A challenging undercurrent

Seasoned self-builders Frank and Kerry’s stunning cantilevered house in a picture-postcard location overlooking a gently curved stretch of the Avon is just how the experienced self-builders envisaged it, but a series of unexpected problems tested them to the limit. TEXT... View Article

A visit to a volcano

A redesigned visitor centre in a remote part of Iceland saw a collaboration between British and Icelandic practices to immerse visitors in the landscape, provide an engaging exhibition, and protect users from a harsh climate. Roseanne Field reports. The volcanic... View Article

Life on the edge

Jane Ramsay and Neil Manfield’s self-built home is a love letter to a happy childhood in west Wales. TEXT Alexandra Pratt IMAGES Martin Gardner Perched on a cliff above the west Wales coast, Jane and Neil’s self-built home is all... View Article

The best of both worlds

Cornish housebuilder Legacy Properties’ latest high quality development, in the picturesque Pentewan Valley, combines rural amenity for residents with a contemporary edge, as Roseanne Field reports. The parish of Pentewan Valley in Cornwall stretches three miles from the southern edge... View Article

Conquering the castle

Transformed from a forbidding symbol of Norman power to an accessible heritage destination, Norwich Castle has undergone one of the UK’s most ambitious historic refurbishments. Stephen Cousins reports When William the Conqueror laid siege to England in 1066, ravaging vast... View Article

From coal barges to co-living

AHMM ’s mixed-use development in west London is helping to redefine the role of the Grand Union Canal, connecting heritage inspiration with modern co-living approaches. Stephen Cousins reports. Stretching for over 137 miles, the Grand Union Canal was once a... View Article

A positive angle on net zero

Sustainable housebuilder Greencore Homes’ latest development – The Canopies in Oxfordshire – sets the bar high for industry peers, providing a carbon-positive collection of homes that align with Passivhaus performance levels to go ‘better than net zero.’ Roseanne Field reports.... View Article

Recipe for success

Take one traditional childhood home, deconstruct it, then add delicious curves to whip up a stunning property for chef Andrew Wong and his family. TEXT DEBBIE JEFFERY IMAGES JAMES MCDONALD British-born chef Andrew Wong grew up in the same Pimlico... View Article

The ‘unfinished’ house

Simon Gittings and Lauren Jorgensen gave their 1950s home an extraordinary industrial-inspired makeover and extension, exposing original materials and embracing the principles of reuse and salvage. TEXT Alexandra Pratt IMAGES Agnese Sanvito/OEB A 1950s semi-detached, three-bedroom home is a common sight... View Article

Rising from the rubble

Amy and Adrian Mole self-built their stunning new family home on a disused site adjacent to greenbelt land. TEXT Alexandra Pratt IMAGES Alan Williams (images courtesy of Emrys Architects) Adrian and Amy Mole have managed the impossible: building their dream... View Article

Extracting maximum natural value

A new ‘garden village’ in Cornwall is the result of years of hard work, repurposing former clay quarries into a low carbon settlement with community and green living at its heart. Roseanne Field reports on how LHC Design tackled a... View Article

Modern methods of community-building

Untold Living’s new MMC-built private retirement community in Shropshire aims to reshape what retirement living developments look like, away from a solely ‘care led’ model to promoting independence. Roseanne Field reports. Providing a good range of retirement living options is... View Article

All inclusive

A new SEND school in Stockport is providing a transformed education environment for vulnerable children, with architects AtkinsRéalis setting the bar high for inclusive education design that also embraces nature. Roseanne Field reports On the site where a disused school... View Article

Suffragette City

A development onsite in London’s Tower Hamlets creates a new neighbourhood on where Suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst first proposed improvements to conditions in the East End, over a century ago. Roseanne Field reports. In Bromley-By-Bow in the London Borough of Tower... View Article

New power generation

The transformation of one of the UK’s first electricity power stations into a vibrant youth centre combines a respect for industrial heritage with a high voltage interior that’s designed to excite its teenage users. Stephen Cousins reports. Youngsters are of... View Article

A healthy new life

Lidingödoktorn Health Centre, Sweden White Arkitekter reimagined the historic AGA factory in Stockholm as a healthcare centre that echoes the quality heritage of its predecessor with a sustainability-focused and person-centred building. Alexandra Pratt reports. The relocation of the Lidingödoktorn Health... View Article

Framing the view

When Jo and Louise Roberts decided to build a barn style oak-framed home for their retirement, the plot was quite literally on their doorstep. TEXT DEBBIE JEFFERY IMAGES STEVEN HAYWOOD/CARPENTER OAK LTD Back in 1996, Jo and Louise Roberts bought... View Article

High performance

GT3 Architects’ new Passivhaus leisure centre in Staines has set a new bar for larger leisure projects in terms of both community engagement and building performance. Roseanne Field reports. A leisure centre built in the Surrey town of Staines has... View Article

Curves in the capital

An affordable housing block inspired by Hercule Poirot has distinctive curving brickwork that brings a touch of class to a grey and constrained urban site in London’s East End. Stephen Cousins reports on a challenging project. Fans of the Agatha... View Article

A house of two halves

A chance to design their own home from scratch in their favourite part of London was far too good an opportunity to pass up for Lily Wood and her family TEXT CAROL BURNS IMAGES PHIL COFFEY When Lily and Rob... View Article