Site Lines: Master Builders for the 21st century

Bruce Bell of Facit Homes says that the emergence of digital methods of creating buildings means that architects can recapture their former territory as Master Builders. Throughout the 20th century, architects have steadily become further removed from the process of... View Article

Editor’s Comment – December

It is somewhat hard to know what to make of Phillip ‘joker’ Hammond’s recent Budget, given that it contains a lot for housing, as rumoured, and perhaps more than some feared, while at the same time raising yet more questions... View Article

Why we should allow daylight to shine

Chris Lowe of BDP, tells us about the role of natural light in inspirational, interesting and healthy buildings – and why artificial light doesn’t really cut-it. Daylight is important to the human condition. It can improve our health, wellbeing, creativity... View Article
Nigel Ostime

View point – Nigel Ostime from Hawkins\Brown

A continuing wage gap in architecture is presenting a further obstacle to diversity of new entrants to the profession. Nigel Ostime from Hawkins\Brown suggests a different approach. Economic commentators are observing an increasing gap between the super-rich – the ‘1... View Article

Ask the architect – Mungo Smith – MAAP

Mungo Smith is a renowned specialist healthcare architect, and was director of Medical Architecture and Art Projects (MAAP) in the UK until 2012, when he moved the firm to Sydney, Australia. He tells ADF why an architect’s life down under isn’t always plain sailing. AFTER SETTING UP SHOP IN AUSTRALIA, WHAT ADVICE... View Article
View Point – Tim Burgess of CoveBurgess Architects

View Point – Tim Burgess of CoveBurgess Architects

Tim Burgess of CoveBurgess Architects says that grass-roots answers are needed to the problem of practices finding it harder be located in London’s rich diversity. Our modern cities are the current embodiment of humans’ desire to gather into groupings that... View Article

Practice Profile – Colman Architects

Emerging from a desire to ‘do things better’, over their 30-year lifespan Colman Architects have produced a wealth of diverse projects from sleek gallery spaces to colossal Chinese masterplans. Sébastien Reed investigates. The project is the all-important thing – Colman... View Article
Site Lines – The real value of human-centred design

Site Lines – The real value of human-centred design

‘Human-centred’ buildings offering users better technology or greater material comfort will always be the exception rather than the rule as they are costly and challenging. This is a perception Atkins is trying to counter, as Rebecca Wicks reports. The needs... View Article

View Point – Dr Andy Lewry of BRE Global

Dr Andy Lewry of BRE Global outlines his strategy for better integrated design and build processes that use modelling to address the ‘Performance Gap’. As we drive the performance of our building stock, it is becoming clear that one of... View Article

Editor’s Comment – October

Why can’t we build the public housing we need in the UK? While the higher-end homes sector continues to boom (despite a slight downturn in London), the solutions for achieving our dreams of tackling the crisis at the other end,... View Article

Timber in Architecture Supplement 2017 – Editor’s comment

Sustainable, healthy, beautiful, endlessly forgiving and flexible for building with, what’s not to like about wood? While it may not be suitable for absolutely every type of construction, its enduring –  and resurgent – popularity is now seeing timber appear... View Article

Comment: Get specification right first time

The Metal Cladding and Roofing Manufacturers Association explains the importance of approved cladding systems and the dangers of changing specifications. Metal cladding systems provide efficient, aesthetically pleasing and sustainable solutions for a wide variety of external building envelopes. However, the... View Article

View Point – Rory Bergin of HTA Design

In his second article on the subject for ADF, Rory Bergin looks deeper at the facets within ‘the ethics of development’ that architects should consider. Since ethics are primarily about how we deal with each other, architects might be forgiven... View Article

Ask the Architect – Glenn Swann of LK2

Glenn Swann, associate at sports & leisure specialists LK2, tells ADF about the firm’s aspirations and how technology is helping to shape the profession today. WHY DID YOU BECOME AN ARCHITECT? I’ve always been creative, so the idea of using... View Article
Architects Datafile

Editor’s Comment – July

James Parker of ADF releases his Editor’s Comment, which focuses on the need for stricter regulations for cladding, following the Grenfell tragedy. This will long be remembered as the year when regeneration became devastation. Beyond the appalling human tragedy which... View Article

View Point – Rory Bergin of HTA Design

Rory Bergin of HTA Design examines ‘the ethics of development’ in the context of current practice. Last year I was asked to speak about ethics and architecture at the APRES 2016 conference and I had to consider what ‘ethics’ means... View Article