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

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?

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

RIBA responds to the Government’s Spring Statement

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) responds to the Spring Statement in which the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, gave an update on the UK economy. Speaking today, RIBA President Ben Derbyshire said: “We welcome positive news on the British economy, but to... 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

developers’ and NIMBYs’ parallel aims to only build when and where viable. However Theresa May, no doubt I n this issue of ADF we focus on the issue of the moment – housing. It is the biggest political football imaginable,... View Article

Site Lines: Designing envelopes for Passivhaus townhouses

Architect Gavin Finnan describes the design of Passivhaus townhouses in a south London regeneration project, focusing on how their external envelope was fundamental to performance. South Gardens is the first phase of Elephant Park, a major regeneration project that sits... View Article

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

Editor’s comment – 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 be hoping for a newly-invigorated set of debates and exhibitors... View Article

Workspace at your service

Offering flexibility for tenants, serviced offices are instrumental in supporting the success and growth of businesses, argues Simon Eastlake of Office Space in Town. Agrowing demand for modern, flexible office space with ‘future-facing’ tech capability is prompting small and established... View Article

Retail parks need to shape up

Fighting a losing battle with the internet to attract shoppers, the design of retail parks must evolve to offer consumers a compelling case to visit. Gary Johnson and Paul Starbuck from retail, sport and leisure specialist architects LK2 describe why... View Article

Future Watch – Incubating a zero-carbon idea

An ambitious technology-driven project is underway which sees architects collaborating with the materials sector to find a ‘transparent’ answer to the housing supply dilemma. Sébastien Reed reports The Carbon-Free Group (CFG) was founded in 2007 as a critical response to... View Article

CIAT supports interim Building a Safer Future report

CIAT welcomes and supports the interim report of Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety and looks forward to contributing to the next phase. In response to the interim findings, Alex Naraian PCIAT, President of CIAT, said ‘At... View Article