On weekdays I prefer working out at the gym sometime between 11 am and 1 pm. That way I break my day. I can be super productive in the morning, pushing to get things done before I head off and then super productive in the afternoon again after I am back and filled with all the good stuff that flows around in my veins after pumping iron for an hour or so. But yesterday (like too many other days recently) was different. I changed my schedule so that me and my fitness freak daughter, Mandisa, could … [Read more...] about It’s our duty every single day to reject bad design, bad coffee and bad attitudes
Has anyone seen Gunter’s Wurst Wagen?
Sardinia Bay on a Sunday morning is perhaps my favourite place in the world. Sometimes we walk “Tank”, our enormous Great Dane. Sometimes we go for a swim in the choppy surf. Other times we simply sit on the dunes taking in the panoramic view of Indian Ocean. There is something rugged and untamed about Sardinia Bay. Its massive sand dunes refuse to bow to the our feeble plans to build a road to the beach, perhaps rejecting the vulgar and boorish club house structures, maybe like a body would … [Read more...] about Has anyone seen Gunter’s Wurst Wagen?
About Splitting Atoms and Borders
On our way to swim in the ocean on Wednesday morning, we were chatting in the the car about Human Rights day. As we drove, I gave a little lecture explaining how on the 21st of March 1960, 69 unarmed protesters were gunned down outside a police station in Sharpville. “Why were they protesting?” asks Mandisa. “They were protesting about the “pass laws”. They burned the papers that they were required to carry as evidence that they had permission to leave the “homelands” in order to seek work in … [Read more...] about About Splitting Atoms and Borders
Elon Musk is dead wrong about Mars
I am inspired by the phenomenally innovative work of, California based, Elon Musk. You may know him as the founder and CEO of the ground breaking Tesla Company. You may know that in spite of Elon growing up with the smell of mind-numbing bureaucratic paralysis in the Pretoria air, his thinking on electric cars and battery storage is proving to be hugely disruptive. His bold ideas will absolutely and fundamentally change the way we all live and work. This dramatic transformation will happen very … [Read more...] about Elon Musk is dead wrong about Mars
Sugar Tax, GDP and quantifying quality
I don't eat much sugar at all. In my experience, sugar and starch cause me to become fat and lazy. So I drink bitter coffee by day, red wine at night and water when I train. So I'm personally not too stressed about government's plans to tax the consumption of sugar in the same way it taxes cigarettes and alcohol. Selfish of me perhaps? (for the record though, I don't think the amount of sugar I put in my tea, or how many hours I spend watching TV or whether I spend enough time in gym are the … [Read more...] about Sugar Tax, GDP and quantifying quality
In the Privacy of my Home – Challenging the State to Arrest me
I have quite a full and busy life. So I really don't find time in my daily routine to grow or smoke dagga. But friends of mine, who do find the time, are very excited to hear that the Western Cape High Court has last week seen to it that the chances of armed police bashing down their door and confiscating their favourite pot plant in the middle of the night have now been significantly reduced. To be honest I have, for quite a long time now, considered what herbs people choose to grow in their … [Read more...] about In the Privacy of my Home – Challenging the State to Arrest me
More return in rural infrastructure
I try at the beginning of each year, during my break from office life, to pull off at least one lasting "capital infrastructure" project at home or at the farm. I do this because I've seen that a change of work routine is much more refreshing to me than "vegging out" on the couch. For the last few years I have been focusing on farm projects rather than home projects. A few hundred metres of fence, replacing the rusted roof on the old cottage or installing solar panels for off grid electricity. I … [Read more...] about More return in rural infrastructure
Don’t let culture be reason to isolate ourselves from others
December holidays in South Africa, perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, are a glorious celebration of idleness; an annual reminder to all of us that there is so much more to this life than working for a boss. But, other than idleness, December in our region is also dominated by significant "cultural" and "traditional" obsessions. In my family, we follow both Xhosa and European traditions, so December means Mgidi season and Christmas season. This year was particularly intense as my … [Read more...] about Don’t let culture be reason to isolate ourselves from others
#Feesmustfall, Brass Bells and the Pain of the Taxpayer
A few days back, I made a short presentation on some of my recent work to a, polite audience at the newly renovated Tramways building. To be honest though, the small group of architects, historians and academics had mainly come out to hear from my colleague, Professor Albrecht Herholdt, with whom I shared the stage that evening. You see, Professor Herholdt, is one of our region's finest architects and he spoke that evening on the fantastic work that he and his team is doing with the MBDA to … [Read more...] about #Feesmustfall, Brass Bells and the Pain of the Taxpayer
Statism and the East Cape Taxi Protest
My 1997 Toyota is currently propped up on bricks in my backyard. You see, I'm waiting for my small time mechanic "guy" to find a specific part that is being reconditioned by his small time parts supply "guy". I have though still managed to get around town regardless of this challenge and regardless of this week's province wide taxi protest. This, partly thanks to Uber and partly thanks to the luck that I do not rank in the number of the struggling poor compelled to live in the far flung … [Read more...] about Statism and the East Cape Taxi Protest
Beyond Tolerance
I don't really give too much thought to the war in Syria. There's just too much else to think about all the time. I mean right now I am facing a real dilemma: do I buy the silver baubles for the Christmas tree or do I get those shiny red ones with a picture of a snow man on them?... And what about the Christmas lights? Do I get the white flickering ones my wife wants to match the candles she bought for the table or do I get the brightly coloured blinky lights that remind me of my child … [Read more...] about Beyond Tolerance
Tim Hewitt-Coleman: Help the Little Guy
I drive a 1997 Toyota. It has 476 000 kilometres on the clock. I drive this old car mainly to embarrass my children, but also because I know that renewing my car every two or three years has a hugely destructive impact on our planet. In fact, a recent report in the Guardian points out that the amount of carbon that it takes to make a car (its "embodied emissions") is very likely to be greater that the total exhaust pipe emissions over its lifetime. What the Guardian is trying to say is that my … [Read more...] about Tim Hewitt-Coleman: Help the Little Guy
Drop the Mindless Controls
I took a drive out to the countryside this morning. The rolling green pasture and forest to the west of Port Elizabeth is an incredibly beautiful an peaceful place and today I had good reason to drive out this way, rather than through Walmer, to my office in Central. You see, as I write this, Walmer is completely closed down by large groups of angry people disrupting traffic with burning barricades. To make matters worse, thieves and thugs are taking advantage of the opportunity to carry out … [Read more...] about Drop the Mindless Controls
Who will champion Port Elizabeth’s ICC?
Last moth I was fortunate to spend a week in Durban. I was one of four thousand five hundred delegates from around the world that attended the 25th World Architecture Congress. It really was a great event with great speakers, great exhibitions and great and inspiring debates in the corridors and coffee bars that make conferences like these worthwhile. Yes, my mind was on the papers and presentations, but maybe, even more than this my mind was on the city of Durban and the International … [Read more...] about Who will champion Port Elizabeth’s ICC?
The End of Excellence
I have never visited Paris, but I have just last night visited a fantastic exhibition of excellent buildings and spaces, right here at the grand old Athenaeum in Central Port Elizabeth, called "100% Paris" Visiting exhibitions and events of this sort always gets me thinking and this time was no exception. It got me thinking about "Excellence" and especially excellence in the built environment. What is it? What is its purpose? Has its time passed? Is excellence a means to an end? Or is … [Read more...] about The End of Excellence
