Thanks to the lockdowns, people have been appreciating outdoor space like never before and properties offering it are bound to be in higher demand in future. Will this desire to access the great outdoors be part of the post-pandemic normal and, if so, how can housebuilders meet the need in urban and high-density developments? The … Read more
If the Government wants to get to Net Zero by 2050, it’s going to have to do something pretty drastic about decarbonising homes. Find out why it’s PAS 2035 Retrofit programme is unlikely to do the job, and how Passivhaus (as ever) could be the answer. One of the apparent benefits arising from the lockdowns … Read more
For some parents, virtual world builder Minecraft is a shocking waste of their kids’ time; for others it’s a welcome distraction during the dog days of lockdown. But is Minecraft-as-STEM the way to engage the next generation of engineers, architects and designers? In these dog days of lockdown, there can hardly be a parent unaware … Read more
At the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, construction was stuck between a rock and a hard place. It had to continue as many projects were and are essential and, plainly, sitework does not translate into homework. Simultaneously, working practices and the nature of sites made social distancing difficult-to-impossible. As the crisis has accelerated change for … Read more
National crises are often accompanied by the claim that we’re all in it together. Of course, the realities of life mean it is impossible that being ‘in it’ will be a universal experience. A case in point during the coronavirus crisis is access to, or ownership of, outdoor, especially green, space. What has been termed … Read more
Delighted to announce that Facta has been appointed by the UK’s leading manufacturer of sustainable drainage, water management and green infrastructure solutions. We’ve teamed up with Polypipe Civils & Infrastructure to roll out a new direction for the company and an innovation strategy that will shape the future of the entire water management industry. Our … Read more
Sad sign of the times when we go on site to be told “Don’t mention the lead” in a case study because of the sensitivity to theft.
An article in the Financial Times suggested that the UK construction industry was approaching its ‘Uber moment’. The reason? The use of offsite production to slash programmes and cost. For those of us with long memories it’s easy to be cynical. We’ve heard this before. Remember Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott’s Design for Manufacture competition back in … Read more
We love projects like this one. These 100-year-old bricks have just been laid for the second time in their lives in a great project that combines a heritage building with new-build. These projects require more capital investment, yet by restoring and reviving old buildings, how much more value do they – and we – add to communities and urban environments?
