I have always been interested in looking at new ways of enhancing learning experience. For this, I often reflect on the ‘lightbulb moments’ of what triggered interest for me, but also the longer-term sustainable means by which I wanted to learn more about a given subject. Is it possible to recreate this for students? Clearly [...]
With so much written about Le Corbusier, it’s hard to find a new angle. So this short post is simply to look at three of his buildings in France with some brief commentary on the importance of each in terms of their architectural contribution to how people live today. The first is Villa Savoye, in [...]
This post is to share two new resources created by Paul Oatt and myself and sponsored by JMW Solicitors. These plug a real gap in resources available to housing practitioners and we hope that you will find them helpful. The first is an introduction to basic terminology and deficiencies and the second is a wordbook [...]
The arts - whether images, words, voices - can reveal much about the lived experience of homelessness and its devastating effects across the life course. The Saachi Gallery recently hosted this moving exhibition and the photographs speak for themselves. More here: https://www.saatchigallery.com/exhibition/homelessness-reframed
This blog was first published on the MODA website in 2022. Hendon has a fascinating range of housing types which reveal much about social, design and architectural history in just a few streets. Far from being a sleepy suburb, Hendon is a place of rapid change: one house (with a plaque) has now been demolished [...]
As 2023 draws to a close and with so much bad news around housing, I am trying to finish on a positive note. In this post I have drawn together several pieces I have written for the wonderful Municipal Dreams blog https://municipaldreams.wordpress.com which celebrates the fundamental achievements in council housing and the commitment of so [...]
It’s easy to use the term ‘housing crisis’ glibly. It’s less easy to understand what is feels like for those who most acutely suffer some of its consequences. One of these consequences has been the conversion of office buildings into living accommodation. Imagine this: an area of offices, commercial not residential; perhaps out of town; [...]
Following the tragic and preventable death of a Awaab Ishak, there has understandably been much interest in damp and mould in the home environment and what can be done about it. In November 2022 HM Senior Coroner Joanne Kearsley found that: “Awaab Ishak died as a result of a severe respiratory condition caused due to [...]
I am really pleased to host Josh Knowles' post this month including the lovely artwork he created during a recent creative histories session (details below). I think the arts define the history of housing and buildings. The art (and therefore) cultural ideas of a place are the lens through which we build and define the [...]
Guest post from Dr Surindar Dhesi @Surin75 I am delighted to brief post linking to a new publication from my dear friend and colleague Surindar. She has been an inspiration in her international work around health and the environment and as most recently worked on how we can teach diverse ways of knowing. As part of a [...]
