Major energy efficiency home improvements scheme gathers pace

Gateshead-based contractor Tolent is working to improve the energy efficiency of homes across County Durham after being awarded a £5m contract. Working on behalf of Durham County Council, the contractor is currently retrofitting properties in the Chilton area of the... View Article

UK Construction industry recovery gathering momentum

Glenigan’s June Construction Review shows reasons for cautious optimism across industry Overall outlook is positive, project-starts up 5% on Mar-May 2021, and up 49% on lockdown-disrupted 2020 The value of major projects starting on-site rose by 7% against previous three months... View Article

Smooth start, perfect finish

From Peter Wilson, Setcrete Brand Manager Specifying beautiful floorcoverings for a new property can transform the appearance of a room dramatically. Today there are so many options from traditional carpet to wood, ceramic and porcelain floor tiles and, increasingly, luxury... View Article

Trend predictions from Industville

Biophilic design We are finding more and more customers asking for advice about how to create a sense of wellbeing at home. I predict that human-centric design will be the next big thing in lighting. It is based around the... View Article

Biophilic Retail Experience by Lead8 Opens

Lead8, the international award-winning design firm, has celebrated the opening of The Ring in Chongqing; a ground-breaking ecological retail destination featuring one of China’s largest indoor botanic gardens. The development is a first-of-its-kind for the city – a place that... View Article

Designs taking flight

Eric Nicholls of Spiral UK explores the different options for feature staircases available to housebuilders and developers, detailing the benefits of each. Choosing a staircase sounds easy – after all a staircase has only one function – but why should... View Article

Raising the standard

Steve Cipriano of Vaillant examines the real-world impact of the 2025 Future Homes Standard for England’s housebuilders. The long-awaited publication of the UK Government’s response to the Future Homes Standard (FHS) consultation provided much needed clarity around the direction of... View Article

Controversy over plans to demolish Grenfell Tower

Government plans to demolish Grenfell Tower have been rejected by former tenants and the relatives of residents who lost their lives in the fire, who are putting forward their own plans to turn the building into a “vertical forest”. A... View Article

Allowing more pets in lets

Less than one in ten of private rentals are pet-friendly properties but a new survey from Direct Line has shown that nearly half of landlords back the Government changes to allow ‘well-behaved’ pets in rental flats and houses. A new... View Article