- Home
- Events
2025 events calendar Explore now 
Keep up to date
Find out more
- Programmes
Opinion
Latest Opinion
Things fall apart; the centre cannot build
Austin Williams explores the gap between official optimism and the everyday experience of citizens navigating crumbling services and a deepening housing crisis
Advertisement
Advertisement
More Opinion
Architecture in Scotland: micro-businesses, major challenges
Rab Bennetts begins his new column for BD with a look at Scotland’s architectural landscape, shaped by small practices, challenging procurement and a tough economic climate
Unlocking MMC housing: why digital transformation and industry standardisation are essential
Anne Daw and Katie Rudin make the case for how digitisation, through the new Digital Kit of Parts, can unlock the potential of MMC
Rural America offers a warning on planning that Britain should heed
Chris Fogarty argues that Britain’s planning system, however frustrating, has helped prevent the rural decline visible across much of the United States
Why building a culture of viability is key to safeguarding quality in major housing programmes
Alison Coutinho argues that by prioritising viability from the outset, housing schemes can avoid delays and achieve better outcomes
Finding glory in the everyday process of architecture
From site meetings to snagging lists, Eleanor Jolliffe explores how the ordinary grind of construction can still reveal moments of beauty
Heritage and post-conflict reconstruction in Mosul
Drawing on her years of experience in Iraq, Tanvir Hasan considers how Mosul’s recovery depends not only on iconic heritage sites but also on sustaining the living culture of the city
The rise of single-family housing: Why BTR’s future is suburban
Emily Newton explores how Single Family Housing is reshaping Build to Rent, with new investment, suburban intensification and the chance for better placemaking
How we live: reconnecting architecture with sociological thinking
Félicie Krikler calls for housing design to catch up with the realities of modern life
The Housing Forum CEO role is a chance to shape the future of housing
As it seeks a new boss, the Housing Forum is well-placed to become a powerful voice for change, writes Ben Derbyshire
The Housing Forum CEO role is a chance to shape the future of housing
As it seeks a new boss, the Housing Forum is well-placed to become a powerful voice for change, writes Ben Derbyshire
Unpacking the Building Safety Regulator reforms that aim to unlock high-rise delays
What operational changes are being made to help the Building Safety Regulator tackle the excessive gateway approval waits on high-rise residential schemes?
Reimagining architecture: a movement for structural change
Sabrina Klor steps into her role as chair of Women in Architecture UK with a mission to rebuild the profession on more inclusive foundations
Designing tomorrow’s housing: why lived experience must shape our drive for new homes
On the day QOLF Consulting publishes its new report on the importance of post-occupancy evaluations in shaping design and placemaking, Emma Cooke sets out what residents say really matters — and why it should guide the homes of the future
Why cutting corners in specification is costing you more
Cris Francis warns that swapping specified products for cheaper alternatives can jeopardize safety, compliance and long-term value
In the face of increasingly extreme weather, developers, design engineers, architects and policymakers must take the lead
The recent heatwave presents yet more evidence that we face a challenge – and a huge opportunity – to construct buildings that are thermally comfortable, energy-efficient and wellness-led, says Abhishek Parmar
Reinstating Level 7 apprenticeship funding is essential for architecture’s future
Tracy Meller argues that the government’s plan to withdraw funding for Level 7 apprenticeships will dismantle a pathway that works
Planning for both people and nature is not a contradiction
As new legislation threatens to weaken habitat protections, Sophie Thompson asks what it would take to plan with respect for both people and the natural world
Unlocking housing delivery: can we build better, faster, and fairer?
Hien Nguyen outlines the delivery barriers that must be tackled if the UK is to meet its housing ambitions without sacrificing quality
What’s stopping us from designing for deconstruction?
In a throwaway culture, Anna Beckett argues that architects must take greater responsibility for how buildings are eventually dismantled and their materials reused
Gateway 3 raises the stakes for project teams under the Building Safety Act
With gateway 2 in the rearview mirror for an increasing number of projects, it is essential to shift focus to gateway 3 and the challenges that this poses to clients, design teams and contractors alike
Don’t defund thinking: why architectural education needs space to question, not just produce ‘practice ready’ graduates
As pressure mounts to streamline architectural education, Emily Crompton and Sam Higgins argue that universities remain essential spaces for reflection, critique and experimentation – and should not be reduced to training centres for industry
The great allocation myth: why so few homes are actually built where we plan them
Looking back at research from the 1990s and comparing it with today’s data, David Rudlin explores the persistent failure of site allocations to deliver housing
Engineering the future: Rethinking systems, reducing carbon
Elisa Sartori explores how low-carbon solutions are often as much about what we leave out as what we choose to specify
One year on from the general election, how much closer are we to delivering 1.5 million new homes?
This month marked a year since Labour won a historic landslide in the general election. Paul Smith assesses how the government has fared against its key housing delivery pledge
It’s time to stop letting bad data undermine good design
Despite significant investment in digital innovation, the industry remains hindered by fragmented, inconsistent data
If architects want to lead the housing debate, they must relearn the vernacular
As part of BD’s Designing Tomorrow’s Housing campaign, James Soane explores how architects can reclaim relevance in the housing debate by rethinking the vernacular as a regenerative and ethical form of practice
ARB’s new code of conduct treats architects like professionals
Eleanor Jolliffe on how the streamlined 2025 code of conduct signals a more grown-up relationship between architects and their regulator
How architects can help shape the next era of housing
The housing crisis is not just about how few homes we build but how little ambition we have for those we do build. Ben Flatman argues it is time to put quality at the centre of the housing debate and for architects to reframe their role within it
Copper’s role in designing resilient and sustainable water infrastructure
The UK’s water infrastructure is at a critical juncture, with the need for substantial investment and reform becoming ever more pressing. The country faces increasing risks from outdated systems, where ageing pipes and materials such as lead and plastic can lead to contamination and water leaks.
Smarter campuses: why university masterplanning is shifting from growth to efficiency
With student numbers in flux and budgets under pressure, Hien Nguyen explains why universities are turning away from expansion and towards smarter, more efficient estate planning
Insights from tomorrow’s architects: The circular economy and grey space
Hadley Clarke argues that architects must explore the overlooked role of ‘grey space’ – the industrial and infrastructural environments that underpin urban life – and calls for a design culture focused on adaptation, reuse and long-term resilience
Heritage and a ‘sense of place’: reconnecting architecture with memory
Drawing on personal experience and historical insight, Regine Kandan argues that heritage is key to creating places that resonate
Cat A waste – ‘can we fix it, yes we can’
The commercial office sector continues to churn out unnecessary waste through outdated Cat A fit-out practices. John McRae reports on efforts to fix the system from within
