Endless colours, clean, modern lines and green credentials – what more could you want for a 21st-century facade? James Ormerod, Managing Director of architectural finishes firm Aliva UK, explains why insulated render is well worth considering.

In 2017, the average UK household spent £102 per month on electricity and gas, accounting for nearly 5% of the UK’s average household budget. Nicolas Tye, Principal Architect at Nicolas Tye Architects, explores how following an ecological principle for a property’s design – particularly with regard to the strategic installation of glazing – can significantly improve a home’s energy efficiency, whilst simultaneously reducing its associated energy costs.

Human-centred design isn’t a new concept, but with a growing body of research highlighting its important role in boosting workplace productivity, it has become a key consideration for architects and interior designers, writes Laura Light, Interface Concept Design Team Leader.

Today, Alton Towers is best known as a theme park resort, home to Nemesis, Oblivion, The Smiler and new for 2018, Wicker Man. Yet, before the Corkscrew revolutionised the park back in 1980, the estate had been the property and home of the Talbots, Earls of Shrewsbury, for 700 years. At the heart of the park sits a reminder of this heritage, the iconic Towers, one of the greatest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Britain.

In construction, waterproofing is a process of making a building or structure waterproof or water-resistant, so it remains protected from the effects of water penetration or enables the ingress of water within a specified or controlled manner.