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Archive for July, 2007

quick to judge architecture

Posted in architecture, climate change, energy, engineering, london, sustainability on July 30, 2007 | 3 Comments »

Via zerochampion, the Guardian’s architecture commentator suggests that buildings
…should only really be offered prizes 20 years after their completion. While we can comment on the merit of the design, look and feel of a particular building when new, and celebrate the intentions of its designers, there is no guarantee that it might not prove to [...]

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some of my best friends are architects…

Posted in architecture, climate change, energy, engineering, london, renewable energy on July 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment »

Client (on seeing the staircase dominating his hall): But I didn’t want a black marble staircase, I wanted an oak one!
Lutyens: What a pity.
This is driving me nuts. There’s now a huge emphasis on sustainability in architecture but some architects still don’t get it. Aflame with good intentions at the start of projects, they enthusiastically [...]

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made in the Congo

Posted in consumerism, sustainability on July 10, 2007 | 1 Comment »

Via No Impact Man, I came across an article by Johann Hari, originally published in the Independent in 2006. In it, Johann traces the roots of the ongoing conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo to the scramble for natural resources; in particular coltan, a metal used in electronics like mobile phones and Playstations. 80% of [...]

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what air-tightness required for MVHR?

Posted in climate change, energy, engineering, renewable energy on July 4, 2007 | 5 Comments »

Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) is often put forward as part of a low-energy design strategy for homes. The principle is that you build your house air-tight to minimise air infiltration and then mechanically supply fresh air via a heat exchanger. This heat exchanger captures the heat energy in the warm outgoing air and [...]

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half of humanity in the city

Posted in architecture, climate change, energy, engineering, london, renewable energy on July 2, 2007 | 3 Comments »

Next year we reach a milestone unprecedented in history when more than half of all people will live in cities. This comes from the UN’s new State of the World Population report, which strikes an interesting tone. The authors acknowledge the huge risks of increasing rates of urbanisation, particularly for the poor, but also maintain [...]

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micro-CHP report delayed (again)

Posted in chp, climate change, energy, engineering, london, micro chp, utilities on July 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment »

Just heard from the folks at the Carbon Trust who are doing the micro-CHP field trials. The release date for the next interim report has been pushed back to the end of August with the methodology to follow some time after. Advise not holding breath.

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