What will our cities look like in a post-COVID-19 era? 3deluxe was commissioned by New York-based organisation #WeThePlanet (WTP) to create an inspirational structure that nurtures and investigates new opportunities for people-friendly architecture in harmony with nature. Here, FC&A explores the German firm’s forward-thinking campus that projects a future where people and nature can live harmoniously alongside one another.
Matt Hollis from Commodore Design, the specialist in quality kitchens for residential developments, discusses the role of future trend analysis in aligning kitchen specification with style influences that appeal to buyers when properties are ready to market.
Tracey Jackson, Business Development Manager for Howells Patent Glazing, looks at the importance of natural light in combatting the ill-effects of the pandemic and how rooflights will be an important architectural tool in designing happy, healthy buildings.
Spacious and airy, relishing in light from both north and south aspects, and with private timber-clad balconies, Paxton House is a far cry from the usual commercial-to-residential conversion in London.
Proposed changes to legislation will see more trees and planting in housing developments and city centres. Let’s re-use storm- and rainwater to keep them green, urges Michael White, Development Director at Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation.
There is a growing urgency for efficient infrastructure and sustainable strategy when it comes to lowering the impact of construction on the environment by shrinking its footprint. It has become less of a buzzword and more of a shared responsibility amongst contractors, as urban construction becomes a common, fixed part of our everyday scenery – our homes, offices, marketplaces and coffeehouses.
The building envelope makes a significant contribution to overall energy usage – therefore, tighter U-values in walls, floors and roofs is absolutely key. It’s why getting the design right from the outset is far less costly than retrofitting later. Here, Ben Cheetham, Specification Manager at Keystone Lintels, looks at the benefits of a one-piece thermally-efficient lintel including low thermal conductivity performance, buildability, improved SAP calculations and why they are up to five times more thermally efficient than standard lintels.
Over recent years, there has been a significant rise in societal interest in, and commitment to, finding sustainable ways to live. More recently, in these pandemic-addled times, there has been a growing awareness of the positive impact of simply being outside and connected with nature. Using natural, ecologically-sound building materials and creating connections with the natural world outdoors are the two cornerstones of biophilic architectural design. These principles can be applied to create learning spaces that enhance the physical and mental wellbeing of today’s occupants while preserving the environment for future generations.
James Brett, Director of London-based construction contractor, Edgeley Construction, discusses the importance of building pre-construction into the main contractor’s package.
The need for healthy homes has hardly ever been more apparent than during the current global condition. The current efforts to reduce the negative impacts of buildings are inadequate. Therefore, the built environment must be designed in a different way. To bring regenerative, collective habitation to all scales of development, Amsterdam architecture practice GG-loop, sharing the vision with Arup, is developing Mitosis: a modular building system created by a parametric design tool following biophilic and user-centric design principles.
