All Opinion articles
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OpinionGovernment should reflect real-world behaviour in Part G consultation response
Suzannah Adey argues changes to Approved Document G must reflect the way people actually use water or risk serious unintended consequences
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OpinionHow trauma-informed design can shape spaces of safety and trust
Robert Hopkins explains how trauma-informed design can move inclusive architecture beyond compliance to create spaces that feel safe for all
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OpinionWe can afford to build greener houses – and there are many good reasons why we should
Al Scott, co-founder of IF_DO, has been working on a new sustainable construction methodology for housing. He believes it can help raise standards for both people and the planet and need not cost the earth
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OpinionRemembering Kelvin Campbell: Probably the most influential urban designer of his generation
Kelvin Campbell passed away over Christmas. David Rudlin pays tribute to a fascinating contrarian who was always inspirational if also slightly intimidating
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FeaturesWhat unified ownership can teach us about today’s housing strategies
Samuel Hughes traces how unified land ownership has shaped some of the most successful neighbourhoods in history and asks what lessons this holds for today’s housing strategy
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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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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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OpinionHow waterfronts became the lifeblood of urban regeneration
Drawing on his own experience from Birmingham to Liverpool, David Rudlin explores how attitudes to water and place have shaped modern urban regeneration
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OpinionStrengthening collaboration in bathroom design through digital tools
The shift towards using advanced digital tools in bathroom design, planning and installation is not only improving accuracy but also strengthening collaboration across the supply chain. Neelam Bala reflects on the benefits of a more connected, transparent way of working
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OpinionWhy Industry Foundation Classes is the future of construction collaboration
Andrew Norrie makes the case for open data standards, and argues Industry Foundation Classes has a vital role to play in data sharing, workflow streamlining and the shift to automated, model-driven 4D planning
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OpinionThe circular logic still distorting housing targets
Looking back at research from the 1990s and comparing it with today’s data, David Rudlin explores the persistent failure of site allocations to deliver housing
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OpinionThings fall apart; the centre cannot build
Austin Williams explores the gap between official optimism and the everyday experience of citizens navigating crumbling services and a deepening housing crisis
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OpinionThe great allocation myth: why so few homes are actually built where we plan them
Looking back at research from the 1990s and comparing it with today’s data, David Rudlin explores the persistent failure of site allocations to deliver housing
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OpinionThe spending review offers hope for housing, but delivery systems must be fixed
Chloë Phelps welcomes new funding commitments for housing, but warns we also need urgent reform of procurement and planning processes
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OpinionTo build more houses we don’t need more planners, we need fewer pointless rules
Robert Adam lays bare how an overgrowth of conflicting regulations is strangling small-scale development
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OpinionUrban design doesn’t pay: so why am I starting my own practice?
David Rudlin reflects on the challenges of setting up his own practice, the broken economics of urban design, and why many in the profession persist despite the odds
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OpinionTurning on the housing tap
David Rudlin explores how a tangle of regulations, rising land costs and policy overload could be holding back the housing the country needs
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OpinionHiring in the age of AI: proceed with caution
Jimmy Bent explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping recruitment, and why authenticity and human judgement matter more than ever
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OpinionRetrofitting social housing is the real challenge we can’t ignore
Britain’s retrofit push needs strategic vision – Chloe Phelps calls for co-produced mini-masterplans over ad-hoc upgrades
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OpinionWhy architects must confront the changing political landscape
Austin Williams argues that architecture has embraced an ideological rigidity that limits open debate and inhibits engagement with large sections of the public