Features Articles

Ian Rogers of Gilberts Blackpool explains the importance of balancing ventilation with carbon reduction strategies in order to achieve the right air quality for users. Breathing – it’s essential to life not only for humans, but for buildings too. In... View Article

T-T Pumps’ Jon Whittingham discusses the rise in use of package pumping stations as sites using gravity drainage for waste or surface water become rarer – and the key points that architects should consider. When it comes to specifying a... View Article

Uncontrolled value engineering has rightly been criticised for its focus on cost cutting and poor-quality construction outcomes. Adam Sumner of Pura Facades thinks the time is now right to re-assess the potential of VE in the industry as part of... View Article

Darren Hyde of the Automatic Door Suppliers Association discusses how powered pedestrian doors can integrate with modern security systems while ensuring accessibility and regulatory compliance. Devising access control requirements for commercial buildings can be a difficult task. A client may... View Article

Commercial washrooms endure heavy footfall, but as Amanda Mills of Kinedo highlights, bathroom wall panels can provide the necessary durability, maintenance and waterproofing characteristics, along with some glamorous aesthetics. Heavy usage in any hotel, camp site, gym or other sports... View Article

To avoid surface water flooding, holistic urban design include the ‘sponge city’ concept should include sustainable drainage from the very start, explains Chris Hodson, consultant to trade body MPA Precast Paving. In projects across the world, the ‘sponge city’ concept... View Article

Product substitution, otherwise known as ‘breaking spec,’ threatens building performance and raises lifecycle costs. David Grace of K Rend highlights how manufacturers can help protect specifications to ensure design integrity. When a specified product is substituted and changed for one... View Article

Developed by a Midlands housing association, a recent project in Handsworth, Birmingham shows a forward-thinking approach to sustainable housing, anticipating the Future Homes Standard. MPA Masonry explores how combining innovative materials with traditional construction methods can create efficient, low-carbon homes.... View Article

Safe and seamless movement in our built environment ‘hinges’ on accurately specified and installed door hardware, as Russell Marks of Boss Door Controls explains. With millions of doors used every day, it’s important to recognise the details behind effective access... View Article

Neal Herbert of GTC discusses how heat networks are revolutionising heat and hot water delivery in new homes, playing a key role in the UK’s ongoing shift to sustainable, low-carbon developments. The integration of renewable energy into developments is becoming... View Article