黑洞社区

Underground heating

One of my team found themselves using the Central line recently to get to the leaving do of Mace鈥檚 construction director Gareth Lewis, who is going (sort of) after nearly three decades there. Lewis is coming back in the autumn in a roving construction role, but that鈥檚 not the point of this story. Rather, it鈥檚 to report that the Central line was stiflingly hot. Imagine my hack鈥檚 surprise, then, to find out that, according to Transport for London figures, it doesn鈥檛 hold the record for the hottest platform temperature. That belongs to the Victoria line with an average 28.2潞C last year, although this was up above 30潞C between June and October. In 2013, the Victoria line鈥檚 average temperature was recorded at a mere 21.9潞C. I blame global warming.

An ordinary life

He may be Mace鈥檚 new construction director 鈥� taking over from the aforementioned Lewis 鈥� but Andrew Jackson is sticking to his roots. He tells my scribe that whenever he goes back to his native North-east at weekends, he likes nothing better than a game of dominoes at the local working men鈥檚 club. It鈥檚 the new golf.

Brookfield has just had to crane five giant heat pumps, each the size of a truck, onto the roof of its 30 Fenchurch Street building as part of a 拢15m job to improve its energy efficiency

Home games

The new football season has begun (really?) and the eagle-eyed might have spotted that Gleeson Homes鈥� logo is on the front of shirts worn by players at Barnsley. The League One side are among the favourites to go up this year, so Tykes fans must be hoping Barnsley鈥檚 house is in order ahead of the promotion push. I鈥檒l get my coat.

Office politics

The Chartered Institute of Housing鈥檚 incoming president, Elly Hoult, met up with RIBA president Muyiwa Oki recently. They had lots to discuss, she says in a post on LinkedIn. She admits she cast envious glances at the fact Oki has his own office. 鈥淧S, CIH, any chance??!!鈥� If you don鈥檛 ask and all that.

Hansom goes missing

A 黑洞社区 away day to the beautiful city of York last month and it seemed obvious to find a blue plaque dedicated to one of the city鈥檚 finest, Joseph Hansom. He was the chap who founded The Builder back in 1843, which was later renamed 黑洞社区. The plaque was supposed to be above a restaurant in the city, and some of my team trooped along to have a nose. But, alas, what鈥檚 this? The restaurant is being gutted as part of a redevelopment. The plaque has gone too, so no photo opp. Flippin鈥� builders.

All hands to the pumps

Heat pumps are not nearly as ugly and hard to install as you might think, we are repeatedly being told. Brookfield might be forgiven for quietly disputing this. The City office developer has just had to crane five giant heat pumps, each the size of a truck, onto the roof of its 30 Fenchurch Street building as part of a 拢15m job to improve its energy efficiency. And you wonder why take-up of these climate-saving devices is still so low.

Poster boy

Many watching the Paris Olympic coverage have been intrigued by the sight of a narrow cardboard box being handed out to medal winners, who seem to have been equally nonplussed, left to awkwardly tuck the boxes under their arms while they pose for photographs. Well, the box contains an illustrated poster, with an architectural representation of the Paris Games created by Parisian illustrator Ugo Gattoni. It took him over 2,000 hours and five months to complete. The man deserves a medal.