Features

Glass is one of the most practical and versatile construction materials, and it can also be one of the most colourful, as Scott Sinden, Managing Director of glass processing expert ESG Group, explains.

The construction industry encompasses a vast number of rewarding careers. For example, it has been found that construction-related employment in Great Britain increased by 3.8% in 2017, exceeding its pre-downturn peak of 2007 to reach the highest level on record. Showcasing the rising popularity of construction-based roles, this figure embodies our progress, says Russell Stilwell, Founder of RSE Building Services.

Owners, operators and manufacturers of lifts must satisfy a wide range of regulations, standards and international directives, writes Chris Meering, Regional Director at TÜV SÜD Dunbar Boardman.

The UK construction sector has not traditionally been a bastion of equal rights for women. However, that situation is changing, argues Gillian Thomson, Branch Manager at cladding specialist MSP (Scotland), part of the Vivalda Group.

A finalist at the WAF Awards 2019 for the ‘Future Projects Residential’ category, the MET Tirana is a 12-storey high-density residential and mixed-use building in the heart of the city of Tirana in Albania.

The suspension footbridge in Tianmen, China, spans two mountains, and its design simulates that of the surrounding snow-capped mountain landscape. Further, it responds to the cloud-edge effect, capturing direct and reflected light to increase solar energy production.

While many architectural trends come and go, a consistent factor for modern building design is the improvement of health and wellbeing. With increased research on the levels of pollutants in indoor spaces, we’re expecting more from buildings in terms of how they support our bodies and minds. Here, Tony Walker, Technical Specification Controller at PPG Architectural Coatings, explains why indoor air quality is becoming a vital consideration for building design and how architects and designers can make sure their developments hit the mark.

The increasing recognition of climate change among local and central governmental bodies is resulting in greater demand for green and blue roof technologies by planning authorities. Amanda de Sousa, Product Systems Manager at BMI UK & Ireland, explains what needs they meet in a drainage context.

Growing awareness of the need for good indoor air quality (IAQ) is highlighting the many fresh air benefits of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR). A raft of research has pointed to the health impact of breathing in polluted air.

First impressions count and kerb appeal sells houses. Before your customer has even set foot inside one of your homes, they’ve developed an opinion on it. The external infrastructure of a development is often at the bottom of a developer’s priority list, but it helps to create a sense of community and individuality – and makes a real difference to the value of the homes you sell.