Ask the Architect: Festus Moffat

Festus Moffat, director at John Robertson Architects (JRA), answers ADF’s questions on his motivations, and his practice’s future plans What made you want to become an architect? Growing up, I was always interested in drawing, and in art, and I... View Article

EAVES DRAINAGE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Here Kevin Wallis, Category Manager for Eaves Solutions at Marley Alutec highlights the factors that need to be considered when designing an effective eaves drainage system, including rainfall intensity, effective roof area (ERA) and gutter flow capacity. Along with increasingly... View Article

Specifying contract fabrics for care homes

Catherine Seville-Clare, Group Customer Relationship Manager at Panaz, one of Europe’s leading suppliers of contract fabrics, discusses the key factors architects should consider when specifying fabrics for care home applications. When selecting contract fabrics for care home applications, there are... View Article

Fit for the job, or forget

Steve D’Arcy of Visqueen examines how revised guidance around waterproofing make it vital to appoint a ‘fit for the job’ specialist as part of the design team – a crucial factor for avoiding pitfalls down the line Since BS 8102... View Article

Lifting the lid on water control

Carole Armstrong from Delabie provides some practical options for water controls in commercial washrooms, and looks at the specification challenges For building users, a visit to the washroom comprises three simple steps: use toilet, wash, hands, dry hands. As a... View Article

View Point: Michael Riebel of Hawkins\Brown

Architect and researcher at Hawkins\Brown, Michael Riebel describes a study that found how, compared with other commercial uses, creative workspace can be a vital ‘good neighbour’ that adds quantifiable value to residential schemes Like most large cities with high property... View Article

What do architects need to know about compartmentation?

For architects, an essential component of designing safe buildings is understanding the key principles of structural fire protection. In particular, the concept of compartmentation is key to the relationship between fire safety and building design. In this article, we’ll explore... View Article

An eye for detail

Jon Ducker from Kingspan Insulation explains the nuts and bolts of the Part L update – and why designers now need to pay even closer attention to the details In June, England introduced its first update to the energy efficiency... View Article

Practice Profile: Michael Kendrick Architects

Michael Kendrick explains how he navigated Covid to found a practice with what would be an award-winning approach to designing high-quality, sustainable homes Michael Kendrick has a background working in relatively large design firms such as Glenn Howells Architects and... View Article

Sustainability strengths

Nobody doubts the strength of steel as a construction material, but its qualities in the field of sustainability may be less immediately obvious, says Russell Ager from Crittall Windows It’s steel’s strength that makes the key contribution to steel’s credentials... View Article

The challenge of natural ventilation in urban areas

John McComb from Reynaers Aluminium examines the challenges of naturally ventilating properties in high density urban areas, and how a collaboration on a new window design could offer a viable solution The population of cities globally is continuing to grow,... View Article

Taking in the island scenery

Architect Jane Burnside took on an unusually wide range of project roles to create her tranquil, contemporary home and workplace on the Isle of Mull, inspired by origami. Nik Hunter reports Introducing a contemporary building into a traditional landscape such... View Article

The devil is in the detail

Richard Richardson-Derry of GEZE UK looks at how a properly fitted fire door with the appropriate components can give occupants vital time to escape in the event of a fire Despite what most people believe, toxic smoke is the cause... View Article

Water neutrality can’t be an afterthought

Adam Dean from SDS raises the challenging question of reducing our water footprint and dives into the concept of water neutrality Are you familiar with the concept of water neutrality? The chances are, like most people, the term ‘carbon neutral’... View Article

Moisture management

Unmanaged excess subfloor moisture is the leading cause of floor failure and frequently results in delays to projects, major inconvenience and expense when remedial work is required. Stephen Boulton at F. Ball and Co provides crucial advice to guard against... View Article

Getting into the groove of decking

From designing an outdoor play or dining area to a nature reserve or urban development, carefully planned landscaping – including decking – has a role to play. Laura Qualters from Marley discusses Decking continues to be a popular way of... View Article

Bridge the thermal gap

Improving the thermal performance of building envelopes has become increasingly  important, and designers need to be aware of how significantly thermal bridges can compromise the value of insulation, says Simon Hill of Schöck A thermal bridge is a localised area of... View Article