Opinion
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COP 28: Net zero buildings by 2050? You have got to be joking!
To have any chance of achieving net zero buildings we need a sea change in approaches to design, writes Susan Roaf
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CobBauge: Bringing earth into the 21st century
CobBauge, a word amalgamation of cob and ‘bauge’ earth-building traditions in the UK and France, is a collaborative research partnership between these countries that brings earth construction into the 21st century.
The beauty of creative reuse is that it can bring hope back to the most unlikely places
Bringing life back to the most challenging sites requires hard work, inspiration and a leap of faith, writes Joe Holyoak
What Thomas the Tank Engine can tell us about HS2
Unnecessarily onerous regulation contributes to the high cost of building railways in the UK, writes David Rudlin
Why building on the green belt can’t solve the housing crisis
Delivering fair access to housing is about so much more than just building more homes, writes Alice Roberts
What’s stopping us from slowing down?
The pace of the modern workplace is not necessarily making us any more productive, writes Anna Beckett
Is true co-creation even possible?
True co-creation is challenging and requires a real commitment to the process, writes Moira Lascelles
The King’s Speech was deeply disappointing for the housing sector
The King’s Speech was an opportunity for the government to affirm housing’s role in a prosperous society. It came up short, writes Geeta Nanda.
Summer in the city: the resurgence of tradition in architectural summer schools
Most architecture schools deny students the opportunity to study traditional design. It’s time for a radical change, writes Ruben Hanssen
Is architecture a 'greedy' profession?
‘Greedy’ professions demand more time over and above what might otherwise be expected, and contribute towards the gender pay gap, writes Louise Rodgers
Is architecture a 'greedy' profession?
‘Greedy’ professions demand more time over and above what might otherwise be expected, and contribute towards the gender pay gap, writes Louise Rodgers
Building on the green belt is not the answer – we need to focus on the soft densification of our urban centres
Our town and city centres, with their wealth of existing buildings, provide huge opportunities to deliver new housing and foster thriving communities, writes Tom Slater
Retrofit’s role in the heritage sector
Historic England’s chair Lord Mendoza’s comments on the role the heritage sector has to play in addressing housing and environmental needs have placed a renewed focus on retrofit’s role in reducing the sector’s carbon emissions. Emma Wells believes that this is a step in the right direction
Why I’m objecting to the Sellar development at Liverpool Street Station
The developer has failed to learn the lessons from the successful London Bridge redevelopment and risks destroying a precious piece of the City’s heritage, writes Ben Derbyshire
While Sheffield embraces its rich heritage, Birmingham once more shoots itself in the foot
Reuse of once unfashionable modernist buildings is increasingly favoured by developers, but one British city persists in demolition and rebuild, writes Joe Holyoak
We’re seeing a return to a more balanced jobs market
Many sectors are growing and job seekers have plenty of opportunity to explore their career options, writes Jimmy Bent
Engineering the future: Why we need a better way to measure carbon emissions today versus carbon in the future
Demolition and rebuild is often justified through predictions of carbon savings in the future, but such calculations are often misleading, writes Liam Bryant
Turning housebuilders into town-builders: why we need streets for humans instead of roads for fast cars
Our approach to designing new housing remains wedded to outdated attitudes to cars and roads, writes David Milner
When specifying drainage components for balconies, non-combustible should be non-negotiable
With outdoor space at a premium, residential balconies are an important amenity. Kevin Wallis, head of sales at Marley Alutec, outlines the key pieces of legislation regarding fire safety for balconies and the implications for rainwater drainage
It’s probably going to take a year for industry to get familiar with the new Building Safety Act regime
Industry has been working hard to get up to speed with the new regulations, but there’s still much to learn, writes Andrew Mellor
Why we need to learn to love the two storey building again
Architect Dorian Moore shares lessons from Detroit on how low-rise buildings have a vital role to play in helping Midwest cities adapt and survive
Co-living is an important tool in addressing the housing crisis
The current interest in co-living reflects a welcome shift towards high-quality provision of housing for an underserved demographic, writes Craig Sheach
My meeting with Álvaro Siza
In early September 2023, Graeme Nicholls travelled to the northern Portuguese city of Porto, where he was honoured to have the opportunity to meet the internationally renowned Pritzker Prize-winning architect Álvaro Siza
Mæ’s winning project revives medieval tradition of treating older people with the dignity they deserve
This Stirling Prize winner places a much-needed focus on how we house and support people later in their lives
Change requires designers to stick their necks out and propose what a better future might be
Having put out a call for an alternative to the term ‘master plan’ David Rudlin reviews some of the many suggestions
Why ARB’s education reforms don’t ‘abolish’ Parts 1, 2 and 3
ARB’s reforms invite new routes to registration, but don’t mean the end of the tripartite system for those who still wish to pursue it, writes Hugh Simpson
Starmer’s speech was a reminder that we need to overcome barriers to opportunity, as well as to building
The Labour leader’s speech provided a timely reminder of the complex challenges Britain faces, as well as the hope that they can be overcome, writes Chris Williamson
What’s stopping us from reusing concrete?
Concrete presents challenges when it comes to reuse but this should not stop us trying, writes Anna Beckett
Sunak’s speech revealed the Tories are bereft of ideas, but what does Labour have to offer?
All eyes will be on Labour during the coming week, but there is little so far to get architects and built environment professionals excited, writes Ben Flatman
Why we need a new culture of collaborative city planning
To build an optimistic and robust vision for the future, cities need to mobilise the energy and enthusiasm of all their citizens, writes Dav Bansal
In praise of contractors
Contractors deserve the respect and admiration of architects, writes Matthew Lloyd
HS2: should it stay or should it go?
As well as squandering huge investment made to date, proposed government cuts to the project also miss the national economic benefits of connecting our major cities, writes Glenn Howells
How mixed-use redevelopment can square the circle of Britain’s property market
By repurposing redundant offices into mixed-use buildings, we can create new vibrant urban communities, writes Daniel Leon
The Coach: To be, or not to be, flat
‘Flat’ office structures are often anything but equal, writes Louise Rodgers
