Thursday 12 February 2009
Taking a walk on a crisp, bright winter’s day has to be one of the pleasures of the season. Saturday’s forecast promises a beautiful day - a great opportunity to stretch your legs (consider it a warm-up for any hot date you may have planned for later).
For a seasonal treat, you might want to stroll through the Chelsea Physic Garden. On the weekends of 14th-15th and 21st-22nd February (10am - 4pm), the garden is holding its special winter openings.
One of the garden’s highlights at this time of year is its collection of over 75 species of snowdrops. The delicate, fragrant flowers are considered the first blooms of the year, heralding in new life and hope.
On the other hand, many people also associate snowdrops with death. But if anyone does spoil the mood, you could always reply (with a suitably cultured and witty air) that une petite mort is no bad thing at all.
Photo by Flickr user harold.lloyd (regicidal), published under a Creative Commons license.
Boris Johnson announced earlier this week that he would begin steps to suspend phase three of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ), which had been due to begin in October 2010. The move comes as part of our Mayor’s attempts to give businesses a boost in these troubling times for the economy.
Despite all the talk of green issues and the economy being intrinsically linked, when it comes down to it, those in government are ready to sacrifice the environmental side of things.
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Having recently moved into a new flat, I know that finding well made, reasonably priced, environmentally minded and stylish contemporary furniture can seem a big ask. Luckily for us Londoners, there’s Unto This Last.
The company, whose workshop-showroom is on Brick Lane, has been around since 2000. Rather than holding stock, everything is made to order on-site.
Furniture designs are held in a library of CAD files. Once cut, the pieces are handfinished.
Thus, Unto This Last are able to offer a bespoke product range, with over 2000 options. Almost everything can be customised in terms of dimensions and finish. Perfect, if (like me) you’re trying to find furniture that fits into those small, awkward spaces.
The wood for Unto This Last’s creations comes from FSC certified forests in Latvia. Pieces are either solid or flat-packed, and assembled using a locking mechanism – no screws needed. For those who want to avoid ever the slightest bit of DIY, Unto This Last can assemble everything prior to delivery (London only) or collection.
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Sad news from the credit crunch: pioneering housing developer, Living Villages, was put into administration last week. It’s main backer decided not to invest any further capital, having already put £1.15m into it. Living Villages have been developing eco-homes using all the technologies that are talked about, but not often actually used - and doing it in a way that made sense practically and aesthetically. Their houses are super insulated, have solar panels for water heating and electricity, are plumbed to recycle water, and so on. Good stuff, so it’s a shame that the current economic climate has stopped them in their tracks. Maybe someone will buy out the business from the administrators, but given the market conditions, it will have to be an eco-investor with deep pockets.
Wednesday 21 January 2009
The Building Centre, just off Tottenham Court Road, is a hub for professionals and those interested in city planning, home and building design and architecture.
Currently (until January 24th) they are running a small exhibit called Digital Cities: London’s Future. It takes a look at how digital technology can help our understanding of the way a city functions and inform planning decisions.
A proposal on how Oxford Circus could be remodelled to improve the experience for both pedestrians and drivers caught my eye.
Personally, I find that small, crowded patch of London to be one of the most frustrating pedestrian experiences in the city.
Intelligent Space (part of the Atkins Group) developed a set of improvements, including:
• A diagonal crossing solution.
• Pedestrian scramble crossing (i.e. traffic on all sides is stopped, and pedestrians cross en masse).
• Removal of stone barriers around the corners (to allow diagonal crossing).
• Removal of barriers on pedestrian islands.
• Resurfacing of road and pavement.
• Using footway gains.
Read More »
Taking a walk on a crisp, bright winter’s day has to be one of the pleasures of the season. Saturday’s forecast promises a beautiful day - a great opportunity to stretch your legs (consider it a warm-up for any hot date you may have planned for later).
