Growing awareness of the need for good indoor air quality (IAQ) is highlighting the many fresh air benefits of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR). A raft of research has pointed to the health impact of breathing in polluted air.
First impressions count and kerb appeal sells houses. Before your customer has even set foot inside one of your homes, they’ve developed an opinion on it. The external infrastructure of a development is often at the bottom of a developer’s priority list, but it helps to create a sense of community and individuality – and makes a real difference to the value of the homes you sell.
Unlike some construction materials, bricks have never gone out of fashion; brick buildings from every era can be seen in most UK towns. They are very much on-trend now; we’re seeing higher demand in particular for regionally appropriate handmade bricks, for both conservation, refurbishment and new-build projects.
New-build developments are continuing to spring up in response to the demand for more housing, and while newly-built houses are traditionally painted throughout in shades of off-white, there’s certainly scope to cater to individual homebuyers’ tastes through the use of colour.
It’s no secret that there has been a rise in projects using highly decorative flooring to create zoned areas, especially where luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) are concerned. This has opened the door for architects and designers to create endless design possibilities. We are seeing a variety of textures and colours, combined with two or more laying patterns, being used to create a sense of order and define open-plan rooms. For example, a living-kitchen space arranged into entertainment and cooking could use a mix of wood grains and pops of colour in a herringbone laying pattern. Alternatively, complementary palettes, from pale woods and pastel stones, to rich timbers and concrete textures can be utilised to deliver an impactful space.
To meet the demands of homeowners and occupiers, diluting style or quality in smaller apartments is not an option. With the right approach to design and layout, developers and designers can transform a compact space into an impressive, high-specification kitchen that ticks all the right boxes for occupiers.
An ultra-modern development has taken its layout from a classic design inspiration – which has signified premium urban living since the days of the Roman Empire.
Established approximately 20 years ago, Staticus is one of the biggest building facade contractors in Northern Europe, with a factory in Lithuania, an R&D centre in Vienna and offices in Norway, Sweden and London. Staticus was appointed by HG Construction on behalf of Alumno Developments to deliver the building facade for the Aspire Point development – student accommodation for Queen Mary University of London.
FDS Consult has provided its expert fire strategy services to the landmark Capital Towers development in East London. The fire engineering specialist was appointed to develop a strategy for its two interconnected, high rise buildings that would ensure the safety of residents while maximising space and reducing costs.
London-based architect firm Nex— has completed a large-scale redevelopment programme at the RAF Museum in Hendon. Opening to coincide with the Royal Air Force centenary in 2018, the multi-million-pound project is the realisation of a masterplan by Agence Ter and Nex—, and the result of an international competition win in 2014.
