Comments update: a crowdfunding campaign for "modular parasitic sleeping pods" for homeless people generated the most debate this week. Read on for more on this and explore our comments page to keep up to date with the latest discussions.
Gimme shelter: architectural designer James Furzer's Homes for the Homeless proposed a structure that could hang off the side of existing buildings in London, but not everyone was convinced the design could make a difference.
"How would you regulate to stop city workers nabbing them for cheap rent – especially in Mayfair, Buckingham Palace, Dolphin Square, Downing Street, and Whitehall – and doing that thing of changing costumes in the locker rooms?" asked Roughsleeper.
"It tackles the symptom rather than the problem, and would appear to promote isolationism and marginalisation," said Ralph Kent ."In this regard, it could be said to be a highly architectural project."
"There is a consistent and constant need for architects and designers to pretend to engage and help the homeless by providing a home," added Eynak East. "This is shortsighted and arrogant, enabling little more than a warm fuzzy feeling for us thinking we're doing something positive. We're not."
"Perhaps we could give the homeless actual homes to live in," suggested Brendan. "It's been tried before, and apparently, it works." Read the comments on this story »
Pie in the sky? a proposal for a London "sky pool" suspended between two apartment blocks 10 storeys above the ground raised questions about feasibility.
"Not going to happen. At least not the way it's pictured," said Kevin Carney. "That's 316 tons of water they are talking about; over the tops of people walking/driving underneath. No chance."
"If successfully built, this would be a huge breakthrough in structural glass engineering," added a more optimistic bnh_b.
Other readers were concerned that the pool would only be accessible to those able to afford the price of the apartments, suggesting the design was a symptom of growing inequality.
"There are some rich folk around who like to build extravagant things with their dosh, get over it," said ill-liberal. Read the comments on this story »
Stacked: a concept for two skyscrapers designed to replace slum developments using stacks of shipping containers angered readers.
"Please stop building 3D-rendered models of shipping containers doing things that shipping containers cannot do," said SteveLeo.
Some were more concerned with the assumptions made about slum housing.
"A slum is a place where people have built their own house," added Slumdog. "There is nobody on earth who wants his own house to be demolished."
"This should have been scrapped after five minutes," agreed Kevin McGrath. "It doesn't work on so many levels, not even a bad joke." Read the comments on this story »
House v home: this Japanese house by Fuse Atelier divided readers. Many loved the exterior, but weren't convinced the house would make a comfortable home.
"This house is all movement, mainly stair," said one guest commenter. "Houses need spaces that elicit calm, along with a feeling of safe haven."
Derek was among the design's defenders: "From the outside, you'd think it was a prison inside but there is actually lots of light and open space to the sky."
"It looks like something a Kazakhstani oligarch would give to his pet tiger for its 16th birthday. I love it," concluded regular commenter Colonel Pancake. Read the comments on this story »