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Flush-Fitting Rooflights And The Importance Of Preserving Roof Geometry In Standing Seam Roof Design
The growing popularity of contemporary standing seam roof systems has placed greater emphasis on architectural detailing. Products such as GreenCoat PLX Pro BT are increasingly specified on high-end residential projects due to their clean lines, refined appearance and ability to create uninterrupted roof forms with a strong architectural presence. However, introducing natural daylight into these roofscapes can present a significant design challenge. While rooflights are often


Future Homes Standard Risks Overlooking Biggest Household Energy Use, Warns WWHR Sector
As the Future Homes Standard (FHS) moves into its final policy stage before implementation, the Waste Water Heat Recovery (WWHR) sector, led by Showersave and Recoup, has identified that the framework may limit opportunities for reducing domestic hot water (DHW) demand – despite hot water accounting for one of the largest energy demands in the homes of the future. The WWHR sector has gathered independent third-party feedback and modelled some national housebuilders’ house t


What Architects Need From A Cast Stone Supplier - And Why The Right Partnership Makes All The Difference
Architects today are under more pressure than ever. Tighter programmes, complex planning constraints, heightened sustainability targets and exacting clients mean there is little room for friction anywhere in the supply chain. When it comes to cast stone, architects are not simply looking for a manufacturer; they are looking for a partner who understands design intent, technical reality, and the long-term value of the buildings they create. Here, based on years of close collab


Milestone Event For ISO Chemie Boosts Support For Passivhaus Sector
Window and door sealant tape specialist ISO Chemie is investing further in supporting the house building sector with a new exhibition at a showroom dedicated to Passivhaus principles, sustainable innovation, and smart eco-living. The move will see a permanent showroom at Home by Milestone - The Passivhaus Centre of Excellence in Matlock, Derbyshire, enabling the company to showcase its thermal insulating and load bearing bracket support system WINFRAMER Type 1 and Hybratec


Trust James Hardie To Deliver A Top Quality Facade
Royal Greenwich Trust School (RGTS) is a key educational hub in the Charlton Riverside area of London. Following a major extension in 2020, the school's facade required urgent attention and in 2024, Express Group Ltd was contracted to remove the existing cladding. Upon closer inspection, the team identified significant installation flaws, including an incorrectly installed subframe and non-compliant cladding, necessitating a complete and rapid remediation of the building.


Pantheon Grey: Seamless Sophistication In A Cheshire Kitchen Transformation
Bringing a contemporary edge to a 1970s-built home in Helsby, Cheshire, this impressive kitchen renovation showcases how thoughtful design and carefully selected materials can completely transform a space. Originally characterised by bold colours and exposed brickwork, the four-bedroom detached property has been reimagined into a modern, light-filled family home. Working alongside Gareth Lewin of PJL Installations, the homeowners have gradually renovated the property over tim


Firefly® FB180 Batts Raise Their Game On Computer Floor Safety
Already widely specified for flooring applications and creating ‘protected zones’ in roof-spaces, FIREFLY® FB 180 ablative batts are now also being used to provide fire compartmentation beneath raised access floors. Raised access floors are commonly used to accommodate power, data and other building services, creating concealed voids beneath the finished floor. Without appropriate fire protection, these hidden cavities can allow fire and smoke to spread unseen beyond the poin


Bradite Reaches New Heights With Snowdon Mountain Railway
Bradite One Can has become the go-to finish for the team at Snowdon Mountain Railway, thanks to its quick-drying, highly durable formulation. The iconic attraction is the UK’s only public rack-and-pinion mountain railway. First built in 1895, it has been welcoming visitors for 130 years, offering a unique and accessible way to experience the landscapes of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and Eryri National Park. With Bradite’s factory based in the foothills of Snowdon, and both brands sha


Taylor Maxwell Returns To Clerkenwell Design Week 2026 With Expanded Programme Of Events And Exclusive Prize Giveaway
Following a successful debut in 2025, Taylor Maxwell returns to Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) this month from 19–21 May 2026. Alongside SBS Cladding, Taylor Maxwell Timber and Vobster Architectural whom form part of the Taylor Maxwell Group, the company will host a dynamic programme of events at its Clerkenwell showroom, while also exhibiting at the festival’s central hub in the ‘Commercial Design in the Park’ area (Stand PA2). In keeping with its sponsorship of World Champio


Extended Range Of Cast Iron Radiators… From Stelrad
In its 90th year, it seems almost fitting that leading radiator manufacturer Stelrad has chosen to expand the range of options for its cast iron column radiators here in the UK. The popularity of cast iron radiators, albeit better manufactured and much more efficient than their elderly predecessors, has seen major growth in recent years, if anything making them even more popular now than they were in their so called heyday back between the mid nineteenth century and the 1920s


Navigator Announces Impressive Charity Fund Raising Total
Navigator MSL has announced a serious annual total to its fundraising exploits for 2025. Every year the company chooses a charity to support for the year voted for by the employees of the company. In 2025 the charity selected was the Cransley Hospice Trust. Cransley Hospice in Kettering provides support for patients with a life-limiting illness who need the specialist help of a hospice. Charity Coordinator Hannah Salton says the team at Navigator is delighted with the amount


‘SCOP-Hunter’ Specifying ESBE Hydronics To Boost Heat Pump Performance
A Manchester based heating and renewables specialist is striving to grow his business based on delivering high standards of service and system performance, including specifying valves and other hydronic components from the ESBE range to optimise the Seasonally adjusted Coefficient of Performance (SCOP) for the air source heat pumps his company installs. Liam Crosby set up his own business in 2019 having been a British Gas engineer for eight years and now heads a team of eight


FP McCann Invests Heavily To Secure UK Roof Tile Supply Amidst Industry Shortages
The UK roofing sector is currently facing significant supply chain challenges. A recent survey by MRA Reports, published in Builders' Merchant News, revealed that 79% of specialist roofing merchants are experiencing problematic lead times. In some cases, contractors are waiting 52 weeks or more for concrete roof tiles, causing costly delays to construction schedules across the country. While the wider industry struggles with these shortages, FP McCann has taken decisive ac


West Fraser Celebrates The 2026 National Year Of Reading Through RIBAJ Storyboard Competition
West Fraser is proud to support the 2026 National Year of Reading, a major Department for Education initiative delivered with the National Literacy Trust, aimed at reversing the decline in reading enjoyment and inspiring audiences of all ages to “Go All In” on reading throughout the year. The national campaign seeks to reconnect people with the joy of reading through schools, libraries, community events and partnerships across the UK. As reading for pleasure reaches its lowes


Flowcrete Partners With Cemfloor To Launch Next-Generation Flowing K For High-Performance Screed
A new era of liquid screed technology delivers speed, strength, and simplicity for modern flooring projects. Flowcrete, a product brand of Tremco CPG UK Ltd is proud to announce the launch of the new and improved IsocreteFlowing K, developed in partnership with Cemfloor by McGraths. This next-generation cement-based liquid screed combines Flowcrete’s flooring expertise with Cemfloor’s advanced binder technology to deliver a solution that’s faster to install, easier to wor


Office Construction Resurgence Creates Major Opportunity For Accessible Workplace Washroom Design
By Fitzroy of London... The UK office construction sector is one of the most promising areas for growth in 2026. Following years of uncertainty, the upturn for new office construction and refurbishment, as well as the increased return to the workplace, creates significant opportunities for architects, developers, specifiers and contractors to deliver high-quality, future-ready spaces. According to a recent report by Glenigan*, 23 major projects worth £6.3 billion are schedule


West Fraser’s CaberDek Protects Essex Housing Development
West Fraser’s CaberDek structural flooring has been specified by Essex‑based housebuilder Bocking Homes on a 10‑home residential scheme, helping to protect floor quality during construction while supporting programme efficiency and high standards at handover. Founded in 2017, Bocking Homes is a privately-owned, SME housebuilder delivering small to mid‑scale residential developments across Essex. The business focuses on creating high‑quality family homes, with robust construct


Conservation Rooflights In A Changing Climate
Paul Trace, Director of Stella Rooflight, discusses why authenticity and performance must go hand in hand... There is a well understood principle in conservation and restoration work that extends far beyond architecture: the idea that the method must be appropriate to the material. A stonemason repairing a centuries old wall would not reach for modern cement where lime mortar is required, even if the modern material appears stronger, quicker or more convenient to apply. The w


How Cast Stone Is Reshaping The Future Of Architectural Renewal
Toby Marlow, Haddonstone's Building and Construction team director, discusses... As the built environment confronts the twin pressures of climate responsibility and an ageing building stock, retrofitting has shifted from a niche intervention to a fundamental design imperative. Across cities and communities, architects are challenged to elevate the performance of existing structures while honouring the architectural narratives they embody. Retrofitting offers a powerful means


ASWS Wins Contract At Glasshouse Street
Associated Steel Window Services (ASWS) has been appointed to undertake the full refurbishment off 78 steel lightwell windows and 43 timber windows for a project on 21-29 Glasshouse Street, London, working with BAM Construction Ltd and for The Crown Estate. Construction of the Grade II–listed building which formed part of Sir Reginald Blomfield’s major redevelopment of the Regent Street Quadrant took some 20 years with completion in 1929. Over two decades ago, ASWS complete
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