More bang for your buck

Providing the authentic Asian streetfood dining experience, a new food hall in north London was also an intriguing dish for the architects to try, as Roseanne Field reports Opening a new restaurant in London is never an easy task, particularly... View Article

An introduction to specifying self-cleaning glass

Phil Brown of Pilkington UK offers a guide to the benefits of self-cleaning glass, and the science behind the product: Glass is the one of the ‘go-to’ materials used to create modern commercial and residential developments. Its ubiquity is a... View Article

Eliminating the margin for error

Cath McLean from Promat UK explains the benefits of a whole-system approach for effective fire-resistant glazing Uncertainty and confusion still prevail in the market around the design and installation of passive fire protection measures, particularly fire- resistant glass and the... View Article

Going below decks

Stefan Holmes of Millboard explains why plastic is fantastic when it comes to creating effective sub-frames for decking The selection of materials for creating a deck is not just a choice between timber and composite surface materials: there is also... View Article

Sourcing done right

Jane Buxey from the stone industry’s trade body speaks to Hutton Stone’s Marcus Paine about what the sector’s focus on ethical sourcing means in practice. Stone Federation Great Britain is the official trade association for the natural stone industry, which... View Article
Will brick facades slip up?

Will brick facades slip up?

Arup’s Alexis Harrison says that while the bricks sector has responded to increased demand from architects seeking to use the material in highly crafted exteriors, they still have questions about the long-term performance of brick slips. When I joined the... View Article

Better ventilated homes mean a healthier future

Paul Croughan of EnviroVent looks at how the new build sector is meeting ventilation requirements and improving the air quality in new home construction Requirements for increased levels of air tightness and energy efficiency mean that around 25 per cent... View Article

The obstacles to getting fire safety right, post-Grenfell

James Butler of Pura Facades expresses his concern that despite the best intentions of the final Hackitt report following the Grenfell disaster, the fragmented nature of the industry could mean there are fire safety challenges ahead. The long-awaited final report... View Article

Practice Profile: Niven Architects

A small practice with big ideas, Niven Architects is harnessing cutting-edge working approaches such as agile and lean alongside BIM, making it a force to be reckoned with in the north east. Sébastien Reed reports Niven Architects is a collective... View Article

Future Watch – Embracing density

James Parker looks at how the new London Plan could transform the capital, as it puts high-density housing high on the agenda. London’s planning decisions, is still in draft form. When finally published next year it could have big repercussions... View Article

Editor’s Comment – March

In this issue of ADF we focus on the issue of the moment – housing. It is the biggest political football imaginable, with the conflicting demands of 300,000 homes per year to solve the housing crisis, versus developers’ and NIMBYs’... View Article
Brick: Meeting aspirations – Andy Batterham of Ibstock

Meeting brick aspirations

Andy Batterham of Ibstock looks at the ongoing renaissance in brick, and how providing for increasing demand for colours, as well as the trend for grey brick, is helping architects and specifiers reinvigorate this traditional building material. It is fair... View Article

Cladding: is our response to tragedy adequate?

FunderMax’s Paul Hughes questions whether the UK is doing enough to prevent further disasters following the Grenfell fire, and suggests where improvements should be made. In the early hours of 14 June 2017 Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey social housing tower... View Article

Practice Profile – Cove Burgess

James Parker spoke to architect Tim Burgess, one of the founders of a young practice which has quickly evolved from a two-man set up to a firm making its name in London and beyond. CoveBurgess Architects has been in existence... View Article

Editor’s comment – February

Comment by James Parker, editor of Materials for Architecture, February. Now that spring is finally rearing its head, the events season is upon us. If you are attending ecobuild which is fast-approaching at the start of March, you may well... View Article
Nigel Ostime

View Point – Nigel Ostime from Hawkins\Brown

Nigel Ostime, project delivery director at architects Hawkins\Brown, offers some thoughts on how to counter the ills of Design & Build using current procurement. There has been much in the media recently about the poor quality achieved through Design &... View Article