyptus; front terrace and plinth are made of Butende clay bricks.

Photos posted here are still work in progress; we'll have some better ones soon.

The project turned out to be a wonderful example of a productive team effort between client, contractor and architect. All of us were Ross’ friends who came together with the resolve to completing this project in a way that would make him proud. Thanks to Hrishi, Maanan, Inder and everyone else who put his effort into this project.

Our thoughts are with the families of Ross and Elif."

- Felix Holland, September 21, 2014

https://www.facebook.com/studiofharchitects?fref=photo

Ross' Library

Recently completed in the Langdon family home is Ross' library. Ross loved books. His architectural reference collection is extensive and filled with interesting gems gathered from his many travels.

Friends of Ross, Dan Devine and Hugh Maguire, have generously designed, gathered materials to upcycle and built the magnificent library. It is a space that truly reflects Ross' architectural values and one can feel close to Ross surrounded by his beloved books.

Thanks Dan and Hugh, we are so grateful for this space.

http://www.maguirearchitects.com.au/

National President's Prize awarded to Ross

On Thursday 20th March, Ross was posthumously awarded the National President’s Prize at the 2014 Australian Achievement in Architecture Awards ceremony held at Peppermint Bay, Tasmania.

Ross’ Mother, Linden and sister Abigail along with friend and colleague, Ben Milbourne accepted the honourable award. The Langdon family are grateful for the recognition of Ross’ contributions to architecture and talent. He was intensely passionate about the projects he worked on and the people he worked with.

The jury citation and article can be read here.

Congratulations also to Ben Milbourne who was awarded a Dulux Study Tour prize.