Interview with Greg Keeffe

We have an awesome interview with Greg Keeffe. Who gave an illuminating talk at one of our nights. He is a wonderful archictect, thinker, and musician. Here is a link to his website

So what is your favourite Irish folk tune?
The Patriot Game. By the Clancy Brothers. Or on a more modern note Streets of New York by the Wolftones. Both for the same reasons great words brilliant tunes.


Do you think playing music from an early, had anything to do with you turning into an architect?

Yeah definitely. Both are abstract structures experienced linearly but conceived spatially. I think both professions have a lot in common. Particularly in the fact that they occupy the weird space between the worlds of content and Form. You can't talk a building or a tune.

Should we be more involved/passionate about the buildings that are going up around us?

The city is the most complex thing man has designed and at the same time the most contested. I think that buildings are battlefields of desires and that everyone should come and throw things: it's our city, no one elses.

What piece of legislation would immediately make building become more environmentally friendly, and can the public do anything to push this through?

Every buildings roof should be an energy producer. Simple. Enough energy lands on the roofs of Manchester in a month to power the city for the whole year.


Do you go to many gigs?

I try to. I saw Wire last week. They were a bit old. I like small wild gigs paul latham quartet at Matt n phreds is usually good.


What was the worst gig you played at?

I once played in Hebden bridge in 1983 it was our first gig outside of Manchester. There were six people and a dog at it. Oh and when we came out the Hells Angels were waiting for us and battered us!!! Great

You are considered a bit of maverick in the architect world, I imagine. Judging from some of the things at your talk, international ski slope in Nelson proposing to Mcdonalds how they could be sustainable by growing all there food on their roof. Should it not be the other way round that the people who are building houses to the lowest possible environmental denominator should be scorned?

I think my job is to stretch the envelope and show people how it could be. I don't really see myself as a maverick. I just start with the current conditions and be rigorous with what I do. People think they have a lot to lose. I don't think so. We need to manage the change by designing new futures rather than being in denial and have a future thrust upon us.


Do you think government lobbyists should be banned, as they seem unsuprisingly to be heavily leaning towards the rich?

Definitely. I think we need a more conciliatory system. May be one that's more syndicated so more people have more of a say.

How is your sandcastle making, does your architecture skills come in handy?

As a confirmed pacifist it perturbs me that I am too interested in the architecture of defence. I like to use my knowledge of the history of defence to build impenetrable things

Can you reccommend a book nand a piece of music, we should listen to?

I would recommend She is Beyond Good and Evil by the Pop Group as my piece of music. 1978 but it still sounds great.

The book would be Out of Control by Kevin Kelly. 1995. It talks about a new bio informational chaotic future which is onthe money. I wish I could write like Mr Kelly

Do you think it would be helpful if we could all go an a one week course so we could be filled in on the fundamentals of architecture?

Definitely We should have appreciation courses for all the arts (and music). There's so much hidden in the meta language of each art that adds to it.