Ask the Architect – gpad London

Claudia Iannantuoni from fast-growing commercial and residential practice gpad answers ADF’s questions on what makes her tick Why did you become an architect? I come from Brianza, northern Italy, an area with many interior design and furnishing workshops. My uncle... View Article

Future Watch – Back to the future

Professor Steve Goodhew of the University of Plymouth reports on the CobBauge project, which is seeking to bring a traditional sustainable building material up to date and into line with thermal Building Regulations Building using earth in its unfired form... View Article

Clearly beautiful

Tanzeela Yasin of IQ Glass explains the aesthetic benefits of including frameless glass balustrades in your project, but also the safety considerations that you need to take into account. Frameless glass balustrades are becoming a popular glazing feature across many... View Article

The building blocks of driveway success

Lee Dunderdale of Bradstone spells out everything you need to know about block paving a driveway, from planning, design and excavation through to the key aspects of installation, and finishing touches For those who have embarked upon a self-build or... View Article

The lap of luxury

Paul Bailey of Grohe UK offers tips to self-builders on how to add a luxurious feel to your bathroom, whether you’re working to a tight budget, or you are ready to ‘splash some cash’ The term ‘luxury bathroom’ is no... View Article

BIM for all

Adrian Wild, founder of Integro Construction Software, looks at why smaller housebuilders and developers are missing out on practical BIM software solutions which could bring a range of benefits. Feature-heavy CAD and Building Information Modelling software products are popular with... View Article

Change is in the air

In the wake of the Hackitt review, Paul King of Vicaima explains the changing landscape around fire doors. Government departments are poring over technical data and preparing new directives, and trade bodies are examining every aspect of potential market implications.... View Article

Window shopping

Tom Swallow of Quickslide Windows & Doors discusses some of the key performance and aesthetic considerations when selecting windows. Windows are crucial to the design of a home. Not only do they take the brunt of the elements such as... View Article

Balconies: Bridge the gap

Lee Barber of Balcony Life explains the benefits of, and methodology behind, bolt-on cantilevered steel balconies designed to avoid thermal bridging. Bolt-on cantilevered steel balconies are an architectural feature which are becoming increasingly popular in both the construction of new... View Article

View Point – James Potter, WG+P Architects

James Potter from WG+P Architects takes a look at how the process of identifying your practice’s USP as part of marketing can reveal some interesting truths I’ll start with a plug for some excellent IT consultants, called DP-IT. They have... View Article

Wellness at heart

Racheal Cadey of Edge Architecture + Design explains how The Crown Estate’s new head office in London became the first WELL Platinum certified workplace in Europe, by putting wellness principles at the heart of the design There is a growing... View Article

Blocks of colour

aLL Design took on a residential project in Docklands to not only add colour, character and sustainability for a mix of residents, but also to solve a spatial efficiency puzzle for the client, as James Parker discovers The practice founded... View Article

The gentle art of conservation

A historic Hong Kong police compound and prison have been restored and developed into a new centre for heritage and arts, in the largest heritage project the area has seen. Gary Sparrow from Purcell explains to Jack Wooler how the... View Article

Seal the deal

Richard Osborne of LTP Ecoprotec looks at the options for sealing outdoor surfaces, and the benefits that each can bring to projects. When discussing the best sealer for a job, it’s generally assumed that it’s for use indoors – for... View Article

Living in harmony

Combining a contemporary music college with a mix of residential accommodation, The Music Box is a new landmark for Southwark. Trevor Morriss, principal architect, explains to Jack Wooler how uses were carefully integrated to create a unique hybrid Connecting a... View Article

A vital force

Steven Holl Architects’ Maggie’s Cancer Centre at London’s oldest hospital is wrapped in a translucent facade, which takes historic musical design cues to enliven its interior and exterior. Sébastien Reed reports St. Bartholomew’s hospital (‘Barts’) in the City of London... View Article

Ask the Architect – Tiago Pereira

Tiago Pereira, partner at top five Danish practice Schmidt Hammer Lassen answers ADF’s questions; including on making the move to Copenhagen, and balancing a host of tasks in a busy design office Why did you become an architect? That’s a... View Article

Sounding out the benefits

Ed Peltor of Rockwool UK says that considerations of the benefits of insulation go well beyond thermal performance to acoustics and fire, when looking the whole building envelope It’s time to look for more from insulation than just thermal performance.... View Article