黑洞社区

The Island Queen is Formation Architects鈥� local, a beautiful Islington boozer in the grand tradition of knowingly down-at-heel gastro pubs. Because of the location, it鈥檚 also a place where the staff can mix with friends and rivals from the likes of Pollard Thomas Edwards and Edward Cullinan Architects on a Friday night.

But if there are clear benefits to working in this part of town, it also doesn鈥檛 take long for some of the downsides to come through and, on this topic, the conversation quickly takes a serious turn.

Number one on the list of concerns is housing, or more specifically the lack of it at a price normal people can afford.

Khashayar, who seems to go by the name of Khash, says: 鈥淭he shame is that housebuilders seem to be holding back from building, which benefits them as it keeps prices up. But it is a real frustration on two fronts: first, because it means people can鈥檛 afford homes. Second, it means a lot of good young architects are less likely to find work.鈥�

Kees, who is the most senior manager among the drinkers, says he believes this is a real issue for the business.

鈥淭he people we鈥檙e looking to find are those talented architects between 30 and 40 years old. But they鈥檙e probably earning too much to qualify for shared ownership homes and yet can鈥檛 afford to live around the Islington area. We try to attract people by the quality of our work, but it鈥檚 tough.鈥�

Joanna, renting nearby, loves to be able to walk to work in the morning, but can鈥檛 dream of being able to buy in the same area. It鈥檚 a conundrum.

Kees, who lives in Highbury, just a mile away, says: 鈥淚鈥檓 the only one of my NCT group to still live in Islington, which is also a shame.鈥�

The conversation moves on more generally to London as a place, and the developments in it. This is a team that likes to talk about what it means to live in a city. And as more drinks come round, the talk becomes more passionate.

Inevitably the Shard crops up. For Khash it鈥檚 the ultimate in object architecture and bears no relation to the city around it.

鈥淭here鈥檚 just too much attention that goes on buildings like this,鈥� he says. Joanna agrees and says she is already 鈥渂ored鈥� of seeing it from every street in London.

But Kees is a defender, and says there鈥檚 a clear economic argument for it.

鈥淏ut we鈥檙e not economists, we鈥檙e architects!鈥� Kash retorts. 鈥淧aris wouldn鈥檛 allow it.鈥�

鈥淢ore鈥檚 the pity鈥�, interjects Benedicte, who is from France.

A supporter of the Shard, she loves the energetic 鈥渃reative mess鈥� that is London. In comparison, she says Paris feels stale and stolid.

Khash still doesn鈥檛 agree.

鈥淭he energy of youth and students is what makes London great,鈥� he says. 鈥淔rom the Shard and the Gherkin to Canary Wharf, these developments don鈥檛 contribute to the energy of London - they suck it out.鈥�

The debate is still going on when I leave.