Let the Third Place Die
A Coffee Break Read.....Let the Third Place Die The panda of public life, and our endless attempts to save a society from itself. I have spent much of my working life looking for good people doing worthwhile things in interesting places. From the military and fire service to academia, architecture and international humanitarian organisations, I have been drawn towards institutions promising service, knowledge, cooperation and peace. Yet each, in its own particular way, has ma
The Urban Room: Rethinking Adaptive Reuse After Demolition
Image by Frazer Macdonald Hay There is an uncomfortable question that architects rarely ask. What happens when the building we hoped to conserve has already disappeared? Adaptive reuse has become one of the defining architectural ideas of our age. Around the world, former factories become museums, warehouses become homes, churches become theatres, and industrial landscapes become parks. These projects are celebrated because they offer an alternative to demolition. They remi
The Architecture of Trust: The Missing Discipline in National Security
Britain has rediscovered the language of defence. Hardly a day passes without discussion of military spending, cyber security, artificial intelligence, critical infrastructure or the growing instability of the international order. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed how European governments think about security, and rightly so. States have an obligation to protect their citizens from external threats, and few would now argue against the need for credible ar
The Era of Peacebuilding Has Not Ended. It Has Moved Home
Why the built environment matters in an age of deterrence For much of the past three decades, Western governments believed that peace could be built. The language of international policy reflected that confidence. Democracy promotion, humanitarian assistance, institution building and post-conflict reconstruction became the dominant vocabulary of security. Architects, planners, conservationists and humanitarian organisations found themselves contributing to that ambition by re
When Does a Project Become a Place?
Breaking the Ground Ceramony in Singapore 2013 Development, heritage, regeneration and peacebuilding projects are remarkably good at celebrating completion. Buildings are restored. Parks are inaugurated. Museums reopen. Community centres welcome their first visitors. Reports are submitted, donors acknowledged and photographs taken. The language of success is well rehearsed because, in many respects, it is measurable. Budgets are balanced, milestones achieved and contractual o
Thank You, Urban Realm
I am delighted to thank Urban Realm for publishing my article, Rebuilding Without Erasing, which they boldly retitled Ghost Buildings. It is a real honour to feature in one of Scotland's leading publications covering architecture, design and the built environment. The article explores a question that architecture rarely asks: what should we do with buildings that have been used for violence? We are familiar with rebuilding homes, restoring infrastructure and repairing heritag
The Spaces Between
Most people rarely think about thresholds. We notice rooms. We notice buildings. We notice destinations. But some of the most important experiences in our lives happen in the spaces between them. The doorway we pause beneath during the rain. The corridor where an unexpected conversation begins. The stair where we catch a glimpse of another part of a building and become curious. The entrance to a school, a workplace, a theatre, a hospital, a church, a home. These moments are s
People • Place • Memory • Change
Over the years, my work has taken me into a remarkably diverse range of environments. I have worked with architects, heritage practitioners, educators, community leaders, peacebuilders, public servants, artists, emergency responders, researchers and business leaders. I have spent time in universities, government institutions, cultural organisations, post-conflict cities, coastal villages, boardrooms, construction sites and communities navigating profound social change. At fir
The Homes That Still Exist in Memory
Reflections on Georgia's displaced communities, cultural heritage and the meaning of home With thanks to Manana Tevzadze, whose work preserving the cultural heritage of Georgia's displaced communities inspired this article When we think about displacement, we often imagine the moment people leave. We picture families fleeing conflict, carrying what possessions they can. We think about borders crossed, temporary shelters established, and humanitarian assistance delivered. News
Returning Is Not the Same as Going Home
Reflections on the World Cities Report 2026, displacement, and the phenomenology of home The recently published World Cities Report 2026: The Global Housing Crisis, Pathways to Action offers a stark assessment of the state of global housing. According to UN-Habitat, as many as 3.4 billion people worldwide now live without secure, safe, or adequate housing. The report describes a world shaped by spiralling housing costs, displacement, informal urbanisation, climate vulnerabili
