London,becauseoftheenormousgravitationalpullofitseconomyanditslevelofcontinuousdevelopment,hasalwaysattractedthegreatestconcentrationofarchitects,andtheirworks,inthecountry.Thispictureis,however,changingasnorthernBritishcitiessuccessfullyreinventthemselves,asScotlandandWalesenjoygreaterpoliticalautonomy,andasNorthernIrelandenjoysaneconomicboom.

　　AcrosstheUnitedKingdom,citieshavesuccessfullyredefinedthemselvesandredesignedthemselves,intheprocessrevivingahealthyspiritofregionalism.OneofthemostdynamicandsuccessfuldevelopersofnewhousinginBritain,forinstance,isnolong-establishedvolumehousebuilder,butaManchester-basedcompany-UrbanSplash-whichstartedoffbyinvestinginformerindustrialbuildingsinfringenorth-westernareas.Bydeployinggoodyoungarchitectsanddesigners,runningarchitecturecompetitionsforitsmainsites,andbeingearlytospotdevelopmentpotentialinrun-downareas,UrbanSplashquicklybecameactiverightacrossEngland.Aresultofthisisthatthearchitectsitnurturedintheearlydays,suchasLiverpool’sShedKMandBirmingham’sGlennHowells,whosebuiltworkincludestheMarketPlaceArtsCentreinArmaghandtheTimberWharfapartmentsblockinManchester,arenowalsoworkingonanationallevel,andformanyotherclients.OtherManchesterarchitectssuchasIanSimpson,whodesignedtheUrbisCentreinManchester,arealsohavinganationalimpact.

　　WhileEdinburghmayenjoytheeconomicbenefitsofpoliticalautonomy,becomingacentreforgoodarchitecturebythelikesofRichardMurphy,whoseongoingprojectsincludetheSeanConneryFilmhouse,MalcolmFraserandSutherlandHussey,Glasgowisnolessactiveinitstraditionallycommercialspirit,nurturinganewbreedofsuccessfularchitectsasthecityisrebuilt.FromPageandParktoGordonMurrayandAlanDunlop,architectsoftheRadissonSAShotelinGlasgow,andthearchitecture/designpracticeofGravenImages,Glasgowhasitsownbreedofaward-winningarchitectstocompetewiththenamesfromLondon.

　　Atthesametimeasthisregionaleffect,therehasalsobeentheeffectofgovernmentpolicy.Andinthisarea,nothingischangingsorapidlyasschools.

　　Withahugenationalrebuildingprogrammewellunderway,schoolshavebecomeoneofthemostsignificantareasfornewarchitecturalthinkingintheUK.Architectsofallpersuasionsareinvolved,fromyoung-bloodpracticessuchasdrmm,famousfortheirradicalreworkingoftheKingsdaleSchoolinDulwich,SouthLondon,tothebiggestnamesintheland–suchasFosterandPartnersorBDP,bothextensivelyinvolvedinthedesignofthenewbreedof“CityAcademy”secondaryschools.Thisisarchitecturalresearchhittingpracticalrealityatsomespeed.Notsincethe1950shastheveryideaoftheschoolenvironmentanditseffectsonlearningandpersonalityreceivedsuchalevelofattentionfromsomanyarchitectsofallkinds.

　　Theyearningformoreambitiousarchitecture,aswehaveseen,isbynomeansconfinedtothepublicsector,andisnolongerconfinedtotownsandcitieseither.InruralBritain,therehasbeenastrongrevivalincountry-housebuilding,smallorlarge,modernandtraditional.Nowanintriguingexperimentinacompletenewruralcommunityisbeingattemptedatthe550acreLowerMillEstateintheCotswoldhillsbyaprivatedeveloper,JeremyPaxton.Man