Building Insights

In this special episode of Building Insights, we capture some of the key sessions of a seminar held at RIBA recently to discuss ways to drive specification of timber buildings in the UK, as one of the chief ways to move the country to net zero by 2050. It features highlights of talks by leading lights in timber design; Alex de Rijke of dRMM, Anthony Thistleton of Waugh Thistleton, Jerry Tate of Tate & Co, and Rory Bergin of HTA. Other speakers at the Structural Timber Association-staged event provided key insights on how the Government’s Timber Roadmap is showing the way forward.

In this audible article, Giles Fallan of BuildSafe shares how the right selfbuild insurance can help give you confidence to make your dream home a reality.

In this audible article, James Parker speaks with Andrew Carpenter, chief executive of the Structural Timber Association, to discuss how the construction industry is tackling the obstacles behind the Government’s roadmap for increasing the use of timber.

In this audible article, Kathryn Firth of Arup reveals a groundbreaking residential development in Lewes, East Sussex. The scheme aims to transform the challenges of climate change and sustainability into opportunities for innovative design and community-focused placemaking, including shared amenities and affordable housing.

In an insightful Audible article, Scott Wolters of EGGER UK offers a concise guide for self-builders navigating the diverse landscape of structural timber flooring options. Wolters breaks down the various choices available, highlighting their unique benefits and applications. This overview serves as a valuable resource, simplifying the decision-making process for self-builders and ensuring they select the most suitable timber flooring solutions for their projects.

In a compelling Audible article, we narrate Gillian Burgis Smith's inspiring journey to becoming an architect, triumphing over outdated industry biases and significant health challenges. She explains how she broke through the male-dominated architecture field with persistence and resilience, transforming personal health obstacles into a source of empathy and innovation. By leveraging her experiences, she has championed the creation of inclusive environments, advocating for and designing spaces that accommodate diverse needs, thereby making a lasting impact on the field and paving the way for future architects.

This episode of Builders Voices (in collaboration with the Federation of Master Builders) is a revealing conversation with housebuilder Stephen Rankin, awarded the 2023 Master Builder of the Year by the FMB. Stephen and firm he founded Vantage & Co have a string of great projects which demonstrate an unusual level of attention to detail, including a renovation of one of the few remaining Georgian villas in central Birmingham. He has however been vocal about some of the intractable problems in the industry, from severe planning headaches to how skills gaps can be filled. A former joiner, Stephen looks at issues caused by underfunded planning departments, and how simple availability problems lead to negative outcomes for all. He clearly outlines some ideas for improving things which the new Government needs to consider if it really wants to ‘get Britain building.’

This episode of Building Insights is the second in association with Sapphire Balconies; James Parker, editor of ADF speaks to Nick Haughton, Head of ESG at Sapphire Balconies to discuss the key topic of ‘Streamlining Construction and Competency.’ Nick looks at why competency has become the current industry buzzword for the new more robust specification framework post-Building Safety Act, and how technology is helping to end the performance gap and produce safer buildings.

James Parker speaks to architect Trevor Morriss, who designed his first building at 17, and founded his own practice, SPPARC in 2007. He reveals his enthusiasm for conserving London’s heritage architecture as shown in various masterplans, how involving the community can pay dividends for designs and designers, and the important of curiosity and investigation.

In this episode of Building Insights, in association with Sapphire Balconies, James Parker speaks to Nick Haughton, head of ESG at the company, on the crucial topic of elevating the fire safety of facades, post-Building Safety Act, how it might support a new look at laminated glass balustrades, and how the firm is going ‘beyond compliance’ in its projects.

This episode collects some of the highlights of our recent industry round table, 'Exploring Solutions for Residential Deep Retrofit', held at London’s Building Centre on 22 May 2024, and sponsored by WMS Underfloor Heating and Saint-Gobain Construction Products UK. A cross-disciplinary panel including renowned retrofit experts delivered practical insights and knowledge on enabling retrofit at scale of the UK’s 27 million existing homes, including learnings for the incoming Government.

James Parker speaks to Debbie Waddington, group head of HR at Keepmoat, to find out how the Top 20 UK housebuilder is putting the work into attracting a new generation of onsite and offsite staff in a difficult construction skills environment. She explains how selling the benefits of a career in a more ‘people-centred’ industry to new entrants is one of the factors behind the company’s enduring success in a challenging market.

In association with Bjelin, James Parker speaks to Emanuel Lidberg, head of design at Bjelin’s sister company, Välinge Innovation. In a very entertaining discussion with the timber flooring design specialist, James discovers why keeping up with fleeting trends may not be as crucial as timeless design and sustainability.

In association with VMZinc, this episode features Jonathan Lowy, operational marketing marketing manager at the company. Jon’s held several roles in 27+ years at VM, but maintains a really infectious enthusiasm for all things zinc. We explore how the material – the roof covering of choice in Paris in the mid 19th century – is now an increasingly popular specification on aesthetic and functional grounds for UK architects.

James Parker, editor of Housebuilder and Developer, speaks to Chris Carr, who has run his family SME housebuilding company in Grimsby for many years, but has recently seen his industry profile going through the roof as President of the Federation of Master Builders. He is a key figure advising and lobbying Ministers on what needs to change to ensure that SMEs are able to deliver all of the Government and industry targets for housebuilding. He’s also a master of pragmatic, creative thinking to get over the major stumbling blocks such as those around planning. A podcast in association with the FMB.

In March 2024 we hosted the third Building Insights LIVE round table, which was a multi-disciplinary discussion around the impact of the Building Safety Act & the Golden Thread on future construction. We brought together architects, developers, IT experts and product suppliers at the Building Centre in London, to identify the challenges and solutions for navigating the new regime for professionals. Creating safer high-risk buildings post-Grenfell means taking greater accountability, but with added professional risks for architects and contractors. The event explored these issues, as well as how product specification could be made more robust, and the standards that are needed. It was a key debate full of unique insights, and some of the highlights are presented in this special podcast.

Richard Banham, national key account manager, Bjelin UK Ltd, speaks to James Parker about how the company has promoted innovation in flooring for decades, and what makes their hardened flooring products innovative. They also discuss new products in the pipeline, and how receptive the UK market to innovations in flooring.

James Parker speaks to Tom Slater, who founded T2S Architecture during the pandemic and is driving the agenda around retrofit as beneficial for the urban context, developers’ business cases, and sustainability.

In this episode of Builders’ Voices, James Parker speaks to Jeremy Gray, head of policy at the Federation of Master Builders. Jeremy discusses the key takeaways from the FMB’s 2023 House Builders Survey, a key snapshot of the shared challenges across the sector.

In this first episode of Building Insights in association with wood flooring innovator Bjelin UK, James Parker speaks to Simon Darbyshire, managing director of Bjelin UK. He explains how the firm has evolved from pioneering a method of installing wood flooring without using glue.