Modern Methods of Construction + Primeval Thinking on Design. Why design narrow-fronted deep-plan houses with resulting gloomy interior plans (>90% of rooms will be single aspect), and wreck opportunity for PV arrays with faux-Georgian outriders? Style 1 Health & Climate 0

2pm @futurebuildnow Amy Burbidge, design lead @homesengland will join Kevin McGeough headofplace Ebbsfleet Garden City on Active House intro. Hear what largest public clients in country (50,000+ homes pa) say standards should not lose sight of #daylight #health #carbon #comfort #space

2024 deadline for the Housing Design Awards extended from 5 March to end of the day on Tuesday 12 March. Still a fortnight to upload images and data of your latest scheme with recent planning or PC and join the most potent design resource on the internet hdawards.org

Worth remembering that RIBA attacked Haussmann's Paris 'arrangements' where 'utterly dissociated and discordant people live under one roof' -- in 1876 that was how they explained the new fangled apartment buildings with shared cores emerging...

You could tell Redrow faced changes when you see (left) their new types Ebbsfleet Garden City despite their obsession with the Heritage range (right). I guess that's aping 1930s and integral garage types done. Barratt Developments been the better developer (since Mark Clare shook it up).

The Economist demolishes the British love of the Green Belt this week: 38% of the country cannot be built on, just 5% would house 5m new homes, max 9% of country already built on but public think it’s half. RCKa architects Russell Curtis cited for his work

Last week FT reported affordability now worst since 1876. Today it reports Treasury crisis meeting on councils who won't be able to carry the cost of resulting homelessness. Yet, as FT asks, why do these red lights on dashboard get no attention when compared with inflation. Why?

And the form about ordering tables for the black tie event or offering sponsorship opportunities will be more detailed again... These commercial awards are tiresome. You never even know why the scheme wins on the night because it's 1 pic and a few words.

What might design codes add to development costs? This page from Amersham's (under consultation) proposes remote parking to avoid cars impacting street scene. But multistoreys cost £10,000+ per home. Then there's carbon in concrete frames. How can this help Net Zero new homes?

2nd leg of 75th Housing Design Awards in Park Hill, Sheffield tonight. Great updates on houses in Nottingham and nr Grimsby. And North is so adept at recycling its past, whether 60s estates or C19th factories and churches. Just check out the shortlist. hdawards.org

'Reclaim the streets' (in the sky). Deck access gets a Muji make-over at Park Hill phase 2. Guided tour part of the refurbishment of Europe's largest listed building part of 75th Awards event on Wed 4 Oct showcasing ideas worth a proper look lnkd.in/e_ui7bg3

Greened up parking courts, robust daylit cores, solar shading to modest point blocks, the HDAs' 75th hunt for replicable design moves offers the chance to see what the judges in London (28.09)] coupled to tour of Stirling Prize nominee Central Somers Town lnkd.in/eNGe6akT

If anywhere doesn't need help, it's Cambridge. In the past decade a city of 140,000 people has seen more good new communities than Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester combined. Oxford (160,000 pop.) is where help is needed as it's developed a fraction in same time span

“Hey bird, I can do that too” 😅

🎥 IG: nautilus_liveaboards

Genia, a lad from Ukraine that Keepmoat treated to see his team beat Scotland in the World Cup qualifiers, has a new line - making vodka. And every bottle his employer sells generates £1 for first-aid kits for Ukraine civilians. Please buy some dimasvodka.com/collections

200 years from now, people are going to be writing PhDs about the social and economic forces that led to a railway being built that looked like this.

The refurbed milk float lift to access Park Hill's 'streets', ideal for the HDAs judges to do their 'how many of us can you get in your lift?' test. Spot where they took the floor out and how they've left timbers urbansplash Homes England Places for People MIKHAIL RICHES

Conservative Mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchon, accuses Private Eye of at best misreporting a land sale that Private Eye say netted just £100.
Private Eye journalist replies with receipts;

Nearly three quarters of Conservative voters want the UK to build more social housing inews.co.uk/news/conservat…

Is end coming for Para 73 appeals putting homes on madly remote sites when LPAs undersupply? SoS Gove overturned inspector who found for Berkeley's Cranbrook site in Tunbridge Wells on 'design grounds'. Sub-Poundbury style would spoil High Weald AONaturalBeauty. Caveat promoters!