Supporting student welfare

How can student accommodation create spaces that help promote wellbeing, combat isolation and prioritise community? Neil Smith from Scape gives some answers A student’s experience can be substantially impacted by their choice in accommodation while at university. Whether students decide... 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

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 on AI and... View Article

Design in a time of Covid

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 imposed by the... View Article

Site Lines: Combining cultures

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 only to consider... View Article

Care Homes – time for a change

‘Care Homes should be seen very much places to go to live rather than places to die, their design should reflect this and we shouldn’t assume anything when anticipating tastes and preferences of older generations.’ James Potter of WGP Architects. When... View Article

Adaptive reuse, realised

Ben Heath, principal at Grimshaw, looks at how the practice returned to the Herman Miller factory in Bath to realise its original design intent of adaptive reuse, and harness the building’s flexibility to create a new school of art and... View Article

Waterproofing historic builds

Specialists must collaborate when preserving historic buildings. Richard Walker of Peter Cox explains Historic Buildings Almost half a million buildings in the UK have heritage protection. This status is awarded to buildings of historical interest across the country, either for... View Article

View Point: Professor Ruth Dalton

Having set up the first School of Architecture at Lancaster University, Professor Ruth Dalton explains how the school’s ‘radical creativity with a conscience’ motto embeds key principles into innovative teaching practice While setting up the new school of architecture at... View Article

Practice Profile: Samira Rathod Design Atelier

James Parker finds out how the award-winning firm of Indian architect Samira Rathod pursues its goals of creating sensual, context-focused beauty using locally-sourced natural materials Mumbai-based architect Samira Rathod attended the renowned Sir J. J. College of Architecture in the... View Article

Addressing a national problem

Nicolas Maari of multi-disciplinary firm Pellings looks at the challenges for designers around providing interim accommodation for the homeless Homelessness is an ongoing and growing problem, with the number of homeless people increasing by a third between 2012 and 2018.... View Article

Ask the Architect: Alberto Basaglia

Alberto Basaglia, co-founder of Italian firm Basaglia + Rota Nodari Studio, answers ADF’s questions on what influences his designs, the importance of balance, and sustainability Why did you become an architect? When I was a kid, I made a sofa-exercise-bike... View Article

A clearer view of safety

Among the functions performed by glass and glazing systems as part of the building envelope, fire safety and protecting lives are critical. Darren Wainwright of SE Controls explains systems’ roles in addressing smoke control and compliance issues Within residential buildings... View Article
Office design – placing nature in the mix

Office design – placing nature in the mix

Biophilic design has become firmly entrenched in the modern office psyche in recent years as the office evolves and we take on a more people-focused approach to its design. Cyril Parsons of Office Principles, considers the various means in which... View Article

An Active Resolution for 2020

Written by Simon McWhirter, Head of Engagement at Active Building Centre. At the start of each year it’s customary to make resolutions for the year ahead which, it is hoped, will encourage positive changes. Of course, for all the best... View Article

View Point: Anthony Thistleton

Architect Anthony Thistleton gives the lowdown on the carbon realities of timber, and explains why misconceptions around CLT on fire safety grounds need to be corrected As the world finally wakes up to the task ahead in mitigating climate breakdown, there... View Article

Practice Profile: Assembledge+

Already having wide-ranging expertise, Hollywood, USA-based practice Assembledge+ saw its urban planning capabilities greatly enhanced when the founder took the unusual step of recruiting his father to join him. Sébastien Reed reports After graduating with a Bachelors and Master’s degree... View Article

The dynamics of a building

The lines between different segments have blurred, and buildings are adopting a variety of identities, which may reflect the characteristics of various segment designs. Here, Marijke Griffioen of Forbo Flooring Systems, discusses these trends and how the use of a... View Article