Raising the standard

Jack Wooler explores the architects’ strategy behind a social housing scheme in Much Wenlock, Shropshire – a project which shows how Passivhaus can be achieved in a design that also worked with difficult terrain On the steeply sloping site of Callaughtons... View Article

Forest canopy

Inspired by the ‘Bamboo Forest’ of a nearby national park, the Wuxi Taihu Show Theatre near Shanghai marks the entrance to a huge new tourist attraction in its city. Roseanne Field reports The city of Wuxi sits on the banks... View Article

West End wellness

The Crown Estate’s first coworking venture, in London’s West End, offers a nurturing environment for small businesses in a refurbished building which is also the first Well-accredited project of its kind. James Parker reports A new coworking space completed in... View Article

Climb every mountain

Challenged by steep topography, unspoilt alpine surroundings, and a devastating fire after its initial construction, the creation of a community sports and activity hall brought architect, client and locals together in the Swiss village of Le Vaud. Sébastien Reed speaks... View Article

All hands on deck

The UK’s official agency for shipping and Royal Navy data has a new headquarters in Somerset, designed to push collaboration to the fore, in an open and fluid structure enhanced by timber throughout. Jack Wooler reports on how the AHR-designed... View Article

Flexibility and agility

A new sports centre forms a key part of an ongoing masterplan at Oxford University’s iconic Iffley Road Sports Complex, where Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile. James Parker reports on a highly flexible space with an innovative glass floor... View Article

An open book

An adaptive reuse project in a former Netherlands train depot is being hailed as a sign of things to come for public libraries, with an open design that provides a lot more than just bookshelves. Jack Wooler reports Located in... View Article

A vision of inclusivity

Jack Wooler spoke to the architect of an innovative and sensitive housing project for a mix of visually impaired and open market residents, achieved on a challenging site in Surrey Work is now underway at the Royal National Institute of... View Article

Citadel of care

A new hospital in a sensitive location in Israel combines a state of the art, wellness-oriented healthcare facility with a design for resilience against attacks. Roseanne Field reports. Situated in Ashdod, a large city in southern Israel, the Samson Assuta Ashdod... View Article

Green house effect

Nestled into the Scottish highlands, a new kind of sustainable house design makes a simple, repeatable and inventive structure from abundant local materials to yield big cost savings. Sébastien Reed speaks to architect Gokay Deveci about Integra House Integra House... View Article

Building community links

Linking a housing estate in Bath with a new housing development, BDP’s new community centre and school provides a local landmark that also offers strong links back to the site’s D-Day heritage. James Parker reports The new Community Hub designed... View Article

Vertical integration

Architype’s Eco Business Centre brings flexible shared workspace to eco-town North West Bicester, in what ended up being the UK’s first non-residential Passivhaus Plus accredited building. Sébastien Reed reports There are 6,000 new ‘true’ zero-carbon homes planned for North West... View Article

The big reveal

James Parker speaks to the architect of a complex restoration project in Manchester to create a boutique hotel which enhances industrial Victorian architecture, and celebrates the city’s trading history A new adaptive reuse project in Manchester has rescued three important... View Article

Building a cultural bridge

Jack Wooler spoke to Antti Nousjoki of ALA architects about how Finland’s biggest library combines an inviting ‘bridge’ structure with shifting timber and glass facades The new Oodi Library in Helsinki is a modern take on the building typology, offering... View Article

Concrete contrasts

KAAN Architecten’s scientific research building for a new university campus near Paris plays with the contrasts between its no-nonsense concrete forms and the landscaped setting, while also paying attention to users. Roseanne Field reports Situated just outside a national park, 20... View Article

Circular economy

The new gallery building for Milton Keynes is a simple but highly effective tribute to the optimistic spirit of a 1960s New Town, reports James Parker Often architects talk about their projects being site-specific. They are rarely more imbued with... View Article

Colourful connections

The HU University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands has gained a porous and interconnected new building from schmidt/hammer/lassen, as part of a project to ‘densify’ the school’s assets. Jack Wooler spoke to architect Pim Ijsendoorn about how the design... View Article

Downsizing but not out

Grabbing views over Hackney’s London Fields, PRP’s new alternative offering to the early retirement market offers space to Londoners looking to downsize in style, on a tight site. Sébastien Reed speaks to the project architect Stephen Hynds. Now more commonly associated... View Article

A sociable spoke

A new later-living scheme in Kent provides additional residential units to a burgeoning retirement community. Sébastien Reed speaks to Pellings’ Neil Penfold about the project. The UK’s ageing population poses a host of challenges, from pressures on the domestic economy... 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