Jane Embury looks at the terrorist threat. “May you live in interesting times,” is widely regarded as an ancient Chinese curse. But it is neither ancient nor Chinese. It originated in the USA, being first used in the 1930s and popularised by Robert Kennedy in 1966. However, there’s no doubt that we do live in […]
compartmentation
The dynamics of fire
Jane Embury looks at what fire is and why it must be contained The International Association of Fire and Rescue Services (CTIF) collects fire data from countries and cities worldwide. CTIF says that over 100,000 people are killed by fire every year. That makes it among the most common causes of death for children and […]
The architecture of change
Jane Embury looks at building sustainability There was an interesting recent article in Building Magazine. It was written by Sadie Morgan, a co-founding director of dRMM, and chair of the Quality of Life Foundation. She made the point that 2021 has been a year of transition, ushering us from the global shock of the pandemic into […]
A bit of Potter table magic
Jane Embury finds literary magic in an Edinburgh fire When fire breaks out, it must be contained. People can evacuate safely and damage can be minimised. The danger of an uncontained fire was highlighted by a blaze in Edinburgh last month. It spread from one café to an adjoining café. However, amid all the damage, […]
Hospital fires
Jane Embury looks at mitigating fire risk in hospitals Last month, fire engulfed a makeshift hospital for Covid-19 patients in North Macedonia. At least 14 people were killed in the western city of Tetovo. While fatal fires in hospitals are thankfully rare, they do happen. For example, a recent hospital fire in Miryang, South Korea […]
