All articles by Alex Smith – Page 28
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FeaturesRefurbishment of Plymouth Tinside Lido: Pool life
Closed for a decade, Plymouth’s Tinside Lido has finally been restored to the glory of its 1930s heyday. How could the council afford it? Alex Smith finds that it’s amazing how much you can save by intelligent specification
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FeaturesThe hanging offices of rotterdam
Where do you build if you don't want to use up your valuable land? In mid-air, of course … We found out how it was done at the latest wonder of the construction world – the gravity-defying De Brug office block in Holland
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NewsGovernment hopes to stop air-conditioning in homes
The Government is considering ways to lessen the impact of domestic air-conditioning units as part of its revamp of Part L of the Building Regulations
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NewsPart L draft calls for draconian rises in U-values – and energy-efficient kettles
Leaked proposals to overhaul energy provisions of the Building Regulations reveals swinging changes to combat global warming
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News
Housebuilders spared sound tests
Housebuilders may not have to test the acoustic insulation of homes to prove they comply with Part E of the Building Regulations, provided they use approved construction methods.
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Comment
Glazed and confused
Terracotta glazing is enjoying a revival. It was used extensively at the beginning of the last century, and is proving popular at the start of the 21st. Specifying it is not always straightforward, though, as architect Kohn Pederson Fox found out when it tried to recreate an 80-year-old mottled glaze ...
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FeaturesTiles of the unexpected
Or how a Kohn Pederson Fox architect with a burning obsession went on the trail of gleaming ceramic facade tiles, and uncovered their secrets with the help of a mysterious, code-cracking stranger … Alex Smith followed the story
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FeaturesFit for a king
Poundbury. The very name of this 21st-century housing model strikes fear into the hearts of specifiers everywhere, as it demands strict compliance with tough design rules – and under the watchful eye of a rather important man. We meet a valiant developer who wouldn't be deterred
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Features
Check list
Those tough new sound regulations apply to residential houses and flats, too. Alex Smith has 10 things you need to consider to comply with Part E
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FeaturesThe new skool rules - OK?
Oi, you at the back – pay attention! Superstrict new sound regulations for school buildings are set to test the abilities of every education specifier in keeping the noise down. So no messing about, or else … Alex Smith takes the class
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FeaturesKeep on truckin' … please
Within two years, the road haulage industry is going to undergo a personnel crisis that will make construction's skills shortages look like a walk to the shops. So how are your materials going to find their way to the site?
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Features
A test of their metal
It's easy to say steel-frame housing is the way of the future, but things get a bit trickier when it comes to actually making it work. We look at the struggle over the spec at one Basingstoke housing scheme
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News
Architects face fire nightmare
Architects could be forced to pay millions of pounds in compensation after a landmark court case this month found that they are liable for fire damage if they specify combustible cladding
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FeaturesStretching the truth
Or, how a sculptural fabric roof at Chatham's historic dockyard was designed to be energy efficient – something that everybody thought was impossible. As Alex Smith discovered, the solution was in the spec
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FeaturesChurchill Hospital hospice: A design for life
Creating an environment in which terminally ill patients can enjoy the rest of their lives requires the utmost sensitivity and imagination in the architect’s choice of materials. We look at how Nightingale Associates went about the task at an Oxford hospice
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News
Sound regs fall short, says report
New Building Regulations intended to improve sound insulation will actually lower standards, according to a university survey.
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Features
Breaking the sound barrier
The government has identified noisy neighbours as a serious problem for its urban policy, and it's told housebuilders to keep them quiet – or else. The only problem is that the industry will have to move at Mach two to comply.