I must admit I smiled while taking this picture in Clerkenwell last week (Yes, that is a concrete column in the middle of a public alleyway).

My immediate reaction was one of horror … Oh no, another engineer has failed to think outside the box. But then it got me thinking, perhaps the engineer was making a stand against the sometimes unreasonable demands of modern architecture? Or maybe the engineer was being mischievous and creating their own mark on the public realm?

While what we see could be classed as lean design I like to think that those involved in the project won’t forget column GF1-2E/F (Was there a grid?).