Architosh Staff (info@architosh.com)

22 Dec 00

Entertainment: Richard Rogers Partnership's Website

Yesterday we brought you news of MJNealArchitect's website. The site has a pretty nifty Flash interface with some particularly interesting elements. Probably the most interesting to us was the moving photo vignettes which when clicked on expanded into a larger picture frame for good viewing. Pretty cool stuff...and from a Mac architect too!

Setting The Standard: RRP

However, Architosh reader, William Huchting, architect, wrote in with this kind opinion:

The greatest architecture site that uses Flash, in my humble opinion, is still http:// www.richardrogers.co.uk/

William is probably right. We reviewed RRP's website and got the same impression. While other architecture sites may have jazzier graphics and interface elements RRP's site is excellent on the IA (information architecture) level.

There are a number of unique elements in their site which seem to raise the sense of significance and professionalism of the field of architecture. While most sites have project galleries, far too few have "cases studies". RRP's site also has a section called Environment which delves into their urban theories and energy and smart building research.

The Case Studies section (shown below) brings up a small browser window with a project picture and title. Below that is a series of nice icons which relate to the Brief, Site, Design, Construction, Environment, and Title & Credits. Clicking on one takes you to that section with the picture mode on by default. Two new icons appear showing a camera and a letter T. One is for the picture view mode and the other for the text mode. Clicking back and forth reveals the content for that section. The cases studies themselves are excellent synopsis of their practice methodology as seen through the lens of a particular project.

Can Mac Architects Do Better?

Well Richard Rogers Partnership is a very good site (quite possibly the best site around) their practice doesn't utilize Macintosh computers to our best knowledge. While London has become one of the key centers of the digital arts—and there is big use of Macs in Web, film and new media and 3D studios—architects tend to be PC-oriented. Could this be because the profession there sees itself through more technical eyes?

We think the RRP is a great model for architecture practice sites. Even the HTML-only site is top notch. We hope this site can encourage Macintosh firms to do even better. If you have a killer site or our developing one, let us know so we can share it with everyone. Let's help raise the standards in the profession of architecture.

Special Note

You may just check out RRP's firm "constitution". It may really amaze you. How many firms do you know that have directors with no equity in the firm, and cannot make more than six times the salary of any architect with two years standing in the firm? After bonuses and firm improvements, their extra cash actually goes to charities.

To read this go to Practice Overview, then People, then Constitution. Go to RRP.