1/ Play NSSS (not so secret Santa) 2/ Catch up on what’s the plan for next year 3/ Show that you are a team player 4/ Talk about the big themes, architecture, life, dreams. Mundane work conversations should be for everyday use only and may actually kill the big themes 5/ Drink cocktails 🍸 SoHo …
All-you-ever-wanted-to-ask-the-RIBA-but-were-afraid-to are on display in stalls mode. Imagine not having to search for any answers online as they are all physically in front of you. Here I am with the President, Ben Derbyshire: My favourite display involved members’ participation. Members get two stickers according to their category and choose the issues that matter to them …
“Our building methods today must be industrialised.” – Mies van der Rohe (1924). It is now almost a hundred years since the Miesian quote but the building industry has not been modernising quickly, at least not quickly enough, considering the advances of life-changing and revolutionary business technology which have appeared in the last few years …
Just completed these two separate infill extensions in the same building: 1/ Rooftop Artist’s Studio in the Battersea Park Conservation Area. It is an unprecedented second floor roof terrace extension to a top floor flat. Also 2/ lower ground (semi-basement) extension in the rear garden to a separate flat dwelling. The building is a four-storey …
I serendipitously found myself at the Ideal Home Show this April because technically I was heading to the Great Eat: Eat & Drink Festival which I had tickets for thanks to a friend. Now it is debatable of course which ‘show’ is more enticing and exciting to you depending on the state of your tummy …
The AJ Specification Live kitchen and bathrooms was one of the best lectures that I had attended. Interestingly on the programme, it says ‘kitchen’ singular and ‘bathrooms’ plural. But there was more than one kitchen presented. In fact I was so enthralled it was the first time I did not take any notes and the …
Christmas Card 2017 Yay! What do you think? I am going for a Victorian Gothic theme this year. I so love gothic, or should that be Gothic with a capital G? I shall try to incorporate gargoyles in my designs in 2017. No wait. Next year, I’d like to go steampunk, please.
You need to be: Truly excellent at AutoCAD, Good at sketch up, Photoshop, Excellent technical knowledge, Reading and writing perfect English, Savvy at social media, Able to write specifications, Able to write schedule of works, Able to write blogs, Attending site meetings as and when, Able to write minutes/reports, Familiar with building technology and terminology, Working from home, …
Finnish design has always been world famous. Since I was a student I had been a big fan of Alvar Aalto. I’ve flown home on Finnair and stopped over in Helsinki. The landscape, climate and the people are tough. They build quality things to last many lifetimes and not for throwing away. Therefore their ethos …
So I read over the weekend’s cheering Mother’s Day papers the chilling story of an ordinary professional couple whose life savings of £25,000 had been stolen online in a banking transaction scam. The government, the media, the banks, the police, God – no one will protect you. Only you can protect yourself. It’s back to …
