By the time this issue is published the festivals have begun! Mini-cities are being constructed all over the country for temporary populations of, in some cases, over 100,000 people. And it’s not all mud – the demand for ‘glamping’ (glamorous camping) has necessitated some quite high-end bathroom and dining areas at these events. Pre-fabricated structures really come in to their own at these events.

Talking of festivals, the London Festival of Architecture took place over 19th June – 4th July. LFA is a celebration and exploration of buildings, streets, spaces and places in the capital and highlights London’s reputation as an international creative hub. Let us know if you went – we’d love to see your photos.

So, councils in England will soon have greater powers to stop developers building homes on gardens. Currently gardens are in the brownfi eld category, but will be reclassifi ed to stop 'gardengrabbing'. Is it just me, or should the owners of the houses, if they have a huge garden and wish to get something back from their investment by building on part of it, be entitled to do that? 'Garden grabbing' sounds as though the developers move on in regardless of the owners wishes! Surely councils are already able to refuse planning permission if they consider the site to be unsuitable, regardless of whether it’s a garden or an ex-factory site?

Farewell: Architect Shusaku Arakawa died on May 18 aged 73 – despite his belief that he could live forever. Arakawa and his wife Madeline Gins had “decided not to die” as “death is old-fashioned” they announced. Their ‘Reversible Destiny’ brand challenged normal positioning of windows, furnishings, and services, claiming that comfort causes life-shortening anxiety. The “owner’s manual” for one property instructed: ‘Try to maintain two (or more) separate tentativenesses, that is, two (or more) distinct areas of indeterminacy.’ Realistically, an architectural design that may lengthen your life would be a longer walk to the kitchen instead of placing it at the heart of the house!

Enjoy the sunshine