All Features articles – Page 7
-
FeaturesMy route into construction … Michael Oppong, commercial management trainee at Willmott Dixon
Michael thought he wanted to be an estate agent, until an Open Doors event at his school showed him the many and varied opportunities that a career in construction might offer him. He applied for a degree level apprenticeship and has never looked back
-
FeaturesSuch buildings can change lives… Regenerating safe spaces that young people can call their own
The Horizon Youth Zone opened last weekend in a refurbished warehouse in Grimsby – one of a flurry of youth centres that have completed over the past three years in disadvantaged areas of England. As the government promises a £500m investment in youth services across the nation, Debika Ray considers ...
-
FeaturesCould the restoration of Parliament really take 61 years?
Two options for the renewal of the crumbling Palace of Westminster have been presented to MPs. Both would be highly disruptive, costly and take a very long time – most likely several decades. Tom Lowe studies the latest report to find out what is being proposed for the UK’s most ...
-
FeaturesFrom stranded asset to grade A office: how a facsimile facade made all the difference for a failing, listed Manchester building
A thermally improved replica now fronts Manchester’s grade II listed Pall Mall, after Bruntwood SciTech and Sheppard Robson overhauled its failing 1960s facade, Thomas Lane report
-
Features5 minutes with … Matthew Hart at E.ON Next
The firm’s director of residential new-build on his mission to decarbonise the UK’s homes, working in Turkey and why he doesn’t like the Burj Khalifa. You will also never guess his favourite food…
-
FeaturesIn the age of artificial intelligence, what remains of the architect?
In a special long read comment piece, Martha Tsigkari and Sherif Tarabishy consider how the need for critical human reflection remains paramount in a profession that might otherwise risk becoming a recycling service
-
FeaturesCost model: Converting office buildings to hotel use
London’s thriving tourism market, combined with deteriorating office stocks and a focus on reuse, is driving office-to-hotel conversions – here’s look at the drivers and risks
-
FeaturesMy route into construction … Saniat Chowdhury, assistant technical coordinator at Berkeley Group
In this latest instalment in our occasional series, Saniat explains why she switched from wanting to be an architect and why she has discovered far more opportunities to develop her career tthan she initially imagined
-
FeaturesInside Hornsey Town Hall: a brilliantly conceived and highly sensitive – if mildly eccentric – restoration
Residents of Crouch End in north London have had a long and sometimes fraught wait for Reginald Uren’s 1935 former council HQ to reopen, but they now once again have a building to enjoy and cherish
-
Features5 minutes with … Adina Poncis at Durkan
The firm’s head of digital delivery has more than 18 years’ experience in architecture, engineering and construction. She would be happy to tell you the weekend’s sports scores… before they happen
-
FeaturesMiliband’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan arrives with the public and industry’s confidence in retrofit at a low ebb
The embarrassing failures of the ECO scheme have given retrofit a bad name, but its cancellation hit good and bad installers alike. Together, they put the government in a tricky spot to effect a mass roll-out of new energy efficiency measures, reports Daniel Gayne
-
FeaturesThe regeneration rethink: funding, power and the local leaders shaping what comes next
For over a decade, built environment policy has prioritised new build over regenerating places. As Building launches its new Regen Connect editorial campaign, Joey Gardiner finds out why that might all be about to change
-
Features‘We need more self belief’… Chris Ball of AtkinsRéalis explains how the industry can deliver the UK’s infrastructure ambitions
As the government’s 10-year strategy begins to unfold, the president of the UK and Ireland business of the UK’s largest construction consultant tells Tom Lowe what the sector needs to do to avoid some of the mistakes of the past
-
Features5 minutes with … Dean Mitchell at 4B Projects
One of the firm’s four founding brothers describes working on the Spurs stadium as an Arsenal fan, keeping the Saudi royal family happy, the importance of asking questions and talent spotting potential Ireland rugby players in north Londonx
-
FeaturesAreas for growth and recovery: Why architects are feeling more positive this year
The latest survey of top architecture firms for Building’s sister title Building Design shows a global uplift in sentiment, with the Middle East leading the way and cautious optimism on India, writes David Blackman
-
FeaturesJewry Wall Museum, Leicester: A case study in sensitive adaptation of post‑war public architecture
A careful, minimal retrofit by Levitate transforms Dannatt’s 1959 Vaughan College into a modern museum while preserving its mild brutalist character. Owen Hatherley reports
-
FeaturesCould 2026 be the start of a new stone age?
Structural engineer Webb Yates has completed its first structural stone building for a commercial developer. Thomas Lane reports on the firm’s 20-year mission to establish stone as a sustainable alternative to concrete
-
Features‘The cliff edge has probably been reached’ … When the Warm Homes Plan finally arrives, will there be an industry left to deliver it?
Reports suggest the upcoming plan will see a big move towards low carbon technologies and shift in emphasis from grant to regulation. But industry figures say its long delay and the cancellation of the ECO scheme last year could leave DESNZ without the workforce to deliver its goals
-
FeaturesHow to make change stick in construction
At a recent roundtable, senior industry figures discussed why change fails to stick, the cultural barriers, and how to turn pilots into lasting progress
-
FeaturesBuilding Systems Thinking: Crunch time
The deteriorating condition and performance of existing infrastructure is a looming threat to UK economic and social progress. The government and industry need to get serious about asset management, and fast.