More Comment – Page 338
-
Opinion
Cloud of negativity ignores Cabe work
I applaud what Cabe has achieved in its short life and am surprised that two-thirds of the respondents to the BD readers’ poll think it has failed to make a significant impact on the quality of design (News April 29).
-
Opinion
A force for good
As someone who was often frustrated by the strange ways of Cabe’s predecessor, the Royal Fine Arts Commission, I find Cabe something of a revelation; a definite force for good.
-
Opinion
Worthy of support
I question the outcome of BD’s election poll survey. Surely there is enough visual evidence around us to highlight an upward trend in the quality of architecture and the built environment?
-
Opinion
Toilet talk
The article by Christopher Woodward (Culture April 22) reminded me of my only encounter with Peter Smithson. I was a student at Birmingham School of Architecture in the 1950s and was responsible for organising visiting lecturers.
-
Opinion
Camden clear-up
May I correct a few factual errors in your article, “Camden planner clings on” (News April 29)?
-
Opinion
Too much ‘wow’, too little action
John Prescott has been known to punch voters. Now he should prepare to be punched right back, and by the most unlikely of constituents — you, the architects.
-
Opinion
Power trip building proves a bumpy ride
What started me writing about the edifice complex was a photograph published in the Scotsman midway between the two Iraq wars. It showed Saddam Hussein, in his British army surplus sweater and beret, surrounded by a cluster of henchmen with interchangeable moustaches, lost in wonder at the sight of a ...
-
Opinion
Green dream begins at home
I was delighted to read Kate Macintosh’s imaginative ideas for generating electricity from coastal defence systems (Letters April 22).The other area we have to look at is how to conserve more energy in existing buildings, particularly housing. It is essential that they are thermally upgraded, and this is not something ...
-
Opinion
Caravan jam
So Peter Smith thinks Ken Livingstone is on another planet. Nothing new in that.But where is Green Ken going to source all his London building materials? John Prescott is covering the 35-mile radius in multi-storey caravans.
-
Opinion
Meeting the code
Following your report that I was not allowed to attend the ODPM consultation about the Sustainable Buildings Code at CIRIA last Friday (News April 22), I managed to gain access to the meeting and stayed for an hour before going on to another meeting about sustainable housing.I raised the issue ...
-
Opinion
Ticket tout
I was interested to read Allan Murray talking about “stealth” in relation to the new visitor ticketing facilities he’s apparently been “asked to design” for Edinburgh Castle. Reading his article (Culture April 15), I began to wonder how there was going to be space for his stealth booth alongside our ...
-
Opinion
Lattice beef
Last week’s BD featured two lattice or lace-related buildings: the completed Le Bon Infant in Paris and the proposed Nottingham Centre for Visual & Live Art. The former applied a complex laser-cut, stainless-steel lattice cladding to externally unify a grouping of existing and new buildings; the latter will incorporate external ...
-
Opinion
In the beginning
Mike Nightingale seems to suggest that it is acceptable for contractors to compete for PFI projects after the architect has been appointed (Talkbox April 22). Has he read anything about Constructing Excellence? There should be one contractor, one architect and one of everything else working on the project from the ...
-
Opinion
Off to a bad start
The introduction to your article on St Paul’s, Deptford (Works April 15) was a misleading and depressing start to what was otherwise a decent and balanced article. The impression conveyed is that no one at the church wanted the project to go ahead; that no one was pleased when it ...
-
Opinion
Fast learner
It’s a nice reward to be regarded as an architect after three or four years’ hard labour getting a first degree, but is it actually possible to be registered in less than seven years, or is Matt Murphy a prodigy? (News Analysis April 22). l Our apologies. Matt Murphy is ...
-
Opinion
Concrete Boots
Little & Large showWhen you meet famous people in real life they are often a lot shorter than you expected. The camera lens seems to favour short people with large heads, like Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. This picture of Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud with US landscape architect Martha ...
-
Opinion
Ian Martin
Another chart shows the key marginal constituencies. Not just architects, but zookeepers, viola players and nuns
-
OpinionMike Nightingale
Mike Nightingale of Nightingale Associates has seen bidding for two major PFI projects collapse in the past five months.
-
OpinionLessons for Longbridge
The imminent closure of MG Rover’s Longbridge plant will create a huge challenge for those working on the regeneration of the area, writes Christoph Elsaesser.