Placemaking for flood resilience

To avoid surface water flooding, holistic urban design include the ‘sponge city’ concept should include sustainable drainage from the very start, explains Chris Hodson, consultant to trade body MPA Precast Paving. In projects across the world, the ‘sponge city’ concept... View Article

Breaking the spec breakers

Product substitution, otherwise known as ‘breaking spec,’ threatens building performance and raises lifecycle costs. David Grace of K Rend highlights how manufacturers can help protect specifications to ensure design integrity. When a specified product is substituted and changed for one... View Article

IVC Commercial Launches Pionieer 70

Pionieer 70 is the new acoustic heterogeneous vinyl floor from IVC Commercial.  Providing 18dB of impact sound reduction in heavy duty environments, Pionieer 70 is the new acoustic flooring solution from IVC Commercial. With a 0.7mm wear layer and Class... View Article

Colour Updates for Silvertex by Beauflor

Beauflor has updated its popular Silvertex cushion vinyl range with the latest wood and stone looks. With fast and easy installation over old floors thanks to Silver Tex Back, Beauflor’s Silvertex is a competitively priced semi-loose lay cushion vinyl floor... View Article

Vinyl Floors with Certified Pre-Consumer Recycled Content

Unilin Flooring announces certified pre-consumer recycled content for its dryback and engineered vinyl flooring for housing and commercial projects made under the Quick-Step and Moduleo brands. Unilin Flooring, a division of Unilin, specialises in the production of laminate, wood and... View Article

Modernising Timber Manufacturing

Mark Osborne, Managing Director of Country Hardwood, reveals how technological innovation is enabling timber manufacturers to challenge the efficiency of uPVC and aluminium fabrication while maintaining their reputation for quality. The timber fenestration sector stands at a crucial crossroads. While... View Article

W20 windows and doors made clear with SWA’s new fact sheet

The Steel Window Association has developed a series of informative fact sheets; all can be viewed and downloaded here. The latest is the W20 which has been compiled by the industry’s experts. Focusing on the versatility, and evolution, of the established W20 system, the new fact sheet... View Article

Supercharging UK house building

Planning has been approved in Lichfield for a multi-skill apprenticeship training hub, which will shake up house-building training and tackle the construction skills shortage head-on. Part of a planned national network of multi-skill training facilities spearheaded by NHBC, the Lichfield... View Article

First building unveiled at landmark King Cross

The Apex, the first building within London’s largest purpose-built life  sciences development, TRIBECA, has completed in Kings Cross. Designed by Bennetts Associates for  Reef Group, The Apex offers 112,526 sq ft of state-of-the-art office and laboratory space across six  floors.... View Article

The Building Safety Levy Should Not Target Innocent SMEs

Reported by PBC Today, legislation for the Building Safety Levy (BSL) is expected to be published between March and April 2025, with a view for enactment by September 2025. Its remit will target almost all developers, raising serious concerns about... View Article

INSTALLERSHOW 2025 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Building on the success of last year, InstallerSHOW is returning to the NEC from the 24th to the 26th of June with more than 800 of the industry’s biggest brands all under one roof. Spanning three halls to cater for an... View Article

Exposed pipes covered quickly and easily with UK Boxings

Pipe boxing and decorative casings from UK Boxings have been used by housing associations and local authorities for well over 20 years to conceal, heating system, boiler, and fire sprinkler pipework to help improve a project’s finish, reduce time on site and... View Article

The offsite keys to the Future Homes Standard

Will Frost from Saint-Gobain Off-Site Solutions asserts that the Future Homes Standard offers developers a chance to prioritise long-term benefits over short-term cost savings, while reducing carbon emissions. One of the best ways to achieve the ambitious aims of the... View Article

Site Lines: Redefining modular timber

Designer Nick Blunt of WeberHaus highlights how a demonstration project in Germany was created with an aim to “redefine prefabricated timber frame construction,” harnessing contractor-builder collaboration for innovative results. When tasked with designing Villa Blunt, the ambition was clear: to... View Article

Futurebuild: Making an impact with sustainable innovation

Futurebuild 2025 promises to be a pivotal event for architects eager to embrace sustainable design and innovation. Taking place at London Excel from 4-6 March, the 20th edition of Futurebuild will spotlight transformative solutions that address pressing environmental challenges and... View Article

Ask the Architect: Matt Spinks

Matt Spinks from fast-rising Shropshire practice Johnson Design Partnership, answers ADF’s questions on his architectural journey from assistant to director, leadership challenges, and his vision for growing sustainable design. What made you want to pursue a career in architecture? From... View Article

A brighter future

As a celebration of Manchester’s cotton mill past, this major residential scheme by shedkm combines respect for historic fabric with striking minimalist additions to help catalyse regeneration. Stephen Cousins reports. Back in the 19th century, Manchester and the surrounding towns... View Article

Roddy New Homes Appoints New Commercial Manager

Sevenoaks-based housebuilder Roddy New Homes has welcomed Derek Butler as its new Commercial Manager, a key appointment to drive the company’s ambitious growth strategy. Derek brings more than 35 years’ experience in the construction sector to his new role, having... View Article