Frugal fires

Not only do fires and stoves provide a luxurious traditional aesthetic, but they can now also achieve high levels of energy efficiency. Annabelle Carvell of Stovax gives the argument for why they should be high on developers’ agenda. New build... View Article

The outlook for glazing trends in 2022

After some significant recent industry impacts including Covid and net zero targets, John McComb from Reynaers Aluminium uk looks at five key glazing specification trends and how it’s responding to them. During these undoubtedly uncertain times, it is difficult to... View Article

Cornish past and future

Intended to perfectly synthesise the historical and contemporary, The Nest is a boutique development that has just been launched in a picturesque Cornish village. Jack Wooler spoke to Paul Stephens of Stephens + Stephens on the design and restoration processes... View Article

Quintain wins at Wembley

The 743-home Canada Gardens development – the latest step in Wembley Park’s major regeneration journey – is now occupied. ​​Julian Tollast at Quintain Living explores the lessons from the project so far with Jack Wooler, plus the wider benefits of... View Article

MMC: The only way to meet demand

With UK housing targets yet to be met, Chris Williams of Green Life Buildings (GLB) discusses how Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are the smart solution to pick up the shortfall. If we are going to hit the 300,000 properties... View Article

Futureproofing windows and doors

Adrian Pavey of Nationwide Windows and Doors discusses the importance of housebuilders and developers ensuring their properties’ fenestration meets the standards of tomorrow as well as today It is a pivotal time for the construction industry at the moment, and... View Article

Sink to the top

Dave Mayer of Reginox explores the latest trends in sinks and taps that he says housebuyers are searching for. There was a time when the kitchen sink’s purpose was no more than being somewhere to wash up. A ‘1.5 bowl’... View Article

Our rural communities are missing out

Patrick Mooney, housing consultant and news editor of Housing, Management & Maintenance says that rural schemes are being built without vital infrastructure in the current rash of permitted development conversions. In trying to inch its way towards achieving the near... View Article

Is modular living the key to post-pandemic life?

Raj Somal of engineering consultancy Dice looks at the exemplar Positive Homes modular development, explaining how modern methods can produce much-needed housing quickly on a tight budget, as the country begins to navigate life post-pandemic. There is no questioning the... View Article

Go beyond the minimum on acoustics

Rob Crampton of Hush Acoustics explains why investment in acoustic insulation will result in a higher level of satisfaction for customers. Acoustic standards in UK housebuilding have not been upgraded in a meaningful way since the early 2000s. As a... View Article

Using SuDS to add value

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 way of thinking,... View Article

The sustainable showering solution

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, per day. Fast... View Article

Modern methods of regeneration

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 Stubbs Mews, New... View Article

Great expectations

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 by Hayfield Homes... View Article

Short supply

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 have struggled to... View Article

Taking pride in inclusivity

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 purpose-built housing scheme... View Article

The housing stats don’t stack up

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 about housing statistics... View Article

Steeling yourself for the future

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 research universities responded... View Article

Put safety first with fire doors

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 and so called... View Article

A new green focus for bathrooms

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, Greta Thunberg met... View Article