Renewable Lighting !?

[Adam Aglionby]

Apologies in advance

The phrase "renewable lighting" was used by a UK Green Party local councillor, its the first time have come across the phrase and believe he has probably got confused with "renewable energy".

His confusion might be expected as he previously referred to my interest in the lighting load power consumption of public buildings as being "virtually irrelevant issues"

This follows my Scottish Green Party M.S.P. being unable to answer any questions about lighting load placed on the grid by the 450,000,000 GBP 5 year old building he now occupies, questions prompted by a newspaper article briefly mentioning that parts of the lighting system were to be `updated` because `energy efficient lighting ` was unavailable at the time of construction.

Appreciate that lighting is rarely at the the top of anyones agenda but is the lighting industry completely invisible , are we failing to ensure the message gets through or is lighting considered "virtually irrelevant" even by those involved in design, construction and use of public buildings?

Adam

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Adam Aglionby saying something like:

From afar, I was aghast at the cost of that ugly monstrosity. I still am, and I dislike it more every time I see it.

[BigWallop]

I thought we were getting a proper parliament building. You know, with a structure which complimented the architecture of the rest of our capital city. We ended up with a very expensive Spanish Villa, which spreads across more than two acres of the most beautiful parkland you could walk through. Right beside the one of the most gorgeous palaces built in Scotland.

And you're worrying about how they light it up? I'm wondering how I can Blow It Up. :-)

[Tony Bryer]

Which means that like Centre Point or the National Theatre - reviled in their early days - it will probably end up being Listed!

[David Hansen]

On Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:01:53 -0800 (PST) someone who may be Adam Aglionby wrote this:-

If quoting figures to the nearest pound it is worth getting them right. 414,400,000 is the best figure I could find quickly

The reports linked from that page may contain a more accurate figure.

It is still a carbuncle, built in the wrong place due to the typical instincts of the Labour Party.

[The Natural Philosopher]

So that we can remember it forever, like we do the Holocaust?

[The Natural Philosopher]

yes..what irks me is less teh style of this modern stuff, than the style mismatch..with what is there already.

[David Hansen]

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:19:21 +0000 someone who may be The Natural Philosopher wrote this:-

While I don't particularly like pastiches, the Scottish Parliament is certainly an unacceptable mismatch with what is there already. It is a matter of the precise location, I don't object to the nearby Dynamic Earth, as that is set slightly apart from the surroundings. In another location there would be a few merits to Donald Dewar's folly as a building.

However, there was a perfectly usable Scottish Parliament sitting empty on Regent Road, located in an ideal spot, easy to get to and with potential extra offices at the old Post Office. It didn't have a desk and chair for every criminal, but these are unnecessary as they are rarely all there at the same time. On the rare occasions when they are all there, some can stand if they can't find a seat. Hot-desking is something party politicians should not consider themselves above. The Labour Party stated that they were against this as Regent Road had significance for the nationalists and, I suspect, they wanted to spend lots of my money to boost Labour Party egos. Instead of a cheap refurbishment the Labour Party splurged my money on a new building in the wrong place. They have ended up constructing a national disgrace and are now hoping people will forget the story behind the construction of the carbuncle.

[Owain]

- which is still empty. But I don't think the old High School would have been anywhere near big enough.

Even more straightforward would have been to make the 'temporary' Parliament permanent and give the Church a new building. The old High School, for example ...

Owain

[David Hansen]

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:50:12 +0000 someone who may be Owain wrote this:-

In what way do you think this is the case?

Interesting idea.

[Owain]

I can't find the size of the whole old High School site, but the Parly is 1.6 ha (4 acres) with a total floor area of 31,000 square metres (312,000 sq ft) [wikipedia].

The small site and difficulty in reusing the existing historic buildings was discussed - see

[David Hansen]

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:57:20 +0000 someone who may be Owain wrote this:-

Party hacks and officials, like any other junk, tend to expand to fill the available space.

existing there would have been compromises using the place. However, nothing in that link provides a convincing reason why the site was excluded in favour of the folly.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember David Hansen saying something like:

Dead simple - they had the scent of money in their nostrils and there's no holdin' them critturs back when they smell that.