London Build 2024: The biggest edition yet

20-21 November Olympia London On 20-21 November, what’s thought to be the UK’s largest construction show, London Build, is back, and this year the biggest edition yet, with brand-new, exciting features and stages for attendees to discover.  London Build 2024... View Article

Competence, coordination & compliance

As the regulatory landscape continues to evolve for residential building duty holders on fire door safety, Karen Trigg of Allegion UK reviews the importance of competence and coordination in a more rigorous environment When fire safety fails, lives are put... View Article

The benefits of thoroughly modern wood-burning stoves

Erica Malkin of the Stove Industry Association highlights the advantages of modern wood-burning stoves and the important role they play in the UK’s low carbon heating strategy. In the evolving landscape of home heating, house builders and developers are increasingly... View Article

Smart, safe & sustainable showers

With multi-generational living on the rise, Karen Wise of Triton Showers outlines the key considerations when specifying inclusive electric showers Over the past few years, a monumental spike in the cost of living has contributed to an unprecedented level of... View Article

Rethinking thermal efficiency

Mark Bowman of Marmox explains why addressing cold bridging has become more important than ever for specifiers in the housebuilding sector. Even with plans to utilise land in the so called “Grey Belt,” the new Government will undoubtedly find it... View Article

Imagination & effort needed

Patrick Mooney, housing consultant and news editor of Housing Management & Maintenance magazine, looks at the crisis around temporary accommodation costs, and how addressing this requires investment in affordable housing, reforms, and collaboration across government, councils, and housing associations. The... View Article

Building a solid reputation

BRiCS is a new housebuilder on the block which is attempting to raise the bar on quality and sustainability. James Parker speaks to co-founder Hugo Reeve. BRiCS is a new SME housebuilder targeted at building high-quality homes in the south... View Article

Overheating – the hot topic

Overheating has become an increasingly important issue for homes. Dr Anastasia Mylona from CIBSE explains the issue further and outlines some potential solutions It feels odd to be talking about the impact of climate change after the UK has just... View Article

Unlocking the right mix

A former prison site in Portsmouth has found a new purpose, in a combination of new build and refurbishment for a ‘tenure blind’ mix of luxury flats and affordable homes – by two housebuilders. Roseanne Field reports Located on one... View Article

The Climate Challenge – Building a Greener Future

Cassandre Le Galliard of Aggregate Industries discusses the driving factors housebuilders are facing concerning embodied carbon in cement Housebuilders are at the forefront of the move towards creating an eco-friendlier environment, incorporating high-quality materials, low carbon technologies and green energy... View Article

The handmade tale

Jason Hughes of Imperial Bricks lays down the reasons for using handmade bricks, from increasing kerb appeal, to home value and saleability.  In the past few years there’s been a significant increase in demand for handmade bricks. The variety of... View Article

The key steps to staircase safety

Kevin Underwood of the British Woodworking Federation outlines the vital importance of good staircase design when it comes to preventing injuries The risks presented by stairs are self-evident. While a homeowner may believe that this type of accident would not... View Article

Raising the standard?

Jonathan Ducker of Kingspan Insulation GB, discusses the shortcomings of the Future Homes Standard, and why a more ambitious approach is needed for the building fabric in particular to create ‘net zero ready’ homes. At the end of 2023, the... View Article

An airtight case for MVHR in new homes

Ruth MacEachern of EnviroVent explains why mechanical ventilation with heat recovery systems are the key to improving energy efficiency in modern homes. Housebuilders are building to ever more stringent Building Regulations requirements for airtightness, however to ensure an energy efficient... View Article

Savvy with SuDS

Samantha Hursey of Meadfleet Open Space Management discusses the practicalities of maintaining SuDS and how they can bring amenity to new housing developments. Sustainable Drainage Systems or SuDS, not only play a key role on residential developments in mitigating the... View Article

Windows to future
sustainability

Emily Page of window fabricator Stedek, charts the evolution of energy-saving windows, from early innovations to low carbon solutions for future homes. Windows might only make up a tiny part of the average building – but when it comes to... View Article

UKCW Birmingham

01 – 03 October NEC, Birmingham UK Construction Week Birmingham (UKCW), the UK’s largest built environment trade show, will take place from 1-3 October at Birmingham’s NEC.  Continuing from the success of UK Construction Week London which included the biggest... View Article

The Industry Advocate – A new era

Labour’s election victory has ended 14 years of Conservative dominance. Brian Berry, CEO of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), discusses the potential impact on the housing industry and whether Labour can deliver on their promises. Labour’s general election win... View Article