All Opinion articles – Page 6
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OpinionGrenfell revealed the dangers of a siloed industry, and why we must rethink design and construction education
Our industry is full of specialists who tend to be siloed in their thinking. A new qualification at the University of Leeds aims to produce graduates with a broader range of skills across architecture, building services and structural engineering, writes course leader Justin Lunn
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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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OpinionLet Level 7 apprenticeship funding die, but take Part 2 with it
Oliver Lowrie argues that the traditional Part 2 qualification fails to equip graduates with the practical skills they need, and that apprenticeship funding should focus on earlier, more inclusive entry routes into the profession
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OpinionSome places don’t need fixing: why we should leave the Wallace Collection (and St James’ Park) alone
Amid closures and funding crises in regional museums, Ben Flatman questions the logic behind costly redesigns of spaces and places that already work
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OpinionWhy office-to-residential conversions are gaining new momentum in New York
Chris Fogarty explains how high vacancy rates are finally tipping the balance towards conversion
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OpinionHousing space standards: is it time for a more flexible approach?
Félicie Krikler explores how compact living, done well, could expand choice and improve affordability
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OpinionDesigners should welcome proposed construction products reform
With projects stalling due to insufficient product testing data, Andrew Mellor sets out how government reforms seek to strengthen regulation and support designers through clearer technical information
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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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OpinionWill the next London Plan rise to the city’s real challenges?
Ben Derbyshire reflects on Sadiq Khan’s latest policies to boost housebuilding in the capital
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OpinionIt’s time to see more recycled products in the fabric of our buildings
Nobody needs to be told the planet is in trouble and unfortunately the construction industry is a major contributor to both carbon emissions and waste. Our default approach of using virgin materials over recycled options is a key driver in global warming. As such, we are exhausting our planet’s resources ...
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OpinionOur ‘activist regulator’ is a reminder that architects need a clear vision for the future, not a plan for getting by
After decades of inertia, the regulator is forcing long-overdue reform. But, Ben Flatman argues, without clearer leadership from within the profession, the bigger questions remain unanswered
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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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OpinionDefunding architecture apprenticeships is a costly mistake that undermines the profession’s efforts to widen access
The Level 7 architecture apprenticeship has opened doors for many aspiring architects. Karen Mosley explains why cutting its funding sends the wrong message about access
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OpinionWhat’s stopping us from including contractors earlier in the design process?
Anna Beckett makes the case for treating contractors as part of the design team from the outset, suggesting that earlier collaboration could help bridge the gap between low-carbon ambition and what’s actually buildable
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OpinionFrom the Great Fire to Grenfell: How fire has shaped building regulation in Britain
Liam Ross traces the shifting relationship between regulation, risk and design, revealing how fire has continually reshaped our cities
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OpinionSeventeen years on: why England needs a new National Play Strategy
Eugene Minogue, Executive Director of Play England Just over seventeen years ago, on 2 April 2008, the last Labour government launched England’s first, and only, National Play Strategy. Ed Balls and Andy Burnham, both secretaries of state at the time, quite literally swung into action at an ...
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OpinionEngland is failing to plan for its ageing population – the spending review must put that right
The government’s spending review must treate housing for older people as core infrastructure and deliver targeted funding, writes Bruce Moore
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OpinionDelivering homes under pressure: Westminster’s response to the housing challenge
Setareh Neshati explains how Westminster City Council is responding to growing housing pressures by working with a diverse group of architects to deliver community-supported, affordable homes as part of its Fairer Westminster strategy
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OpinionLet’s not waste this moment: why UKREiiF must be a platform for real change
Ana McMillin sets out why diverse leadership and inclusive decision-making must be central to the conversations taking place in Leeds
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OpinionThe search for somewhere: why traditional wisdom is increasingly shaping tomorrow’s places
Nicholas Boys Smith reflects on two days in Doha and a global conversation about traditional wisdom, local identity and the future of placemaking