On a mission

LISTEN HERE 🔊 A sensitive restoration of a dilapidated but listed ‘Mission Hall’ in west London posed a series of challenges, not least ensuring that external fixtures such as rainwater goods met strict authenticity criteria. Neil Davies Architects report on... View Article

A fresh appreciation

LISTEN HERE 🔊 The pandemic has increased appreciation for fresh air as well as natural light; Tracey Jackson of Howells Patent Glazing explains how rooflights can be the practical answer The pandemic has changed the way owners feel about their... View Article

Conserving authenticity

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Lewis Proudfoot of Cliveden Conservation looks at moisture management in historic buildings, and why he believes lime should be the default material for repairing traditional structures The challenge of maintaining and repairing historic or traditional buildings often... View Article

Practice Profile: White Red Architects

Joe Haire, co-founder and director of White Red Architects tells Roseanne Field how the ambitious practice has built on a foundation of a friendship between two undergraduates to place collaboration at the heart of its work Becoming friends while attending... View Article

MINIMISING THE SPREAD OF HARMFUL BACTERIA

Here, David Saxby, Senior Category Manager at IronmongeryDirect, discusses the antibacterial products and door hardware solutions to help minimise risk for building occupants as part of an overall hygiene strategy.  Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into... View Article

GLASS ATRIUMS – DELIVERING THE LOOK, SAFELY

Glass atriums have become a key aesthetic feature of many modern commercial and office buildings. But how can architects and specifiers achieve this look, while simultaneously ensuring the comfort of occupants and compliance with fire safety regulations? Here, Andy Lake,... View Article

Ask the Architect: Nigel Ostime

Regular ADF contributor, and partner at Hawkins\Brown, Nigel Ostime answers our questions on the role of the architect, and what designers need to learn from other sectors when it comes to efficiency What made you want to become an architect?... View Article

Hidden benefits

Using basements to maximise space without expanding a building’s footprint is increasingly popular, but keeping groundwater out can be difficult, and remediation costly. James Berry of the Property Care Association looks at the options Although hidden away, structural waterproofing can... View Article

Poolside wellness

Steve Nelson of Certikin dives into one of the most crucial aspects of pool design that architects need to get right to make sure the environment is ideal for clients – the plant room If you were planning on purchasing... View Article

Site Lines: A home fit for the future

HLM Architects is raising its profile in the residential sector with a design concept showcased in a major Government design initiative to create ‘age-friendly’ and sustainable housing. Matthew Thomas explains more Last year HLM Architects’ ‘Forever Home’ concept was one... View Article

Taking the long view

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Simon Storer of the Insulation Manufacturers Association (IMA), explains why a fabric-first approach to design, combined with a long-term outlook, is the way forward to improve future building performance and cut emissions Building for the future, with... View Article

New arrivals

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Making an entrance has changed – door materials have developed far beyond traditional options to offer composite alternatives which provide a wide choice of styles as well as practicality. Chantel Roach of Distinction Doors explains all PVCu... View Article

Drawn into nature

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Richard Rogers’ final project is the latest addition to an array of modern architecture at Château La Coste, near Aix-en-Provence. Jack Wooler reports on a gravity-defying cantilevered design that soars over its woodland setting Along a historic... View Article

Georgian contemporary

LISTEN HERE 🔊 A practice’s debut new build scheme is a luxury house that tackled a sloping site and planning objections, with a sensitive blend of Georgian and slick modern architecture in north west London. James Parker reports Sitting among... View Article

Throwing away the toilet taboo

Good architects know only too well the importance of promoting post-occupancy health and wellbeing, particularly in education settings. Purdie Proudman of Geberit explains how it’s now high time that specifiers view school bathrooms as much more than just purely functional... View Article

Colour safe

Ian Gisbourne of Dulux Trade discusses how colour can be employed to help keep students safer in all education settings, in a post-Covid world This past year has been like no other in the education sector. Many students spent long... View Article

Innovative school design isn’t the enemy of fire safety

Keith MacGillivray of the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association looks at the debate around whether automatic fire sprinklers are in conflict with innovative school design What could be more beneficial to the design of a school than the inclusion of... View Article

Learning to live with change

Rob Charlton of Space Architects discusses his practice’s ethos of delivering buildings that improve people’s lives in the context of education, and the changes the sector has undergone recently Having been in practice for almost 30 years, I have spent... View Article

School spec: covered!

Vicky Evans of Twinfix discusses how bespoke canopies and covered areas can create a style to suit each education site and location, giving specifiers the ability to offer schools something unique, but familiar Canopies and covered areas are an attractive... View Article

Ensure you make the right moves on the dance floor

The approach needed when creating a floor for a specialised use is often more ‘bespoke’ than it may seem. Steve Green of Harlequin Floors explains how dance floors differ from standard sports floors, and how correct design is critical for... View Article