Flagship private hospital will set new standards

Halliday Meecham’s design for a state-of-the-art private medical facility boasts some interesting features. Jess Unwin finds out more £63 million landmark building that wlll raise the bar for hospital design is being constructed in Manchester. Innovative private hospital group Spire Healthcare has... View Article

Artful design makes all the difference at state-of-the-art facility

Improving the patient experience is one of the primary objectives of the architects behind Scotland’s newest, hi-tech cancer treatment centre but, as Ray Philpott reveals, taking an unconventional design approach pays dividends From an architectural perspective, designing a radiotherapy-based cancer... View Article

Life’s a beach

There’s something new on the menu in Liverpool city centre in the shape of a bar and restaurant that’s inspired by an iconic seaside resort for America’s wealthy elite. Jess Unwin investigates. Anew bar and restaurant that’s inspired by the idea of... View Article

Is it refurb or rebuild?

The Bartlett School of Architecture will move into its new 22 Gordon Street building this autumn, but its predecessor home will be lurking within, explains Mark Smulian. How radically can a building be altered before it crosses the boundary from... View Article

Living in Hope

Rising numbers of students and increasing demand for better accommodation in Liverpool have led to a .boom in purpose-built developments in the city centre that shows no sign of slowing. There are now 50,000 students studying in Liverpool, drawn to... View Article

Eye-catching academy is vital to regeneration scheme

Ray Philpott finds out how a well thought-out free school in inner-city Leeds manages to look so strikingly different despite working to the rigours of the Government’s school building programme. When it opens for business next year, the Ryder Architecture-designed... View Article

A giant leap forward

With the BBC due to demolish the corporation’s old Wales’ headquarters in Cardiff there will be few major examples of the architecture of renowned Welsh architect Sir Percy Thomas in the principality’s capital. One of those remnants is the Grade... View Article

Sleek new interchange design delivers the best of both worlds

A striking blend of modern architecture and heritage transport infrastructure makes Altrincham Interchange something of a destination in itself. Ray Philpott reports. Atruly integrated transport interchange where it’s possible to access several different modes of transport with minimal effort is... 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

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

DfMA – healthy injection for hospital design?

The advanced off-site manufacturing system, Design for Manufacture and Assembly, 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... View Article

Designing homes for mental disability

When it comes to creating residences for people with dementia it helps to look at things through the eyes of those with the condition, says Dominic Waters, Development Director at Waters Homes Open the property pages in any national newspaper... View Article

Architects have family lives too

To remain successful, architectural practices need to be able to retain their talent. That means keeping on top of new employment legislation and thinking harder about how they can support hard-working staff who are also carers and busy parents outside... View Article

Debunking the myths of modular construction

Modular buildings are still something of an unknown quantity, both inside and outside the construction industry. Wernick Group Marketing Manager, Leigh Fennell discusses some of the more prevalent misconceptions about modular offsite construction: “Modular buildings are low quality” Many people’s... View Article

The role of manufacturers in fire safety planning

Paul Pope, business innovation manager EMEA at Apollo Fire Detectors, explains how manufacturers are crucial to the success of any fire detection system, and highlights why they should be involved in a building’s design process Developing an effective fire safety... View Article

The zero carbon homes target: still wide of the mark?

Steve Sanham, development director at Hub Residential, explores whether the allowable solutions mentioned in the Queen’s speech make zero carbon homes more achievable. The ‘allowable solutions’ mentioned in the Queen’s speech may seem incongruous compared to other announcements in the... View Article