Smart tips for smart homes

Matt Nimmons of CEDIA EMEA brings together advice from the industry body’s membership to explain the elements that should be considered when designing a wider home integration project The integration of smart technology is fast becoming the norm for households... View Article

Multi-sensor safety

Andy Speake of Aico discusses how multi-sensor alarm technology is reducing costs as well as increasing safety from false alarms in social housing Aico introduced the first mains powered domestic multi-sensor to the smoke alarm market in 2014 as a... View Article

Taking responsibility

Martin Bidewell of Sika discusses why supply chain accountability must be standardised across the industry for safer roof refurbishment Two years after the Grenfell disaster and 18 months on from the Hackitt Report’s call for greater clarity of guidance and... View Article

Site Lines: Low impact, high materiality

Gavin Maloney of Arup looks at how a house made of expanded cork combines impeccable sustainability credentials with a high degree of tactile beauty Never has public opinion been more interested in how we dispose of the things we produce... View Article

View Point: Katy Barker of Directline Structures

Architect Katy Barker of Directline Structures says that despite the barriers to collaborative working, architects could take a leading role in Design & Build Most people understand the premise of Design & Build procurement – a single organisation undertakes the... View Article

Ask the Architect: Laura Carrara-Cagni

Laura Carrara-Cagni of Edward Williams Architects answers ADF’s questions about the things that drive her, personally and professionally Why did you become an architect? I love travelling and I wanted to become an interpreter, so I actually studied languages first.... View Article

Vive la Republic

Export Building, the latest phase of Republic, a wide-ranging offices development in east London, is a refurbishment that fuses engineered timber and a revitalised public realm with a progressive tenancy initiative to create a new destination in Docklands. Sébastien Reed... View Article

Arriving in style

Istanbul Airport’s terminal is the biggest ever built, but its design manages to still place all passengers’ experience at the forefront, while honouring Turkish architecture. James Parker reports Opened this April, the new terminal building at Istanbul Airport is the... View Article

Grand central viewing station

As part of creating a bespoke structure in the centre of a major New York development to offer unique public space, Heatherwick Studio utilised a revolutionary technique to create a copper finish in steel that wouldn’t degrade over time, as... View Article

Domino effect

An addition to the University of Massachusetts displays a composition of staggered copper and glass elements to create a dramatic entranceway. Jack Wooler spoke to architects BIG about how and why this domino effect was created The Business Innovation Hub... View Article

Zinc’s lasting sustainable appeal

Jonathan Lowy of VMZinc looks at the lasting appeal of zinc as a sustainable solution for the building envelope, as shown on projects from the 19th century to the present day The Parisienne rooftops adorning Hausmann’s famous 19th century buildings... View Article

A strong & secure story

Whether it’s building bridges or delivering homes, there’s plenty of scope for structural steel across the construction sector. Chris Holleron of Hadley Group details the material’s uses, from its invention to its current application in the offsite construction sector The... View Article

Extending design perspectives with aluminium

Richard Besant of Powdertech Corby discusses why powder coating on aluminium presents a convincing alternative for creating a wide variety of architectural features and designs Recent advances in powder technology and application now mean that aluminium and steel can be... View Article

The enduring appeal of metal ceilings

Here Peter Symons of Knauf AMF explores why metal ceilings are seeing a renaissance, encompassing robustness and efficiency as well as aesthetics The mainstream use of metal ceilings originated in the late 19th century when they were more commonly known... View Article

Sustainable and diverse: architectural copper

The last few decades have seen copper and its alloys grow in popularity as modern architectural materials, but the sustainability and performance characteristics of copper should also not be forgotten. Graeme Bell of Aurubis explains more Copper’s unique architectural qualities... View Article

An internal monologue on copper

Copper has seen a dramatic change in use from its historic place roofing prestigious buildings to being a thoroughly modern external skin for contemporary architecture. But its role as an interior surfacing material is also growing, presenting new opportunities and... View Article

Site Lines – Serving student wellbeing needs

Students in the 21st century face a wide range of health and wellbeing challenges as well as technological demands. James Allison of architects Bennetts Associates discusses an example of thoughtful improvement of student wellbeing facilities for Cambridge University In the... View Article

Wall-to-wall thinking

As part of meeting our commitments to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050, Chris Miles of Kingspan Facades looks at the options for specifiers when it comes to holistic approaches to maximising thermal efficiency in facades In June, the... View Article

The highest standard in Camden

Chris Wood of Lomax + Wood tells ADF how Lomax + Wood helped transform a Camden landmark in to a luxury London hotel Lomax + Wood were selected, from the UK’s finest timber window specialists, to design and produce a... View Article