More than just homes

A new £6m Places for People social community is being handed over in Salford, Greater Manchester. Michael Dong, CEO of developer Investar Proper ty Group, and Mike Watson, director of housebuilder Watson Homes, walk Jack Wooler through the Melody Gardens... View Article

Concrete and the circular economy

Chris Stanley of the Concrete Block Association explains where concrete can fit into a circular economy, and help to boost sustainable housebuilding. Talk of the circular economy has penetrated every part of the construction industry recently, and rightly so. The... View Article

Bathroom style statements

John Brooks of Lecico discusses changing bathroom design trends, and the impact that tV and other influences have had on consumers’ demands. At the end of a busy day, many people are keen to get home, kick off their shoes... View Article

A change for the better

Listen here Heidi and John Exley moved into the house of their dreams near Doncaster – and then modernised it beyond all recognition with the help of a local architect TEXT & IMAGES HEATHER DIXON For years Heidi Exley had... View Article

Sliding doors, made simple

Listen here Steve Bromberg of Express Bi-Folding Doors outlines the essential factors for self-builders who are considering sliding doors – from size limitations to energy efficiency OTHER THAN SAVING SPACE, WHAT BENEFITS CAN SLIDING DOORS OFFER OVER BI-FOLDS? The main... View Article

The fruits of determination

Listen here Nothing was going to stop resourceful self-builder Gill MacLeod achieving the house of her dreams, a major renovation in rural Scotland TEXT JAYNE DOWLE IMAGES EMMA GRAY Clambering around a delivery depot in a hi-vis vest and hard... View Article

An adventure by the sea

Listen here Embarking on a self-build sans architect is not for the faint-hearted, but Joey and Charlotte Thomson decided to go the DIY route to creating their perfect coastal home TEXT & IMAGES EWEN MACDONALD In 2015 Joey Auger and... View Article

An uphill battle

Listen here Ian and Julie Perrin were unsure about buying the ‘difficult’ plot of land they ended up building on in Montgomery, mid-Wales, but they convinced themselves to take the plunge TEXT ROSEANNE FIELD IMAGES NIKHILESH HAVAL When the time... View Article

Preparing for changes to ADL

The construction industry is facing a number of significant regulation changes over the coming years, with the consultation to approved Document L (ADL) 2020 closing on 10 January set to introduce significant sustainability challenges. James Hulbert of Knauf Insulation looks... View Article

Curves in all the right places

Listen here Not only have Roger and Lucy Southcott achieved their ambition of building a home that’s energy self-sufficient with super-low greenhouse gas emissions, they’ve also created something that’s carefully shaped to fit the contours of its Wiltshire location TEXT... View Article

The Brexit factor

Ben Lloyd of Pure Commercial Finance gives his views on how Brexit is impacting property developers. The ever-present debate over Brexit has continued to plague public and market sentiment, and it was particularly heated in the last 24 months with... View Article

Is home heating set for a period of change?

Over the last 10 years it’s become clearer than ever that we can’t go on heating our homes by burning fossil fuels such as gas and oil. As effective as these fuels are, they release carbon into the atmosphere, a... View Article

Access all areas

Adrian Sunter of Terry Lifts discusses why it’s so cruial the UK’s housing stock is adapted to suit the needs of everyone and what options are available to housing associations On 5 November, a new coalition of housing organisations published... View Article

Unintended consequences

Penny Jones of Domus Ventilation looks at how improvements in the energy efficiency of dwellings has led to poor indoor air quality, and why mechanical ventilation is the way forward Over recent years we’ve done a good job of improving... View Article

Indoor air quality: the key to a healthy home

Patrick Calvey from Siegenia looks at the importance of air quality within buildings, and the role ventilation has to play in wellness Wellbeing and the creation of ‘healthy’ homes are topics that have recently gained considerable traction within architectural circles,... View Article

View Point: Anthony Thistleton

Architect Anthony Thistleton gives the lowdown on the carbon realities of timber, and explains why misconceptions around CLT on fire safety grounds need to be corrected As the world finally wakes up to the task ahead in mitigating climate breakdown, there... View Article

Stairway to historic results

Milbank Concrete Products describe how a precast concrete stair design provided a practical as well as unique result, for a high-end conversion of an Art Deco cinema The Denham Film Studios are a collection of 224 conversion and new build... View Article

Strong enough for a big finish

Kelvin Green of Saint-Gobain Weber explains why render is more than just a decorative feature, and explores the best options for properties built in challenging locations Over recent years, render has had a resurgence in popularity. Modern renders offer more... View Article

Experience insight and innovation at Architect@Work

An impressive list of industry experts from architecture, development and the arts are set to share their knowledge alongside ‘curated innovations’ at the event dedicated to architects, being held in London from 29 – 30 January The two-day trade event... View Article