Winds of change for testing

Lisa Stephens of ROCKWOOL UK gives an update on the latest developments in wind load testing to equip buildings for the more extreme winter storms we are seeing. Across the globe, extreme weather conditions are becoming more common, with heavy... View Article

Smart data for safer buildings

Naveed Mohammed of Inspectas Compliance looks at the critical need to make sure safety information flows from to property owners in projects, and says it’s nothing new. Having a competent, transparent and communicative project team has never been more necessary.... View Article

Safety on the dance floor

Steve Green of Harlequin Floors explores the critical role dance floors play in dancers’ safety and performance, highlighting the research behind creating optimal environments for longevity that support users. Professional dancers can spend hours working in a dance studio, it... View Article

Discovery mission

The Discovery Centre in Cambridge marks a new era for AstraZeneca, a remarkable research facility and headquarters by Herzog & de Meuron that combines boundary-pushing design and sustainability with collaboration. Roseanne Field reports. In the heart of the Cambridge Biomedical... View Article

Modular’s diverse benefits

Modular construction is redefining efficiency and quality in a range of sectors. Kasia Nowak of Wernick Buildings explains how it can produce sustainable and future-proof, as well as cost-effective buildings. Clients in the education, healthcare, and commercial sectors planning to... View Article

Unlocking SuDS benefits

With plans for 1.5 million new homes requiring swathes of land across the country including flood plains, Richard Eddy of Polypipe Building Products discusses how SuDS could be the key for architects, as the sector enters unchartered territory. Ambitious targets... View Article

The design evolution of shower toilets

Shower toilet technology is evolving – helping reshape bathroom design, as architects embrace these multifunctional solutions. Sophie Weston of Geberit shows how they blend luxury with space efficiency and sustainability in a variety of settings. Achieving the balance between space... View Article

Kitchen colour philosophy

The careful use of colours in the kitchen shapes aesthetics, functionality, and the behaviour of users for the better. Tim Spann of Keller Kitchens explains how architects can harness colours to create spaces that inspire, energise, or calm. In the... View Article

Emberton House, Olympia: From cars to culture

Trevor Morriss, principal at SPPARC discusses how the practice embraced the challenge to convert a historic multi-storey car park at London’s Olympia in the Streamline Moderne style into a hotel and school, as part of the site’s cultural redevelopment. “Adjoining... View Article

Harness the power of EPDs for sustainable specs

Dan Redfern of Marley explains why Environmental Product Declarations are an essential resource for architects seeking to specify sustainable materials. With the built environment accounting for 25% of the UK’s carbon emissions, architects play a vital role in decarbonising buildings.... View Article

Practice Profile: ECD Architects

Founded in 1980 as Energy Conscious Design, the subsequently abbreviated ECD Architects merged energy research with architectural practice. It later joined multi-disciplinary construction ‘one stop shop’ N-able Group in 2007, which was in turn recently acquired by the RSK Group... View Article

It’s all happening at UK Construction Week London

UK Construction Week (UKCW), the UK’s No.1 construction destination, is gearing up for its milestone 10th anniversary edition from 07-09 May at Excel London – set to be its biggest and most expansive event yet. For the first time, UKCW... View Article

Pixelated vision

Architect MVRDV’s new collection of mixed use buildings in Abu Dhabi makes a break from the city’s architectural norm by breaking down facades into ‘pixelated’ forms. In the ever-expanding skyline of Abu Dhabi, where luxury towers often dominate the architectural... View Article

Focussing on breathing

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

The pressure is on

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

VE may still have its day

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

Illuminate sustainability

Incorporating natural daylight for sustainable design Natalie Goodridge of LAMILUX UK explains why incorporating daylight into architectural designs has become a central focus in sustainable designs. Integrating rooflights or roof glazing into a building design not only enhances aesthetic appeal... View Article

View Point: Magdalena Arent

Magdalena Arent, building performance consultant at architect Holmes Miller, discusses strategies for when a low energy building is required, but Passivhaus ‘doesn’t quite fit the bill,’ and something else on the sustainability standard menu is called for. Passivhaus certification has... View Article

A sensitive approach

Alongside the particular goals of a housing scheme for the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, its proximity to Grenfell Tower intensified the need for extensive collaboration with local stakeholders. Roseanne Field reports on how HNW Architects successfully delivered PRP Architects’... View Article