This architect roams the bandwidth seeking out news, ancient books, cartoons and inspiring photography. But there’s nothing quite like a real-life Jammie Dodger and a nice cup of tea
What’s your favourite site?
Trying to keep abreast of these strange times is a daily habit at the moment so I surf first thing every day. Currently BBC’s Nick Robinson’s ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTVlog on the recession (bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson). Danda.be, a Belgian architectural website, is a great resource. For leisurely pursuits, I go to the photo website gallery.lfi-online.de/gallery to inspire my photography.
What are you currently watching online?
eBay is a drug – I am taking one day at a time!
What was the last book you bought online?
I am drawn like a moth to light to musty old bookshops, always hoping that I will find a valuable first edition. I have used Amazon or abebooks.com as well, though. I look for the strange or unavailable. At the moment, I’m looking for a ludicrously overpriced book called Why Mister, Why? by photojournalist Geert van Kesteren.
What’s your preferred means of communication?
Digitally: Twitter, email and Skype. Physically: around Jammie Dodgers and tea. Our work takes us to strange places so email is the only way to communicate sometimes. However, 60% of my incoming emails are selling Viagra, recession-busting loans or young Russian brides at the moment.
What’s in your digital holster?
I’m waiting for my iPhone to arrive so I can be just like everyone else. I always carry a camera as a digital sketchbook and a BlackBerry (soon to be replaced by the iPhone). I also always lug my MacBook laptop wherever I go – I can’t seem to move without it!
What shall we play?
When we got our first laptops in 1994 we would while away the long travel times by playing a primitive jet fighter simulator bombing undisclosed targets. All done in between bouts of ClarisWorks 2.1 … then we all got far too busy!
Which social networking site do you use, or do you prefer meeting face-to-face?
Definitely face-to-face. I don’t get many evenings free so a great lunch is fantastic.
What’s your most-played music track?
Any track on the Last Shadow Puppets’ album, Ring of Fire and Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash (above, left), I am a Man of Constant Sorrow by the Soggy Bottom Boys from the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? Inolvidable by Bebo & Cigala and other stuff I am too embarrassed to tell you about!
What’s your TV choice?
I’ve been downloading Spiderman episodes from the eighties from Youtube – for my three-year-old son to watch, honestly! I like the idea of BBC iPlayer too.
Postscript
Dominic Papa is a partner at S333 Archictecture + Urbanism
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