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2 weeks ago | 
ribaj.com | John Jervis
At the launch of the Venice Architecture Biennale, held at the Ca’ Giustinian in February, journalists questioned Carlo Ratti closely on Michelangelo Pistoletto, the politicisation of architecture, and this year’s theme, ‘Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.’ A month later, ill-prepared after time-zone confusion, I ask Ratti over Zoom if he possesses the ability to switch off, if he feels exhausted, if he’s ever considered building himself an extension.
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3 weeks ago | 
ribaj.com | John Jervis
Since relocating to the Scottish capital in 2016, a community-minded ethos, outward focus and local authority expertise have helped the eight-strong practice wield outsized influenceThe word ‘strategy’ comes up surprisingly often when talking to O’DonnellBrown’s three directors. Founded in London in 2013, the practice has grown in a steady, deliberate fashion to today’s eight-strong contingent, despite a rapid rethink after a 2016 move to Glasgow.
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1 month ago | 
ribaj.com | John Jervis
Zaha Hadid Architects’ hotel transformation of a 16th‑century Roman mansion sets out to achieve beauty through extravagance – a goal it comprehensively achievesApproaching the unremarkable facade of Palazzo Capponi, just off Rome’s Piazza del Popolo, there is little sign of the contemporary, beyond a small canopy above its arched doorway.
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1 month ago | 
ribaj.com | John Jervis
Satish Jassal Architects' new red-brick development of council homes in Haringey makes creative use of a difficult plot, and adds a welcome feel of solidity in the neighbourhoodTo reshape bits of London, finding scraps hidden behind shops, or on the fringes of housing estates, leaving your mark on the city, must be a gratifying feeling.
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1 month ago | 
ribaj.com | John Jervis
Walking up and out from the centre of Cromer, a seaside resort on the north Norfolk coast, you encounter a generic postwar suburb with a jumble of standard house types and, near its crest, a 1980s brick bungalow with gabled roofs. To one side of its H-plan, a smallish extension with a ‘hobbit-like elevation’ – architect Nick Hayhurst’s words – has recently appeared.
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Jan 28, 2025 | 
ribaj.com | John Jervis
Severn View Park is a dementia care home that avoids an institutional feel in favour of providing a sense of familiarity and self-determinationSet amid an incipient housing estate outside Caldicot in Monmouthshire, Severn View Park Care Home consists of four low-lying villas enclosing a wide courtyard with a large gable-roofed hall at its centre. On approach, this assembly could be a farmyard, a yoga spa or perhaps a religious retreat.
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Jan 28, 2025 | 
ribaj.com | John Jervis
The MacEwen Award celebrates projects that demonstrate a mutual willingness of architect and client to push at the edges of what a typology can beThere’s a strong argument that almost all architecture aspires to work for the common good, from hospitals and housing to prisons and power stations, making dramatic impacts on society in the process. So what is it that differentiates the projects that the MacEwen Award has been spotlighting over its 10 years?
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Jan 6, 2025 | 
constructionhq.world | John Jervis
Wood Up, a 16-story residential tower in Paris, stands as a pioneering example of timber construction in urban settings. Designed by LAN Architecture and REI Habitat, the project has become a landmark for its use of French beech, the country’s most abundant timber, transported from Normandy by barge. It is the tallest wooden building in France and a bold exploration of sustainable housing in one of Europe’s densest cities.
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Nov 26, 2024 | 
ribaj.com | John Jervis
There is currently quite a bit of attention around recycled timber as a step towards net positive – that feels a bit difficult to imagine in the context of high rises. Yes, I'm pretty sceptical about reusing structural components; certainly from the Scandinavian point of view it’s difficult to find a contractor or client willing to take the risk – there's a lot of it in the process, and they're not willing to expend money because of the legal responsibilities.
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Oct 22, 2024 | 
dezeen.com | John Jervis
As homes become smaller, mid-century modern design may meet our needs even more now than when it first appeared, but that doesn't mean we should idolise the style, says John Jervis. I love mid-century modern, but it makes me sad. In its beauty and simplicity, it speaks of postwar optimism, and a belief in a better world – one of prosperity and peace, with large homes and larger pay packets. It's not the fault of a bunch of attractive designs that this proved to be a mirage, even a fraud.
