Beyond utilitarian architecture.

At work we recently got into a debate about the merits of architecture from differing periods. One dissenting voice, crowded out by the majority it has to be said, favoured he 'Brutalism' of the late 1950s and particularly, (in Britain at least), early to mid 1960s.

One was flabbergasted to say the least that anyone could be a proponent of this style. The surviving examples are usually grey, drab, un-exciting and often problematic. Many of the tower blocks etc that were built for example, which were supposed to create a safer, better, cleaner environment actually led to social dissolution and are now run down and feel dangerous.

They may be iconic to some, but for my money these, mostly, concrete monstrosities are both hideous and not always even as functional as their simplistic design style was meant to achieve.

There is a good link here describing the Brutalist movement in the UK http://www.voicesofeastanglia.com/2011/08/the-rise-and-fall-of-brutalist-architecture.html
which is well worded and worth reading for those with anything beyond a passing interest.

One should always put one's cards on the table in situations like this. I am a rank amateur with no professional understanding of architecture. yet, to my untrained eye there is much more beauty (alongside the requisite functionality) in many of the architecture and engineering feats of he Victorian era. See this link for a few examples; http://www.architecture.com/HowWeBuiltBritain/HistoricalPeriods/Victorian/VictorianBuildings.aspx

To conclude, let us hope that future architects retain the principles of functionality. But that they are able to successfully blend them with the visually appealing. It makes for a better world.

The horror of 'phubbing'

I didn't even know what 'phubbing' was until the campaign appeared in the news.Yet I do know this,  'phubbing' is an insidious evil of the 21st Century! This happens all the time. People phone snubbing others (ie phubbing them). How often when talking to someone do they suddenly blank you in favour of checking an incoming text?

It is horrendously rude and arrogant and yet people don't always seem to see it as so. If you turned physically away from someone mid conversation and started talking tom someone else wouldn't that be rude? It's the same thing!

Stop it people, - it IS rude and it IS arrogant! Please respect others. You have a living, breathing person in front of you; put them before the technology.

if it was that important they'd contact you again anyway. Plus how important can it be? No civilized person would text another with personal news surely? Accidents, job changes, family crises, these are thing s people talk about - not text. so leave the phone alone!

Here's a link to others, running the anti phubbing campaign who can phrase it with a higher degree of literacy and persuasiveness than me.

http://stopphubbing.com/