The return of UKCW

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Demand for face-to-face events and networking is growing across the industry as the pandemic eases. In the light of this and Government publishing guidance on how major events can be held safely, the organisers of UKCW are... View Article

A Covid-secure Housing returns

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Housing 2021, the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual conference, returns to a Covid-secure Manchester Central from 7-9th September to tackle key issues including post-pandemic housing, and the climate crisis Housing 2021 is returning to Manchester Central in... View Article

Stepping it up

Katie Chown of Spiral UK has researched the latest trends in staircase design, and proposes some fresh ideas for your self-build project One thing is for sure, the shutdown of movement across the country has not stopped people from ordering... View Article

What will tenants seek post-Covid?

Stuart Nicholson of Marley explores new research on the way Covid experiences have altered the views of social housing residents when it comes to their homes and the surrounding area The Government has clearly pinpointed the nation’s housing stock as... View Article

Stamping out fire door neglect

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Fire door specification is one of the most crucial decisions landlords and housing providers can make, with the technology forming an essential part of a building’s passive fire protection system. Jack Wooler spoke to Helen Hewitt of... View Article

A holistic approach to heat loss mitigation

Paddy Leighton of Huntsman Building Solutions-Icynene explains why minimising air leakage must go hand in hand with better insulation Better insulation of domestic households is seen as one of the most important ways of reducing carbon emissions and slowing the... View Article

What is PAS 2035?

Richard Jenkins of Nuaire explains what PAS 2035 is, and how local housing authorities can improve their ventilation strategies PAS 2035 is the latest publicly available specification for low-energy domestic retrofit from the British Standards Institution (BSI). It provides the... View Article

Don’t get in a spin

James White of Record UK breaks down the various factors to consider when specifying a revolving automatic door Revolving doors are a great way to create a grand, visually stunning and welcoming entrance to a building. They also prevent unwanted... View Article

Taking full ownership

In a project that saw a return to the Master Builder approach, Tikari Works took the role of not only architect, but also developer and contractor on a CLT-framed residential scheme in Peckham – achieving a high quality result in... View Article

Beautifully safe

David Pringle of Bailey Street Furniture Group says that as we venture out to town centres as lockdown eases, sadly the continued terrorism threat means a focus on aesthetic features with hidden security capability Many cities across the globe are... View Article

On a mission

LISTEN HERE 🔊 A sensitive restoration of a dilapidated but listed ‘Mission Hall’ in west London posed a series of challenges, not least ensuring that external fixtures such as rainwater goods met strict authenticity criteria. Neil Davies Architects report on... View Article

A fresh appreciation

LISTEN HERE 🔊 The pandemic has increased appreciation for fresh air as well as natural light; Tracey Jackson of Howells Patent Glazing explains how rooflights can be the practical answer The pandemic has changed the way owners feel about their... View Article

Conserving authenticity

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Lewis Proudfoot of Cliveden Conservation looks at moisture management in historic buildings, and why he believes lime should be the default material for repairing traditional structures The challenge of maintaining and repairing historic or traditional buildings often... View Article

Practice Profile: White Red Architects

Joe Haire, co-founder and director of White Red Architects tells Roseanne Field how the ambitious practice has built on a foundation of a friendship between two undergraduates to place collaboration at the heart of its work Becoming friends while attending... View Article

Critical path to success

LISTEN HERE 🔊 A new critical care hospital in south Wales has been designed by BDP for optimum efficiency to attract the best staff, while achieving an accelerated programme to meet the challenge of Covid. Adrian Hitchcock takes Jack Wooler... View Article

Here’s one they made earlier

Potton MD Mark Stevenson explains how the evolution of ‘prefab’ or ‘flatpack’ methods of self-building means the the assumption they prevent customisation is an now outdated one When you think of the terms ‘flatpack’ and ‘prefab’, you might picture a... View Article

Action stations

If you’re building a dream home away from it all in a beautiful countryside location, it may mean no access to the mains sewer; Dan Berry from Harlequin Manufacturing explains why packaged pump stations are a simple answer If a... View Article

The home front

What will you choose for your dream home’s facade? Lisa Grosse of Cedral explains why fibre cement cladding makes a great choice, for both practical reasons and the aesthetic ‘wow’ factor As well as providing protection against heat, cold, wind,... View Article

Reduce your water footprint

Bart Sobieszczanski of Ideal Standard answers the key questions around how to specify bathroom products to maximise water-saving benefits, and increase your build’s sustainability as well as cost-efficiency When it comes to water-saving in the home, one of the main... View Article

Triumph and tragedy in Cornwall

Renovating a centuries-old collection of buildings into a family home became a labour of love for a mum and her young son looking to leave London behind for Cornwall’s Atlantic coast TEXT & IMAGES EWEN MACDONALD Moving to a new... View Article