Thanks to advancements in technology and material performance, architects are now faced with an increasing amount of options when it comes to deciding upon a structure’s composition. For buildings to stand out amongst their peers and appeal to the client’s target audience, designers must push the boundaries, both in form and in function. You only have to look at Zaha Hadid’s project portfolio to see that the industry is not as ‘straight-edge’ as it once was.

Austin-Smith:Lord’s new Teaching and Conference Building at Teeside University – known as The Curve – is a perfect example of this. Its bold and striking composition is enhanced by the golden copper cladding that wraps around the curved wall surfaces of the four-storey building. The golden copper alloy also brings an additional warmth and texture – a material that will maintain its high-quality appearance with negligible maintenance. To read more about this landmark building in education, turn to page 28.

Continuing the curved theme, in this month’s Sustainability in Development, FC&A unveils the Francis Crick Institute – a stunning piece of architecture, thanks to the curved steel elements made possible using Barnshaws Section Benders. Turn to page 14 to find out more.

Meanwhile on page 32, Schoeck explains how its thermal break system provided the ultimate solution for a London scheme featuring two rippling glass towers.

Elsewhere in this issue, Aco Water Management’s Dr David Smoker examines how Brexit is set to impact on product standards in the construction sector, Sutton Vane Associates looks at some of the benefits gained from a well-considered lighting scheme and Graf UK profiles the first UK eco town to harvest the rain.

I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget, you can also access all of the magazine’s features, product news and supplier information at your fingertips via Future Constructor & Architect’s state-of-the-art app. To download your version free of charge, simply search ‘fc&a’ on Google play or the App Store.