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
A tectonic shift has overtaken the retail construction sector

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

A friendly facade

We asked four leading facade, cladding and envelope specialists what they would tell architects and specifiers if they had the chance. This is what they told us. Michael Willoughby reports. Chris Macey, group MD, Wintech Group When windows and facades... View Article

Brave new world

The sculptural ribbed aluminium form of the EBI South Building in Cambridgeshire is a dynamic reflection of the pioneering bioinformatics research going on inside. Stephen Cousins reports. Hunched down low in a protected rural landscape and clad in a ribbed... View Article
Use Architects’ Jo Hagan

Everybody needs good neighbours

When Use Architects’ Jo Hagan came to develop his own site, he used an innovative material to make sure the block was a welcome addition to his Hackney home. Michael Willoughby reports. How to handle a large residential-commercial building in... View Article

The changing face of window design and specification

Jon Palethorpe, commercial director at architectural aluminium systems specialist, Technal, looks at current trends in window design and specification, and some of the latest technical advancements engineered for high performance windows. In the UK, building regulations are imposing ever more... View Article

The demand for individual expression is on the rise

Paul Hughes, from FunderMax, comments on the rising trend and demand for individual design within the cladding industry, and subsequent challenges. There are numerous challenges that confront facade producers in today’s competitive construction market. All of which have to be... View Article
thermally efficient buildings

Delivering thermally efficient buildings

Lee Davies, technical director at building envelope specialist, CA Group Limited, explains the role of robust detailing in delivering thermally efficient buildings. The issue of improved airtightness has become a key focus for architects both in striving to deliver increasingly... View Article
Building information modeling (BIM)

Plugging the BIM gap

Gordon Moffat, technical manager at CMS, Scotland’s largest door, window and curtain walling manufacturer and installer, discusses the advantages to architects of ‘BIM ready’ contractors and how BIM can optimise building envelope performance. As more and more product and system... View Article
stone

The use of natural stone in modern architecture

Ian Robottom of Lithodecor discusses lightweight natural stone ventilated rainscreen facades and the requirements of modern architecture. The advent of modern architecture has fundamentally changed the way buildings are constructed. This is particularly relevant when looking at how the use... View Article

Building envelope design can improve the overall BREEAM rating

Tom Taylor, Principal Consultant, BRE, explains how excellence in building envelope specification can help achieve BREEAM ratings. The specification of the building envelope has implications for performance against several BREEAM New Construction assessment issues and could potentially have a significant... View Article

DfMA – healthy injection for hospital design?

The advanced off-site manufacturing system, DfMA, 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 before. Stephen Cousins reports... View Article

A hotel fit for a super-hero

Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens is a superhero of many an architect so it’s perhaps fitting that one of his buildings is being reinvented in the centre of Manchester under the name of Hotel Gotham. Jess Unwin reports The Art Deco... View Article

A grand vision for the Ashton Gate transformation

When Bristol City FC owner Steve Lansdown visited Barcelona, he had a vision. Lansdown was not taken just by the club’s iconic Nou Camp stadium, but the plethora of sports clubs that made up Barcelona, which he wants to recreate... View Article
stone

Selecting the correct stone

Stone Federation explores a range of points including the latest CE Marking legislation that affords architects with the information they need to ensure that the right material is chosen for the right application The process of selecting the correct stone... View Article

Creative heating solutions

David Simoes, brand manager at Zehnder Commercial, explores the radical changes to the landscape for heating and cooling products over the past decade Over the past decade the landscape for heating and cooling products has radically changed. With continued investment... View Article

Window specification – time to take a new view?

Set against a backdrop of stringent sustainability requirements and costly energy bills, specifiers are increasingly looking at new ways of designing projects that can help save both money and the environment, including window specification. Mark Wadsworth, managing director of Senior... View Article

Wall protection is no longer just 50 shades of grey

Sally Moores, marketing manager at Yeoman Shield, explains how the practical necessity of a wall protection system can go hand in hand with the aesthetics of interior design Installing a wall protection system, be it protection panels, corner angles, rails... View Article