A breath of fresh air

Eliot Warrington of Solarcrest explains how airtightness will affect any building, whether clients want to build a certified Passivhaus or just meet Building Regulations UK Building Regulations are really promoting airtightness and it’s now mandatory to pressure test every new... View Article

Designed to please the eye as well as the ears

Architects are under increasing pressure to ensure the comfort of building occupants – particularly regarding acoustics. Will Jones of Ecophon discusses how acoustic solutions can be included within the design of the building without sacrificing the aesthetic From sales of... View Article

High rise not high risk!

Danny Birrel of Kawneer advises on how to design curtain wall facades to accommodate building movement Land-pressed developers are increasingly turning to high-rise buildings to deliver best footprint value but the interaction between the facade of a building, particularly a tall... View Article

An academic approach to comfort

Adrian Pargeter of Kingspan Insulation looks at the new guidance underpinning an increased focus on wellness in education environments, and the overall impact that thermal comfort has on students’ learning Keeping students focused on the task in hand is a... View Article

Higher student expectations, driving better design responses

David Strong of consultancy Curtins discusses how education institutions are responding to increased student expectations, and the current trends which are driving the design of education facilities It’s no secret that to be popular with students and therefore be considered... View Article

View Point – Michael Barker of Stephen George + Partners

Michael Barker of Stephen George + Partners discusses why architects need to have a better understanding of the requirements of developers, contractors and tenants As architects, Stephen George + Partners has decades of experience designing offices – sometimes we do... View Article

An education in MMC

Imran Kassim from architecture and building consultancy practice AHR discusses the opportunities ‘modern methods of construction’ offer the education sector in meeting its tough building targets, and the architect’s role in delivering successful projects Demand for high-quality new schools and... View Article

Ask the Architect – gpad London

Claudia Iannantuoni from fast-growing commercial and residential practice gpad answers ADF’s questions on what makes her tick Why did you become an architect? I come from Brianza, northern Italy, an area with many interior design and furnishing workshops. My uncle... View Article

Future Watch – Back to the future

Professor Steve Goodhew of the University of Plymouth reports on the CobBauge project, which is seeking to bring a traditional sustainable building material up to date and into line with thermal Building Regulations Building using earth in its unfired form... View Article

View Point – James Potter, WG+P Architects

James Potter from WG+P Architects takes a look at how the process of identifying your practice’s USP as part of marketing can reveal some interesting truths I’ll start with a plug for some excellent IT consultants, called DP-IT. They have... View Article

Wellness at heart

Racheal Cadey of Edge Architecture + Design explains how The Crown Estate’s new head office in London became the first WELL Platinum certified workplace in Europe, by putting wellness principles at the heart of the design There is a growing... View Article

Warming to lower cost refurbishment

With new energy efficiency standards now in force, some properties needing upgrading could incur significant refurbishment costs. New insulation technologies could help ease the pain, says Hudson Lambert of Safeguard Europe On 1 April 2018, the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards... View Article

Commercial benefits

Catherine Helliker of Danfloor UK explains the many factors that specifiers must consider when selecting a high-performance commercial carpet The floors of any building, whether commercial or residential, will be the surface that has most impact from footfall as well... View Article

Take command of septic tanks

By January 2020, septic tank installations must be upgraded in line with new regulations. Here, Ann Boardman of Saniflo UK offers some tips to specifiers on how to prepare for the changes Septic tanks are found all over the UK,... View Article

Remaining a sustainable ally

Richard Hall of Reynaers UK explains how glass and glazing systems made from aluminium are helping a variety of specifiers improve sustainability and performance Sustainability is a ‘top-of-mind’ concern nowadays; it permeates all levels of society, from a micro perspective... View Article

Blocks of colour

aLL Design took on a residential project in Docklands to not only add colour, character and sustainability for a mix of residents, but also to solve a spatial efficiency puzzle for the client, as James Parker discovers The practice founded... View Article

The gentle art of conservation

A historic Hong Kong police compound and prison have been restored and developed into a new centre for heritage and arts, in the largest heritage project the area has seen. Gary Sparrow from Purcell explains to Jack Wooler how the... View Article

Discover solutions to all of the challenges

The RCI (Roofing, Cladding and Insulation) Show returns to the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 27-28 March, bringing together the latest trends, technologies and industry issues The RCI Show is the largest UK event bringing together the entire roofing, cladding and insulation... View Article

Take a fresh look at stone and hard surfaces

As a cladding material, architectural detail, hard landscaping, interior, or even roofing material, stone has it all. Architects will be able to see for themselves at the Natural Stone Show, which is taking place in London’s ExCeL from 30 April... View Article

Blog: AI and VR in House Building

Technology is advancing at break-neck speed but so far, the construction industry has stayed relatively impervious to it. This is often put down to the very slim margins that developers work to which makes the investment in new technology seem... View Article