Concrete Lump

I try not to be negative, it’s not conducive to wellbeing and besides, I just don’t like it.

Brutilism

On this occasion, I will make an exception and one of the reasons is because I think I may have been hoodwinked by a bunch of amazing words by the presenter of this T.V. show. Brutalism, what sort of word is that? It reminds me of my secondary school days, that was full of brutalism! When Wally Megson threw his 18 stone body on your unsuspecting back in the playground so you hit the concrete floor like a sack of potatoes, that is brutalism. Being tackled on the football pitch by an opponent who only wants to break your legs, that’s brutalism.

Concrete Lump

A concrete lump in the middle of a field with a window and door isn’t brutalism, it’s an ugly, hard mess. Before I get to carried away, I was watching a T.V. show called Grand Designs, which follows a couple that wants to build their dream home from scratch and usually, the program lives up to its name. However, on this occasion, it was nothing short of fly-tipping. A huge pile of concrete dumped on a piece of land. I’m hoping the couple who built this thing is not reading this, but, I make no apologies, it was awful.

Inside

Even the inside was drab, cold and nothing but concrete. It reminded me of those pedestrian subways you used to see in cities, but at least some of those were partly tiled and even brightened by some colour by the local graffiti artists. I’m sure there’ll be some who tell me to be quiet and mind my own business, which is fair comment. What irritates me though is how this place has been described, using sentences like “..the construction involves cutting-edge concrete technologies” or “…architectural brutalism at its very best!”

Back To Nature

Look at nature and animals in particular. Birds build nests from twigs and mud while Badgers and Moles dig themselves a hole in the earth. No concrete here, just natural materials. It’s quite an achievement to build a home to spend the rest of your life in, hopefully with the one you love. Why oh why use great huge chunks of concrete when there are so many other great materials of choice? Why not just purchase an old power generating sub-station and move in? At least they’re usually hidden away behind some flora and fauna.

Stop Moaning

Ok, I will stop moaning now, and wish the concrete terrorists all the very best with their new abode. I’m sure they’ll be very happy in it, but I’m not so sure about their neighbours. I realise that if we were all the same, life would be pretty boring and it’s good to see something different. But a concrete lump with a door and window is, dare I say it, brutal. I shall leave it at that.

There is a Grand Designs Magazine here:

Photographs Copyright of Grand Designs.