Transforming science labs at Invicta Grammar School

David Bailey Furniture Systems (DBFS) recently completed a transformative project at Invicta Grammar School in Maidstone, Kent, updating two outdated science laboratories and meeting the school’s goal to create a modern, welcoming environment where students could thrive and engage with one... View Article

Radical Housing in Barcelona wins Most Transformative Building

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has named Modulus Matrix: 85 Social Housing in Cornellà, an 85-unit timber-framed social housing development designed by Peris + Toral Arquitectes, as the winner of the RIBA International Prize 2024. The prestigious bi-annual prize... View Article

More than just hot air

Clarissa Youden from Total Home Environment discusses how super-insulated and airtight building fabrics have seen the use of Passivhaus-certified systems that go ‘beyond’ MVHR to harness the benefits of heat pump ventilation. Imagine the appeal of a new home which... View Article

Follow the curve to innovation

Innovative manufacturing and collaboration are key to architectural success. Mick Beresford of Leviat details some unique, engineered solutions for complex projects. Today’s architects are not content with the conventional and frequently seek to create buildings that will challenge our perceptions... View Article

Revisiting Fire Safety & Project Accountability

The Grenfell tragedy has profoundly reshaped the construction industry’s approach to fire safety, driving scrutiny on building design, materials, and regulatory compliance. Central to these reforms is the enforcement of accountability, including the mandatory roles of Principal Designer and Principal... View Article

The power of colour in design

Victoria Brocklesby of Origin discusses how coloured doors and windows can transform home design, and offers practical advice on using colour to boost kerb appeal, enhance light, and add value. The decisions are endless when designing a home: from floor... View Article

Keller Kitchens extends carbon farming collaboration

Since 2021, DKG (parent company of Keller Kitchens and Bruynzeel) and ZLTO (association of farmers and horticulturists in the Dutch provinces Zeeland, North Brabant and South Gelderland)  have been working together on a five-year pilot project ‘Carbon Farming for CO2-storage in farmland’. DKG joined... View Article

Ask the Architect: Sarah Small

Weymouth native Sarah Small is an associate and Passivhaus designer at Dorchester practice SPASE Design – here she answers ADF’s questions on what drives her, from early concepts to current schemes What made you want to be an architect? From... View Article

Hive mind

Architects SPPARC encouraged a family business hesitant to the perceived limitations of heritage restorations to rescue a Grade II-listed Fitzrovia townhouse and create an elegant office. James Parker reports. London architecture studio SPPARC built on its existing relationship with an... View Article

Evidencing competency: Who is the judge?

Nigel Ostime, architect and principal at Ostime Consulting, questions the effectiveness of the new competency requirements for Principal Designers under the Building Safety Act, asking whether the varied systems plus no unified vetting will ensure safety. One of the glaring... View Article

Designs revealed for Bilaj Al Jazayer Beach masterplan in Bahrain

Foster + Partners’ Bilaj Al Jazayer Beach masterplan will create a dynamic new destination on Bahrain’s southwest coast. Spanning 3.5 kilometres of beachfront, the walkable mixed-use district provides new homes, hotels and retail, alongside public green spaces and state-of-the-art amenities.... View Article

Haddonstone stands proud with impressive portico portfolios

Derived from the Greek word ‘Pronaos’, and translating as “before a temple”, portico has passed into modern parlance as the upmarket name for a porch sheltering the entrance to a building. It also encompasses those that are extended as a colonnade,... View Article