Change to the decentralised line

LISTEN HERE 🔊 With design and installation of ventilation systems increasingly essential for both new builds and renovations, Richard Poole of Siegenia looks at how decentralised systems can offer an important way around trickle vents. As we produce more tightly... View Article

Political aims hit turbulence

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) wonders whether the UK’s current political turmoil will halt the ‘levelling up’ ambitions. The constant political turbulence over the last few years continues in earnest with... View Article

Rising to the challenge of future floods

LISTEN HERE 🔊 As building on flood plains continues to be an uncomfortable necessity, James Parker reports on a project to develop a house prototype that rises and falls as and when a flood occurs, thereby unlocking previously unviable sites... View Article

Hastings rocks

LISTEN HERE 🔊 A mixed-use development is bringing new homes and commercial space to a brownfield site on Hastings’ revitalised seafront. Patrick Hanlon, founder and CEO of Roost People, explores how the developer retained the building’s historic facade while replacing... View Article

HELPING HOUSEBUILDERS GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

Root ingress affecting below ground drainage is an issue which is often overlooked by housebuilders.  Why? Because it’s a problem that may not raise its head until years, sometimes decades, after a development has been built. Here, Steve Jeffries, Product... View Article

Timber – the net zero hero?

The road to net zero is now set, and pressure is mounting on the construction sector to deliver. For housebuilders, choosing to use sustainable materials such as timber should be an easy decision; Andrew Carpenter of the Structural Timber Association... View Article

Housing sector meets again in Manchester

Housing, the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual conference – and what is said to be ‘Europe’s largest housing festival’ – returns to its normal slot, post-Covid, staged from 28-30 June at Manchester Central.  In 2022, there is more to talk... View Article

The future is modular

While there are many learnings that can be taken from the MMC-led construction of commercial retail, hospitals and prisons – all of which showcase MMC’s scalability potential – attention must be directed to the fact that, overall, consumers want greater... View Article

Compact & functional

With space becoming more confined in developments, designing rooms that still include all the right features is challenging. Joanne Dobbs from Lecico Bathrooms offers her advice when creating bathrooms for compact areas. The reduction in floorspace in UK homes over... View Article

Drainage at the building threshold

Effective drainage must be ‘front of mind’ for new builds seeking to achieve the increasingly popular blending of indoor and outdoor environments. Rob Butcher of ACO Water Management discusses the key considerations. The integration of outdoor and indoor spaces is... View Article

Achieving 
quantity and quality

Patrick Mooney, housing consultant and news editor of Housing, Management & Maintenance magazine, asks: has good design been squeezed out by our efforts to increase housing supply? “Too many housing estates are designed for nowhere in particular. They can be... View Article

Delivering emissions reductions

Marc Nickels of Kingspan Technical Insulation discusses how one substantial source of embodied emissions – building services haulage and deliveries – can be reduced on residential developments. The UK Green Building Council anticipates that by 2035, embodied carbon emissions may... View Article

Installing floorcoverings over calcium sulphate screeds

Calcium sulphate screeds have become an increasingly common choice of subfloor, especially where underfloor heating is incorporated within the subfloor. This is because of the speed with which they can be applied over large areas and other advantages over concrete... View Article

Did the queen’s speech deliver?

Brian Berry, CEO of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), discusses his views on the recent Queen’s Speech, and how it compared with industry expectations. My previous two columns have touched on my hopes for a reformed planning process to... View Article

Estate of independence

Before newly-independent housing association Salix Homes got involved, other contenders had been put off by the scale of demolition needed at a major estate renovation in Salford. Terry McBride of Salix explains to Jack Wooler how they achieved vital community... View Article

Bringing glass back 
into balconies

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Andy Lake of Pyroguard explores how glass can be used safely in balcony applications, as well as the various factors for housebuilders and developers to consider to ensure the right solution is specified. It’s no secret that... View Article

Bringing a sense of community

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Plaza Collection is a ‘community’ of over 700 units being created in Mill Hill, London, with its focal point a new landscaped plaza alongside extensive commercial space. Terence Luo, director at developer Poly UK, talks to Jack... View Article

A holistic approach to heating efficiency

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Ashley Cooper of WMS explains why underfloor heating is in the spotlight following new requirements in the Building Regulations, and how the housebuilders can benefit from taking a holistic approach to system design. Following enforcement of the... View Article