Open City

Open City presents Episode One, Season Two of Words on Wood, a podcast series created by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) in conjunction with Disegno journal, that delves deep into the big questions surrounding forests, the timber industry, and the use of wood as a design material.

With architecture under more pressure than ever to improve the sustainability of buildings, this episode of Words on Wood looks at the potential for timber structures to reshape the field. Given the opportunities and challenges facing the construction of tall timber buildings, what role does wood have to play in the future of our built environment? Engineer Andrew Lawrence and architect Lina Ghotmeh discuss the complexities of the issues.

About Words on Wood

Drawing on interviews and analysis from charismatic industry experts and fascinating figures from across the creative sector, Words on Wood takes a 360º view of timber and its journey from tree to finished application. Featuring contributions and case studies from the worlds of design and architecture, the podcast explores the ways in which we care for and harvest our forests can have far-reaching consequences across the creative fields, and for the world at large.

Each season sees Disegno’s editors Oli Stratford and India Block navigate the complex intersections between the worlds of forestry and design, focusing in on topics such as timber construction, illegal logging, carbon capture, advancing technologies, boundary-pushing designers, and the enduring power of craft. Alongside regular episodes are Tree Shorts – a collection of bite-size episodes each dedicated to a particular tree and the properties of its timber, as revealed through a selected design project that makes use of its distinct qualities.

Subscribe here or search for 'Words on Wood' whereover you get your podcasts

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Join Phin Harper, Peter Arkley Bloxham, Sonny Malhotra, Cath Slessor and Ruth Lang for a epic end of year quiz where we look at some of the biggest, boldest, and down-right strangest stories we've covered on the Londown in 2022...

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This week Merlin speaks to the journalist and the former director of inclusion at the RIBA -- Marsha Ramroop.

Leading London architects called out over Qatar world cup | China’s new embassy next to Tower Hill denied planning permission | Conservationists rage over green light for National Gallery overhaul | And Open City names its new chair and board...



The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.

The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second episode of Talking Landscape - a monthly series produced by the Landscape Institute and Open City - host Paul Lincoln speaks to two contributors to the autumn edition of the Landscape journal which celebrates 100 years of women in landscape architecture. They are Jane Findlay, and Dr Luca Csepely-Knorr.

Jane is the Immediate Past President of the Landscape Institute, and guest editor of this edition of the journal.

Luca is a chartered landscape architect and art historian and research chair in architecture at Liverpool University. She is also leading the ‘Women of the Welfare Landscape’ project which we discuss in the show

To read their articles and all the others in this edition, you can find an online version of Landscape for free here

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A walking tour of the extraordinary architecture around London Bridge, Southwark and the Square Mile created for Shangri-La The Shard, led by architect Charles Holland.

You can find details about the route on Open City's website

The production of this tour and audio guide was sponsored by Shangri-La The Shard

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This week our host Rachel speaks to the urban designer, and co-director of ZCD Architects, Dinah Bornat.

Toddler killed by mould a defining wake-up call for the housing sector | New Voter ID rules freezing young people out of civic life | ‘Who remembers proper binmen?’ - the nostalgia meme rejecting modern progress | And Wandworth council reclaims the streets… from e-bikes 

The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.

The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to award winning architectural journalist, and author of 'Monumental Lies: Culture Wars and the Truth about the Past', Robert Bevan.

The Grenfell inquiry concludes and the long road to memorialising 72 deaths begins | London mayor holds emergency summit as more than a third of renters face defaulting | Working class people earning thousands less than middle class peers | And one of London’s oldest pubs faces closure over a landlord rent dispute...

The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.

The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to Alpa Depani, an architect and head of strategic planning and design the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

Austerity restarts with £50 million pounds of cuts to London culture | World leaders talk climate change while sustainable rail transport falters at home | Essex’s newest new town shows one way to meet London’s housing need | And is built environment heritage becoming all too political? | Plus, a cultural roundup.

The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to Russell Curtis, founder of RCKa Architects

A global house price slump is coming – but what does it mean for London and those most in housing need | Mega housing association criticised for evicting tenants over safety concerns in new block | South London council hires one of London's trendiest rising star architects for a new wave of social housing | And Michael Gove promises 300,000 new homes a year. Will it happen and will it help?

The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.

The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Phin speaks to Aydin Dikerdem. Aydin is a Councillor for Shaftesbury & Queenstown in Wandsworth and Cabinet Member for Housing.

Rishi Sunak – the wealthiest MP in history – becomes the new Prime Minister | Campaign group, Just Stop Oil under threat from new bill targeting peaceful protests | Battersea Power Station finally opens, with flats on sale for £7 million despite 11,000 person waiting list for housing | And new developments on the Barbican site scaled back after quite a backlash

The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.

The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.