Natural building materials used thousands of years ago are growing in popularity today. The most dramatic are marble and terrazzo and it is very easy to see why these high-performance, aesthetically-led products are still so popular and specification demand for them is escalating.

Boudewijn Tuinenburg, Managing Director of leading lead sheet manufacturer Midland Lead, discusses why lead offers such a magnificent finishing touch to a build and highlights the importance of using patination oil to perfect the job.

The past 20 years has seen the demand for physical security products significantly increase. In response to the security threats posed to modern society, there is a continued trend in the installation of turnstiles and security doors in public buildings.

There can be no doubt that there has been a trend in recent years towards an open-plan style of living within the kitchen and living room area. The kitchen has become more than just a food preparation area and this means that the space has to be frequently adapted for a multi-purpose to accommodate dining, living, a home media area and socialising, says Neil McDonald, Design Manager at Moores.

There has been much debate on social media of late about the inaccessibility of wheelchair-accessible toilets, says Kelvin Grimes, Away From Home Project Manager at Clos-o-Mat.