Single Aspect Blog

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There was a time when the [London] borough or shire would employ their own architects, quantity surveyors, civil engineers, clerk of works and direct labour force and just get on with it.  In London of course it would have been the LCC and later [from 1965] the GLC. Those days may have gone in most cases but we need them back.

Heygate – in response to Dave Hill

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The benighted dwellings 910 and 1008 will receive their only sunlight for a few minutes a day to the bedroom – providing the sky is not overcast

The other day I received an email. Here’s a paragraph from it.

“Thank you for your enquiry with regards to a new development in Manchester called One Regent provided by Fulcrum. It would be good to have a chat at some point to understand your requirements for investment as there is a lot of stock we can provide direct from the developer with no fees attached.”

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I’ve recently been alerted to the fact that the Dublin government has downgraded its housing standards in the revised Dublin City Development plan 2016-2022

and also in the Design standards for new apartments 2015

I was looking through the blog statistics and found a search from Australia for apartments with dual aspects which prompted me to click the search term which led me to this newspaper article Proposal to relax minimum apartment standards about the Dublin Governments revised city centre apartment standards.

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He was one of four speakers and a chair, and his talk was such a good summary of what has happened to council housing under New Labour and since that I have transcribed it, with the help of YouTube (upload, wait, download captions), below:-

Okay I’m going to start somewhat differently I’m not really going to talk about the architecture I’m not going to talk about the estates, in a way the concept of a council estate is epiphenomenal to really the fundamental key aspect of what we’re dealing with. The key aspect for council housing for me is that it’s a part of the welfare state.

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Start here -> The_UK_Public_Works_Loans_Board.pdf

As Phillip Hammond outlines his Autumn statement in the HofC with some news on housing I continue to worry about how we (England) can dig ourselves out of the housing mess we’re in with a lack of housing for rent most people can afford. Some years ago I read about the PWLB which seemed to be a wonderful thing and I have thought ever since that this may be the answer if councils ever go back to building housing for rent on a large scale.

“Slum clearances without the Socialism” – Owen Hatherley

I was reading the Guardian online today. This to be specific. Building affordable homes for rent is more vital than new roads then in the comments I found this . . .

Myra Fuller Dikericay

If you look at towns such as Burnley and Blackburn, the infrastructure is already there. 1,000s of two up/two downs have been bulldozed in recent years; some have been replaced by new housing however roads bounded by knee rails are all that’s left of others.

UPDATE: Read Heygate profits north of a hundred million by 35%.org

HT @adjournist retweet

This interview has triggered thoughts I’d tried to bury about the entitlement of leaseholders to be treated as fairly as secure tenants on a council estate, complicated by the fact I detest right to buy but count two leaseholders (second generation) among my friends. I will attempt to unravel the interwoven threads of the conflict with reference to the comments of Peter John in the interview linked above.

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Like many other London events I don’t get to, I had a ticket for this, it looked interesting, and now the Royal Academy have posted the video. So if, like me, you couldn’t get there the recording is here to watch:-

From left to right

Kate Macintosh – Architect, formerly of the London Boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth, and East Sussex and Hampshire County Councils; designer of Dawson’s Heights, East Dulwich (1964–72)

Dawson’s Heights – my walk with C20th Society

Mark Crinson – Professor of Architectural History, Birkbeck, University of London

who spent twenty minutes being rude about the Smithsons. He made no attempt to hide the fact that he doesn’t like RHG or the people who designed it. Watch the debate and decide for yourself.

The Smithsons on housing – watch the film and see what you think

The Smithsons – transcript

Owen Hopkins – Architecture Programme Curator, Royal Academy (chair)

Jessie Brennan – Artist; author of Regeneration! Conversations, Drawings, Archives & Photographs from Robin Hood Gardens (2015)

Dr Paul Watt – Reader in Urban Studies, Birkbeck, University of London

An excellent history of council estates from right to buy to the present day

Judicial review report here:-

Judicial Review 2, part one

Films

All Our Working Lives – The Shipbuilders.mp4 (download and play)

Original 1984 documentary of one hour then a half hour update programme

British Connection Clydebank – Kelso.mp4

BBC Alba – subtitles in English – Clydebank forms the first half hour

Dreaming the impossible: Unbuilt Britain – A revolution in the City

BBC Four 58m59s

The Secret History of our Streets – Duke_Street.mp4

BBC Four – subtitles – 59m22s

BBC page on the programme

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