Features
Endless colours, clean, modern lines and green credentials – what more could you want for a 21st-century facade? James Ormerod, Managing Director of architectural finishes firm Aliva UK, explains why insulated render is well worth considering.
In 2017, the average UK household spent £102 per month on electricity and gas, accounting for nearly 5% of the UK’s average household budget. Nicolas Tye, Principal Architect at Nicolas Tye Architects, explores how following an ecological principle for a property’s design – particularly with regard to the strategic installation of glazing – can significantly improve a home’s energy efficiency, whilst simultaneously reducing its associated energy costs.
In October, the British Board of Agrément, in conjunction with Local Authority Building Control, launched 100% Hackitt, a joint venture to press the Government to introduce all 53 of Dame Judith Hackitt’s recommendations. Claire Curtis-Thomas, Chief Executive of the BBA, discusses why the initiative is important and how the industry can get behind it.
With immigration, the economy and trade being at the forefront of the Brexit discussion over the last two years, little noise has been made about the impact this will have on the country’s construction industry, comments Michael Slater, Regional Operational Manager at Western Thermal.
Located on the river in Hexi New Town – Nanjing’s new central business district (CBD) – majestically stands another masterpiece from the house of Hadid. The Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre subtly lives up to the enchantress of architecture Hadid’s nickname, the ‘queen of curves’.
Human-centred design isn’t a new concept, but with a growing body of research highlighting its important role in boosting workplace productivity, it has become a key consideration for architects and interior designers, writes Laura Light, Interface Concept Design Team Leader.
Today, Alton Towers is best known as a theme park resort, home to Nemesis, Oblivion, The Smiler and new for 2018, Wicker Man. Yet, before the Corkscrew revolutionised the park back in 1980, the estate had been the property and home of the Talbots, Earls of Shrewsbury, for 700 years. At the heart of the park sits a reminder of this heritage, the iconic Towers, one of the greatest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Britain.
In construction, waterproofing is a process of making a building or structure waterproof or water-resistant, so it remains protected from the effects of water penetration or enables the ingress of water within a specified or controlled manner.
Scotland – synonymous with pristine landscape, harsh weather and, of course, whisky. Whisky has been distilled in Scotland for hundreds of years.
Over 30,000 buildings worldwide are accredited to the Passivhaus standard, with that figure continuing to rise as the global pressure to create energy-efficient buildings increases. Here Nicolas Tye, Director at Nicolas Tye Architects, shares his insight into the approach architects can take when designing and building Passivhaus-accredited buildings for both the residential and commercial sectors, particularly with regard to the importance of rooflights.
