Readers of the magazine will likely be familiar with conventional uses of insulation in construction, so this month I drew on experience of questions about more unusual applications for thermal insulation products. I also look at the new external wall insulation (EWI) system from Mauer UK, which uses offsite manufacturing techniques to make EWI installation a year-round possibility.
Read MoreWhat do you do if you see a spaceman?
This isn’t a minimalism blog. I’m not here to pass comment on how people live their lives. What I am interested in is: how much space do we actually need versus how much space we want?
Read MoreFlourishing Habitats for Wildlife and People
An article published last month on the CIAT website highlighted new guidelines - Homes for People and Wildlife - published by The Wildlife Trusts aimed at achieving a better balance between the needs of people and the needs of wildlife, amid the government's stated intention to build some 300,000 new homes a year.
Read MoreMaking the Leap: Three Months In
Three months since making the leap seemed like a good time to take stock and share some of what has interested me lately. If you get some value from any of these links, or come across something you think might interest me, let me know! Contact details are at the front of the site, and social media links are at the foot of every page. Here's to the next three months!
Read MoreInsulate Magazine, Issue 15
This month's edition includes another two features penned by my fair hand. The first looks at whether the trends in diesel car sales can teach us anything about stimulating demand for better quality housing. The second asks whether offsite construction methods are finally ready to become mainstream - and if they are, can they deliver that better quality?
Read More"Totally Dependent on Air Conditioning" (a podcast recommendation)
The designing out of passive cooling strategies - vernacular features developed to keep building occupants cool pre-air conditioning - has resulted in buildings that couldn't function if the AC was removed. And as the episode, and its accompanying write-up, says: in the USA, the total greenhouse emissions of air conditioning units are more than the country's construction industry.
Read MoreInsulate Magazine, Issue 14
Issue 14 of Insulate, the only magazine dedicated to the insulation sector of the construction industry, marks my first in the new position of Technical Editor.
Read MoreDiscovering Carcassonne
There is certainly something of the fairytale about the ‘original’ city of Carcassonne, but there is little point in denying the extra charm it bestows on the place as a result. It’s good to be reminded there are things that can still make you feel a childlike excitement, and seeing the Cité in the flesh instantly banished any lingering doubts about being yet another tourist among the millions who visit each year.
Read MoreWhat Does Teamwork Look Like?
See some of the incredible projects that an effective and collaborative use of BIM has delivered and you will believe that it works. On a smaller scale, I like talking about communication because I’ve seen the genuine benefits of initiatives like toolbox talks for new products, working with contractors to achieve improvements on site.
Read MorePearl Harbor Takes the LEED?
Intelligent, environmentally conscious building design is communicated to the public so rarely that it was a pleasure to see it even attempted, never mind achieved in a clear and relatable fashion.
Read MoreDiscovering the Barbican
Inspired by the portrait of an apparent utopia - an architectural vision realised in its entirety, and somewhere that creativity and inspiration continues to flourish - I vowed to visit the Estate next time I was in London. That opportunity arose at the end of June 2017.
Read MoreDon't Bat Away Sustainability Issues
The first floor was intended as a play room - a play room that had to be sacrificed once the bat survey yielded its results. The family found themselves still paying for a substantial brick-built structure on its own foundations, but with an upstairs that I designed and detailed solely for bats and not for them or their kids.
Read MoreExtend Up, Not Out
There is a wider issue in play that some buyers might not be aware of: shortfalls in the build quality and energy efficiency of new homes means they will need to undergo a retrofit of their own by 2050 if the UK is to meet carbon reduction targets. Is it any wonder, then, that improving an older property is more attractive?
Read MoreDefining Innovation
You can’t move for construction companies and product manufacturers proclaiming themselves to be innovative - to the extent that the word is rendered empty and meaningless.
Read MoreIn Search of Knowledge (a podcast review)
Diversity of opinion is good; it informs debate and encourages learning. But it can also be bloody annoying when seeking an objective view on a topic. One person says one thing, another says the opposite and the truth you’re seeking lies in between. But where, and how best to find it?
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