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Frank Gehry: from LA experimentalist to the architect of the Bilbao effect
Ben Flatman examines how Gehry’s work evolved from local, materially driven invention into one of the most recognisable architectural vocabularies of his generation
How the viability crunch is putting Britain’s housing ambitions – and design quality – under strain
Mary Richardson examines how Britain’s viability crisis is squeezing design quality and stalling the creation of real places to live
Jack Pringle: ‘If the RIBA didn’t exist, you’d have to invent it’
RIBA chair Jack Pringle reflects on his role in stabilising the institute’s finances, implementing governance reforms and positioning architects to reclaim leadership in construction through the principal designer role
Building Safety Regulator’s backlog blitz: will it work?
After delays and mounting frustration, the regulator unveiled a bold strategy to clear thousands of stalled projects. Joey Gardiner explores whether the reforms and new leadership can overcome early missteps
Barr Gazetas: designing a culture of sustainability
Ben Flatman discovers how Barr Gazetas is redefining what a sustainable practice can be – from its commitment to retrofit and social value to a culture of openness and long-term responsibility within the team
The architecture of adaptation: 44 inspiring ideas from the Venice Biennale
As the Venice Biennale draws to a close, Mary Richardson picks some of her favourite exhibits from the inspiring international exhibition in the Corderie at the Arsenale, which was a celebration of human ingenuity and innovation
Come with me to Clamart: a postcard from a Parisian regenerative development that really works
British ‘regeneration schemes’ could learn a lot from the Clamart Panorama brownfield development near Paris, says Nicholas Boys Smith – above all the humility to ask people what they really like
Closing the door on opportunity? The future of architect apprenticeships
As government funding for Level 7 architecture apprenticeships is withdrawn, Mary Richardson reports on what the decision means for students
27 interesting innovations and prototypes from the Venice Biennale
Mary Richardson picks her favourite product prototypes and material experiments from the Biennale’s international exhibition – from buildings “grown” beneath the sea to bricks made of elephant dung
Can cuts to affordable housing targets revive London’s flatlining residential development sector?
Joey Gardiner asks whether simply reducing expectations for affordable housing will be enough to get construction going again
Why they won: A closer look at all the Architect of the Year Awards 2025 winning entries
The winners of the Architect of the Year Awards were announced at a ceremony last night. Here is more detail about all the winning entries
Too good to waste: how Make recycled an old building to create a new one
Thomas Lane reports on how 30 Duke Street reuses steel, glass, aluminium and Portland stone from the building there before
Labour conference 2025: Housing secretary puts style over substance while Starmer takes aim at Reform
The government’s announcement about new towns and the housing secretary’s Trump-esque stylings put housing at the heart of the agenda at Labour’s conference in Liverpool. But there was little in the way of detail to back Steve Reed’s ‘build, baby, build’ slogan
Sir Terry Farrell: the restless maverick who reshaped British urbanism
From the Comyn Ching Triangle to the MI6 building at Vauxhall Cross, Sir Terry Farrell’s projects challenged modernist orthodoxy and reshaped how architects thought about the city. Ben Flatman reflects on the influence and legacy of one of Britain’s most distinctive thinkers on urbanism
From the archive: Interview with Nicholas Grimshaw
To mark the death of Nicholas Grimshaw earlier this month, we are republishing this interview by Hannah Baldock, which first appeared in BD’s sister title Building in September 2000
5 minutes with … David Patterson at Able Partners
The practice’s head of design on the importance of staying curious and constant, collaborative learning – and why he dislikes postwar, car-focused urban development that prioritises efficiency over quality of life.
Hugh Strange’s choreography of construction
Hugh Strange’s striking Hastings House has just been shortlisted for the 2025 Stirling Prize. Earlier this year Oriana Fernandez went to the Barbican to hear him set out his construction-centred approach and the balance he seeks between prefabrication, craft and site conditions
Finding new ways to open up the city … Meet the woman behind London’s Open House festival
Mary Richardson caught up with Manijeh Verghese, the recently appointed chief executive of Open City, for a preview of some of the buildings in this year’s Open House festival
What does the appointment of Steve Reed as new housing secretary mean for housebuilding?
Angela Rayner’s replacement held the shadow housing brief in 2021 and now he returns to the role in government. But although he has promised to ‘build, baby, build’, Reed lacks the influence on Keir Starmer that his predecessor had
The long road to regenerating the Carpenters Estate
In 2018, a new mayor tasked Newham’s housing company with building more affordable homes. Seven years later, it’s getting ready for its biggest scheme yet. Daniel Gayne headed east to find out more
How a transport investment shortfall threatens to scupper housing delivery in London
After setting out a vision for development centred on public transit links, the mayor of London came out of the spending review empty handed. Can London build 88,000 homes a year without new infrastructure? Daniel Gayne reports.
As his RIBA presidency ends, Muyiwa Oki reflects on milestones and unfinished business
Ben Flatman speaks to Oki about his term in office, from launching a workplace wellbeing taskforce to defending the Elizabeth Line’s Stirling Prize win, and why access to the profession remains a pressing concern
Interviews
Barr Gazetas: designing a culture of sustainability
Ben Flatman discovers how Barr Gazetas is redefining what a sustainable practice can be – from its commitment to retrofit and social value to a culture of openness and long-term responsibility within the team
Creating communities for all: Jenny Buterchi on PRP’s vision for age-inclusive living
As part of BD’s Boomers to Zoomers series, Mary Richardson went to talk to Jenny Buterchi, partner at PRP and lead of the firm’s Later Living team, to learn more about her vision for design and placemaking that better serve the needs of an ageing population
Adjaye London CEO Lucy Tilley: ‘We’ll work even harder to carry on our legacy. We’ll keep going’
New London CEO talks about her vision for the future, the allegations that threatened to bring the practice down, and the resilience that she says helped it survive
Inside Gbolade Design Studio: A new era of architecture where the only way is ethics
Ben Flatman talks to Lanre and Tara Gbolade about setting up their practice and their vision for architecture as a tool for social and environmental change
Chris Williamson: ‘I think we can do a lot for young architects – they need all the help they can get’
Ben Flatman talks to the founder of Weston Williamson + Partners about the role RIBA has played in his career, the importance of lifelong learning, and why he wants to help the next generation of architects get a leg up in the profession
Joe Morris: What’s wrong with the planning system and why we must take a stand against hostility in the workplace
Ben Flatman talks to Joe Morris about the complexities of the planning system and the importance of workplace civility
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More interviews
Jonathan Smales: ‘I love the tangibility of building. I like the fact it’s got a beginning, a middle and an end’
From running Greenpeace to creating the UK’s largest timber neighbourhood, Jonathan Smales is a developer who doesn’t follow the herd, writes Ben Flatman
Alex Ely: ‘Architecture is so central to our culture - it’s a pity it doesn’t seem to gain the traction it deserves’
The founder of the Stirling Prize-winning Mae Architects shares his influences and inspirations with Ben Flatman and concludes that his profession still has much to offer
Let’s talk about a brighter future for our towns and cities
How can we create thriving communities and places that people enjoy and want to live in? Ben Flatman spoke to four key industry figures to find out
Henley Halebrown: ‘We are genuinely interested in how people use buildings’
Simon Henley and Gavin Hale-Brown met at the University of Liverpool in 1986 and have been friends ever since, forming their award-winning practice together in 1995. Here Ben Flatman discusses their early influences, design philosophy, and commitment to improving access to the profession
‘Nobody believes them anymore’… HOK’s Daniel Hajjar on what is wrong with UK politics and the planning system
After 20 years in the Middle East, Daniel Hajjar moved to the UK, where, eight years on, he finds the political ‘flakiness’ of the country has made it an infuriating place to build. Thomas Lowe reports
Interview | Eleanor Jolliffe talks to Nick Temple
In this interview Eleanor Jolliffe discovers how the opportunity to study in Rome changed the course of a renowned academic’s life
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