All Designing Social Value articles
-
OpinionThe built environment belongs to everyone – so why are young voices so often excluded?
As the Festival of the Future takes place at Portland Place, Neil Onions challenges the industry to break down barriers and give young people a meaningful voice in architecture and urban design
-
FeaturesMaterial Cultures: the radical architects rethinking how – and what – we build
Mary Richardson meets the research and design practice advocating for bio-based materials such as hemp, straw and unfired clay as alternatives to carbon-intensive construction. But, as the industry faces mounting pressure to decarbonise, can these approaches be scaled up to meet real-world demands?
-
OpinionA new era for housing? Why co-design is a critical tool for inclusive development
Tom Greenall and Jane Wong introduce a new online co-design resource intended to support more inclusive and meaningful community participation in the development process
-
OpinionWhat’s stopping us from improving diversity?
With International Women’s Day approaching, Anna Beckett asks how early gender stereotypes shape career choices – and what the construction industry can do about it
-
FeaturesThe future faces of UK architecture
Mary Richardson meets three young alumni of Beyond the Box who share, in their own words, how the initiative shaped their paths into architecture
-
NewsYouth-designed pavilion unveiled in Camden’s HS2 meanwhile garden
The six-metre-tall pavilion and performance space, ‘Reflect’, was co-designed by young people in collaboration with social enterprise MATT+FIONA and Fitzrovia Youth in Action
-
FeaturesJan Kattein: architect as catalyst – ‘A transformational impact can be achieved with limited means’
As Jan Kattein Architects unveils its latest project at Westminster’s Church Street Triangle, Mary Richardson takes a closer look at the work of this innovative firm that weaves social practice into its inspiring and colourful placemaking
-
OpinionA failure of planning? The uncertain fate of Birmingham’s historic markets
Despite eight centuries of history, Birmingham’s markets are being sidelined in the city’s latest redevelopment plans – with traders facing an uncertain future and no clear strategy for continuity, writes Joe Holyoak
-
OpinionWhy the key to reviving our towns is people-centred regeneration
It is time for the government to focus on ‘thriving towns for a revived nation’ writes Ben Derbyshire
-
OpinionNo demolition, no compromise: Civic Square’s radical approach to the future of urbanism
In Birmingham’s Ladywood, Civic Square is championing a radical, community-led approach to urbanism, writes Joe Holyoak
-
FeaturesDian Small: embracing her new role as mentor and disruptor
Dian Small speaks to Mary Richardson about her new role at the London School of Architecture and its potential to drive change for underrepresented practitioners
-
Building StudyCompact living, big impact: Dovehouse Court’s lesson in sustainability and community
Designed by Mole Architects, Dovehouse Court is the UK’s first Passivhaus-certified almshouse scheme
-
OpinionPutting children and young people at the heart of housing design
Dinah Bornat explores how housing design can better meet the needs of younger generations
-
FeaturesClosing the skills gap: Alison Watson on transforming built environment education
Alison Watson MBE is a woman on a mission to transform education in the built environment
-
NewsChief Medical Officer’s report calls for active travel, improved housing, and cleaner air in cities
The annual report highlights how urban environments impact health
-
NewsLondon School of Architecture launches new programme to support under-represented practices
Fully funded one-year pilot programme will provide mentorship, business development, and practical learning opportunities
-
NewsTaskforce calls for cross-departmental unit to lead national older people’s housing strategy
Wide-ranging paper also calls for planning presumption in favour of later living housing and requirements on Homes England to support its expansion
-
NewsSchool closures threaten London’s future as a city for families
Soho Parish Primary School’s financial struggles reflect wider demographic trends, including declining birth rates, post-Brexit migration, and the long-term impact of Covid-19, challenging the city’s multigenerational identity
-
FeaturesBeyond the Box: delivering real social value in the built environment
For the latest in BD’s Boomers to Zoomers series, Mary Richardson talked to Neil Onions, head of Beyond the Box, a social enterprise with a reputation for finding innovative ways to empower underrepresented young people within the built-environment sector
-
Features‘Because the spaces work for children, they work for everyone’ – how the Whittington estate fosters a community for all ages
Mary Richardson talks to two architects who have made a film about the child-friendly estate where they live, to find out what’s so special about its design