BIM for offsite: what’s stopping you?

While the housebuilding industry is educating itself on the practicalities and application of offsite methods of construction, the real opportunity for housebuilders is in how offsite is utilising the latest software platforms. Robert Clark of fusion Building systems explains the... View Article

Why timber is the answer

ADF caught up with Jeremy English of Sӧdra to discuss why he feels timber is the solution to the UK’s housing crisis, and how the material can help architects adopt less labour-intensive, offsite building techniques What do you see as... View Article

Expert advice at the ExCeL

The London Homebuilding & Renovating Show returns to London in September, with essential advice on hand to help visitors build their dream property. According to the UK Land Registry, most of the publicly owned land available for new homes will... View Article

Open to ideas

A project in south west London saw a firm of architects tackle a difficult commission to extend a listed former coach house, resulting in a dramatically open new addition. The owners of a terraced house in leafy Barnes, in the... View Article

Making stairs grand again

Jarrod Matthews of Jarrods Staircases is passionate about the potential to elevate staircases to an art form. He explains why creating the perfect staircase should be a priority, not an afterthought. Ioften refer to the space where the staircase sits... View Article

Practice Profile: Weston Williamson + Partners

Now big players in the transport and master planning sectors, Weston Williamson + Partners have helped shape infrastructure across London and the wider UK, with major clients including Crossrail and HS2. Sébastien Reed speaks to partners Chris Williamson and Philip... View Article

View Point – Nigel Ostime from Hawkins\Brown

Nigel Ostime of Hawkins\Brown Architects and chair of the RIBA Client Liaison Group, says that without measuring feedback, architects can’t improve Manufacturers ask for feedback as a matter of routine and use it to improve their products in the next... View Article

High end, high tech

Ion Smith of Cyberhomes discusses how smart home technology can be seamlessly incorporated into luxury home designs. It’s not that many years ago that smart home technology was available only to high-end luxury homes; but walk into any high street... View Article

Keep it natural

Lee Dunderdale of Bradstone delves into the plethora of hard landscaping materials for delivering a dream garden, and explains why natural stone is the perfect choice. When it comes to building your own house, garden landscaping often becomes one of... View Article

The disruptive power of tall timber

Kevin Flanagan of PLP Architecture explains how the firm’s pioneering research projects to build unprecedented tall engineered timber structures is driven by a wider agenda of increasing quality of life in ‘smart cities’ of the future The essence of our... View Article

The rise and rise of sliding doors

IDSystems’ David Clarke explains why self-builders should look beyond bi-fold doors when choosing a glazing option for a large opening. When discussing the strengths of and demand for glazing solutions it’s important to remain unbiased, as all options have their... View Article

A country saga

When they finally moved into their grand timber-framed home in the heart of the Hampshire countryside, it was the end of a long road for the Curnow-Fords. Roseanne Field reports. Awinding, narrow lane leads to Peter and Debbie Curnow-Ford’s home... View Article

Breathe easy

Christian Rehn of National Ventilation answers your questions about the nuts and bolts of installing MVHR ventilation systems to provide good air quality in increasingly air-tight homes. With new build properties required to be increasingly airtight to meet Building Regulations... View Article

The right tile for the project

Tiles have long been the go-to option when it comes to the bathroom, but today the demand for trend-led tiles throughout new builds is on the increase. Liam Poole of British Ceramic Tile explains how to select the right tile... View Article

Rethinking housing safety

In the aftermath of the Grenfell tower fire, Kidde safety explains why it’s more important than ever for developers to consider appropriateness of fire detection. As a straightforward, low cost early warning, the wider installation of interconnected smoke, heat and... View Article

SIPs vs timber frame

Ian Loughnane of Kingspan Timber Solutions weighs up the relative merits of structural insulated panels (SIPs) and timber frame structures. Despite them often being confused, there are quite a lot of differences between a SIPs and a timber frame structure.... View Article

Housing benefits

Alternative ground engineering solutions, such as those incorporating geogrids, can play a vital part in meeting the UK’s future housing needs. Jonathan Cook of Tensar explains. The UK Government is committed to building hundreds of thousands of homes a year... View Article

Modern materials, traditional facades

Adrian Storey of Horbury Facades looks at how innovation in modern rain screen cladding materials is resulting in a rise in brick facades. When most people think of modern rain screen cladding systems, they picture steel and glass. However, architects... View Article

A breath of fresh air

Eliot Warrington of Solarcrest argues that building regulations need to reflect 21st century ventilation. Building Regulations have pushed people in the UK closer and closer towards airtightness in recent years, but while this is a demonstrably good thing with regards... View Article