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Opinion
Latest Opinion
Heritage and a ‘sense of place’: reconnecting architecture with memory
Everyone loves a good story. It drives our imagination, creates a personal connection and even teases our senses. But what is it that elevates a ‘building’ to a ‘piece of architecture’?
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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The commercial office sector continues to churn out unnecessary waste through outdated Cat A fit-out practices.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
Level 7 apprenticeships are making architecture more inclusive – why cut their funding?
As funding for over-21s on Level 7 architectural apprenticeships faces the axe, a practice director, an associate and a recent graduate explain why the route matters – and what its loss would mean for the future of the profession
A quiet revolution in light: Balancing innovation and integrity at the National Gallery
Light as a curatorial partner, not just a utility: in the National Gallery’s NG200 redisplay, Studio ZNA reimagines how visitors experience art through subtle, responsive lighting. Zelina Hughes explores how the scheme blends innovation with empathy, respecting both the architecture and the artworks
Will the new Future Homes Standard spell the end for traditional sash windows?
As the government prepares to publish the Future Homes Standard, Martina Pacifici explores the potential impact on traditional architecture — and why the humble sash window could soon be under threat
What if buildings made us feel better? Rethinking design through the lens of health
Tye Farrow makes the case for how a salutogenic approach to design can support neurological health, emotional well-being and human performance
Designing through the storm: Rethinking sustainable construction in an age of crisis
Mitakshi Sirsi reflects on the fragility exposed by recent global events and outlines five strategies for embedding long-term value and ecological responsibility in built environment practice
Demolition, density and distrust in Birmingham: estate renewal in a bankrupt city
With Birmingham in financial crisis, Joe Holyoak explores how plans for Ladywood and Druids Heath risk repeating past mistakes, and excluding the very residents they are intended to serve
We cannot protect historic buildings without protecting the skills to care for them
We think we’re protecting our heritage — but are we really? After a week learning from conservation specialists, Eleanor Jolliffe explores what we’re getting right, and what we’re missing
Grenfell revealed the dangers of a siloed industry, and why we must rethink design and construction education
Our industry is full of specialists who tend to be siloed in their thinking. A new qualification at the University of Leeds aims to produce graduates with a broader range of skills across architecture, building services and structural engineering, writes course leader Justin Lunn
Grenfell revealed the dangers of a siloed industry, and why we must rethink design and construction education
Our industry is full of specialists who tend to be siloed in their thinking. A new qualification at the University of Leeds aims to produce graduates with a broader range of skills across architecture, building services and structural engineering, writes course leader Justin Lunn
The spending review offers hope for housing, but delivery systems must be fixed
Chloë Phelps welcomes new funding commitments for housing, but warns we also need urgent reform of procurement and planning processes
Let Level 7 apprenticeship funding die, but take Part 2 with it
Oliver Lowrie argues that the traditional Part 2 qualification fails to equip graduates with the practical skills they need, and that apprenticeship funding should focus on earlier, more inclusive entry routes into the profession
Some places don’t need fixing: why we should leave the Wallace Collection (and St James’ Park) alone
Amid closures and funding crises in regional museums, Ben Flatman questions the logic behind costly redesigns of spaces and places that already work
Why office-to-residential conversions are gaining new momentum in New York
Chris Fogarty explains how high vacancy rates are finally tipping the balance towards conversion
Housing space standards: is it time for a more flexible approach?
Félicie Krikler explores how compact living, done well, could expand choice and improve affordability
Designers should welcome proposed construction products reform
With projects stalling due to insufficient product testing data, Andrew Mellor sets out how government reforms seek to strengthen regulation and support designers through clearer technical information
To build more houses we don’t need more planners, we need fewer pointless rules
Robert Adam lays bare how an overgrowth of conflicting regulations is strangling small-scale development
It’s time to see more recycled products in the fabric of our buildings
Nobody needs to be told the planet is in trouble and unfortunately the construction industry is a major contributor to both carbon emissions and waste. Our default approach of using virgin materials over recycled options is a key driver in global warming. As such, we are exhausting our planet’s resources ...
Will the next London Plan rise to the city’s real challenges?
Ben Derbyshire reflects on Sadiq Khan’s latest policies to boost housebuilding in the capital
Our ‘activist regulator’ is a reminder that architects need a clear vision for the future, not a plan for getting by
After decades of inertia, the regulator is forcing long-overdue reform. But, Ben Flatman argues, without clearer leadership from within the profession, the bigger questions remain unanswered
Urban design doesn’t pay: so why am I starting my own practice?
David Rudlin reflects on the challenges of setting up his own practice, the broken economics of urban design, and why many in the profession persist despite the odds
Defunding architecture apprenticeships is a costly mistake that undermines the profession’s efforts to widen access
The Level 7 architecture apprenticeship has opened doors for many aspiring architects. Karen Mosley explains why cutting its funding sends the wrong message about access
What’s stopping us from including contractors earlier in the design process?
Anna Beckett makes the case for treating contractors as part of the design team from the outset, suggesting that earlier collaboration could help bridge the gap between low-carbon ambition and what’s actually buildable
From the Great Fire to Grenfell: How fire has shaped building regulation in Britain
Liam Ross traces the shifting relationship between regulation, risk and design, revealing how fire has continually reshaped our cities
Seventeen years on: why England needs a new National Play Strategy
Just over seventeen years ago, on 2 April 2008, the last Labour government launched England’s first, and only, National Play Strategy.
England is failing to plan for its ageing population – the spending review must put that right
The government’s spending review must treate housing for older people as core infrastructure and deliver targeted funding, writes Bruce Moore
Delivering homes under pressure: Westminster’s response to the housing challenge
Setareh Neshati explains how Westminster City Council is responding to growing housing pressures by working with a diverse group of architects to deliver community-supported, affordable homes as part of its Fairer Westminster strategy
Let’s not waste this moment: why UKREiiF must be a platform for real change
Ana McMillin sets out why diverse leadership and inclusive decision-making must be central to the conversations taking place in Leeds
The search for somewhere: why traditional wisdom is increasingly shaping tomorrow’s places
Nicholas Boys Smith reflects on two days in Doha and a global conversation about traditional wisdom, local identity and the future of placemaking
Insights from tomorrow’s architects: Remote working – urban utopia or dystopia?
Diego de Silos Urena considers how remote working could reshape urban life
Let Queen Elizabeth II’s memorial serve the whole nation
Eleanor Jolliffe reflects on the legacy of past royal memorials and calls for a national project that offers lasting value beyond the capital
At Venice 2025: the architecture Biennale trades star power for shared ground
Sarah Simpkin reports from Venice, where Carlo Ratti’s Biennale weaves together hands-on collaboration, ecological reflection and cross-disciplinary experimentation
Abolishing planning performance agreements? Templates for section 106? There are further opportunities to reform planning
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill offers a chance to look at how we can improve the planning application process further. Paul Smith gives his thoughts on some ways to do it
