Features

In this article, David Hopkins, the Chief Executive of Timber Development UK, highlights the latest trends dominating the 2022 Wood Awards.

The first of its kind in the world, a new neuroscience centre designed by BIG will bring together psychiatry and neuroscience under one roof to combine groundbreaking science and treatment of physical and mental brain diseases, spinal cord and nervous systems. BIG’s 19,000m2 design proposal for Aarhus University Hospital mimics the gyrification of the human brain to utilise the limited site area most efficiently while creating synergies between the different disciplines within the hospital.

Set along the western boundary of the Milano Innovation District (MIND) – a recently-developed neighbourhood bringing together cutting-edge scientific research and education, business and leisure facilities northwest of central Milan – MAD Architects, led by Chinese Architect Ma Yansong, has unveiled renderings of a monumental gateway complex.

While urban agriculture is nothing new – with people having sought ways to grow more in less space and with less soil for centuries – it’s certainly offering a very attractive opportunity for those who are actively looking for new ways to incorporate sustainable living into their daily lives.

Alex Richards is a Partner at Hollaway Studio, where he manages the Kent and London studios alongside Guy Hollaway and the team, working on a range of exciting projects from feasibility to construction. After leaving school, Alex worked his way up in an architect’s practice and managed to secure a place to study architecture in Scotland, where he graduated with a First Class degree. In this Q&A, Alex shares his thoughts on his most notable project to date, his approach to designing projects, sustainability in architecture, the greatest challenge for architects today and his advice for newly-qualified architects.

Plants in the office are a trend on the rise, acclaimed by employers and employees alike. Not only do they improve aesthetic qualities and bring life to indoor spaces, they make people’s lives and well-being better. Biophilic design is a concept that goes well with modern office spaces, which have stopped being merely facilities for business duties and have expanded into places for socialising. This turn of events was appreciated by many employees during the Covid lockdowns which reduced opportunities for human interaction. Learn about the benefits of nature in the office space and how to bring biophilic design into your business.

Lisa Stephens, Building Envelope Product Manager at ROCKWOOL UK, explains the benefits of recladding and which factors need to be considered when planning a new recladding project.

MVRDV, as part of a team named North Creek Collective, has presented a series of proposals for the City of Vancouver to adapt waterfront buildings, landscape and infrastructure to accommodate to rising sea levels.

Vetro, London’s newest collection of limited-edition apartments, has completed, marking Westferry as a new residential destination in east London.

Some would say there are three pillars in construction: quality, sustainability and compliance. Today, compliance is arguably number one. For architects and designers, the clearest evidence of this is likely the enormous regulatory overhaul reflected in the Building Safety Act 2022. However, the compliance landscape is also being reshaped in ways that might not be so visible to architects and designers. Richard Powell, Roofing Sales Manager at Ravago Building Solutions UK, probes deeper.