A private balcony – from idea to reality

It is no coincidence that “balcony” is now one of the most searched keywords when people are looking for a new home. Estate agents are often told that the apartment they are offering would be perfect, “if only it had... View Article
Retail and rail – the design challenge

Retail and rail – the design challenge

Since its creation, the architecture of the railways has been primarily about facilitating transportation. Now, as today’s travellers require multi-tasking spaces, architects and designers need to create retail opportunities as an essential part of the journey from pavement to platform,... View Article
Improving the appearance and thermal efficiency of buildings

Improving the appearance and thermal efficiency of buildings

Structural defects and poor thermal efficiency are issues affecting a significant number of non-traditional and prefabricated concrete (PRC) buildings. Andy Carter, Structherm’s technical manager, looks at how Structural External Wall Insulation (SEWI) can be used to remediate these problems Many... View Article
University of Leicester’s new Centre for Medicine

What the doctors ordered

Mark Smulian takes a look at the University of Leicester’s new Centre for Medicine, which will be the UK’s largest non-residential Passivhaus project to date Fitting the people and equipment from three departments into a single structure on a constrained... View Article

Specifying external sliding doors

Latest developments in window technology have radically improved the design, performance, and security of fully-glazed external sliding doors for residential use. However, as sliding doors become increasingly sophisticated, specification also becomes more complex. Andy Trewick, VELFAC direct sales manager, comments Site suitability To... View Article
A tectonic shift has overtaken the retail construction sector

The retail revolution

A tectonic shift has overtaken the retail construction sector over the past five years as retailers have responded to the challenges of persistently weak consumer spending and changes to how and where people shop. Stephen Cousins asks “where is it... View Article

Humid ‘hot spots’ pose health risks

Moisture is produced continuously within the home with the average family generating a staggering 20 litres of water per day. Whilst this may sound harmless, excess moisture within the home can leave occupants vulnerable to a host of health risks.... View Article

A friendly facade

We asked four leading facade, cladding and envelope specialists what they would tell architects and specifiers if they had the chance. This is what they told us. Michael Willoughby reports. Chris Macey, group MD, Wintech Group When windows and facades... View Article

Brave new world

The sculptural ribbed aluminium form of the EBI South Building in Cambridgeshire is a dynamic reflection of the pioneering bioinformatics research going on inside. Stephen Cousins reports. Hunched down low in a protected rural landscape and clad in a ribbed... View Article
Use Architects’ Jo Hagan

Everybody needs good neighbours

When Use Architects’ Jo Hagan came to develop his own site, he used an innovative material to make sure the block was a welcome addition to his Hackney home. Michael Willoughby reports. How to handle a large residential-commercial building in... View Article

The changing face of window design and specification

Jon Palethorpe, commercial director at architectural aluminium systems specialist, Technal, looks at current trends in window design and specification, and some of the latest technical advancements engineered for high performance windows. In the UK, building regulations are imposing ever more... View Article

The demand for individual expression is on the rise

Paul Hughes, from FunderMax, comments on the rising trend and demand for individual design within the cladding industry, and subsequent challenges. There are numerous challenges that confront facade producers in today’s competitive construction market. All of which have to be... View Article
thermally efficient buildings

Delivering thermally efficient buildings

Lee Davies, technical director at building envelope specialist, CA Group Limited, explains the role of robust detailing in delivering thermally efficient buildings. The issue of improved airtightness has become a key focus for architects both in striving to deliver increasingly... View Article
Building information modeling (BIM)

Plugging the BIM gap

Gordon Moffat, technical manager at CMS, Scotland’s largest door, window and curtain walling manufacturer and installer, discusses the advantages to architects of ‘BIM ready’ contractors and how BIM can optimise building envelope performance. As more and more product and system... View Article
stone

The use of natural stone in modern architecture

Ian Robottom of Lithodecor discusses lightweight natural stone ventilated rainscreen facades and the requirements of modern architecture. The advent of modern architecture has fundamentally changed the way buildings are constructed. This is particularly relevant when looking at how the use... View Article

Building envelope design can improve the overall BREEAM rating

Tom Taylor, Principal Consultant, BRE, explains how excellence in building envelope specification can help achieve BREEAM ratings. The specification of the building envelope has implications for performance against several BREEAM New Construction assessment issues and could potentially have a significant... View Article

DfMA – healthy injection for hospital design?

The advanced off-site manufacturing system, DfMA, was used to build the Cheesegrater in London and is now helping deliver the next generation of UK hospitals faster, safer, and to higher levels of design quality than ever before. Stephen Cousins reports... View Article