It has long been known that people who live and work in aesthetically pleasing surroundings are happier, but it seems that the appearance of our environment can also have an impact on our health. A new research paper from the Warwick Business School takes a look at how scenery can have an impact on the health and wellbeing of humans. The paper is entitled “Quantifying the Impact of Scenic Environments on Health” and it makes fascinating reading. Continue reading →

A staircase is an essential architectural feature which does not only enable passage between the different levels of a property, but also adds to the aesthetic and spatial layout. From its appearance to its placement and location within the building, it is important to consider all the various elements involved in terms of both performance and design. If you are planning to renovate or install a new staircase in your home, there are several design possibilities to choose from and several factors to consider. Continue reading →

With the introduction of the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP), the Government has been taking steps in recent years to address the needs of schools in the UK which are in need of urgent repairs. 260 schools were included in the programme and earmarked to be rebuilt or improved. Continue reading →

Over billions of years, natural organisms have evolved and developed survival characteristics that enable them to exist in their environment. Recent years have seen the pursuit of sustainability in architecture, and architects across the world are striving to translate the power of adaptability and evolution to the design process. Continue reading →

We are happy to announce that we recently placed the finishing touches on an exciting project: the construction of Cloister, a new 40,000-square metre headquarters for Qingdao Iron and Steel Group, located near their steelworks facility in Qingdao, China. The project consists of seven separate yet interconnected buildings, each with its own dedicated purpose: offices, research, sales, logistics, sports and security. This meant that the work posed a diverse range of challenges and considerations for our architectural team. Continue reading →

The Timmerhuis in Rotterdam features a design that manages to simultaneously combine standardisation and variety. It is being referred to as a “mutable” building that will be able to adapt its shape over time as the function of the property changes. The idea behind the design is that buildings are constructed and then need to be renovated periodically when their purpose changes, resulting in large expenses in the future. A building that can mutate would make savings because a full renovation would never be needed, potentially making the property future-proof. Continue reading →