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

From the Editor

How are you finding timber sourcing currently? The humble timber roofing batten is currently under the spotlight, with firms joining forces to raise the alarm on supplies. As our news feature on page 8 details, the trade body for roofing... 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

Aico Gateway Kitemarked by British Standards Institution

Aico are pleased to announce the official Kitemark certification of their SmartLINK Gateway from the British Standards Institution (BSI). This is a significant accolade for market leader in domestic Fire and Carbon Monoxide protection Aico, as the SmartLINK Gateway is... View Article

Throwing away the toilet taboo

Good architects know only too well the importance of promoting post-occupancy health and wellbeing, particularly in education settings. Purdie Proudman of Geberit explains how it’s now high time that specifiers view school bathrooms as much more than just purely functional... View Article

Colour safe

Ian Gisbourne of Dulux Trade discusses how colour can be employed to help keep students safer in all education settings, in a post-Covid world This past year has been like no other in the education sector. Many students spent long... View Article

Innovative school design isn’t the enemy of fire safety

Keith MacGillivray of the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association looks at the debate around whether automatic fire sprinklers are in conflict with innovative school design What could be more beneficial to the design of a school than the inclusion of... View Article

Learning to live with change

Rob Charlton of Space Architects discusses his practice’s ethos of delivering buildings that improve people’s lives in the context of education, and the changes the sector has undergone recently Having been in practice for almost 30 years, I have spent... View Article

School spec: covered!

Vicky Evans of Twinfix discusses how bespoke canopies and covered areas can create a style to suit each education site and location, giving specifiers the ability to offer schools something unique, but familiar Canopies and covered areas are an attractive... View Article

Ensure you make the right moves on the dance floor

The approach needed when creating a floor for a specialised use is often more ‘bespoke’ than it may seem. Steve Green of Harlequin Floors explains how dance floors differ from standard sports floors, and how correct design is critical for... View Article

Louvres make the grade

In the education sector, getting ventilation right and ensuring a healthy and comfortable environment has never been more important. Andy Moul of Construction Specialties looks at key factors which need to be taken into consideration when specifying external louvres as... View Article