I love brutalism. Working in a brand agency where we spend a lot of time discussing concepts of beauty and visual impact, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I’m a fan of what, to me, is eerie beauty.

So in Skopje and Belgrade this month I got a good brutalism fix. After a catastrophic earthquake in 1963, Japanese architect Kenzo Tange won a competition to lead the design of the redevelopment, and Skopje was rebuilt as a brutalist heaven! Check out what would otherwise be a very ordinary Central Post Office in the picture.

Skopje is a weird and wonderful hybrid of brutal heritage and a Vegas-style cheese-fest. I loved it.

In Belgrade it rained non-stop but my love of hard-edged, dilapidated and abandoned architecture meant I was in my element - a fascination tinged with sadness. Belgrade is full of Communist architecture, but here, sadly, the brutalism lies unfinished and in ruins. 

Eastern Europe is steeped in history that is both harsh and humbling. I’m drawn to unfinished and abandoned buildings - the incomplete buildings have a thousand stories to tell. 

The rain carried on falling, and devastatingly, it turned into the worst rainfall the Balkans have seen since measurements began 120 years ago. A state emergency was declared and since May over a million people have been badly affected with many lives lost. 

It's not much in the news, but the relief effort is underway and the Red Cross are there on the ground with people facing very hard times yet again. Please donate if you can:

http://www.redcross.org.uk/Donate-Now/Make-a-single-donation/Balkan-Floods-Appeal