Edinburgh is one of the few British cities where the walk itself becomes part of the architecture. The city is built on a dramatic volcanic landscape. Castle Rock rises above the Old Town, while the Royal Mile runs down its long ridge towards the Palace of Holyroodhouse. To the north lies the Georgian New Town, with its ordered streets, squares and terraces. Together, these two contrasting places form the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Bath is one of those rare cities where two thousand years of history are compressed into a few square miles. Roman engineers, medieval masons, Georgian developers and even Waitrose (its a more of a religion than a supermarket in Bath) have all left their mark on the picturesque valley beside the River Avon. For an architect, it is difficult not to be drawn to the way the city is put together. The warm golden stone, the disciplined terraces, the sudden open spaces and the way

Ever wondered what the Grand Tour was? I am not talking about Jeremy Clarkson but something a little more profound (and less entertaining) The Grand Tour was the beginnings of Neo-Classical thought in art, architecture and style. Its important so read on and experenace a taste of of a cultural evolution that made the Britian wel all love. For more than three centuries, the Grand Tour of Italy was the essential pilgrimage for young British architects, artists and scholars. Fro

New York is not only about skyscrapers! Its famous skyline may dominate the imagination, but much of the city’s character is found at street level n churches, brownstone houses, apartment buildings, clubs, theatres, libraries and small civic landmarks. In most cities, skyscrapers are the exception. In Manhattan, they are so numerous that it is the lower-rise buildings that can feel unexpectedly distinctive and thats what this blog is about. Older structures reveal the city’s

To an architect, Paris is not merely a collection of famous monuments but a continuous and unique piece of urban planning.One off's like the soaring 13th-century Gothic rib vaults of the Île de la Cité are underpinned by the sweeping limestone facades crafted under Baron Haussmann in the 1860s. The grid is everywhere but it came from somewhere and that was the The Versailles "Triple Axis": In the late 17th century, urban planner André Le Nôtre designed a three-pronged avenue

A short walk from the thrum of Holborn and Fleet Street lies an extraordinary architectural secret dedicated to Legal London. Almost another world hides behind large walls, it is only open during the week but it's a world worth running out of the office to visit. Here, through Tudor brick gatehouses, medieval archways, and quiet cobblestone quadrangles, sit the Four Inns of Court—Lincoln’s Inn, Gray’s Inn, Inner Temple, and Middle Temple. For over seven centuries, every barri

London is full of wide streets and grand stucco terraces but look closer you find a secret network of streets and this is what this blog is all about. A walk around Mayfair, Kensington, and Bloomsbury will soon reveal its hidden mews, narrow cobblestone courts, and historic pedestrian lanes peeking out from gaps in facades. If you see one go and look! Originally built in the 18th and 19th centuries as service quarters for horse-drawn carriages and stable grooms, these quiet p

Beyond their timber frames, leaded glass, and worn stone thresholds, London’s historic public houses are defined by the people who drank, plotted, argued, and bled within them (and thats your tyopicalSaturday night!) For over four centuries, taverns have served as the unofficial living rooms, courtrooms, and conspiratorial dens of the capital. It's all quite nefarious and we all love dark stories so buckle up for a few of the many pub stories. My watercolour survey documents

A custom painting makes a truly wonderful gift for a loved one—and perhaps an even better one if it is for yourself. Having spent a career as a chartered architect and artist painting Britain's built heritage, I have come to the realization that I will never be able to paint every beautiful building in the world. That is precisely why custom commissions are so rewarding: they introduce artists to new, deeply personal subjects that hold genuine emotional significance in people

One of the best things about painting architecture is the stories the lines capture, sometimes that is in the history of the building but others it’s the future of the artwork. Many commissions have beautiful tales behind them celebrating life’s most precious moments. Love is a powerful thing, to play a part in that story by drawing is something I am always grateful for. So when should you gift art to your significant other? Well there isn’t a wrong time but here are a few mi

The Special Relationship: London and the United States are so deeply bonded. The world’s most powerful country can trace its origins to London’s streets, and ever since its foundation has impacted London perhaps more than any other place. Evidence of this is built into its very fabric; the buildings and streets which define the capital are a wash with interesting tales, some of which I will bore you with now! If you are visiting from the States, the first thing to know is tha

The most popular buildings in Britain remain our stately homes. Something about the heady mixture of grand stately facades, impressive gardens, and immense estates creates a sense of awe. The feeling is not an accident; indeed, many of these grand edifices are a kind of stage set designed to impress and to actually create power, because that’s what architecture is at heart— an expression of power. So pop on some AC/DC on your AirPods and read on because this story has a happy

You may be asking what are Livery companies and why am I interested? Well you should be interested as its all very old, gives us a peek into our medieval history when men wore tights. In a nutshell the livery companies of the City of London are ancient guilds and fraternities that have governed the City’s trade, commerce, and craft standards for over 700 years. Not all are ancient some are really modern with a total of 111 but perhaps the most important are the big 12. When I

All based on Christian Coop's complete watercolour survey of the Oxford and Cambridge colleges and halls in the Oxbridge Gallery. The architect in me loves buildings for their architecture, the artist side of me for the stories and secret history, but we all have an inner geek, and that’s where oddities come in. To celebrate completing my watercolour survey of every college and hall of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge (yes, all of them — I did mention I was a geek), I

Londoner's have always had exotic tastes in food from pickled Eels to whatever the next food fad will be. Ever changing and ever creative menus, architecture needs to keep up. Unsurprinsgly its left a legacy of hidden food history, literally under our feet and all around us. Here are 11 questions, do you know the answers? 1. Where can you find the world’s first " tea shop," operating since 1706? Answer: Twinings’ at 216 Strand. This tiny emporium, squeezed between larger buil

London is really a series of villages which have merged over the years. Enter the great estates, the great custodians of Central London. Each uniquely curates their places with an eye on legacy rather than just profit; places thrive. I find Marylebone uniquely satisfying because it was shaped by the great Portman and Howard de Walden Estates, creating a grid of elegant streets that feels like an intimate village despite being bordered by the rush of Oxford Street. This blog e

Unfortunately buildings are perhaps more famous for what happens in them than their architecture, which can be annoying for an architect! Some building even become synonymous with events think Watergate scandal, however there are more than a few scandals on these streets. This walk moves through the elegant residences of Marylebone and Mayfair into the electric, gritty heart of Soho, tracing the footsteps of the artists who defined global music and a building which actually d

Being an architect, I think that every building tells a story. These stories make a city, and inhabit the buildings as we do. However, in Mayfair, a residential area of London, they are not always easy to spot. This quick walking tour will take you through beautiful garden squares and mysterious mews (and an adequate number of pubs), to uncover the "hidden histories" behind my latest architectural watercolours. 1. The Nameless Terror of 50 Berkeley Square Starting our tour at

The highest ground is now in sight as we clamber towards Holly Walk. Perhaps the most Instagrammable area of the most Instagrammable place. Older winding lanes characterize this area with a mixture of detached homes, each dealing with the steep topography in their own way. The gaps between these buildings are the real draw here. Each gap provides unforgettable views over London and moments of refreshing breeze after a long climb. Exploring Heath Street Heath Street is a steep

As we make a left turn, we begin to climb upwards towards salvation, passing excess and criminality along the way. The Logs: A True Architectural Oddity The Logs is the first peculiarity along the route. It is a remarkable crash of architecture and sculpture. Often described as the "chocolate Gateau" of housing, it has everything and then a bit more! Architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner referred to The Logs as a "formidable atrocity." This eccentric Gothic pile certainly