Underlying benefits

Shane Oxberry of YPS Plumbing supplies recaps the many compelling benefits of underfloor heating. Neat, economical to run, reliable and green, it’s tempting to recommend underfloor heating (UFH) for every new build, renovation or extension. Unless you demand period cast... View Article

Don’t forget your thermals

Karen Everitt of Ravatherm UK explains the importance of correct insulation specification in achieving high thermal performance. Housebuilding is on the rise. Research suggests that by 2050 there could be a 23 per cent increase in UK households, and the... View Article

A brighter future for our kids

Imma Boada of Kingspan Light + Air looks at how the need for effective daylight within our schools extends far beyond issues of academic attainment In 1999, Heschong Mahone Group conducted a comprehensive study that analysed the academic performance of... View Article

Taking a circular route to emergency care efficiency

A new hospital in Cramlington, Northumberland, is the first in the NHS to be purpose-designed for emergency cases. Neil Harvey of Ramboll explains how the building simplifies the route from admission to specialists using a ‘panopticon’ ward design The Northumbria Specialist... View Article

The power of nature

HLM’s Aline Browers and David Greig explain how the benefits of biophilia are increasingly being recognised by designers working in educational environments Biophilia is a term popularised by American psychologist Ed Wilson in the 1980s. When you ask people where... View Article

Practice Profile: Saunders

With a pragmatic approach and a retail pedigree Saunders is broadening its horizons, with a newfound focus on the residential sector. Sébastien Reed spoke to the firm’s Martin Williams to find out more Saunders was established 30 years ago by... View Article

FaulknerBrowns trio triumph at the WICE Awards

Three colleagues from FaulknerBrowns Architects completed a clean sweep of the architectural accolades last week at the European Women in Construction and Engineering (WICE) Awards 2018. Tania Love was named Best Woman Architect, a category in which colleague Hilary I’Anson... View Article

London Festival of Architecture comes to East Village

East Village, the former London 2012 Athletes’ Village, is to be part of the world’s largest annual architecture festival. From 1st – 30th June the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) will have a presence in E20 with a spatial installation exploring... View Article

Councils have failed to spend £375 million on new housing

Councils across England have been accused of hoarding hundreds of millions of pounds earmarked for affordable homes, according to research undertaken by HuffPost UK. The news media firm found more than £375m was sitting in councils’ bank accounts instead of... View Article

Contrasting fortunes for landlords in grading changes

Several large associations experienced the joy of receiving top grades from the social housing regulator, while several others suffered downgrades as a result of concerns over their current and future financial performance. Clarion, the country’s largest housing association with 123,000... View Article

Is it too dangerous to be a DIY landlord?

The Buy to Let property boom over the past decade has seen a flood of new landlords enter the market. But with over 145 individual laws and more than 400 regulations to follow, it is surprisingly easy for even the... View Article

ThirdWay pioneers new Cat A+ commercial fit out concept

A new concept in design & build, coined ‘CAT A+’, is being pioneered’ by commercial property designers and specialists, The ThirdWay Group. Since its conception, the model has been implemented on a number of projects in London to appeal to... View Article