Cradle to compliance

Peter Rigby at Cellecta proposes a simple way to achieve high levels of acoustic insulation to meet Part E in concrete floors, while providing acceptable tolerances It is not uncommon to experience uneven substrates in both new and existing concrete floors,... View Article

Closing the gap on acoustic performance

Joe Cilia from finishes and interiors trade body FIS looks at how a new initiative helps improve the quality of interior acoustics through specifying and installing products based on proven and verified test data It is in all our interests... View Article

A safe bet for aesthetics and efficiency

With efficiency and aesthetics and well as safety being top priorities in domestic settings, Mark Lester of Hörmann UK discusses the key features fire doors need to have for residential projects The safety and security of property and its occupants... View Article

Cladding fit for the future

With the Government targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Paul Richards from Aquarian Cladding Systems looks at why brick cladding systems might prove to be an ideal solution With architects under pressure to be cleaner, faster, and safer, one of... View Article

Exploring current thinking in offsite construction

Offsite construction is hailed as the answer to the construction industry’s most pressing problems, including speed of delivery, the ‘performance gap’ in quality, and an increasing skills shortage. With the Government having set a goal of 300,000 new homes per... View Article

View Point: Richard Hyams

LISTEN HERE 🔊 With a growing focus on achieving a green economic recovery from the pandemic, sustainability-focused technologies present a major opportunity to reduce waste while driving cost savings for designers and occupiers, says Richard Hyams Architects are increasingly drawing... View Article

Escaping the pastiche

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Wimshurst Pelleriti, the architects behind a renovation and extension of a historic office building in London, explain how the practice pushed for a modern addition, rather than a proposed ‘pastiche’. Jack Wooler speaks to Leo Pelleriti In... View Article

Design in a time of Covid

LISTEN HERE 🔊 The Covid-19 pandemic has posed major challenges to architects to modify their working methods in order to sustain business. Tom Boddy reports on how they have adjusted to a ‘new normal’ After the stringent lockdown restrictions were... View Article

Site Lines: Combining cultures

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Velimira Drummer of Stantec UK looks at how to mesh corporate identity with a tailored workplace culture when designing spaces for an international client, particularly in the current crisis As an interior architect, my role is not... View Article

Sustainability, style and substance

Latest research from Waterwise estimates that over 2 billion litres of water is used each day across Britain through showering, the equivalent to almost 800 Olympic size swimming pools. With the Environment Agency predicting an extra 3.6 billion litres of... View Article

It’s time for timber!

Despite being commonly used within a wide range of building projects, timber still fights against the misconception that it’s too flammable for use as a construction material. Whilst timber does burn, the material is able to provide the highest levels... View Article

Keeping safe with passive fire protection

Despite its importance, there’s considerable evidence to show passive fire protection solutions are being ineffectively designed, specified and installed in buildings. In this article, Craig Wells, Sales Director at Quelfire discusses the benefits of passive fire protection and how specifiers... View Article

Slate: the perfect material for every architectural design

Slate is becoming more widely recognised for its vast design versatility, above and beyond traditional build and ideal for use across an array of modern roofing and cladding projects. Here Julian Gomez, Director of Marketing at CUPA PIZARRAS looks at the features and... View Article

Firestopping and the design of penetration seals

A service penetration through a fire-separating element may well be viewed as a minor element of a compartment wall or floor, but their importance cannot be understated. We talk to Bob Westcombe, UK Fire Protection Manager at ROCKWOOL about mechanical... View Article

Extinguishing fire safety myths

Fire Safety has and always will be a well-documented subject, with various experts and regulatory bodies sharing key insights that save lives. Despite this, practical knowledge can sometimes be overshadowed by false information and myth. Karen Trigg of Allegion UK... View Article

Glass; so much more than just a window

By Chris Davis, composites manager at H B Fuller:Kommerling and Vice Chairman of the GGF Laminators and Tougheners committee Look at any international city’s newest buildings and they will undoubtedly be architectural wonders, built predominantly from glass, with a steel... View Article

Mind the gap: specifying window sealants

Andrew Swift, sales and operations manager, UK and Ireland – ISO-Chemie, offers advice for architects and designers specifying sealant tapes for windows and doors in residential homes and commercial buildings. Issues around airtightness and energy efficiency remain top of the... View Article

Increased fire standards call for informed specifications

Are efforts to improve the fire performance of residential high-rise buildings creating a risk that fully tested, quality – but not future compliant – building solutions may be replaced by seemingly compliant but lower performance products? We believe so and... View Article