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Mystery Buildings

Looking through some old photographs it occurs to me that most of my photos are of buildings or landscapes, with very few people making an appearance. Here are a couple of my favourite architectural images from a trip made in 2004. Can anyone identify the location? Other parts of the world have a much more

Littlewood’s Building

For the second time this year one of the UK’s architectural gems has been ravaged by fire. Following the desolation of the Glasgow School of Art, Liverpool’s art deco landmark, the Littlewoods building is now also left as a smouldering shadow of its former self. The definitive guidebook to British architecture, Pevsner describes it as: ‘in the

SETTLE – CARLISLE RAILWAY

A weekend walk, high in the Ribble valley, started at Horton in Ribblesdale railway station. I wrote my undergraduate dissertation on the architecture of the Settle to Carlisle Railway many years ago.  At the time it was under threat of closure and there was even the possibility of the demolition of the stately Ribblehead viaduct.

Glasgow School of Art

Most of us are mourning the second great fire to ravage Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s masterwork, the Glasgow School of Art. Mackintosh was a hugely creative architect and designer who worked closely with his wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh who was a well known artist in Glasgow. The entrance to the Glasgow school of Art typifies the

Stirling Prize

The finalists have just been announced for this year’s RIBA Stirling Prize, the UK premier architectural award. I’ve chosen my favourite, or should I say favourites; it is always difficult to choose just one from such a diverse range of buildings. I was very taken with the idea of rammed earth walls used in one

Tree Houses

It’s the summer holidays and kids have long hot days of freedom ahead. Some of the lucky ones will have treehouses where imagination can run riot and adventure take wing. Here is one I designed with woodsman Ben Law. It can be re-purposed for adult use once the kids are grown up. Depending on the