Education (6)

Florence Design Academy

http://www.florencedesignacademy.com/



The Florence Design Academy (FDA) is an international school of interior design, graphic design, industrial design, 3D graphics, and 3D animation. It describes itself as "one of the best and most futuristic design schools in Europe for its international award winning teachers and designers with amazing talent". Available in English, Italian and German versions, the FDA's neat website features information on academic, Masters and summer courses, as well as an excellent gallery of student work and an enjoyable section covering 'Florence pictures and nightlife'. [GAS, 23 Aug 2005].



ENTRY NUMBER: int-230805-03
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Italy
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Interior Design
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Leeds School of Architecture, Landscape and Design

http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/as/ald/



Based at Leeds Metropolitan University, the Leeds School of Architecture, Landscape and Design has over 900 students studying full and part time with an academic and support staff of nearly 50. Originating as part of the Government School of Design in the 1850s, the School describes itself as "proud of this long tradition of creative endeavour"; today, it "builds on traditional practice and embraces new media and technologies". The site provides a basic introduction to the School, with some interesting news stories, and profiles of former students. Much of the useful content is hosted elsewhere, however, with links to dedicated sites for each of the School's subject areas (including Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, Garden Art and Design, Environmental Design, Design, and Design Culture), while the School's research is also covered on a separate site. [GAS, 1 Jan 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: arc-201004-02
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Architecture
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Lincoln School of Architecture

http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/arc/



The Lincoln School of Architecture (LSA) is located close to the centre of the city of Lincoln, sited in a new £10.5 million purpose-built facility designed by the world renowned architect Rick Mather. Formerly the Hull School of Architecture, the School's origins date back to the 1930s when Sir Lesley Martin was its first principal. Since that time, the School states that "it has established an international reputation for the study of Architecture, Museum and Exhibition Design, and Interior Design". The School's website is elegantly designed and simple to use - sections provide background about the School, details of its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and a series of useful staff profiles. However, the absence of any information about the School's research activity is disappointing. [GAS, 7 Jul 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: arc-241004-01
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Architecture
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RMIT - Architecture and Design

--NEW URL-- http://www.rmit.edu.au/ad/



Part of the 'Design and Social Context' Portfolio at RMIT University (in Melbourne, Australia), the School of Architecture and Design is "committed to delivering leading-edge programmes within the disciplines of Architecture, Industrial Design, Interior Design and Landscape Architecture". As well as information about the various courses offered, the site includes news (with an up-to-date events listing) and comprehensive details of staff, research and publications. [GAS, 18 Sep 2005].



ENTRY NUMBER: arc-030402-02
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Australia
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Architecture
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UCE Birmingham Institute of Art & Design (BIAD)

http://www.biad.uce.ac.uk/



Describing itself as "one of the foremost centres for art, design and media education", BIAD offers a wide portfolio of courses including architecture, landscape architecture, interior design and fine art. With a refreshingly modern design that avoids the dull university prospectus look, the BIAD site provides full coverage of the Institute's courses and research, via a series of subsites. [GAS, 2 Mar 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: arc-020306-02
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Architecture
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University of Texas at Austin - School of Architecture

http://wnt.utexas.edu/architecture/



This redesigned site offers information on academic programmes at the UT-Austin School of Architecture - as well as architecture, these include historic preservation, sustainable design, architectural history, urban design, community and regional planning, interior design and landscape architecture. Other sections provide information about staff, events, resources, and a useful research and publications section, featuring the online journal Planning Forum. The design of the site is reasonably attractive, though many of the deeper pages are inconsistent in their format; furthermore, the frequent use of images as internal links (with no text alternatives) is poor in terms of accessibility. [GAS, 13 Mar 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: pla-020603-06
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Planning
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Organisations (5)

The Institute of Conservation

http://www.instituteofconservation.org.uk/



The Institute of Conservation is a body formed by five conservation organisations (Care of Collections Forum, Institute of Paper Conservation, Photographic Materials Conservation Group, Scottish Society for Conservation and Restoration, and United Kingdom Institute for Conservation) "pooling their resources and expertise to provide a service for the public, our cultural heritage and the members". The Institute's site is well-organised, and shaping up to be a comprehensive and good quality resource. As well as the obligatory 'About us' section, it includes useful conservation profiles of the UK nations and regions, a small page of links, coverage of policy and publications, and a range of dedicated content for members. [GAS, 11 Sep 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: her-240805-01
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Heritage
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International Association for People-Environment Studies (IAPS)

http://www.iaps-association.org/



IAPS "works to facilitate communication on the relationships between people and their physical environment", and describes itself as "the forum for scholars who have an interest in an interdisciplinary exchange and in the study of the transactions and interrelationships between people and their socio-physical surroundings (including built and natural environments) and the relation of this field to other social and biological sciences and to the environmental professions" - thus, members of IAPS represent a diversity of professions, including architects, city and regional planners, landscape architects, interior designers and psychologists. Features of the site include the history, aims and objectives of IAPS; background on the notion of 'people-environment studies'; details of the association's boards, networks and members; news, events and publications; and a useful page of links. Though the design and navigation of the site is generally good, the main text throughout the site is too small to read comfortably. [GAS, 16 Sep 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: sus-051105-01
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: International
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Sustainability
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International Interior Design Association - IIDA

http://www.iida.org/



Founded in 1994, the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is a professional networking and educational association of more than 10,000 Members in eight speciality Forums, nine Regions, and more than thirty Chapters around the world. According to its site, "IIDA is committed to enhancing the quality of life through excellence in interior design and advancing interior design through knowledge. IIDA advocates for interior design excellence; provides superior industry information; nurtures a global interior design community; maintains educational standards; and responds to trends in business and design". Slickly designed, sections are headed 'about' (featuring extensive information about the association, including news, publications and research), 'membership' (including links and a knowledge base), 'education' and 'especially for...', the latter providing targeted information for members, clients, students, educators and 'CLCs' respectively. [GAS, 21 Aug 2005].



ENTRY NUMBER: int-210805-02
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Interior Design
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The National Trust

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/




Founded in 1895 by three Victorian philanthropists - Miss Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley - the National Trust now cares for over 248,000 hectares of countryside in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus almost 600 miles of coastline and more than 200 buildings and gardens of outstanding interest and importance. The Trust's website is vast - as well as details of all properties open to the public, there are sections covering (among other things) environment and conservation, holidays and travel, learning and discovery, policy and campaigns (with downloadable documents), and membership. The site also includes an excellent section of related links. The design of the site is attractive and logical, and a complete large text version is available for visually impaired users. An impressive site, awarded a Sapling Commendation. [GAS, 12 Nov 2007].



ENTRY NUMBER: her-110303-01
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Heritage
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United Kingdom Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (UKIC)

http://www.ukic.org.uk/



UKIC is the professional body representing those who care for the country's cultural objects and heritage collections. According to the site, "its members are conservators working in public institutions such as museums and galleries, and conservators and restorers working in the private sector". Members of the Institute normally belong to one or more of its twelve specialist sections - Archaeology, Ceramics and Glass, Ethnography, Furniture and Wood, Gilding and Decorative Surfaces, Historic Interiors, Metals, Paintings, Photographic Materials, Stained Glass, Stone and Wall Paintings, or Textiles - and the organisation of the website reflects these various specialisms. The site also features up-to-date news (including the forthcoming 'convergence' with other conservation organisations to form a new 'Institute of Conservation'), details about membership and publications, and a 'members only' area. A simple but effective site. [GAS, 24 Aug 2005].



ENTRY NUMBER: her-110303-02
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Heritage
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Places (1)

Urban Home and Garden Tours, Amsterdam

http://www.uhgt.nl/



Urban Home and Garden Tours provides tours in English of Amsterdam's historic canal house architecture, including their interiors and gardens. Attractively designed, the site itself comes in both English and Dutch versions, featuring details of tour dates and prices, an attractive photo gallery and a worthwhile section of related links. [GAS, 19 Jun 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: her-240505-01
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Netherlands
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Heritage
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Research (1)

CSDI - The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Centre for the Study of the Domestic Interior

http://www.rca.ac.uk/csdi/



CSDI - The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Centre for the Study of the Domestic Interior, based at the Royal College of Art in London, brings together three institutions: the Royal College of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Bedford Centre for the History of Women at Royal Holloway, University of London. Launched in September 2001, its goal is to develop new histories of the home, its contents, and its representation. It pursues research into the changing appearance and layout of rooms in a range of buildings, from tenements to palaces; the objects that furnished those rooms; the ways rooms and objects were depicted; the manner in which people used them; and how they thought about them. The CSDI site is attractive, with information about the Centre, an up-to-date events listing, informative staff biographies, the Centre newsletter, project details, and a publications list. A small but worthwhile links page provides access to domestic interior-related resources. [GAS, 28 Sep 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: int-230805-02
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Interior Design
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Resources (31)

ADAM, the Art, Design, Architecture & Media Information Gateway

http://www.adam.ac.uk/



ADAM, the Art, Design, Architecture & Media Information Gateway, describes itself as "a searchable catalogue of Internet resources that have been carefully selected and catalogued by professional librarians for the benefit of the UK Higher Education community". The catalogue is not only vast, but also offers considerable information about each resource, including a rating, description and keywords. Unfortunately, the site is no longer in active development, but existing links are being "checked to retain currency". While ADAM therefore remains an important and impressive resource, it seems a shame that the site should be mothballed after so much investment of time and energy. [GAS, 25 Oct 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: cul-091103-01
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Culture
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Architecture-India.com

http://www.architecture-india.com/



Architecture-India.com describes itself as "the webpage for the building industry in India", targeting architects, developers, building owners, contractors, subcontractors, civil and structural engineers, façade consultants, environmental engineers, testing and clarification agencies, government departments, academics, trade missions, and manufacturers and suppliers of building materials. Features of the site include a comprehensive searchable and browsable directory, covering a range of organisations, resources and businesses (including over 1500 architecture and interior design firms in India and elsewhere), conference papers, details of events, a discussion forum, and a section of architecture-related links. [GAS, 8 Sep 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: arc-091105-02
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: India
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Architecture
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Architecture.co.uk - Architectural Jobs

http://www.architecture.co.uk/



Architecture.co.uk describes itself as "the UK's definitive architecture recruitment job board and website", advertising the latest permanent, temporary or contract architectural vacancies, including architect, technical, assistant, design, planning, CAD and senior appointment positions and jobs - "from major architectural practices, from principal employers and from leading industry recruiters - right across the UK". The site has a professional appearance and an attractive colour scheme, with dedicated sections for jobseekers (free registration required) and employers. Jobseekers can easily browse the site by job type, with jobs in CAD management, interior design, visualisation, urban design and landscape design all featured, as well as architecture. [GAS, 28 May 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: arc-230106-01
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Architecture
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ArtandArchitecture.org

http://www.artandarchitecture.org/



Art & Architecture describes itself as "a practitioner led alliance promoting interaction between artists and architects". Arguing that "art and architecture take time to learn, time to execute and time to appreciate", the site claims that by "combining the sensibility with a commitment to sustainability energy efficiency, we give you the recipe for a great house". It certain has some interesting and attractively illustrated content, under such evocative headings as "a welcoming abode", "bright accents" and "artistic inspiration", and including links to some interesting articles and related sites. However, a year after Sapling's previous review the news section and discussion forum remain empty, so there seems little prospect of these being developed in the near future. [GAS, 28 Aug 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: cul-200805-01
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: India
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Culture
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Artifact

http://www.artifact.ac.uk/



Launched in November 2003 and funded by JISC, Artifact describes itself as "a free online subject gateway providing access to the best arts and creative industries web resources for the UK higher and further education learning, teaching and research community". A search facility is provided, or the site can be browsed by theme: sections cover Architecture; Communications, Media and Culture; Design (including Interior Design); Fashion and Beauty; Music and the Performing Arts; and Visual Arts. Comprehensive and regularly updated information is given about each of the 400+ featured sites, including a description, keywords and subject headings. For a gateway showcasing the arts and creative industries, the 'look' of the Artifact site is disappointingly clunky and old-fashioned; however, beneath the aesthetics, it does benefit from a layout and navigation that is simple and quite intuitive. [GAS, 5 Jun 2006].



ENTRY NUMBER: cul-091103-02
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom
SAPLING GATEWAY LISTING: Culture
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Bathfaucets.info

http://www.bathfaucets.info/



Bathfaucets.info describes itself as being "created for the homeowner who would like to know more about bath and bathroom faucets and the varieties to choose from", with sections covering all the different types as well as information on faucet repair. Elsewhere, a links section features other sites relevant to kitchens, bathrooms and the home. The site benefits from a slick and professional appearance, though the overprominence of Google ads risks detracting from its credibility as a resource. [GAS, 11 Oct 2006].