Roland Karthaus

Wow!

Sellout crowd at #architectse17 Chit Chat 6! #pechakucha #walthamstow #architecture

[Scene is a 19th century drawing room with a sign outside saying TRANSPORT INVENTORS CLUB. Inside, the German Engineer KARL BENZ is addressing a meeting of gentlemen about his new transport idea] 1 KARL BENZ: OK guys - you’re gonna love this 2 KARL BENZ: So it’s like, a box made of metal that goes at up to 120 miles an hour, yeah? [Karl shows them a diagram of a car] 3 KARL BENZ: And your drive it down one side of the road, and the boxes going the other way go on the opposite side, so we don’t need to build two roads! 4 OTHER GUY: What’s down the middle? KARL BENZ: A white line. 5 OTHER GUY: So like, a white barrier… KARL BENZ: No a white line. Drawn on the floor.  6 OTHER GUY: And who’s piloting these machines? KARL BENZ: I was thinking: random members of the public. 7 [Pause, the other guys all look with concern at Karl] 8 OTHER GUY: Karl are you OK KARL BENZ: No listen it’s fine  9  OTHER GUY: You know we’re worried about you, don’t you?  KARL BENZ: No really it’ll work - 10 KARL BENZ: Once hundreds of millions of people have died and the world’s started ending because of the fumes it’ll all be normal. 11 OTHER GUY: Is that normal like the ‘commuter travel device’ you brought in last week which was just… 12 OTHER GUY:  …an iron maiden fired from a catapult? [The other guy displays a diagram of an iron maiden being fired from a catapult] KARL BENZ: THAT WOULD’VE WORKED! [ends]

Carl Benz has an idea

If you live in, or are interested in #walthamstow join us for an evening of rapid 'chit chat' talks about architecture on 1st October from 8pm
Bit.ly/chitchat6

Graphic with the headline “London is the greatest city in the world” set against a bright view of the River Thames with the Shard, Tower Bridge and the city skyline. The text celebrates what makes London special: regularly voted the number one city in the world, incredible diversity with over 300 languages spoken, world-class transport, world leader in finance tech and life sciences, best museums and galleries many free to visit, world-leading nightlife, food sport and music for every taste, host to the world’s best sporting events, home to seven Premier League clubs, globally-ranked universities, a city where you can be yourself and love who you love, and a place for everyone.

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again.

Ignore the haters, London is the 🐐

Colloquially known as hamsterskins for this reason

Museum of Military History in Dresden designed by Daniel Liebeskind.
Also visited recently!

I think they still do tours - well worth it if you're in that city

My favourite building in Paris. Did you get inside?

A can of beer and some hops

A man sitting at a table opening a beer can with hops on the table

Two bowls of picked hops

Hops in a metal beer making vessel

Yup.
#growyourown
#brewday

If you're exasperated by all this and want to do something, consider hosting an asylum seeker (if you have the space).

We hosted for 3 years in our family home and we're still in touch with them. Charities like www.paih.org run schemes to match people w hosts (there are others too).

Finally: If you want to help us do more projects showing a better future and a better media is possible for Scotland, consider supporting us with a subscription thenational.scot/subscribe

Yes a few years ago, my kids were a little older but I seem to remember there are different graded routes. I was on a road bike.

‘Why not work the system’? How punks inspired by Thatcher built a Hull housing cooperative Set up in the 1980s, Giroscope has morphed into a social agency running neighbourhood services and creating jobs

Fascinating piece on Giroscope in Hull's inventive approach to developing property for social purpose. As shared by a current PhD student I'm supervising who is studying self help models for homelessness
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

My piece on racism for @theobserveruk.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

Day in, day out, I speak to ordinary people who are organising to welcome the asylum seekers accommodated in their towns.

They befriend, support them, reach out to them as fellow human beings.

That's the Britain I know, the one I see around me & we never get told about on TV.

Photo of a person's shadow on grass with trees and a building on the background

Morning run, Lea Valley #lovelondon

The first time Charlie Chaplin used his voice in a film, he wielded it to forcefully condemn the rising forces of fascism around the globe. Will we listen to his words today?

Pretty sure this was an early Mighty Boosh episode

Incredible to finally experience the new @sohotheatre.bsky.social in Walthamstow!

London Edinburgh London 2025 Britain's greatest cycle challenge. Ride from London to Edinburgh and back in five days. 3-8 August 2025

Bon courage! To all #LEL2025 cyclists leaving the London area on Sunday: have a great ride, keep pedaling, we're cheering you all on! Only 1500km to go! #LEL25
Live rider tracking here:
londonedinburghlondon.com

Pink and yellow bike next to a canal

Lovely 80km gravel #bike ride in Hertfordshire, finished with #vegan orange drizzle cake at the waterside cafe

Waves hello at @cyclinguk.bsky.social ... with over 2700 long distance cyclists registered for this event, we're hoping Cycling UK members might keep their eyes peeled, and cheer them along the route!
🎉🚴‍♀️🚴🎉

Highest tenant satisfaction ratings in the city too - take note, beautiful/boring brigade

Cropped view of a white modernist housing block with planters

View of a two white modernist housing blocks with landscape

Entrance to housing block

Landscape with housing block in background and one person in red top on path

Absolutely bowled over by Alterlaa in Vienna - high density mass #social #housing done right. Transport hub, community facilities and shopping all included!

Vienna is an amazing city anyway but Alterlaa alone is worth the trip.

View of a white traditional building with a modern rooftop extension just visible

Even though you can barely see it from the street, Coop Himmelblau's original project in Vienna didn't disappoint. If felt like such a big deal back in the day - whilst others were getting tied up in deconstructivist nonsense, they were just having fun!

Enjoyed this church in Leipzig

Also with my colleague Isadora! Recommended!

Procurement is in dire need of a rethink. The procurement act takes some tentative steps but so much lost/latent opportunity still in this space

Great piece - clearly articulating the problem of 'getting a grip' and love the idea of moral agency as solvent.