Taking a view on balcony safety

While the aesthetic appeal of glass Juliette balconies are undeniable, installing them is not without its issues in terms of efficiency and safety. CRL’s Simon Boocock takes a look at the safety challenges and how to combat them. Juliette balconies... View Article

What will tenants seek post-Covid?

Stuart Nicholson of Marley explores new research on the way Covid experiences have altered the views of social housing residents when it comes to their homes and the surrounding area The Government has clearly pinpointed the nation’s housing stock as... View Article

Stamping out fire door neglect

Fire door specification is one of the most crucial decisions landlords and housing providers can make, with the technology forming an essential part of a building’s passive fire protection system. Jack Wooler spoke to Helen Hewitt of the British Woodworking... View Article

A holistic approach to heat loss mitigation

Paddy Leighton of Huntsman Building Solutions-Icynene explains why minimising air leakage must go hand in hand with better insulation. Better insulation of domestic households is seen as one of the most important ways of reducing carbon emissions and slowing the... View Article

What is PAS 2035?

Richard Jenkins of Nuaire explains what PAS 2035 is, and how local housing authorities can improve their ventilation strategies. PAS 2035 is the latest publicly available specification for low-energy domestic retrofit from the British Standards Institution (BSI). It provides the... View Article

Invest in long-term savings

Patrick Mooney, housing consultant and editor of Housing, Management & Maintenance, explores why recent hikes in spending on temporary accommodation for the homeless highlights the urgency to build more social housing. The case for building tens of thousands of new... View Article

Go neutral on nutrients

David Stagg of Graf UK looks at a key environmental responsibility issue which is hitting developments across the UK – namely nutrient over-enrichment from sewage – and what housebuilders can do to address the issue. Two years ago, Natural England... View Article

Making homes fit for the future

Brian Berry, CEO of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), explores a potential, more sustainable future for housebuilding in the UK. This summer’s floods – and last year’s heatwaves – remind us of the importance of future-proofing Britain’s homes. Ventilation... View Article

Building a new reputation

Sean Welch of Forticrete explores how architectural masonry has the potential to move beyond its heartland in the commercial sector, and create a ‘new generation’ of residential properties. While concrete masonry blocks have been around for decades, they have traditionally... View Article

Solving the car conundrum

Carl Pittam, development director at Ubeeqo, discusses the benefits of including shared transport facilities in new build developments to address eco goals. There is no question that tackling long-term environmental impact is a big challenge for housebuilders. And this is... View Article

An MMC revolution?

Graham Edward, managing director at Edward Architecture, answers some of the industry’s most pressing questions around modular housing, as the MMC revolution gathers pace. We are finding that local authorities and housing associations represent the core of the modular client... View Article

Using SuDS to add value

GreenBlue Urban looks at how the appropriate specification of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) can add tangible value to developments, beyond flood mitigation. Using Sustainable Drainage features calls on developers, designers, and planners to adopt a new way of thinking,... View Article

The sustainable showering solution

Martin Walker of Methven shares advice on the types of showering technologies to specify to successfully reduce developments’ water usage without compromising on performance or aesthetics. In 1960 around 85 litres of water were used per person, per day. Fast... View Article

Modern methods of regeneration

A modular regeneration company has integrated its new house design within a burgeoning project to revitalise a deprived part of Manchester. Chris Shaw, director of delivery at Urban Splash, describes the factory-built offerings to Jack Wooler. In Stubbs Mews, New... View Article

Great expectations

A mix of 40 high-end and local authority homes are being constructed in a desirable Cambridgeshire village. Jack Wooler reports on how Hayfield Homes delivered its first scheme in the county. 40 new properties are being delivered by Hayfield Homes... View Article

Don’t get in a spin

James White of Record UK breaks down the various factors to consider when specifying a revolving automatic door. Revolving doors are a great way to create a grand, visually stunning and welcoming entrance to a building. They also prevent unwanted... View Article

Taking full ownership

In a project that saw a return to the Master Builder approach, Tikari Works took the role of not only architect, but also developer and contractor on a CLT-framed residential scheme in Peckham – achieving a high quality result in... View Article

Beautifully safe

David Pringle of Bailey Street Furniture Group says that as we venture out to town centres as lockdown eases, sadly the continued terrorism threat means a focus on aesthetic features with hidden security capability Many cities across the globe are... View Article

On a mission

A sensitive restoration of a dilapidated but listed ‘Mission Hall’ in west London posed a series of challenges, not least ensuring that external fixtures such as rainwater goods met strict authenticity criteria. Neil Davies Architects report on the project The... View Article