More Opinion – Page 6
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OpinionProtecting small builders can solve the UK’s housing crisis
The backbone of postwar Britain’s vast housebuilding drive, small builders now face extinction as regulatory barriers and policy layering make it ever harder for them to compete, build and survive. Hugo Owen has some solutions
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OpinionWhat’s in a name… Do the public really understand what it means to be an ‘architect’?
The current debate about protection of title is much more than a fight between the RIBA and the ARB. We need to learn from the mistakes of the past, says Eleanor Jolliffe
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OpinionWA100 2026: The best get better
Despite volatile times, architects are the most optimistic they’ve been about prospects for the year ahead since the post-covid bounce of 2022. Although optimism on growth dropped sharply back in 2023, this has steadily increased each year to almost match that of 2019. This is reflected in ...
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OpinionIf 2025 was the year of architecture’s AI awakening, 2026 must be the year when we map out the way ahead
As architecture grapples with the transformative potential and undoubted tensions of artificial intelligence, Oriana Fernandez considers how AI has become the industry’s next big thing and examines how three leading practices are following different paths down AI’s “rabbit hole”
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OpinionLike it or not, the baronial style still captures the essence of Scotland
It may have become unfashionable and left the modern architectural community unimpressed, but the wider public certainly appreciates the turrets and gables made famous by Sir Walter Scott. Just look at The Traitors, Rab Bennetts writes
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OpinionWhy we need to rediscover council housing
A significant increase in the number of social and affordable homes is required if we are to get close to hitting the government’s targets, David Rudlin writes
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OpinionHow popular, traditional architecture arrived in the Netherlands
For years Dutch housing architects were able to ignore the tastes and preferences of their tenants and pursue unashamedly modernist projects. But, as home ownership increased, the demand for more traditional yet affordable houses grew with it
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OpinionAir quality in green building certification: what you need to know
Julie Tait explains how indoor air-quality standards in sustainable building certification are changing – and offers her golden rules for ensuring compliance
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OpinionBrand activation – how design can combine the interests of brands and venue owners
Populous has been combining design and brand storytelling in stadiums, arenas and venues for more than 20 years. Simon Borg explains the process
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OpinionOur choices in 2026 will decide whether architecture remains a public service
The past president of the RIBA calls for bold thinking and institutional change in order that we can build better
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OpinionWe must encourage the building of urban one-home wonders
The National Planning Policy Framework includes a specific allowance for single houses in rural areas that are “truly outstanding” where they would otherwise be refused. An equivalent provision is needed in urban areas, writes Russell Curtis
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OpinionWhy I have decided I will no longer be called an architect
We need a new system of registration which focuses on the competence of all built environment professionals if we are to ensure buildings are safe and of high quality, Chris Williamson explains
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OpinionThe government’s ‘build, baby, build’ agenda cannot succeed unless architects are involved from the start
Only around 6% of UK homes are designed by architects, but getting them involved early is one of the most effective ways of ensuring that homes are built to last, to support community life, and are easier to live in over time, says Simon Vernon-Harcourt at City & Country
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OpinionSigns of progress and goodwill at this latest Grenfell landmark
This Sunday marks another significant date for the community of bereaved relatives and concerned residents in Kensington and Chelsea, but this year it takes place amid changed circumstances, writes Emma Dent Coad
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OpinionDesigning cities for play: Why child-friendly spaces matter
Children are the benchmark of an area’s liveability. They tell us whether it is healthy and inclusive. If it does not work for them, it is failing, writes Lendlease’s Nick Watson
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OpinionHow architects can unlock ‘difficult’ sites across the UK
Constrained and underused land can be transformed into a catalyst for sustainable, connected urban growth with some pragmatic, design-led thinking, writes Louise Scannell, a design director at WW+P
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OpinionWhat’s stopping us from reducing the cost of sustainable design?
Anna Beckett argues that while steel reuse and ambitious retrofit strategies remain more costly than conventional construction, the industry can no longer rely on goodwill alone and only clear regulation on embodied carbon will create the level playing field needed to make reuse mainstream
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OpinionEngineering the future: What biodiversity means for the next generation of design
The BNG requirement was meant to be a positive not a problem for developments. Design teams must take the lead to make sure it works as intended, Agata Lo Certo writes
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OpinionWhy I believe the ARB’s reforms are dumbing down architecture
As the ARB moves to overhaul the structure of architectural training, Austin Williams warns that the proposed changes will weaken standards and erode architects’ professional standing
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OpinionPublic-sector procurement in Scotland is a mess – and architects are paying the price
Given the high proportion of public sector projects and the number of small practices operating on tight margins, attempts by the RIAS to improve an unsustainable situation are most welcome, Rab Bennetts writes