Human Architecture

Stimulating discussion at Charleston Farmhouse as part of the Charleston Festival on the role of architecture and public space in society.

Thomas Heatherwick introduced us to his ideas about humanising the built environment. He talked about the emotion buildings inspire and how many buildings are designed to be looked at from a distance whereas we mainly experience them by walking past.

He talked about how the average life span of a commercial building in Britain is 40 years. Demolition is wasteful and disruptive so how to we create buildings which people won’t want to pull down.

He felt we need a national conversation about architecture and to change the narrative of the construction industry that the public are ignorant. I loved the call to alms for architects that they need to stop speaking “archibollocks”.

 

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