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

European Copper in Architecture Awards 2015

An international team of architect judges has shortlisted ten projects for the 2015 European Copper in Architecture Awards, a celebration of the very best in contemporary architecture. By Chris Hodson. The seventeenth iteration of these popular, biennial architectural awards recognises... 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

Exciting the imagination

An unremarkable piece of canal-side industrial estate in a leafy Hertfordshire has been transformed into a showcase office complex for one of the UK’s most innovative companies, writes Ray Philpott When a world-leading technology business decides to build a new... 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

An altogether different glass

Increasingly used in modern railway station design, security glass is not only an aesthetically useful material, it helps to make these busy public spaces safer. Ray Philpott reports. The UK’s railway stations are visibly benefiting from significant overall investment in the... View Article

Gehry’s Parisian Dream

Featuring 12 giant glass and steel ‘sails’, the £80 million Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy Foundation for Creation in Paris is arguably Frank Gehry’s most structurally daring project to date, requiring a plethora of innovative construction products and technologies to realise.... 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

UFH in conversion projects – the essentials

The most common question asked about the suitability of underfloor heating (UFH) in a building conversion is ‘how can we minimise the floor build up?’ This is an important area to master within a project such as an office to... View Article

History provides a future for the retired

Instead of a shining new development for the retired, Anchor Trust and English Care Village Partnerships are using design to invent a history for an assisted living development in Hampshire, as Steve Menary reports. Ensuring good design can be achieved... View Article

Titan in its tomb

The country’s second largest ever concrete pour was needed to create a building for Cambridge’s materials scientists in which vibration could be kept to a minimum. Mark Smulian reports. It must have been a remarkable sight when 120 lorries drove... View Article