The power of aluminium

Aluminium door and window systems offer architects an easy way to introduce unique designs to any residential or commercial property. Andrew Cross at Kestrel Aluminium Systems explains how Architects are, by definition, creative thinkers inspired by the way buildings affect... View Article

Powered by good design

Darren Hyde for the Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA), outlines how to balance safety, security and accessibility requirements when identifying powered pedestrian door (PPD) solutions for commercial buildings There are a variety of challenges that architects and specifiers need to... View Article

View Point: Oliver Lowrie of Ackroyd Lowrie

LISTEN HERE Oliver Lowrie, director and co-founder at Ackroyd Lowrie shares how his firm is championing new talent, and why greater diversity and inclusivity is essential for safeguarding the future of the industry At Ackroyd Lowrie, we are building a... View Article

A singularly caring approach

A new replacement for a 70s hospital which removed valuable parts of central Liverpool, a major new health facility for the city bridges healthcare and academia, restores urban quality, and has more ensuite single rooms than any other UK hospital.... View Article

Protecting tenants from the silent killer

Simon Jones from Kidde Safety Europe explains the role of carbon monoxide alarms in ensuring a robust life safety approach – and why it is so important that the models chosen meet the requirements of EN 50291 Last year, the... View Article

The fight to tackling fuel poverty

Dane Ralston from iOpt Ltd looks at how the internet of things (IoT) can potentially help with fuel poverty and tenant well-being Most people know the definition of fuel poverty. It’s been an issue since the 1970s and has taken... View Article

Why wall panels are the greener option

With the environmental impact of the built environment well known to most, housing managers are always looking for new ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Scott Beattie from Fibo, explores why wall panels can offer a more sustainable option for... View Article

Safer by design

Flooring plays a vital role in the safety as well as the comfort of our lives and is a critical consideration in the social housing, care and retirement sectors. Louise Walters from Designer Contracts explains Providing a comfortable and safe... View Article

Are sub-roof systems the answer?

With increased scrutiny on the state and repair of social housing, when looking at new roof specification, should landlords be thinking about a whole refit, or employing more cost-effective retrofit opportunities? Ardit Strica from Onduline Building Products asks the question... View Article

Grab the productivity benefits of lightweight timber systems

Andrew Orriss of the Structural Timber Association (STA) urges housebuilders to continue to invest in timber frames, exploring how the method can meet sustainability demands as well as those of efficiency and productivity. The UK housebuilding industry has faced numerous challenges in recent... View Article

Bathroom technology: A smart choice

Today’s consumers have lived through some of the biggest technological changes in the home since the industrial revolution. Sophie Weston of Geberit looks at the untapped potential in bathroom spaces that housebuilders can offer.  The ‘hotelisation’ of the home has... View Article

Use the right channels to lighten the load

When it comes to specifying drainage channels, there are vital factors that enable a system to meet requirements of a housing development project. Rob Butcher of ACO Water Management looks at the standards that must be upheld from the earliest... View Article

Growth under threat from demolition

Patrick Mooney, housing consultant and news editor of Housing, Management & Maintenance magazine discusses how the push to demolish ageing buildings could seriously undermine social housing’s growth agenda. Efforts to increase the stock of council housing to meet the growing... View Article

eHome2: to 2025 and beyond

Oliver Novakovic of Barratt Developments takes us inside the Energy House 2.0 test project in Salford, focusing on eHome2 – the three-bedroom family home built by Barratt & Saint-Gobain with a host of product innovations to take it past the... View Article

Delivering social housing that makes a difference

Stephen Wasserman of National Housing Group discusses the keys to delivering good quality ‘eco’ social housing From ITV’s ongoing investigation to young influencer Kwajo Tweneboa’s tireless social media campaigning, social housing is becoming an inescapable subject, and rightly so. Plainly... View Article

A thermal bridge too far?

Following changes to Part L in 2021, carbon emissions in new builds have to be significantly lowered. Simon Hill of Schöck says specifiers need to be aware how greatly thermal bridges can affect insulation values A localised area of the building envelope with... View Article

Housebuilding is still a struggle

Brian Berry, CEO of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), discusses the latest data from the FMB’s State of Trade Survey and finds few reasons to cheer As you will be aware, for too long we have not been building... View Article

The brave new world of low carbon retrofit

A large-scale retrofit project to bring energy efficiency of social housing across Northumberland and County Durham up to a C rating saw a housing association deploying robots to upgrade homes with minimal disruption. James Parker reports. The Socal Housing Decarbonisation... View Article

Shaping the future of buildings & decarbonisation

Installer SHOW – the UK’s largest event for influential installers and specifiers of heat, water, air and energy technology – will discover one of the biggest challenges on the road to net zero, the tools and solutions for decarbonising buildings. ... View Article

Opening up the black box on Part F and ventilation

Following the changes to Part F and Part L of the Building Regulations, housebuilders have been set the challenge of balancing carbon emissions with sufficient airflow to keep homes healthy. The importance of ventilation to health and wellbeing has been... View Article