Using SuDS to add value

LISTEN HERE 🔊 GreenBlue Urban looks at how the appropriate specification of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) can add tangible value to developments, beyond flood mitigation. Using Sustainable Drainage features calls on developers, designers, and planners to adopt a new... View Article

The sustainable showering solution

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Martin Walker of Methven shares advice on the types of showering technologies to specify to successfully reduce developments’ water usage without compromising on performance or aesthetics. In 1960 around 85 litres of water were used per person,... View Article

Modern methods of regeneration

LISTEN HERE 🔊 A modular regeneration company has integrated its new house design within a burgeoning project to revitalise a deprived part of Manchester. Chris Shaw, director of delivery at Urban Splash, describes the factory-built offerings to Jack Wooler. In... View Article

Great expectations

LISTEN HERE 🔊 A mix of 40 high-end and local authority homes are being constructed in a desirable Cambridgeshire village. Jack Wooler reports on how Hayfield Homes delivered its first scheme in the county. 40 new properties are being delivered... View Article

Short supply

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Brian Berry, CEO of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), explores how the shortage of construction materials is constraining small builders’ ability to ‘build back better.’ Since the coronavirus pandemic, many small to medium-sized (SME) construction firms... View Article

Taking pride in inclusivity

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Anchor Hanover has been chosen to deliver the UK’s first ‘extra-care’ housing scheme for LGBT+ people, in south Manchester. Charles Taylor from Anchor Hanover takes Jack Wooler through the proposals. What’s believed to be the first UK... View Article

The housing stats don’t stack up

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Patrick Mooney, housing consultant and news editor of Housing, Management & Maintenance asks, do the Government’s numbers for how many homes with planning permission have not been built stack up? There is a strange and mysterious coincidence... View Article

Steeling yourself for the future

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Stuart Judge of the Steel Window Association considers the performance benefits of contemporary steel frames in terms of meeting the future challenges for housebuilding. Britain can take pride in the way its big pharmaceutical companies and top... View Article

Put safety first with fire doors

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Scott Francis of Bowater doors explores the standards and accreditations housebuilders should consider when looking for a composite fire door. Choosing fire doors can be a confusing and frustrating process. The internet is awash with manufacturers, installers... View Article

A new green focus for bathrooms

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Adam Teal of Kaldewei explains why sustainability is now a key aspect for specifiers when planning bathrooms, as the industry restarts in earnest. During World Earth Day this year, Delhi experienced the cleanest air quality on record,... View Article

Hanover gets the green light

LISTEN HERE 🔊 A pioneering project by housing association Hanover (Scotland) to provide 15 Passivhaus social homes near Loch Lomond, on the site of the developer ’s first ever scheme, has been given the go -ahead. Jack Wooler speaks to... View Article

Support needed for SMEs to build greener

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Brian Berry of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) explores why SMEs should be at the heart of the government’s plans for green construction to help them conquer obstacles This year, the UK will host the United... View Article

Why choose composite decking?

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Felicity Hodgkinson of Ecodek explores the benefits Wood polymer composite decking can offer to developers and home buyers alike ‘Kerb appeal’ is a well-used phrase in this industry, and creating an aesthetically attractive facade with an eye-catching... View Article

Kitchens for a new era

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Tim Spann of Keller Kitchens takes a look at how kitchen designs might change in the wake of the pandemic. Every year brings a new set of trends, whether it’s fashion, cars, exercise or kitchens! However, after... View Article

Taking a far sighted view

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Nick Gander and Rod Davies of Energy Carbon discuss why they believe the government is missing a trick with its future homes standard, namely to promote the benefits of ‘far infrared’ radiation In January, as millions of... View Article

Take it to the bridge

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Simon Hill of Schöck explains the complexities around balcony design detailing to avoid thermal bridges, and why it must incorporate efficient thermal insulation Improving the thermal performance of a building envelope by minimising energy usage has become... View Article

Post-pandemic paving

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Outdoor space has taken on a fundamental new importance with Covid-19. Chris Hodson of Interpave explains why a fresh approach is needed when designing and selecting paving for housing, to meet a wide range of new requirements.... View Article

A flood of enquiries

LISTEN HERE 🔊 With many homes still being built on flood plains, and flooding an increasing risk, there are a host of issues for housebuilders to address when it comes to drainage. Chris Green of ACO Water Management explains further.... View Article

Estimating a full recovery

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Marcus Jefford of Build Aviator explains how some of the supply challenges faced by housebuilders and developers as a result of Covid can be relieved with the help of intelligent estimating software. The coronavirus has had a... View Article

Avoiding pitfalls from roofs

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Marley’s Stuart Nicholson pinpoints the most common roof specification pitfalls, and advises housebuilders on how to avoid them for a best practice approach. The quality and security of pitched roofing in housing has seen some huge improvements... View Article