August Newsletter
What’s the point in me filing these weekly articles? Good question. Judging by the number of emails I get each week, quite a few people enjoy reading them and clicking on the weekly links. That’s the point for me, and if I continue to get a few weekly emails, I’ll keep writing. I’ve enjoyed it. […]
Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Personal Recommendations. I have been thinking about the value of personal recommendations. Where trust and quality are more important than impersonal quantity. Where one good personal recommendation trumps five hundred Trip Advisor reviews. And then I remembered Ian and Margaret and their pre-internet ways. I was designing a completely new house for them. This meant […]
Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Leaf Blowers. Don’t Suck. I have spent some time contemplating the merits of leaf blowers this past week. And following recent disconnected observations of leaf-blowing operatives, Ernest Hemingway and a passage from Ecclesiastes, I’m ready to buy my own. A daily ritual of blowing the same dry particles around the same space could be a […]
Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Nighthawks. Who wakes early and feels anxious? How could the places where we live help us deal with these feelings? Maybe they are just feelings; sit with them, and they will pass. Perhaps I should meditate for 10 minutes, focus on my breathing, be aware of these thoughts and let them pass and refocus on breathing. […]
Follow a build in-progress on this detached house extension 25-07-23
We first discussed the ideas and plans with Carl during lockdown and just afterwards, so now that we’re in 2023 we can say this build has been a long time coming! It’s mid-summer, we’re well underway and a lot has happened. It seems like a long time ago that they were digging the footings and […]
Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Apophenia. I’ve been thinking about iron age forts and ley lines this week, after a mission to try and find King Arthur and Merlin at Camelot. I am pleased to report that Merlin is alive and well. According to the 16th Century historian and poet, John Leland, the Iron Age hillfort, Cadbury Castle in Somerset, […]
Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Caen, Paris, Zurich. Whilst sat by the lake, sheltering from the rain and feeding the ducks my breakfast, here are a few thoughts from the week: When one of the country’s largest taxi firms can’t get you a pre-booked taxi on time on a quiet Sunday morning, then can’t give any idea of when it will […]
Should I have a house extension? 10 frequently asked questions
I’ve redesigned hundreds of homes. House extensions and remodelling projects are a huge part of what I do as an architect. Changing your home can transform your living space, add value to your property and – importantly – enhance your lifestyle by changing the way you live in your house. You might be thinking about […]
Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
Back To The Future. This week, I attended a conference about technology within the architecture, engineering and construction industry. Dull, I hear you say, but before you turn off, I did discover a few things that might be interesting to us folks who aren’t tech geeks: 1) Conference pears were named after the International Pear […]
Thoughts for the Weekend & this Week’s Links
My Town. I was in my new favourite shop, Southsea Local, this week getting a coffee and some supplies for a summer lunch when the chap behind the counter said: “You’re an architect, aren’t you? You might know my dad.” I’ll save going into names here, but yes, it turns out I do. He ran […]
