Guide to Fire Safety Regulations

Many people perceive fire to be a rare incident, thus the general slack attitude to safety regulations.  However, fire accidents cause thousands of companies to suffer immense devastation each year. In England alone, the Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) attended... View Article

Site Lines: Affordable homes-on-sea

Lee Davies of architects Conran and Partners explores how an East Sussex council’s initiative produced an exemplar partnership which employs an innovative design solution to tackle the local housing crisis Last year marked 100 years since the introduction of the... View Article

Property – what buyers are looking for in 2021

It’s no surprise that our relationship with our homes has changed over the last year. In 2020, many of us were at home more than we have ever been. The property market has changed too. With the stamp duty holiday... View Article

Overview of construction in the UK throughout 2020

This year, construction companies across the United Kingdom have experienced unanticipated growth. Although this industry is usually steadfast, the rates of growth have fluctuated greatly throughout the year. At the beginning of the pandemic, many companies halted projects because of... View Article

View Point: Assael Architecture

LISTEN HERE 🔊 With plans to house the UK’s growing elderly population in new town centre developments recently making the news, Assael Architecture explains why it’s the right solution, giving a key recent example You would be forgiven for thinking... View Article

How to Protect OSB from Rain

If you need to utilise Oriented Strand Board (OSB) to sheathe your shed’s walls, then you would need to construct those walls like the walls of a house. This means you would need to use a moisture-resistant barrier over the... View Article

Steel windows’ split personality

Darren Lloyd of the Steel Window Association looks ahead at how the separate properties inherent to steel windows help them take key new roles beyond the pandemic The terms ‘heritage,’ ‘high performance’ or even ‘futuristic’ are all applicable to the... View Article

Ask The Architect: Aqua Architecture

Alia Beyg of Aqua Architecture answers ADF’s questions on running a ‘niche’ practice, and what the future might hold for her firm Why did you become an Architect? From a young age I loved to draw, and I became fascinated... View Article

An introduction to standing seam roofing design

Standing seam roofs are a popular choice with architects and specifiers looking for a design that really stands out. Simon Walker of SIG Zinc & Copper discusses what architects and specifiers should consider when designing standing seam roofing Traditional standing... View Article

Practice Profile: HLM Architects

James Parker speaks to HLM’s chairman Richard O’Neil to find out how 2020’s Architectural Practice of the Year has maintained a keen focus on ‘social architecture’ over nearly six decades, while continuing to broaden its horizons HLM is a longstanding... View Article

Four ways to reinvigorate your home in 2021

We’ve all spent the last several months spending a lot more time at home than we’re used to. During that time, if you’re anything like us, you will have been making a mental check-list of all the parts of your... View Article

Using daylight to create a brighter future

By Russell Ager, Managing Director of Crittall Windows As winter approaches and the days shorten many people – office workers, students, home owners – look back on the long days of summer with a sense of regret. Daylight flooding into... View Article

Building the net-zero generation

Imran Kassim from AHR Architects says that in creating a new generation of net-zero carbon schools, designers would benefit from a Passivhaus-style rule book Delivering effective solutions to address climate change has always proved to be one of the pre-eminent... View Article

Supporting student welfare

How can student accommodation create spaces that help promote wellbeing, combat isolation and prioritise community? Neil Smith from Scape gives some answers A student’s experience can be substantially impacted by their choice in accommodation while at university. Whether students decide... View Article

Why do you need a construction Lawyer?

Construction lawyers take a wide range of legal cases related to building construction. They deal with the intersection of worker’s compensation, commercial law, employment law, contract law and civil planning commissions. But why do you need a construction lawyer? Let’s... View Article

Exploring current thinking in offsite construction

Offsite construction is hailed as the answer to the construction industry’s most pressing problems, including speed of delivery, the ‘performance gap’ in quality, and an increasing skills shortage. With the Government having set a goal of 300,000 new homes per... View Article

View Point: Richard Hyams

LISTEN HERE 🔊 With a growing focus on achieving a green economic recovery from the pandemic, sustainability-focused technologies present a major opportunity to reduce waste while driving cost savings for designers and occupiers, says Richard Hyams Architects are increasingly drawing... View Article

Design in a time of Covid

LISTEN HERE 🔊 The Covid-19 pandemic has posed major challenges to architects to modify their working methods in order to sustain business. Tom Boddy reports on how they have adjusted to a ‘new normal’ After the stringent lockdown restrictions were... View Article

Site Lines: Combining cultures

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Velimira Drummer of Stantec UK looks at how to mesh corporate identity with a tailored workplace culture when designing spaces for an international client, particularly in the current crisis As an interior architect, my role is not... View Article