Dezeen Magazine

"People need convincing that wood can be a fire-safe material"

In this week's comments update, Dezeen readers dispute the potential fire hazards of a timber-framed, tree-covered high-rise, which has been proposed for Toronto by architecture firm Penda.

Flammable: the 18-storey Toronto Tree Tower, which would be made from cross-laminated timber, has been criticised by commenters concerned with the safety measures surrounding residential blocks.

"Where is there any mention of fire-proofing? Particularly after the Grenfell Tower fire?" asked Doctor Who.

"People within the profession may remain blasé but many others, including potential clients, may take convincing that wood can be a fire-safe material. Leaving aside the structure itself, what about the trees in this proposal?" said Geofbob.

H-J was perplexed by other readers' concerns. "This project has nothing to do with Grenfell. It's brand new, definitely not social housing and will have multiple ways of escape and sprinklers in accordance with the latest fire and safety regulations. What's this paranoia all of a sudden with people?"

"After what happened in London, no one wants to be barbecued in a building that meets code but is not safe," hit back Doctor Who.

Despite concerns, Manu felt the proposal was a much-needed breath of fresh air:

Would you feel safe in a residential high-rise made from wood? Have your say in the comments section ›


Victorian Remix by Guarnieri Architects

Boxed in: a London home recently overhauled to include a swimming pool and sauna left some readers wondering when the trend of extending townhouses would come to an end.

"Oh, yet ANOTHER London townhouse extension. There can't be that many townhouses left to extend?" wrote an exasperated Concerned Citizen.

But Laura Pivetta was full of praise for a design that allowed natural light into the home. "Great place to live. Bringing the outside in – love it!"

H-J was less of a fan, comparing it to what some may consider a sterile environment: "It's like living in an Apple store."

One reader pointed out a serious oversight by the studio:

Read the comments on this story ›


Bitesize: readers found graduate designer Katrina Steven's cutting board – intended to teach kids about portion size, in a bid to combat rising child-obesity rates – hard to swallow.

Jacob Volanski felt the crisis ran deeper than just kitchenware. "Childhood obesity is not a problem for the children whose parents can afford a designer cutting board. It's a problem of access to quality foods more than it is one of portion control. This project seems out of touch."

"How many obese children are there in the world who can put their condition down to oversized portions of grapefruit?" agreed Nick.

"Unique idea. I think it addresses the serious issue of childhood obesity in an engaging and educational way." wrote Lyndsey, who saw potential in how the product would appeal to its target audience.

This unimpressed commenter did not hold back with their review:

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Public Hotel, New York

X-rated: the complaints from neighbours of New York's Public hotel, regarding its guests' visible bedroom activities, were met with no sympathy by commenters this week.

New Yorker Joe G Cintron was surprised by his metropolitan acquaintances. "This is really funny. I thought in this new century, my cohorts in the Big Apple would be more liberal and accepting of a natural human need. So what?!"

"'Pubic Hotel' would seem a more apt name," smirked the  ether.

For the second week running, TFO was asking the important questions:

Read the comments on this story ›