The rise and rise of concrete facing bricks

Craig Mcbride of Tobermore tracks the rise in popularity of concrete facing bricks, explaining how they satisfy the needs of housebuilders facing unprecedented demand across the Uk. We all remember the story of the Three Little Pigs from childhood. When... View Article

Everything including the kitchen sink for social housing

Social housing is experiencing a revolution, with local councils and housing associations looking for kitchen suppliers that will offer up-to-date, long-lasting solutions without comprimising on quality. Neil Mcdonald of Moores offers his advice. As the need to be able to... View Article

Medal to the Metal

The Metal Gutter Manufacturers association puts the case for why metal rainwater systems should be the first choice. Although metal rainwater drainage systems may often cost more initially, they offer excellent ‘lifetime’ value. With homeowners and specifiers increasingly looking at... View Article

First things first

Duncan Andrews of Sureset explains the impact a driveway surface can have on kerb appeal, exploring the pros and cons of different surfacing materials. In what is a highly competitive market, it is vitally important to make a good first... View Article

On-trend solutions

Decorative vinyls and LVTs are pushing new technical and aesthetic boundaries so that both customers and contractors benefit, according to Nav Dhillon of Gerflor. Decorative vinyl and luxury vinyl tiles and planks (LVTs) are practical, durable and straightforward to maintain... View Article

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