The other day, my partner Carmela and I participated in a demonstration against the planned expansion of Barcelona’s airport, along … More
Category: unsolicited text
No to BCN Airport Expansion. Build Housing and Rail Instead
Yesterday, the Spanish government announced that Barcelona airport would receive almost two billion euros for an expansion project. Given Barcelona’s … More
#Blogtivism Works!
Earlier this summer, in this very blog, I wrote an open letter to the mayor of Barcelona in which I … More
America
America is big. It’s an entire hemisphere containing 2 continents and 35 countries. And yet one of those countries, USA, … More
Take a Hike
Footpaths are some of the oldest and most commonly found infrastructure works on our planet. Yet they can also be … More
The Future of Architecture and Architectural Criticism
Does anyone still believe, as those of us who grew up watching the Jetsons on TV did, that the future … More
Dear Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona
Congratulations on all your efforts to have Barcelona declared the UNESCO / UIA World Capital of Architecture in 2026. As … More
A Tour of the Courtyards of Barcelona
Just about every building in Barcelona has a courtyard of some sort. Whether it’s the splendid centerpiece of an important … More
A Tour of the Passageways of Barcelona
On the occasion of the upcoming UIA (Union Internationale des Architectes) World Congress in Barcelona, I have decided to post … More
El Raval Needs Your Help!
As you may know from reading this blog, I have been involved, together with the neighborhood association Xarxa Veïnal del … More
This is Why Buildings Should Not be Designed by Clients
A new university campus has just been inaugurated in Madrid that manages to be both out of place and out … More
The Cultural Cleansing of Barcelona
Like many of Barcelona’s public spaces, Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies (Gardens of the Three Chimneys) is a former industrial … More
Form Follows Material
[Originally published in OnSite Review #48] In the search for sustainable building materials, wood has come again to the fore. … More
What is Worse: Climate Change Denial or Greenwashing?
What is worse: climate change denial or greenwashing? We certainly have no shortage of either. Climate change denial can be … More
Initiated by Architects: Two Very Different Housing Models
Two radically different apartment buildings are currently being completed only meters apart in Barcelona’s Poble Sec neighborhood. What makes them … More
Who are the Terrorists?
The people of Minneapolis are not cowering before their fascist president and his brutal ICE police. No, unlike the many … More
Tabula Gaza II
The plan for the reconstruction of Gaza is looking like a tabula rasa project indeed. We know there are very … More
And the Nobel War Prize Goes to…
He has provoked an assault upon the US Capitol. He delivers arms and technology to Israel so its “defense” forces … More
Yes, Ban Housing Speculation!
The government of Catalonia wants to ban housing speculation. It is currently studying the constitutional legality of banning the ownership … More
Digitization and its Discontents
Is it just me, or is the digital universe getting worse by the day? I find many apps and web … More
