Features

Colin Campbell, Managing Director of Codelocks UK, discusses how keyless access control solutions can boost safety and security in the post-COVID-19 workplace.

It’s one of the most important considerations in new-build architecture – whether to finish the property with a pitched or flat roof. But it’s also a decision that inspires hotly-contested discussions on the pros and cons of each option, with advances in materials meaning the choice is wider than ever. In this article, George King, Divisional Managing Director at SIG Exteriors, gets to the heart of the debate, and looks at the solutions currently available to architects and specifiers.

Will Frost, National Product Manager for Engineered and Laminated Products at International Timber, explores the reasons why environmentally-friendly timber is becoming one of the most popular building materials, and gives advice to architects on ways to enhance sustainable timber specification and compliance.

Flooring has a big role to play in the overall look and feel of a space, and the market is awash with different materials. Considerations also need to be made for durability and promoting positive wellbeing in today’s environments. Louisa Eyles, Commercial Marketing Manager at Amtico, explains why LVT is the answer.

As lockdown measures are eased, it will be fascinating to see how different sectors of the UK economy respond. Positively, the early signs are promising for the construction industry, says Jamie Johnson, CEO of FJP Investment.

With the rise of home working and virtual meetings, the way we work and interact with our colleagues, customers and suppliers has changed dramatically over the last year. We may still need to keep our distance, but as Andrew Cooper – National Specification Manager for aluminium fenestration solutions manufacturer Senior Architectural Systems – explains, close collaboration within the supply chain has never been more important.

For the longest time, Calgary, Canada’s third-largest city, resisted the very notion of design. Then, as Santiago Calatrava was called in to build the Peace Bridge, things started to change. And firms such as the marc boutin architectural collaborative (MBAC) are now able to propose – and build – projects that would not have been considered 15 years ago.

Qin Group is a West China-based full chain platform agency in the advertising industry. The brand is a regular customer of Studio DOTCOF, which designed its head office in Chongqing four years ago. Qin Group has now commissioned Studio DOTCOF to design the new office for its Chengdu branch.

Before Myles Taylor first stepped into an architectural office, he was ushered to work on site as a labourer by his step-father – a Property Surveyor who thought that if Myles was going to design buildings, then he should know how they fit together first. Here, FC&A finds out how Myles went from learning on site to starting his own architectural practice and discovers just what he learnt along the way.

Bricks are one of the world’s oldest building materials and have been used in the construction of many iconic structures, including New York’s Empire State Building. Scott Denham, Sales Director from IG Masonry Support, gives insight into the limitless design opportunities bricks enable across commercial and residential applications.