Simon Whatley
Simon Whatley’s beautiful furniture was photographed in our house by Robert Pereira Hind back in September. We were very impressed with the images.

Simon Whatley’s beautiful furniture was photographed in our house by Robert Pereira Hind back in September. We were very impressed with the images.
You can now hire out our Japanese House for photo shoots for the day via Location Scotland.
Study / furniture plwood model at 1:10.
A very snowy site at our extension & conversion to grade B listed Trinity House. Thankfully the large internal changes mean it is not slowing up the contractor, Wilkie Construction, too much as they can get on with internal works. Externally the standpipe is frozen every morning and the concrete freezes in the mixer after 20 minutes. The foundations were cast just in time according to the contractor, though I don’t know when they will be able to cast the ground bearing slab.
Published in January edition of self build magazine Build It pictures by Douglas Gibb.
We just found out that we didn’t win the Loreto Sports Hall competition in Dublin. We are disappointed but also a bit irritated with the competition process.
Demolition on a sunny morning at Trinity House, Edinburgh. I find this picture artistic even though it is a progress ‘snap’ of a new opening. There is something vaguely ominous in it.
Working on a tiny project for a study which we are proposing as a plywood insert with its own shoji screen.
We are very proud to officially welcome our new employee Fraser McQuade. Fraser won the EAA medal as best 3rd year student at ECA which Kieran presented back in June (news 10/06/2010).
Our alteration and extension of the listed Trinity House (Edinburgh) starts on site with some speedy demolitions.
Our extension in Scotstoun (Glasgow) added to the projects list.
Invited by Edinburgh University Student Architecture Society to give a talk on Japan and our Japanese House on Friday 29th October 2010 18:30.
Archello publish our information and a story about the Japanese House here.
Japanese House published by Wallpaper* Magazine as reason number for 5 for being in the UK, very proud and nice words by Caroline Ednie.
Informed by a client that we had been published by RBS Sense magazine, weird thing was no-one had gotten in contact with us to discuss in advance. Editor was very apologetic but truth is this is good publicity for us. Just cleaned out our junk mail and spotted e-mail from journalist in July.
Site visit for one of our early projects that sailed out of the office last year. Note to self: no more of these “stop at Stage E” projects.
Doors Open Day 2010 was a great success. Estimates vary but we think around 1,500 people visited our little house (it was very busy). To all who attended, thank you for your patience, kind words and good humour.
Special thanks to Maggie Spalding from the Cockburn Association without whom we would have been swamped and to Neil, Fraser, Nancy, Clare & Paul for their help and support.
Please CLICK HERE to support the Cockburn Association.
We also saw 55.02 by Sixteen Makers at Kielder (My old friends Nick Calicott, Phil Ayres and Bob Sheil). An amazing piece of architecture – Makiko loved it for it’s Japanese-ness and I for it’s complexity of construction; I wish we had access to making skills and technologies like these.
Link to Bob Sheil’s proto architecture manifesto on Leopold Lambert’s blog.
Spent the weekend at Kielder looking at art and architecture including James Turrell’s Sky Space.
New Business Cards with 1:1 scale image of the Big Black Pillar; with the unexpected effect that when you hold up the card against the pillar the card disappears.
First draft of the photos (in the rain) of the Bath Street window by David Clark.
Trinity extension receives planning permission and listed building consent.
The Cockburn Association Edinburgh Doors Open Day brochure arrives and we have a page to ourselves. See press page for more info. Now all we have to do is open up on the day – we have been told to expect between 500-1000 people.
Saltire awards shortlist announced in RIAS Quarterly magazine.
Our client for the Borders House sent us this image of the cladding now well under way.
David finishes off his placement with some revised images of the Portobello Long House.
Snagging the Bath Street window today.
Konishi Gaffney architects are participating in the 2010 Architect In The House scheme which offers homeowners a one hour consultation with an architect in return for a donation to homeless charity Shelter.
Shortlist for Saltire Award announced. A Flickr set with images of all the projects shortlisted in 5 categories.
News Link Housing Today.
Homes & Interiors Scotland magazine publish a 6 page article on the Japanese House.
Konishi Gaffney architects are joined by student architect David Clark for a few weeks over summer.
Konishi Gaffney architects are joined by talented young architect James Falconer. Welcome aboard James.
Japanese house shortlisted for a Saltire Housing Award, judges are visiting on Thursday 24th June 2010.
Kieran Gaffney presents EAA JR McKay medal to Fraser McQuade, the best 3rd year student at Edinburgh Collge of Art 2010. See EAA website article.
We have moved into our new space – a shared arts studio in “Out of the Blue” in Dalmeny Street. However, our main address is still the Japanese House in Bellfield Lane.
Kieran judged the EAA “JR McKay” medal with Robert Black and Angus Eitel at the Edinburgh College of Art, very interesting.
Construction continues on the Bath St Window as the main glass panels are installed.
The Japanese House featured with a 6 page article in the Scotland on Sunday, At Home magazine.
Aaron Britt from Dwell Magazine visits us for breakfast during his Scotland tour and sends a postcard back to the magazine.
Boys day in Japan. Construction continues on the Bath St Window.
Kieran will give a short talk as one of the EAA award winners for 2010 on the Japanese House, at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, from 17:30.
The japanese House featured in the Green Homes issue of Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine.
Kieran invited to review 5th year diploma projects at Strathclyde University in Glasgow.
Our project Bath St Window on site; the big opening has been formed and project should be finished in 3-4 weeks.
Kieran and Makiko invited to review project work and portfolios for 2nd year architecture students at the Edinburgh College of Art.
Press article in Building Design.
Konishi Gaffney architects win EAA small projects award.
“The Small Projects Award was made to Konishi Gaffney architects for their Japanese House. Designed for a Scottish-Japanese family, the house incorporates several Japanese themes and provides a light-filled and comfortable family home in Portobello.”
Makiko and Kieran received the award at the Balmoral Hotel (on April Fool’s day).
EAA Website news
Press article in New Practices column of the Architects Journal Unfortunately subscriber only content. Click here for a jpg of the article.
Japanese House shortlisted for EAA small project award 2010.
Submission made for EAA small project award 2010.
Many thanks to Alan Craigie who took some great new photographs.
Kieran was placed 11th in the 2009 Zumtobel photographic competition from 2,000 entries with the top 22 invited for lunch in Nottinghill on February 12th 2010. The pictures were all taken using fixed lens throwaway cameras so we haven’t even seen the images yet, should be fun.
Update: images published in Building Design.