All Opinion articles – Page 366
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Opinion
Tell it like it is
New architectural terms could be seeping into common usage. Our own Ian Martin’s web site www.spa.uk.net/lexicon.htm lists Designosaur, an architect who uses a drawing board instead of a computer; Designosaurus Rex, a member of the royal family with 20th century views; Islingtundra, a vast plain of cool minimalism, the natural ...
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Opinion
Ignored resource
Cabe's disappointing findings in its study of race are sobering. Why should a profession that celebrates originality, creativity and difference in its buildings and products be so poor at encouraging this richness in its people ?All professional services rely on people as their greatest and most valuable resource. It makes ...
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Opinion
Ian Martin
We have to cut the session short, as it's karaoke night and we can't hear ourselves tank-think
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OpinionGeorge Ferguson
The RIBA president visited China last week leading a delegation of UK and US architects. The group, which included RIBA USA chairman Tim Clark and architect Angela Brady, visited Beijing and Zhengzhou to discuss the future of development in the country
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Opinion
Own goal for FA
Great excitement this week when it seemed the enormous arch at the new Wembley Stadium had finally been heaved into position. An image on the Football Association’s web site, with the headline “Big arch lift begins”, showed the arch at a 45 degree angle. But a call to the FA’s ...
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Opinion
The ruling elite
As a black student I have never experienced direct discrimination from individuals or even racist tendencies (BD May 21). What I do find, however, is that the architectural profession in general is elitist in its outlook. This is evident in the type of work that architects aspire to do (commercial ...
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Opinion
Brighton breach
While it is true that Brighton’s part II received a minor condition from the RIBA in November, the context in which it appeared in BD (News May 14) was perhaps misleading. For information, Brighton has recently achieved prescription from Arb for all its courses, including a full four years for ...
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Opinion
Take the blame as well as the plaudits
If contemporary architecture came with a money-back guarantee, you would find my friend Cassie first in the queue for a refund. Cassie would normally be a cheerleader for all that is good about cutting-edge architecture. Wow factor, delight, call it what you may, Cassie (no architectural expert — she's an ...
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Opinion
Applauding Schosa
We write to clarify Archaos’s position regarding the declaration on education by the Standing Conference of Heads of Schools of Architecture (News and Editorial May 14).The current system of education has great failings, which will be exacerbated by tuition fees and the current professional situation. We welcome Schosa’s declaration as ...
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Opinion
Charlie’s angle
Just a note to say how good your article on the Prince Charles 20th “anniversary” was (Special report May 28) — much better than some of the other stuff that’s been published on this subject recently.Just for the record, I’d like to reiterate two points that I made in the ...
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OpinionStone age methods
What do some architects find so attractive about gabions (News May 21)?Gabions plus wire cutters equal a heap of stones plus nasty sharp wires. Gabions plus rust equal a heap of stones plus a nasty rusty sharp wires.Gabions with small stones equal a home for small brown furry creatures with ...
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Opinion
It doesn’t add up
Unfortunately, many members of the audience found the candidates’ agreement on issues such as the Thames Gateway, the green belt and skyscrapers unconvincing.A heckler shouted: “You’re not all supposed to agree — there’s an election in 20 days”. Sadly, she had got her sums wrong and the candidates all agreed ...
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Opinion
Access denied
We don’t just report the news — sometimes we make it. The banning of our Scottish correspondent Peter Wilson from the media tour of Holyrood reached the chamber of the Scottish Parliament, and the news and leader pages of the Scotsman. MSP Margo MacDonald demanded an explanation, declaring “it’s an ...
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Opinion
Viva Peabody
The spectacle of second-rate surveyors, project managers, housing managers and journalists chortling over the apparent misfortunes of the Peabody Trust (News May 14) is predictable, but depressing. Which other housing provider has consistently tried to promote architectural quality, a mix of uses, high urban design standards, buildability, sustainability and innovation? ...
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Opinion
Page turner
Rock legend and former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page is a surprise architecture fan. Page has contributed to a book about his favourite architect, William Burges. Page is such a fan that in 1972 he bought Burges’s London residence, The Tower House. The home features in the new book by ...
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Opinion
Staying silent is not an option
Architects, like the 50 diplomats in the UK and US, must stand up as a profession and take on the politicians, who, as usual, are not able to admit their policies have failed, and thereby change them. If not we will all be complicit with an amoral policy that, in ...
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Opinion
Never say never
It was with some shock that we saw that our practice “vowed never to work in the UK” (News May 14). We are a young practice that has succeeded mainly in open competition and we have not seen an open architectural competition in the UK. We would love to have ...
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Opinion
Moving on up?
The mayoral race provided a lot of humour this week. Tory candidate Steven Norris seems to get more eccentric every day. First he misheard the name of this magazine as VD and expected to be quizzed about sexual health, then he proceeded to slate Swiss Re only to be reminded ...
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Opinion
Minimising risk
Your report about the Packington Square estate (News April 29) highlighted exactly why we have been working with residents to find a way forward. Two issues are at stake: ensuring the estate meets building standards and improving residents’ quality of life.Because Packington was not strengthened in the early 1970s to ...
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Opinion
Judge for yourself
Two of the most successful housing competitions of recent years were not RIBA competitions. They were the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s Caspar competitions in Birmingham and Leeds. They produced innovative designs by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris and Levitt Bernstein but at a predetermined budget with design-and-build-type submissions. An experienced architectural assessor, ...