By AJ Contributor 27 September 2007 1 Views
Although something of a golfing traditionalist, Astragal did doff his cap recently at the passing of architect and ‘urban golf’ pioneer Jez Feakes. It is surely a fitting tribute to Feakes that the sport he pioneered, which uses a leather ball to minimise damage and ‘holes’ such as mains water…
By AJ Contributor 27 September 2007 0 Views
It was a full house for the much anticipated AJ King's Cross Charrette party at the Building Centre last Thursday. The Argent-sponsored party was so packed not everyone could squeeze into the central London architectural hotspot – most notably Amin Taha’s whippet Lou Lou, who was tied up outside befriending…
By AJ Contributor 27 September 2007 1 Views
Rob Firth – head of Capita Architecture – is sports mad and also a devotee of those masters of rock, Led Zeppelin. So, imagine his joy when Zep’s front man, Robert ‘feel the juice run down my leg’ Plant, pitched up in Firth’s hometown of Monmouth sometime in the 1980s…
By AJ Contributor 27 September 2007 3 Views
It seems Astragal is not alone in his eaterie woes. Students at McGill University, Canada, are lobbying against the university’s attempt to shut down the ‘beloved’ architecture café in an attempt to centralise food services across the campus. And Astragal, looking around his new massive Camden HQ, knows all about…
By AJ Contributor 27 September 2007 2 Views
After reading Astragal's tribute to ‘urban golf’ pioneer Jez Feakes (AJ 16.08.07), one eagle-eyed AJ reader sent in this image of a blue plaque which appeared on some hoardings outside late visionary architect Cedric Price's old Alfred Place offices last month. Says the spotter: ‘I snapped it a week ago…
By AJ Contributor 27 September 2007 3 Views
The bubbly for engineer Jane Wernick’s party – planned for last Thursday – has been put on ice and the dancing girls have been sent home until poor Jane recovers from a nasty tumble that resulted in a broken leg. The accident happened while Jane was on holiday in Italy.…
By AJ Contributor 27 September 2007 2 Views
Astragal was a little surprised to get a friendship request on Facebook from that celebrated architectural blogger, Norman Blogster. It seems to go against the ethos of Facebook, of revealing slightly more about yourself than is prudent, since Norman is resolutely anonymous. However, he is a member of the pithily…
By AJ Contributor 27 September 2007 9 Views
The staff at Zaha Hadid’s offices in Clerkenwell didn’t need Forbes magazine to remind them that the Iraqi-born architect is one of the most powerful women in the world. They have their own Tannoy system to do that particular job. Astragal's sources say Ms Hadid calls out names through the…
By AJ Contributor 27 September 2007 1 Views
Astragal often ponders how many more houses we really need. If you listen to the organisers of the Living Steel modular housing contest, the planet must build 4,000 ‘housing units’ every hour for the next 25 years if we are to meet the massive 40 per cent growth in global…
By AJ Contributor 27 September 2007 1 Views
Astragal’s old home of Clerkenwell is often described as an architectural ghetto. Statistics show that in London you are never more than 10m away from a rat; in EC1 you are never more than 10m away from a Paul Smith-clad, Brompton-riding, silly glasses-wearing designer. And this can definitely have a…
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