Looking up to meet new housing demand

Upward Extensions have the potential to provide a quicker and more cost-effective way of creating new affordable homes – and could be key to meeting current housing demands. Here, David Gatehouse at Langley Structures Ltd explains more about extending upwards... View Article

The beauty, range and versatility of natural stone

David Mahyari, CEO of boutique stone supplier SolidNature, explains the key to creating distinctive kitchens and bathrooms in self-builds. Natural stone should be a priority when planning a new kitchen or bathroom as it’s sustainable, versatile and adds an element... View Article

Sustainability, style and substance

Latest research from Waterwise estimates that over 2 billion litres of water is used each day across Britain through showering, the equivalent to almost 800 Olympic size swimming pools. With the Environment Agency predicting an extra 3.6 billion litres of... View Article

Going green on the Government

Offering homeowners grants of up to £10,000 for energy-saving home improvements, Jack Wooler explores the Government’s Green Homes Grant, explaining what it is, what it can do for you, and how to apply. Able to fund up to two-thirds of... View Article

Origami House

Eve Dennehy of Structur Communications explores Origami House, a one bedroom garden building at a family home in West London that features complex geometry in its folded plate ‘origami’ style roof. Over the past ten years the average age of... View Article

It’s time for timber!

Despite being commonly used within a wide range of building projects, timber still fights against the misconception that it’s too flammable for use as a construction material. Whilst timber does burn, the material is able to provide the highest levels... View Article

Keeping safe with passive fire protection

Despite its importance, there’s considerable evidence to show passive fire protection solutions are being ineffectively designed, specified and installed in buildings. In this article, Craig Wells, Sales Director at Quelfire discusses the benefits of passive fire protection and how specifiers... View Article

Take control of underfloor heating

Specifying products that not only contribute to a building’s overall efficiency, but enhance how the interior space is used too, will be high on any self-builder’s agenda. Choosing a heating system can have a huge part to play, not only... View Article

Slate: the perfect material for every architectural design

Slate is becoming more widely recognised for its vast design versatility, above and beyond traditional build and ideal for use across an array of modern roofing and cladding projects. Here Julian Gomez, Director of Marketing at CUPA PIZARRAS looks at the features and... View Article

Building productive IT Infrastructure post-Covid

In 2020, the Covid-19 lockdown significantly impacted businesses operating in the construction industry, with several non-essential building projects being placed on hold. Now, as the sector begins to adapt to a new normal, Matt Newman, Account Director at IT Managed Service... View Article

Firestopping and the design of penetration seals

A service penetration through a fire-separating element may well be viewed as a minor element of a compartment wall or floor, but their importance cannot be understated. We talk to Bob Westcombe, UK Fire Protection Manager at ROCKWOOL about mechanical... View Article

Extinguishing fire safety myths

Fire Safety has and always will be a well-documented subject, with various experts and regulatory bodies sharing key insights that save lives. Despite this, practical knowledge can sometimes be overshadowed by false information and myth. Karen Trigg of Allegion UK... View Article

Care Homes – time for a change

‘Care Homes should be seen very much places to go to live rather than places to die, their design should reflect this and we shouldn’t assume anything when anticipating tastes and preferences of older generations.’ James Potter of WGP Architects. When... View Article

Glass; so much more than just a window

By Chris Davis, composites manager at H B Fuller:Kommerling and Vice Chairman of the GGF Laminators and Tougheners committee Look at any international city’s newest buildings and they will undoubtedly be architectural wonders, built predominantly from glass, with a steel... View Article