Design in Mental Health: Meeting the challenges together

Whether you are looking at adding new buildings, considering refurbishing existing buildings or ongoing maintenance work Design in Mental Health 2016 is here to help you source information, solutions and ideas. The event consists of the Design in Mental Health... View Article

Versatile timber is a healthy choice

The construction and materials used in mental health facilities are at the core of how care is ultimately delivered – a critical factor with a direct effect on the physical and psychological wellbeing of the end-users. Timber technology can be... View Article

Throwing light on dementia design

Oliver Buchan, head of innovation at Luxonic, argues that, while the lit environment is often an underestimated consideration when creating a dementia-friendly building, relatively simple lighting solutions can be very effective When designing a facility with dementia sufferers in mind... View Article

There’s more to paint than meets the eye

Dulux Trade Brand Manager Daniel Hall explains how selecting the most appropriate paint types and finishes for different spaces within a healthcare building can create enhanced environments for patients and staff A healthcare building is a working facility with a... View Article

Safe furniture design should also be comfortable and stylish

With an increasing focus on creating stimulating mental health environments which nurture recovery, intelligent furniture design is playing a more important role than ever writes Neville Byng, sales and marketing consultant with healthcare furniture specialist Pineapple Contracts In mental health and other challenging... View Article

Focus on the right flooring for dementia

John Mellor, Polyflor’s Market Manager for safety flooring, explains why selecting a floor covering embodying modern, dementia-friendly design principles is increasingly important and spotlights the research behind the thinking According to latest figures from the Alzheimer’s Society, more than 850,000... View Article

How dementia-friendly is your building… really?

Poor research and verification means newly-built healthcare facilities are often wrongly claimed to be dementia-friendly, argues Professor June Andrews, director of the influential Dementia Development Services Centre (DSDC) at the University of Stirling Architects make a difference to how people... View Article

Time to rise to the dementia challenge

Britain can learn from the Japanese experience of designing and building for dementia care, argues Jitesh Patel, Senior Development Manager, Kajima Partnerships. Every three seconds someone somewhere in the world is diagnosed with dementia. In the UK there are over 850,000 people living with... View Article

Suspended Animation – Hotel Hotel, Canberra

Thousands of pieces of reclaimed timber were used to create a “directional vortex” and a monolithic grand staircase for the award-winning Hotel Hotel interior in Canberra. Stephen Cousins reports Walking up the grand staircase and into the lobby of Hotel... View Article

Smarter glass

Russell Shipton, marketing manager, ESG, explains why smart glass has come of age and why it has clearly got a bright future. The past 20 years has seen a dramatic increase in the use of glass as both an external... View Article

When scale, safety and style collide

For large scale, modern constructions, virtually anything is achievable in glass. Andrew Lake, Vetrotech UK general manager explains why selecting the right fire-rated glass system is therefore critical to the specifying process. From the dizzying heights of the Burj Khalifa... View Article

Aesthetics and functionality in glazing for historical buildings

Preservation efforts are primarily orientated towards maintaining historical structures and, if possible, cautious restoration. However, when material loss or irreparable damage threatens to halt the effort, alternative options need to be considered explains Ulrich Huber, Sales Manager EMEA, SCHOTT AG.... View Article

Legal Compliance for fire-resistant glazing

Steve Rice, director of technical affairs for the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF), outlines the compliances and CE marking issues that impact all those responsible for making the glazing in a building fire-resistant. Making Insulating Glass Units (IGUs) with a fire-resistance characteristic... View Article

A study in glass

A landmark educational building featuring an innovative use of glazing has lit up a run-down part of the Spanish town of Torrelavega, writes Steve Menary. A mix of squares, circles and an innovative use of glazing has been used to create... View Article

kbb back at Birmingham

Celebrating an impressive 30 years, kbb Birmingham, the UK’s largest gathering of the world’s best kitchen, bedroom and bathroom brands, returns to the NEC, Birmingham from 6 – 9 March 2016. Since the recession, which caused many businesses in the... View Article

Beating the UK climate with correct render choice

With severe weather events becoming more frequent in the UK, more detailed consideration of the type of materials we specify and their capability to withstand a climate that is so unpredictable is crucial. By Steven Keitley, general manager, Parex Render... View Article