Home sweet home?
Public housing built in the UK in the 30 years from 1950 was a mix of two-storey terraces, maisonettes (2/2 storey units above each...
The cheaper the better
And yet that apparent dream world was once common practice for any major construction contract. What happened? The 1980s happened. If ever there...
I like it
For those old enough to remember, the title of this column came from the 1963 hit by Gerry and the Pacemakers. I honestly don’t...
A lot of hot air?
More concerning — and the article was headed “working with nature” — was that among a number of highlighted features were “the installation of...
What really went wrong?
There has also been a lack of qualitative research, and even today there is no clear analysis of: • how many buildings of...
Plan to fail
In this case it probably doesn’t matter too much as it’s only sport. Although legendary ex-Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once said that football isn’t...
Celebrity
One of the mysteries of modern life is that a TV weather announcer can become an instant celebrity — assuming they are prepared to...
It’s just old
I recently came across a quote by Barry Humphries, made while he was visiting to promote his upcoming Dame Edna tour of New Zealand....
Good, better, best
At the time of a personal career change in the late 1990s, when I moved from architecture to working with industry organisations and government...
Game of two halves
Christchurch. Still battered and bruised nearly two years after the first earthquake. But as a visit in late 2011 showed, there are some signs...