Why render is the right choice now

Jason Nicholson of K Rend explores the way that modern render systems are helping developers reduce build times and project costs whilst ensuring consistently high standards. With more land released through planning reforms, particularly on brownfield and lower quality green... View Article

The housing sector comes together at Futurebuild 2026

The pressure is on for private housebuilders to deliver on the Government’s 1.5 million new homes target – in spite of rising costs and materials and the implications of tightening design and safety standards. Futurebuild 2026 will be a platform... View Article

The power of supplier collaboration

Ashley Cooper from WMS Underfloor Heating discusses the importance of collaborating with suppliers who are committed to a low-carbon future. The UK’s journey to net zero is reshaping every aspect of the housing sector. While the Future Homes Standard is... View Article

Compliance is about more than fire

Joe Ragdale of Wetherby Wall Systems explores how facade safety is evolving, and that as regulation and sustainability expectations rise, compliance must now extend beyond fire performance. Facade specification has long centred on fire safety, and rightly so. But in... View Article

Retrofit quality is the measure of success

Rob Garner from Warma UK explains why the defining measure of success in the UK’s retrofit journey is not funding or volume, but the quality and integrity of delivery. The UK housing sector is entering one of the most important... View Article

Make indoor air quality a key priority

James Kane of EnviroVent discusses the latest updates to the Social Housing (Regulation) Act and gives some crucial advice to social landlords on how to remain compliant and provide a healthy environment. Awaab’s Law, formally known as Section 42 of... View Article

A smart revolution

Neil Budd from IMI Heatmiser explains how smart technology is now an integral component of achieving comfort at home for occupants. The UK housebuilding market is embroiled in arguably its largest period of upheaval since the post-war building boom. Alongside... View Article
Planning permission shortages stifle housing growth

Social housing needs a new approach

Our regular social housing correspondent Patrick Mooney argues that, with homelessness at record levels and councils pushed to the brink, only a bold new approach can deliver the affordable homes Britain urgently needs. With record levels of homelessness being experienced,... View Article

A flexible future for BNG compliance

Katy Davis at Carter Jonas (London) argues that, a year after biodiversity net gain became mandatory, flexibility is essential to ensure onsite ambition aligns with offsite realities and genuine ecological outcomes. A year after the introduction of mandatory biodiversity net gain... View Article

Building ‘beyond zero’

Rob East of Newland Homes, explains how the Gloucestershire housebuilder took a “conviction-based” decision to redefine its design approach beyond the norm to provide climate-resilient, and even carbon-negative homes. It was our development director, Jeremy Drew, who first raised the... View Article

Suffragette City

A development onsite in London’s Tower Hamlets creates a new neighbourhood on where Suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst first proposed improvements to conditions in the East End, over a century ago. Roseanne Field reports. In Bromley-By-Bow in the London Borough of Tower... View Article

The point of WCs in BREEAM

David Davis of MEP engineer G&H says that with BREEAM remaining a well-used method for assessing sustainability goals, choosing the right product choices for earning points needs to be a prority, and why toilets are a key component. Achieving higher... View Article

Why modern wood burning stoves belong in Future Homes

Erica Malkin of the Stove Industry Association explains why modern wood burning stoves offer architects a low carbon, resilient secondary heat source for sustainable home design, and one which is now backed by policy. As the UK moves toward net... View Article

An education in colour

It is well known that colour can have a profound impact on building occupants; Dawn Scott at Dulux Trade explains how in educational environments, it can be used to enhance learning and wellbeing for students. Across the built environment, colour... View Article

The embodiment of quality?

Reyan Clarey of CA Group discusses the challenge facing the industry of balancing embodied carbon targets against design quality in the race to net zero. Decision makers are looking for a simple metric by which to measure products’ sustainability credentials.... View Article

Reporting on the future

Dorothe Kessels and Thomas Eurlings of Forbo Flooring Systems discuss how trend reports are helping to shape the future of design, helping architects create spaces that meet modern expectations and inspire creativity. Trends are a crucial part of the architectural... View Article

Don’t overlook thermal breaks

Paul Beech of Armatherm discusses the importance of understanding where thermal bridging can occur in housebuilding projects, such as around balconies, and why the solutions available should not be overlooked. When you think of thermal bridging, it’s most common that... View Article

Warm words

Jonathan Ducker of Kingspan Insulation explores how warm roof construction combined with advanced insulation materials can help meet our ambitious energy targets without compromising internal space. In the next few months, the final text for the Future Homes Standard (FHS)... View Article

Dealing with damp

Stephen Boulton at F. Ball & Co. Ltd. provides crucial advice to guard against the problems caused by excess subfloor moisture when installing floor coverings. Unchecked subfloor moisture, whether residual construction moisture or rising damp, can attack flooring adhesives and... View Article

Bathroom innovation for modern living

Tom Farrent of Lecico Bathrooms discusses the latest innovations in bathroom design and technology for modern homes, which put the focus on sustainability, performance, and future-proofing. Ask developers what challenges they have, and you’ll get familiar answers: legislation, buyer expectations,... View Article