All Buildings, design and specification articles
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NewsJan Kattein Architects delivers redesigned children’s library at Swiss Cottage
Jan Kattein Architects has completed the redesign of the children’s library at Swiss Cottage Library in Camden, north London. The project, commissioned by Camden Council, marks the 60th anniversary of the grade II-listed modernist library, originally designed by Basil Spence and opened in 1964.
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Information - BDCPD 07 2025: Mastering sliding and bi-fold doors
Sliding doors date back over a thousand years to Japan, where shoji – paper-covered wooden frames – offered space-saving elegance in homes and temples. Even earlier, grooves in Pompeii’s stone floors suggest the Romans used sliding doors to enhance spatial flexibility.
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NewsIn pictures: Mowat & Company redesigns Flint HQ in south London
Flint, the London-based wine merchant, has completed a comprehensive refurbishment of its Kennington headquarters in collaboration with architecture practice Mowat & Company. The redesign addresses spatial constraints in the previously overcrowded Stannary Street site, enhancing both workflow and visitor experience
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OpinionA 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
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NewsPlans in for Grafton Architects’ Christ’s College Cambridge library
Stirling Prize winner’s proposals replace scrapped scheme designed by Rick Mather Architects
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FeaturesA stronger future in timber: Dale Joinery and Mumford & Wood unite
Two of the UK’s most respected names in premium timber windows and doors are coming together under one trusted brand. The merger of Dale Joinery and Mumford & Wood means a broader product range, deeper expertise and the same commitment to exceptional design, performance and service
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Building StudyDesigning, building and growing the natural way: Wolves Lane community centre unveiled by Studio Gil and Material Cultures
Straw, clay and reclaimed materials come together in a strikingly unconventional eco build in north London. Mary Richardson reports on a project that rethinks not just how we build, but who gets to do the building
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NewsIn pictures: Kimbell Pike Architects converts listed Arts and Crafts building into Montessori nursery
The £500,000 project incorporates a series of bespoke plywood interventions within the Grade II listed structure, aiming to support flexible, child-focused learning
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NewsPetrarch launches slimline facade panel with focus on sustainability and reuse
Petrarch has unveiled PlanX, a reconstituted stone cladding panel designed to meet contemporary architectural needs for slimline aesthetics and sustainable material use.
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NewsHelsinki Design Museum unveils new images of finalist proposals
Five anonymous designs published as part of final round of consultation
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NewsOffice Ten Architecture proposes scalable retrofit model to tackle housing and climate crises
Spearheaded by design studio Office Ten, the pilot project is rethinking the standard Victorian and Edwardian terrace homes, hoping to not only improve fabric performance but also increase housing density in a bid to solve the UK’s chronic housing shortage and the environmental impact of underperforming homes.
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OpinionDesigning 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
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NewsGreen light for Benedetti Architect’s RIBA HQ overhaul
Construction work set to start early next year
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NewsProject Reuse delivers first materials in pilot scheme to rethink fit-out waste
The Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) has received the first batch of salvaged interior products under its Project Reuse pilot, a scheme aimed at exploring how reuse can be integrated into the commercial office fit-out process. The materials, now held in a dedicated east London storage facility, will be used ...
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NewsIn pictures: Scott Brownrigg’s flexible laboratory building at Peterhouse Technology Park
The new 100,000 sq ft development provides flexible lab and office space as part of British Land’s investment in the Cambridge science and innovation cluster
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NewsGreen light for Gensler’s Wellcome Genome Trust life sciences scheme
Pair of research buildings are first phase of 1.6 million sq ft expansion of Cambridgeshire campus
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FeaturesWhy the real carbon cost of our homes lies in how we build them
Thomas Lane asks whether the Future Homes Hub’s plan to tackle embodied carbon in housebuilding will have real impact
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NewsIn pictures: John Puttick Associates retrofit Victorian power station into youth hub in Blackburn
Located in the town centre, Fusebox now forms part of Blackburn Youth Zone and responds to a growing need for accessible youth infrastructure
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FeaturesMastering the detail: The Northcliffe with John Robertson Architects
JRA’s refurbishment of the grade II-listed former Daily Mail HQ marks a triumph in sustainable heritage regeneration
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FeaturesDesigning with timber from day one
If the UK is to meet its commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2050 and reduce embodied carbon in construction, the industry must improve the sustainability credentials of the buildings it constructs