Bull in the Oak

Nestled away in a hamlet just outside Market Bosworth lies what appears to be a typical Leicestershire farmstead. Except this country idyll has pushed the boundaries of design and planning and is now home to a bespoke development of five... View Article

The home front

What will you choose for your dream home’s facade? Lisa Grosse of Cedral explains why fibre cement cladding makes a great choice, for both practical reasons and the aesthetic ‘wow’ factor As well as providing protection against heat, cold, wind,... View Article

John Lewis to build 10,000 homes for rent 

Retailer John Lewis is reportedly set to construct 10,000 homes for rent over the next few years, largely utilising its existing sites. Reports in the Sunday Times said the department store chain’s move into the residential property market is being... View Article

Smooth start, perfect finish

From Peter Wilson, Setcrete Brand Manager Specifying beautiful floorcoverings for a new property can transform the appearance of a room dramatically. Today there are so many options from traditional carpet to wood, ceramic and porcelain floor tiles and, increasingly, luxury... View Article

Designs taking flight

Eric Nicholls of Spiral UK explores the different options for feature staircases available to housebuilders and developers, detailing the benefits of each. Choosing a staircase sounds easy – after all a staircase has only one function – but why should... View Article

Steeling yourself for the future

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Stuart Judge of the Steel Window Association considers the performance benefits of contemporary steel frames in terms of meeting the future challenges for housebuilding. Britain can take pride in the way its big pharmaceutical companies and top... View Article

Timber or composite?

Deciding on the best decking option for your garden makeover can be challenging. Tony Hobbs of Southern Sheeting offers some advice to help you choose The trend for durable and premium wood plastic composite (WPC) decking is now firmly established... View Article

Queen’s Speech centres on planning overhaul

New laws aiming to enable the UK to “build back better and stronger from the pandemic” were unveiled in the Queen’s Speech, including an overhaul of the planning system to increase building rates across the UK. The Government’s new legislative... View Article

Moisture Management in Historic Buildings

Lewis Proudfoot of Cliveden Conservation and committee member of the Building Limes Forum, discusses moisture management in historic buildings and why lime should be the default material for the repair of traditional structures The challenge of maintaining and repairing historic... View Article

Budget 2021: a boost for construction?

An extension to the furlough scheme, a £10m MMC taskforce, a new ‘Infrastructure Bank’ totalling £12bn in capital, £15bn to be spent on the transition to net zero by 2050, an extension on the stamp duty holiday, and the introduction... View Article

Getting brickwork right

Sean Wilkins of the Brick Development Association gives specification, design and workmanship tips that will ensure that your brickwork is successful Despite being used for thousands of years with evidence of their use in the UK dating back to the... View Article

Natural Stone Awards – Shortlist Announced

Stone Federation are delighted to announce the shortlisted projects for the 2020 Natural Stone Awards. In spite of the challenges that this year has presented, it was incredibly encouraging to see that both the quantity and quality of entries was... View Article