Alan Gordon

2 months ago | architectsjournal.co.uk | Toko Andrews |Alan Gordon

There’s one lecture that sticks in my memory from my time as an undergrad at architecture school. It was on professional practice in my second year and I remember it clearly. The lecturer stood in front of the assembled students and said: ‘If you’re interested in making money, then architecture is the wrong career for you.

2 months ago | architectsjournal.co.uk | Martha Dillon |Alan Gordon

By posting online a New Year’s ‘to-do’ list (pictured) with only six tasks on it, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) was asking for trouble. It could have been written at any point in the past 100 years. Dealing with structural injustices, boosting housebuilding and tackling poor housing quality are longstanding concerns. But times have changed and MHCLG doesn’t seem to be keeping up.

Jan 20, 2025 | architectsjournal.co.uk | Toko Andrews |Alan Gordon

January is here, and with it comes the perfect opportunity to reflect on the year just gone and look ahead to what’s next. We architects thrive on cycles: concept to completion, review to reinvention. The start of a new year is a chance to look ahead to what’s coming, but also to pat yourself on the back for what went right. Big or small, I hope you take a moment to celebrate your 2024 wins. This January, I’m revelling in a bit of self-congratulation.

Jan 1, 2025 | architectsjournal.co.uk | Alan Gordon

Maybe their assumption was based on a cliché or a half-heard anecdote, and you probably didn’t completely correct them.It’s not their fault. Architects have a communication problem; we struggle to explain what we really do and how we do it. In a recent piece, I argued that architects should challenge the relentless pursuit of convenience and suggested that one antidote might be to better showcase our processes, warts and all. But how does one do that exactly?

Nov 25, 2024 | architectsjournal.co.uk | Richard Parr |Alan Gordon

You never really know something unless you look at it. For me looking involves examining and recording and it’s the eye … to hand … to paper which is the only successful medium. Taking a photo is not the same. Doodling I do while I am in meetings, on a call, or meandering through thoughts. Concise and quick, it often forms the basis of a project. I have a very three-dimensional mind and I explore spatially as I work.