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Latest Opinion
Life on the high street: The case for office-to-resi conversions
If we are thinking creatively about where we can deliver new homes for people, then these conversions are a compelling option, write Catrina Stewart and Hugh McEwen
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How systems thinking can safeguard placemaking in the next generation of new towns
The UK has a rare opportunity to rethink how new towns are delivered and governed and ensure we move from fragmented, output-driven development toward genuinely place-led settlements that create lasting legacies, Alison Coutinho writes
Barnsley’s success is still no defence against populism
Despite extensive investment and a highly successful town centre regeneration scheme, the long-standing Labour administration was swept from power last week. David Rudlin considers the reasons
Why early collaboration is the key to successful fit-out projects
In today’s complex construction industry, against a backdrop of political and economic uncertainty, the traditional sequential approach to fit-out projects has given way to more collaborative models. In fact, there is a fundamental rethinking of how projects should be delivered. James Woolfrey explains why early engagement and a multi-disciplinary approach ...
Rethinking space in high-density buildings
As buildings grow taller and more compact, the space required for drainage systems has become a critical design consideration. Antony Corbett explains how innovative drainage solutions are allowing architects and developers to maximise usable space – without compromising functionality or quality
The Royal Festival Hall is 75 years old – and I have played a small part in keeping it very much alive
Eleanor Jolliffe has just published a book which celebrates the history of one of London’s best-known buildings. It is fair to say that she enjoyed the experience
Is architecture in crisis?
There is a growing sense among younger architects that the profession they trained so hard to join may not offer a viable long-term career. Institutions like RIBA must step forward to challenge the norms that have led us here, writes Martyn Evans
Inclusive workplace design – designing for dignity, not just access
Mark Shepherd argues accessible workplace design must move beyond basic compliance if it to support autonomy and enable equal participation
Regulate what architects do, not what we’re called
Fire safety, design coordination and specification decisions are being made across complex teams. A function-led approach to regulation would focus scrutiny where risk sits, regardless of a person’s professional title
Single industry regulator is a chance to frame more sensible oversight for architects
It makes no sense for architects to be regulated while other critical built environment professions are not, writes Jack Pringle, chair of the RIBA board
Single industry regulator is a chance to frame more sensible oversight for architects
It makes no sense for architects to be regulated while other critical built environment professions are not, writes Jack Pringle, chair of the RIBA board
What Stage 0 entails – and why it matters
Eva Diego says it is vital architects are involved in projects earlier – especially when it comes to retrofit
Repeal, reserve, regulate – but is it only half an argument?
Architectural education needs to be reformed in parallel with moves to replace the ARB, writes Tim Burgess
Happy days: The early 90s, Urban Splash and a time of creativity and risk
Following a recent conversation with one of the Urban Splash founders, David Rudlin wonders whether we can ever rediscover the time when property was the new rock and roll
Towards a more public architecture: Five ways to recalibrate procurement
The next generation of architects wants to contribute to public work but faces a system stacked against them. Nasios Varnavas and Era Savvides have some solutions…
What Wren’s exit tells us about the professional indemnity insurance market
The mutual insurer’s decision to wind down reflects a system stretched by cladding claims, extended liabilities and shifting regulation. Denise Chevin argues we need to find a way to share risk more fairly
Security by design – rethinking public spaces in the era of Martyn’s Law
Richard Hilson says architects can use the principles of crime prevention through environmental design to make public spaces safer, using spatial planning, circulation logic, and environmental cues to reduce vulnerability, support risk assessment obligations, and enhance user confidence
Now is the time to take stock of architecture’s economic position
Architecture has in many ways typified the economic story of the UK since the Second World War. We are currently – and worryingly – becoming more and more exposed to global economic forces, writes Eleanor Jolliffe
Designing for tomorrow means delivering beyond compliance today
Manuela Fazzan argues architects, specifiers and developers must got beyond basic compliance to embed resilience, adaptability and sustainability into new homes if they are to meet future as well as current housing needs
Can the Future Homes and Buildings Standard deliver on its promise?
The homes element of just launched new energy regulations promises big savings on bills. It’s a pity that the benefits will come too late to help with the impact of the current energy crisis, writes Thomas Lane
Why texture is replacing flat surfaces in modern interiors
Paul Moody explains what’s behind the trend away from smooth surfaces towards texture in interior design
Why coastal regeneration requires a new narrative
Coastal towns are central to our national identity, but too often revival strategies fail to reflect their distinct challenges. David Atkinson, director of development and investment at Willmott Dixon’s development business, argues that the sector needs to creatively rethink its approach
With healthcare buildings facing tougher conditions, how can performance keep up?
As healthcare buildings are asked to do more, under more extreme weather conditions and with less margin for error, Colin Rees argues the solution lies in using digital tools to narrow the gap between design intent and operational reality
The explosive growth of courses and classes in traditional design
A new and flourishing interest in traditional architecture and urban design is taking place around the world, challenging the dogmatic conventions of our profession and education, writes Robert Adam
While we are renovating our HQ at Portland Place, we must also renovate our profession
Architecture is at a low ebb and needs a reboot – we are ready to take it on, writes Jack Pringle, chair of the RIBA board
In CyanLines, Manchester has a green connectivity vision that other cities should follow
This legible, connected network of canals, rivers, parks, towpaths and tree-lined streets should mean that walking and cycling across the city region becomes not an afterthought but a defining feature of urban life, writes Martyn Evans
New towns can work, but only if we learn how to deliver them properly
Delivery structures, governance and long-term stewardship are just as important as the housing numbers attached to this next generation of new towns, Tom Mitchell at Metropolitan Workshop writes
We must strengthen national urban design guidance and apply it to greenfield developments
The government must go further to deliver a faster approval process and more efficient use of land as well as higher standards of urban design, a group of housing experts write
Architecture is the missing piece in the UK’s creative industry ambitions
UK film and high-end television production spend rose by 17% to about £5.5bn in the first nine months of 2025. Oliver Tyler, managing director at WilkinsonEyre, explains why developments such as Marlow Film Studios will be crucial to its continued success
Engineering the future: We already have the materials and the techniques to transform how we build
Decarbonising our industry means prioritising existing buildings, treating them as structural and material resources, and rediscovering efficient forms and the craft behind the processes that earlier builders refined under constraint, writes Rob Nield
Natural does not necessarily mean durable: why we need to think again about how we specify stone
Kristian Goodenough makes the case for rethinking how stone is specified – better informed by geology, performance characteristics and detailing
Energy-efficiency retrofits don’t have to create damp and mould – but only if they are tackled in the right way
Barrie Francis argues there is no need for retrofits to cause damp problems – providing the right steps are followed…
Stagnation and regeneration? A tale of two Scottish cities
Despite being just 40 miles apart, development prospects in Edinburgh and Glasgow could hardly be more different, Rab Bennetts writes
My response to the new Design Planning Policy Practice Guidance
Consultation on the latest guidance ended earlier this week. David Rudlin considers what it got right – and where it went wrong
