Housing in crisis

Waiting for something to load from our vault onto the tv my husband was reviewing The Guardian's website. We saw this article:

Ten Solutions to the Housing Crisis

now much of the article with respect to what was said was a little basic and not as relevant to how to actually resolve the housing crisis in a country like the UK where between nimby-ism, regulation and resistance to alternative construction much of the information provided could never actually be applied to the UK environment successfully.

The quote though that caught my eye and that I have been arguing and talking about since university and applies to many western cities is this;

"Borneo-Sporenburg (Amsterdam) has been well-known for more than 10 years as an outstanding example of new housing, and has been much studied by British architects and experts, but there is nothing truly like it in
Britain. .... Why not? Because their success is based on intelligent, well-organised planning, of a kind that this country has found impossible in recent decades."

I am becoming more and more frustrated at our need for 'committee' style planning and development where lots gets discussed, everyone ooooh's and aaaahhh's but then the good ideas and innovative space saving, community oriented and affordable (but not just council) housing gets lost in brick work, basic detailing and fear of something different.  Yet meanwhile communities are falling apart.  We are busy trying to segregate adults, have little storage, poor layout, small outdoor space and limited outdoor community facilities in new areas.  In the UK society is still scared of wood frame which helps with time and cost and of course the cost of land is prohibiting anyone from being able to own land to consider building a house.

I think we need to reconsider the role of developers in providing housing, the rental and leasing sector and also provide new ways for people who do not own to enjoy their surroundings and take pride in where the live and want to maintain and improve it rather than feel it is not their concern.

We have just moved to Scarborough in Ontario, Canada and all our neighbours thought we had purchased the townhouse because we are taking care of the lawn, planting flowers and taking care of where we live.  But surely what helps make something comfortable and home and able to be apart of and have a sense of community is pride in place.  Not pride in ownership, but in PLACE.

I think I will write more on this soon, need more time to think when I am not ill with two kids underfoot.

2 cents for today (yeah, I know, 3 years on).

A New Beginning.

Well.  Just a little post to have somewhere to start really.

I started down my road to architecture and design and the young age of about 11-12.  I was thrown into a drafting class with Mr Michaluk in grade 7 at Gimli Comprehensive and he is the person to completely blame for where I am.  This is not to be taken negatively.  If it was not for his class and love of the made object and the perfect line, I never would have found my passion and love of design and form.

And from Gimli, to mr Badiuk and Mr Wiebe in Winnipeg on to my 'nemisis' at Carleton Mr Steve Fai, I oh them all something for this terrible passion and drive I have for architecture.

But on that, practise has not been what I had hoped.  It was what I expected, but not what I had hoped and for better or worse, after my share of time learning and doing, I have been made redundant and now am throwing caution to the wind.

To write, to posture, to freelance and be inpsired and to inspire, the ultimate, to move forward in architecture and design and somehow quench this need to have a voice and an impact on how/where/why we live in the is world.


Beware my rambling
Beware my opinion

I need a voice and at the moment I see no other way.

Let me think.