In 1975 Julian Cripps came to Bedford Square for an interview to study at the AA. Armed with a portfolio of large-scale drawings, some the size of a football pitch and a sketchbook of buildings and factories being demolished in his hometown of Reading, he arrived at Bedford Square.

A public exhibition of Frei Otto and one on Japanese Houses was running at the time with large photographs covering the walls of the members' rooms. During his visit he found like minds amongst a group of people who seemed to ‘hang around the sofas and chat’, he knew he had found a home.

In March of 1978 as part of the AA Carnival, Julian, by then in his second year and motivated by having been told it was not possible, installed an 18-watt laser on the roof of No. 36 to draw with light an inscribed square at roof level within Bedford Square. The results of which became the stuff of legend!.

40 years later, Julian accepted an invitation for another interview at Bedford Square, to look back on the project and how it came to be … [to be continued in the next AA Sporadical issue]

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