Stop costs running away

Collecting rainwater for domestic use is nothing new; it’s been done since Roman times and is still used today in modern, sustainable homes. Jae Lester from RainWater Harvesting looks at how technology has changed, though the principle remains unchanged In... View Article

The rising trend in lifts

People today are generally moving houses less often, indicating they are buying and building homes to live in for many years to come. Alastair Stannah from Stannah looks at how futureproofing your house with a lift can ensure you can... View Article

Unleaded benefits

Water ingress may damage your property or cause wet and dry rot. Nick King from Klober explores the reasons behind choosing lead-free flashings for maintaining a watertight roof, and outlines the installation considerations to be aware of The roof is... View Article

Home Styling: Saving gracefully

Reusing and recycling materials can save huge amounts of energy, as well as costs. Looeeze Grossman explains why refurbished kitchens can be attractively sustainable options There’s no doubt about it, kitchens are expensive. They’re also, usually, the heart of the... View Article

Retiring – but far from shy

Realising their Victorian house would be unsuitable as they approached retirement, Elaine and Tom Devine decided to take matters into their own hands and tackle a new build in their garden, but their timber-framed project faced some planning battles TEXT... View Article

Overheating is out

TuffX’s Paul Higgins explains what the new Part O of the Building Regulations means for glass and glazing in new homes The new Building Regulations Approved Document Part O is designed to tackle overheating in new residential buildings. As the... View Article

Ask the Expert: Insuring peace of mind

Jake Fitness from Self-Build Zone answers some FAQs on how to choose the self-build insurance you need WHEN DO YOU NEED TO INSURE YOUR PROJECT?  As soon as you have completed the conveyancing and bought your plot. The moment you... View Article

Selfbuilder Diaries

We are Laura and Jamie Currie from the Isle of Wight, and we recently embarked upon our first renovation in Gurnard near Cowes, which we are project managing around our day jobs!  We’ve always lived on the island, but in... View Article

Interior Inspiration: Eco Products

As we all continue to pursue more sustainable ways of living, here we have rounded up some products that combine elegant design with eco-friendliness, which we hope will prove inspiring in your project decision-making 1. LifestyleGarden’s Bistro Dining Furniture has... View Article

The best laid plans

Getting a contemporary bungalow design in south London through planning proved to be a nightmare for Giancarlo Rubano. However, with a combination of his dogged determination, support from parents and architects, and some design compromises, he succeeded TEXT TOM BODDY... View Article

Subfloor preparation for refurbishments

Neil Sanders, technical director at F. Ball and Co. Ltd., the UK’s leading manufacturer of subfloor preparation products and adhesives for floorcoverings, advises on preliminary work to achieve optimum results when installing floorcoverings as part of a refurbishment. The first... View Article

Built to last

London Build will return to Olympia London’s Grand Hall from 16–17 November with “more content, networking and entertainment than ever before” This year London Build will welcome over 35,000 visitors, 350 exhibitors and 500 speakers from contractors, developers, architects, specifiers,... View Article

Winning at the panel game

With the market for wall panels growing, Lidia Cetrangolo at Multipanel explains how they are becoming the preferred option for architects in bathrooms Wall panels have been around for decades, and have traditionally been used as an alternative to bathroom... View Article

Practice Profile: MorenoMasey

El Salvador-born Rodrigo Moreno Masey saw an opportunity to set up his own London practice 12 years ago, and hasn’t looked back. He tells ADF’s Laura Shadwell why keeping it simple is the key to success MorenoMasey was created on... View Article

View Point: Professor James Glockling

Professor James Glockling of the Fire Protection Association and RISCAuthority looks at the insurance challenges that must be tackled for mass timber to remain viable for architects as a specification option An inevitable consequence of the net zero 2050 ambition... View Article

The key to avoid slipping up on safety standards

In this article, Mark Hillier, specification manager at leading commercial tile supplier CTD Architectural Tiles, explains what the pendulum test is and its vital role in putting safety first in every project. Each commercial scheme requires a balancing act between... View Article

A fresh approach to green infrastructure

LISTEN HERE Louise Page of GreenBlue Urban details how successful collaboration and implementation of multi-functional SuDS interventions can enable specifiers to maximise the benefits of public space in projects We are all aware of the benefits well-designed green and blue... View Article

Raising a glass

Darren Greenwell of Sto looks at some of the reasons why glazed exteriors remain incredibly popular, with architects continuing to create impressive modern facades in combination with other materials Over 100 years ago, a group of prominent German architects exchanged... View Article

Defence by design

Planned legislation will make safety installations mandatory for entertainment venues, but Mark Stone from Securiscape says architects working on projects in all sectors should take a leaf from its book The cost of living crisis and pandemic may have dominated... View Article