We are not ready for Climate Change....
Climate change will lead to increased frequency, intensity and/or duration of extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, warm spells and heat events, drought, intense storm surges and associated sea-level rise.
Environment
Climate Change
MAY, 14 2014
The Wonder of the Coast
JULY, 15 2013
Coastlines have always captured the human imagination. The sense of one place ending and another beginning has proved a source of inspiration for both writers and artists. It is the dividing line between land and sea which creates uniqueness to a coastline landscape. It creates a sense of ambiguity, a changing landscape where two different worlds meet and exist together.
Life on Water
JUNE, 24 2013
Does the idea of living on water float your boat? Perhaps it's the 'boat' bit that's not totally up your waterway? However, canal life is not restricted to the narrowboat, and as I have been discovering, you can enjoy all the luxurious benefits of inland living whilst residing on a canal. Houseboats come in all shapes and sizes, and many do not have engines meaning that they are permanently moored – you might even be so lucky as to have a letterbox installed...
Bamboo, briefly
JUNE, 13 2013
Bamboo – yes, that towering evergreen that resembles a giant stick insect and famously sustains the fearsomely cute giant panda in China, the red panda in Nepal, and the spectacular Madagascan bamboo lemurs. It can grow up to 100 cm in just 24 hours: the natural world's version of a microwave dinner. The reason for this fast growth rate is that bamboo is actually a type of grass, which firstly means that it grows in abundance, making it an easily sustainable material as it grows back very quickly after harvesting.
Cycling culture: chic and critical
JUNE, 03 2013
Nowadays, it’s far from unusual to see chicly attired cyclists atop sleek fix-gear bikes casually peddling around town.
This almost fanatical indulgence in biking, which up until just a few years ago exclusively belonged to the shared domain of bicycle couriers, professionals and eccentrics, has now entered the mainstream – and in a big way. Not only do high-street retailers stock aesthetic conceptions of how the bike should be – you can now get your Charge or Fuji 'fixie' from Evans Cycles down the road – but it is becoming easier to find bespoke bike shops that will tailor your cycle's specs to your needs. And while the province of bike knowledge and bike lore – 'fixie culture' – was once dominated by men, women are now claiming their rightful place in its burgeoning world. On my own (rusty-old-banger-of-a) bike, I now encounter seemingly as many tattooed and sharply dressed female cyclists as I do male.
Environmentally Embedded Homes
MAY, 20 2013
Feldman Architecture's Mill Valley Cabins, situated about 15 miles north of San Francisco, are environmentally sound and beautifully designed rural retreats. Feldman prioritise their strong connection between construction and landscape, physically building their wonderful cabins into the sides of the hills.
All of the homes have 'green roofs' made from grass and earth. From a bird’s eye point of view, they are camouflaged into the natural environment. Inevitably, all architects have to build within a natural environment. But few strive to build alongside nature, incorporating the landscape into their vision or, rather, using it as the very first building block