Features
Sited in southwestern France, near the Pyrenees, the city of Toulouse is steeped in history with 16th- and 19th-century structures, Gothic churches and Medieval villages. Known as France’s fourth-largest city after Paris, Lyon and Marseille, the ‘pink city’ – as Toulouse is informally known, due to its abundance of terracotta-bricked buildings – has it all; the pleasant, picturesque towns and villages, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a university dating back to 1229. One thing that remained missing, however, is a modern-day, sky-reaching tower that rises above the historical streets of the city looking out across the charming panorama of the Pyrenees. Thanks to American-Polish Architect, Daniel Libeskind, this is set to change with the addition of a curvaceous design enshrouded in flora, known as the Occitanie Tower.
Over recent months, China has been stealing the spotlight of FC&A’s portfolio pages. This month, the light beams radiantly on the south coast of the east Asian country on a region that’s echoing the vibrancy and neon-lined streets of Las Vegas. Macau, sited on the western side of the Pearl River, is hitting the headlines both here in the UK and across the globe as Asia’s answer to America’s ‘sin city’; however, it’s not only the wealth of casinos bordering the kitsch streets that’s pulling in the attention of tourists, it’s also the redefined Macau skyline.
Almost a year on from the devastating Grenfell Tower blaze, the ordered Hackitt Review was delivered at the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee session on Thursday 17th May. While many welcomed some aspects of the review, others weren’t as accepting when it came to the review falling short of banning combustible cladding. Here, FC&A looks at some of the responses from both the industry and the public realm.
A key trend in external and internal architecture is towards glass balustrades. While the aesthetics are unarguably very appealing, there are a number of considerations for specifiers to be aware of. Simon Boocock, Managing Director of CRL, takes a look.
BCO-award-winning architectural practice, gpad london, has completed a 5705ft² new-build reception extension at Brunel House, Fitzalan Road, Cardiff. The lightweight glass and steel extension juxtaposes the existing Brutalist architecture of the 15-storey mass concrete office building. A new entrance with reception, external landscaping and signage gives the building an enhanced facelift and new brand identity.
The replacement of thermally-inefficient balconies during old housing stock renovation and retrofitting balconies to office-to-residential conversion is in demand. But it is crucial that dedicated solutions are chosen for the task and that the products can provide verifiable performance values, says Chris Willett, Managing Director of Schöck.
In a sector where brands are always looking at new ways of catching the eye of the consumer, the design of shops, department stores and retail developments can play a huge role in increasing both footfall and sales. Chris Murray, Contractor Developer Manager with leading fenestration designer and manufacturer Senior Architectural Systems, takes stock of what specifiers should consider when picking out the perfect glazing package.
Stewart Dalgarno, Director of Product Development at Stewart Milne Group – the independent, award-winning house-builder and leading timber systems manufacturer – discusses how utilising digital technologies in the design and build process can bring added value and yield savings for UK house-builders.
A brick finish remains as popular as ever within British architecture but traditional methods of brick building have been challenged for some time now by the flexibility of brick slip cladding which offers a quick, easy and robust solution for new-build and retrofit projects, whether installed on- or off-site.
Dr Richard Coulton, CEO at Siltbuster, talks to FC&A about what the Environment Agency’s new Regulatory Policy Statement means for those working within the construction industry.
