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Architects Journal
Austin Williams

  • NBS Shortcuts: soakaways

    10-Jul-2008

    In this NBS Shortcut, Austin Williams looks at soakaways - and finds holes in the ground to be more complex than they seem

  • NBS Shortcuts: fixings

    29-May-2008

    Austin Williams looks at the types of screw, bolts and nails on the market and how to use them in this NBS Shortcut

  • NBS Shortcuts: escalators

    24-Apr-2008

    Austin Williams looks at variable speeds and the leisurely development of escalator technology in this NBS Shortcut

  • NBS Shortcuts: cranes

    17-Jan-2008

    Austin Williams’ NBS Shortcut looks at the stresses and strains put on cranes

  • INDUCTION LOOPS ARE A COMMON AND CHEAP WAY OF IMPROVING SOUND

    21-Jun-2007

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • ALL BUILDINGS EXCEPT SINGLEFAMILY DWELLINGS MUST BE ASSESSED

    5-Apr-2007

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • FIRE SAFETY IS NOT YET ASSIMILATED INTO RAINSCREEN GUIDANCE

    15-Mar-2007

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • INSPECTORS ARE PREPARING FOR A FLOOD OF APPLICATIONS

    25-Jan-2007

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • FRONT DOOR LOCKS HAVEN'T CHANGED MUCH IN 150 YEARS

    11-Jan-2007

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • THE DISTANCE AT WHICH TREES CAN AFFECT A BUILDING IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT

    7-Dec-2006

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • DETAILED GLASS INFORMATION IS AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE

    2-Nov-2006

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE - SHORTCUTS

  • BOOK

    26-Oct-2006

    REVIEW

  • THE ROOF ITSELF IS TREATED AS A LIGHT OBJECT

    8-Jun-2006

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • MANCHESTER TRANSPORT INTERCHANGE

    6-Apr-2006

    BUILDING STUDY

  • WHEN THE WATERS RISE, THE BUILDINGS SIMPLY FLOAT

    16-Feb-2006

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • BUILDINGS WITHIN 3M OF A SEWER MAY HAVE TO BE REALIGNED

    9-Feb-2006

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • DON'T MOVE

    9-Feb-2006

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • STORY TIME

    2-Feb-2006

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • CHANGING TIMES

    26-Jan-2006

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • ECO BUSINESS

    19-Jan-2006

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • IT SHOULD HELP YOU THROUGH THE MINEFIELD OF 2006 LEGISLATION

    19-Jan-2006

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • EACH MATERIAL CHOICE WAS JUSTIFIED FOR SUSTAINABILITY

    12-Jan-2006

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • NEW YEAR'S CHEER

    12-Jan-2006

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • TALKING THE TALK

    15-Dec-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • TICK MY BOX

    8-Dec-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • TIME AND ENERGY

    1-Dec-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • WE CAN STILL TURN UP THE THERMOSTAT IN THE PRIVACY OF OUR COMPLIANT NEW HOME

    1-Dec-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • HIDDEN IN CODE

    24-Nov-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • STAFF CAN STILL BE SUBJECTED TO OVER 20 HOURS AT OVER 28ºC

    24-Nov-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • A CAUTIONARY TALE

    17-Nov-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • MAKING THE SWITCH

    10-Nov-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • FIGHTING FIRE

    3-Nov-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • PART OF THE PROCESS

    27-Oct-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE / PART L

  • SOME OF THE JUSTIFICATION LOOKS LIKE SHOWING OFF

    27-Oct-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE / PART F

  • THE ADLS SET PERFORMANCE TARGETS FOR THE WHOLE BUILDING

    27-Oct-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE / PART L

  • MUCK AND BRASS

    20-Oct-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • THE FALL GUYS

    13-Oct-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • OFFICE ENVIRONMENT

    6-Oct-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • THE CHAIRMAN WILL HAVE NO PERMANENT SEATING POSITION

    6-Oct-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • THE PRODUCT IS INTERESTING, WORKABLE - AND ARCHITECTURALLY UNINSPIRING

    6-Oct-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • MODEL PERFORMANCE

    29-Sep-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • PERSONAL ENERGY

    22-Sep-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • WATER GOOD IDEA

    15-Sep-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • AN AUDIT TRAIL IS AN INVALUABLE TOOL FOR PROTECTING YOURSELF

    8-Sep-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • BOOK

    8-Sep-2005

    REVIEW - Skyscrapers: Structure and Design By Matthew Wells.Laurence King, 2005.192pp. £30

  • RISKY DEBATE

    8-Sep-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • STAMP IT OUT

    1-Sep-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • SPACE ODDITY

    25-Aug-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • WRECKING BALL

    11-Aug-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • AGE-OLD CONCERNS

    28-Jul-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • CRITICAL MERITS

    21-Jul-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • AS YOU TURN THE CORNER THE FULL MAGNITUDE OF THE TOWERING STADIUM REALLY HITS HOME

    14-Jul-2005

    CONSTRUCTION STUDY

  • HISTORY IN THE MAKING

    14-Jul-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • HINES SUGGESTS THAT GREEN ROOFS NEED NO MAINTENANCE AT ALL - INCLUDING WATERING

    7-Jul-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • RAISING THE ROOF

    7-Jul-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • RESIDENT TOURIST

    30-Jun-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • COMMUNITY SPIRIT

    23-Jun-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • FIRST I HAD TO WADE THROUGH HAIR'S SONG AQUARIUS AND DONOVAN'S ATLANTIS

    23-Jun-2005

    1. At Home In The City: An Introduction to Urban Design By Graham Towers. Architectural Press (Elsevier), 2005.

  • FLIGHTS OF FANTASY

    16-Jun-2005

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • A global arena

    2-Jun-2005

    An exhibition of stadia and the launch of a book on the topic provide an opportunity to appraise sport and architecture

  • The university of life

    26-May-2005

    What is the difference between a pay packet and a grant and between employment and study time? Nothing, it seems

  • Loss and expense

    19-May-2005

    technical & practice - How do you build innovative housing and ensure there is confidence in the long-term durability of the end product?

  • Stock exchange

    5-May-2005

    A further amendment to Part L has just come into effect that will add additional capital costs to central-heating systems

  • The age of anxiety

    28-Apr-2005

    technical & practice - Britain's continued (and inevitable? ) ambivalence towards urbanism receives a thorough examination

  • Friends of the earth?

    14-Apr-2005

    Transport myths, wine-growers' predictions and Marxist termite mounds: Designing for Sustainability had them all

  • LEDs and gentlemen

    14-Apr-2005

    technical & practice - Smartslab offers innovation in public-space displays - not that you'd have known it from the presentation

  • The academics of the madhouse

    31-Mar-2005

    Revised criteria for university research funding are causing much protest. But is the solution argued for any better?

  • BREAKING THE RULES OF THUMB

    17-Mar-2005

    ajenda - There was a time when most architects understood the Building Regulations.Today they are clouded by confusion. But how can anyone be expected to keep up when the Approved Documents are constantly changing, asks Austin Williams?

  • Chuck out the chintz

    10-Mar-2005

    technical & practice - Will cleaning up the mean streets of Kensington result in more eye contact, nicer people and safer roads?

  • Creative engineering

    3-Mar-2005

    We rummage through the bookshelves in a round-up of how to engineer sub-soil, night soil and suburban sprawl

  • Yours sincerely...

    17-Feb-2005

    technical & practice - In the run-up to the Delivering Sustainable Communities Summit, AJ's technical editor conducted an email conversation with Bill Dunster of BedZED on the merits of it all

  • Intensity, not density

    10-Feb-2005

    There are many surplus sites lying vacant in every city. Taking advantage of them doesn't necessarily mean urban cramming

  • What's my line?

    10-Feb-2005

    technical & practice - Many architects do not have a traditional workload. In this occasional series, we examine some of the non-architectural work that they do

  • Keeping your Options open

    3-Feb-2005

    Timber frame comes of age in this prefabricated house built in modular form for ease of erection and extension

  • Do you copy?

    20-Jan-2005

    courses - There may be nothing new in architecture, but on some courses, staff can find out if students are taking this too literally

  • 'Cities'

    13-Jan-2005

    technical practice - John Reader. William Heinemann, 2004. 358pp. £20

  • Cities People Planet

    13-Jan-2005

    technical practice - Herbert Girardet. Wiley-Academy, 2004. 304pp. £19.99

  • Dark Age Ahead

    13-Jan-2005

    technical practice - Jane Jacobs. Random House, 2004. 241pp. £16.95

  • What's my line?

    9-Dec-2004

    technical & practice - Before you seek publicity, make sure that you have something to say. Don't do it because you think you have to

  • Brighton breezy

    2-Dec-2004

    technical & practice - A new housing project has been tucked into a sloping innercity site to keep the planners and environmentalists happy

  • A drain on resources

    25-Nov-2004

    Following our earlier article on topographical modelling, we examine the rise of flood tides, risk and mapping

  • Architecture and the self

    18-Nov-2004

    technical & practice - A round-up of books which explore the role of technology and the free citizen in urban regeneration

  • Structural adjustment

    4-Nov-2004

    Two revised Building Regulations Approved Documents have crept up again - this time on how the building stands up

  • Sounding out the facts

    28-Oct-2004

    technical & practice - The recent AJ Part E conference looked at designing for compliance and making sense of the new sound regulations

  • Whose line is it anyway?

    28-Oct-2004

    Katherine Skellon wants to reinvent the role of exhibition designer and has used her industry experience to co-design a new creative practice course focusing on cooperation

  • Bright ideas

    14-Oct-2004

    The AJ's 'True Colours' conference at the RIBA last month looked into the use of colour in architecture and how, if used intelligently, it can be more than just a lick of paint

  • Give us a P, Bob

    14-Oct-2004

    A new Approved Document comes into force in January 2005. Here we assess whether it is worth worrying about

  • Get your Act together

    7-Oct-2004

    technical & practice - The Disability Discrimination Act now applies to employers with any number of employees. Do all your properties comply?

  • The NEXT generation

    7-Oct-2004

    NEXTMap, a new breed of mapping technology, is set to become an architect's best friend - and a lot more besides

  • Doing God's work

    23-Sep-2004

    technical & practice - Five years into its restoration, Acanthus Clews Architects still expresses an almost religious fervour for Coventry Cathedral

  • headline to in here and here

    9-Sep-2004

    Two-line standfirst to go in here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here Bored by bog-standard CPD sessions? Want something more refined? Well, how about tips from the Prince of Wales?

  • Construction industry stresses

    2-Sep-2004

    Cardiff School of Architecture has investigated the possibilities for speedy housing construction? by building a table

  • Follow the reader

    2-Sep-2004

    An eclectic round-up of books and guides for architects to read at leisure or snap up for use around the office

  • TICKING THE RIGHT BOXES

    26-Aug-2004

    ajenda - In today's quest to add value at all costs, are we not losing sight of the most important aspect of all - the architecture itself? Austin Williams reports

  • Stream of consciousness

    22-Jul-2004

    technical & practice - The simplicity of the Princess Diana memorial fountain masks the complexity of the coordination of CAD/CAM technology

  • Discriminating evidence

    15-Jul-2004

    technical & practice - The final part of the DDA comes into force in just three months and relates to every office's employment practices

  • Demand and conquer

    1-Jul-2004

    technical & practice - New company Inventa finds demand for products yet to be invented and locates the technology to make them work

  • Part E time

    1-Jul-2004

    technical & practice - Robust Standard Details for Part E are now in force. We look at the implications for acoustic performance of new housing

  • Part E time

    1-Jul-2004

    technical & practice - Robust Standard Details for Part E are now in force. We look at the implications for acoustic performance of new housing

  • Damp course

    17-Jun-2004

    technical & practice - A new BRE book explores all aspects of damp in buildings, examines their causes and provides remedial suggestions

  • Out of this world

    17-Jun-2004

    Ultra-light, highly insulative, Nanogel began life as part of the space race but is now being used in construction

  • Made in the shade

    10-Jun-2004

    Louvres and brise-soleil are becoming increasingly popular as office occupants seek to hide from the glare of the sun

  • Ticket to ride

    10-Jun-2004

    ajenda

  • Future imperfect

    3-Jun-2004

    review

  • Poetic licence

    3-Jun-2004

    construction study

  • What's my line?

    3-Jun-2004

    In our continuing series exploring professions that impact on architects, we look at the important role of the planner

  • European champion

    27-May-2004

    people

  • A trip down memory lane

    13-May-2004

    In his latest book, The Earth, Richard Fortey argues that 'human beings seem to be programmed to love their home territory'. But is this concept of urban memory true, or even desirable? Austin Williams reports

  • Raise your glass

    13-May-2004

    Andrew Doolan's last building, a modern extension to a Victorian suburban dwelling, displays an intelligent use of a limited palette

  • Brum, Brum

    4-Mar-2004

    The new global headquarters of Aston Martin reflects the speed, efficiency, quiet operation and style of the car itself

  • City in transition

    12-Feb-2004

    review Trees from Germany By John Duncan. Belfast Exposed Photography, 2003. £10 from 028 9023 0965

  • Go with the flow

    12-Feb-2004

    technical & practice A new method of analysing how people really move around buildings should take the guesswork out of public spaces

  • What's my line?

    29-Jan-2004

    technical & practice

  • Roll up, roll up

    8-Jan-2004

    There's a mundane way of building a bridge across a waterwayà and then there's the Heatherwick way

  • Three coins in a fountain

    8-Jan-2004

    The government is going with the flow, commissioning Foster and Partners to design a water feature at the Treasury

  • Minority report

    20-Nov-2003

    technical & practice

  • Shaping the inevitable

    20-Nov-2003

    people

  • Estate of independence

    30-Oct-2003

    technical & practice

  • Center forward

    23-Oct-2003

    people

  • Live long and prosper

    23-Oct-2003

    technical & practice

  • Pathologising the planet

    9-Oct-2003

    The latest European Environment Agency report into the state of the planet reads like the longest sick-note in history

  • Small minds think alike

    25-Sep-2003

    Whatever happened to universal provision, and is community-led regeneration, in fact, anti-democratic?

  • Scotland the Brave

    11-Sep-2003

    The new illustrated yearbook of Scottish architecture displays the wide range of talents thriving north of the border

  • Climate of change

    4-Sep-2003

    Environmental concerns are never far from the surface.

  • Hidden depths

    4-Sep-2003

    review

  • Living with the machine

    4-Sep-2003

    technical & practice

  • Grand entrance

    28-Aug-2003

    The oh! art centre's commitment to accessibility goes far beyond it's 40m-long wheelchair-friendly entrance ramp

  • Minority report

    28-Aug-2003

    technical & practice

  • On course

    14-Aug-2003

    technical & practice

  • Secure by design

    24-Jul-2003

    Architects upgrading a notorious council block had to factor in security without treating residents as potential criminals

  • Lift and separate

    10-Jul-2003

    Rising cars, rising barriers and rising damp are just a few examples of applications of recent technological advances

  • Eastern promise

    3-Jul-2003

    A timber frame helped speed up construction of the Institute of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at Durham University

  • The value of plain speaking

    26-Jun-2003

    ajenda

  • Total sport

    26-Jun-2003

    High performance and energy efficiency in construction might also be the motto for users of a new sports facility in Birmingham, writes Austin Williams.

  • Erring on the side of caution

    12-Jun-2003

    Two recent conferences illustrated the stifling influence of the all-pervasive risk factor on development 'We live longer, healthier and safer lives than ever before. Yet society is becoming more and more anxious about exaggerated risks, about everything from SARS to bioterrorism to transport safety. Why? , ' asked spiked conference convenor Helene Guldberg, introducing one of two distinct conferences on the subject of risk and the precautionary principle at the august seat of learning ...

  • Small is not so beautiful

    12-Jun-2003

    The infatuation with environmental impact has meant that, building big or small, architects are lowering their horizons

  • Transport monitor

    5-Jun-2003

    Imagine a future in which the benefits of advanced transport technology are integrated with the built environment

  • Theme: doors and windows

    1-Jun-2003

    As in other sectors, new regulations for disabled access and fire resistance are driving developments in the doors and windows market, but aesthetic considerations and the demand for faster prefabricated units have also brought about innovations

  • Turning over a new leaf

    22-May-2003

    Imagine a time when plants no longer need watering - saving time, effort, money and water reserves. That time is now

  • Testing, testing

    15-May-2003

    technical & practice

  • An educated approach

    1-May-2003

    technical & practice

  • The good life

    27-Mar-2003

    technical & practice

  • Chips with everything

    13-Feb-2003

    Supermarket lifestyles, plastic wood, timber treads, and quantum architecture. Plus the cost of design decisions Food for thought The ever-increasing number of celebrity chefs appearing on our screens reflects that we are becoming more and more adventurous in what we want to eat and, consequently, more demanding about the variety of produce we expect to have available to us, writes John Patterson.

  • Congestion: what congestion?

    30-Jan-2003

    technical & practice

  • Reaction and resistance

    23-Jan-2003

    technical & practice

  • A plan for health and safety

    16-Jan-2003

    A new computer system for managing interactive health and safety files offers real potential for making life easier

  • You know it makes scents

    16-Jan-2003

    In future, will architects have to take olfactory factors into account as part of their grand designs?

  • political will

    9-Jan-2003

    people

  • The museum question

    9-Jan-2003

    technical & practice

  • A 'non-risky' business

    7-Nov-2002

    technical & practice

  • Access for all

    24-Oct-2002

    technical & practice

  • School mastering

    17-Oct-2002

    technical & practice

  • Gateway to pleasure

    10-Oct-2002

    NORTH EAST

  • Music centred

    10-Oct-2002

    NORTH EAST

  • Ryder white Swan

    10-Oct-2002

    NORTH EAST

  • standard-bearer

    10-Oct-2002

    people Richard Waterhouse, new managing director of National Building Specification, is passionate about the need for an integrated approach to the architectural 'process', where specification writing is not seen as an add-on

  • Round peg in a square hole

    26-Sep-2002

    construction study

  • Getting a grip on alpha-values

    29-Aug-2002

    technical & practice

  • Urban masterstroke

    29-Aug-2002

    Government proposals for housing development zones mean the role of the masterplanner is set for a renaissance

  • Scotland, no Muir

    15-Aug-2002

    technical & practice

  • Do the Strand

    1-Aug-2002

    technical & practice

  • Fuzzy logic

    1-Aug-2002

    Design Quality Indicators have been launched as a new 'language' in the construction industry. Comprendez?

  • I saw a m-house

    25-Jul-2002

    technical & practice

  • We have lift off

    25-Jul-2002

    Kone and Otis are two of the most famous names in lift technology. Here we compare their latest developments

  • On your marks

    18-Jul-2002

    technical & practice

  • Hitting a boundary

    4-Jul-2002

    Maber Associates was batting on a sticky wicket when it designed its new stand at Trent Bridge cricket ground

  • Harbour delights

    13-Jun-2002

    technical & practice

  • Absolutely pre-fabulous

    6-Jun-2002

    technical & practice

  • Lighting and humans bounce back

    6-Jun-2002

    A round-up of theatre lighting, home decorations and some novel ideas about maintaining health and safety on site As part of the £4 million refurbishment of London's Apollo Theatre in London, architects Jaques Muir and Partners, acting for ClearChannel Entertainment, commissioned Hoare Lea Lighting to reinterpret the auditorium lighting scheme.

  • Architectural clean sweep

    23-May-2002

    technical & practice The Commonwealth Institute's 40-year-old leaking roof has been refurbished to something like its former glory

  • The Piccadilly circus

    2-May-2002

    Proposals for the modernisation of London's Underground stations have begun with a partnering approach to the problem

  • Wear getting there

    2-May-2002

    technical & practice Sunderland's light rail link has just opened with eight new stations. What role does design play in the travel experience?

  • Drawing comparisons

    25-Apr-2002

    technical & practice: First impressions are important so how do you chose between various styles of architectural illustration?

  • Green saviour or eco-maniac?

    25-Apr-2002

    US architect William McDonough is touring the world with a message of how top business leaders can go green

  • A touch of the flue

    11-Apr-2002

    technical & practice: Revisions to Approved Documents Parts H and J - combustion appliances and drainage - come into effect this month

  • Illumination in the spotlight

    4-Apr-2002

    technical & practice A recent seminar on external lighting was a testing, but rewarding, time for all concerned

  • Reform or revolution?

    28-Mar-2002

    NEWS - How do you make the city a wondrous place to live? This was the challenge to architects at the Revitalising the European City conference last week. Austin Williams reports

  • Command performance

    21-Mar-2002

    Careful refurbishment of the Royal Albert Hall by Building Design Partnership will provide the Victorian monument with facilities fit for the 21st century

  • Bethnal goes green

    28-Feb-2002

    understanding part L - A housing project with walls, floors and roofs constructed of insulated aircrete exceeds the requirements of Part L

  • Devil in the details

    28-Feb-2002

    understanding part L - A new collection of detail drawings offers guidance on Part L compliance. But are they sufficiently robust to be relied upon?

  • The housing sector

    28-Feb-2002

    understanding part L - A government initiative to provide a better understanding of the regulations was informative but should have been held sooner

  • understanding part L

    28-Feb-2002

    AJ Interiors

  • The sky's the limit

    14-Feb-2002

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE: Inflatable roofs have finally come of age. Now Texlon provides energy- and material-efficient coverage at very low cost

  • Just the job

    7-Feb-2002

    Jobsworth aims to provide online guidance in compiling contracts and to help employers cut through the red tape Although aimed primarily to help 'small- to medium-sized employers', there is a fair amount of information on the Jobsworth site which should benefit the employee.

  • Logging on

    7-Feb-2002

    The students' log book is now online. Is this a technological gimmick or a recipe for better work experience?

  • Weighty papers

    7-Feb-2002

    Do you know which Standard Form of Agreement (SFA) clauses best describe the services that you will provide?

  • Ship shape in Cornwall

    31-Jan-2002

    LANDSCAPE EXTRA: A new museum in Falmouth is under way, providing a centre of maritime excellence while integrating land and seascape

  • Bridging the gap

    24-Jan-2002

    A new development in west London shows how it is possible to make usable space from the most unlikely of sites

  • mind over matter

    24-Jan-2002

    PEOPLE: Modern-day engineer-inventor Ben Morris is keen to push the boundaries of materials, to spark ideas and take people beyond their perceptions of what is possible, as well as reminding them of what is impossible

  • Turn on, tune in, chill out

    24-Jan-2002

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE: The next generation of multi-service chilled beams should bring more benefits than just savings in time and money

  • Don't have nightmares

    17-Jan-2002

    The HSE's new brochure on risk aims to outline the balance between healthy and hazardous risk-taking

  • As safe as houses

    10-Jan-2002

    Review

  • Brimful of ash...

    10-Jan-2002

    Austin Williams challenges the latest dioxin fears caused by a 'mountain' of incinerator ash in Essex, plus a round-up of some of the latest technical developments

  • Help yourself...

    10-Jan-2002

    A project being built in rural Somerset shows that self-build schemes can be imaginative and still work effectively Self-builders come in all shapes and sizes. From unemployed 20-somethings building their Barrett-style semis, to hippy 40-somethings and their dog-eared copies of Walter Segal.

  • Component Design

    20-Dec-2001

    By Michael Stacey. Architectural Press, 2001, pp208. £30

  • Ducking 'n'diving issues

    20-Dec-2001

    'London: Bread and Circuses' By Jonathan Glancey. Verso (London), 2001. 147pp. £13 '

  • Global Dimensions: Space, Place and the Contemporary World

    20-Dec-2001

    By John Rennie Short. Reaktion Books (London), 2001. 190pp. £12.95

  • Splintering Urbanism: Networked Infrastructures, Technological Mobilities and the Urban Condition

    20-Dec-2001

    Stephen Graham and Simon Marvin. Routledge, 2001. 479pp. £21.99

  • Learning curve

    29-Nov-2001

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE: This is the first in a series of articles encouraging readers to try their hand at Part 3 examination past papers

  • We're all disabled now

    29-Nov-2001

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE: Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act blurs the boundary of inclusion, widening opportunities for designers

  • Scheduler works

    15-Nov-2001

    technical & practice

  • Spoilt for choice

    15-Nov-2001

    A new online specification tool enables architects to find out exactly who used what on a wide range of leading buildings

  • The information exchange

    15-Nov-2001

    Signing up for an electronic technical library ensures efficient access to material and guarantees that it is up to date

  • A Modernist building in a Victorian landscape has succeeded because of its bold mix of elements, materials and planes

    8-Nov-2001

    Built environment

  • Breaking through the walls

    8-Nov-2001

    A rich, colourful theatre in the heart of a historically divided city aims to provide high-quality facilities for the whole community

  • Glass and air

    8-Nov-2001

    The extension of a Georgian pottery has dealt imaginatively with years of dereliction, an awkward site and planning constraints

  • High-ridge size

    8-Nov-2001

    A large-scale family house in southern Ireland achieves a balance between public and private space; and formality and informality

  • Out with the old

    8-Nov-2001

    Is the demolition of quaint listed buildings in Northern Ireland a necessary evil or a disaster which should be avoided?

  • Plain and simple

    8-Nov-2001

    The Plain Style: The Reformation, Culture and the Crisis in Protestant Identity By David Brett. Black Square Books (Belfast), 1999. 127pp. £4.95

  • Single-storey saga

    8-Nov-2001

    Bungalow Blitz: Another History of Irish Architecture At the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture, Middlesex University, Cat Hill Campus, Cockfosters, London, until 13 January

  • The state of Irish architecture

    8-Nov-2001

    This week's special report includes four buildings from different locations, showing the standards of architecture in Ireland

  • No place like dome

    1-Nov-2001

    With attention focusing on efficient building methods and prefabrication, the geodesic dome should be due for a revival

  • Quay to success

    1-Nov-2001

    Stride Treglown’s Temple Quay House for the DEFRA in Bristol has the outward appearance of a conventional office building, but is designed to meet rigorous environmental standards I admit that I got lost and had to be talked down on my mobile phone as I frantically skirted Bristol city centre.My guide was Laurence Wood, estates manager at the building I was to visit. His offices on the top floor of the (as was) DETR building in the Temple Meads district of Bristol, gave him a vantage ...

  • Don't blow IT

    18-Oct-2001

    computing

  • Paper view

    18-Oct-2001

    technical & practice

  • A stadium of light

    4-Oct-2001

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE:The Forum by Michael Hopkins & Partners uses a variety of lighting according to the needs of users and use of the building

  • Educating the light infancy

    4-Oct-2001

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE: Despite site constraints, this primary school was renovated to a high standard using imaginative and effective lighting

  • Environmentalist exposes sustainability argument 'lies'

    20-Sep-2001

    An environmental expert attempted to debunk the main tenets of the sustainable development movement last week before an audience of highprofile scientists, academics and campaigners.

  • engineering her destiny

    13-Sep-2001

    PEOPLE: In her engineering work on projects such as the subject of this week's building study, Plashet bridge, Megan Maclaurin of structural engineer Techniker draws on a truly eclectic range of work and life experiences.

  • Getting to grips with an 'ology

    6-Sep-2001

    A new job title might (or might not) explain just what that person staring at the computer screen does all day

  • Progress is patently pending

    6-Sep-2001

    A new design solution shows promise and also some of the complexities of getting through the patent process

  • To Lansbury and beyond

    6-Sep-2001

    technical & practice: On the 50th anniversary of the forward-looking Lansbury Estate, many amenity standards in housing have fallen

  • A heated exchange

    16-Aug-2001

    technical & practice An office refurbishment in Ipswich satisfies the requirements for air tightness together with background ventilation

  • Ashes to. . . dioxins

    2-Aug-2001

    technical & practice

  • Flair in the community

    2-Aug-2001

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • Suits you, sir

    2-Aug-2001

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE

  • Back to the terraces

    26-Jul-2001

    technical & practice

  • Drive for improvement

    26-Jul-2001

    The construction industry could increase its efficiency by learning from the car manufacturers. But is it ready to?

  • park and rough ride

    26-Jul-2001

    people

  • a life for design

    19-Jul-2001

    PEOPLE: The well-informed and thoroughly briefed Alice Rawsthorn exudes charm, wit and style. Far from being an unlikely director of the Design Museum, this former FT foreign correspondent was surely born for the position

  • Rough Guide to Sustainability

    19-Jul-2001

    technical & practice: Rough Guide to Sustainability, Brian Edwards & Paul Hyett, RIBA Publications, 2001, pbk

  • Zips, slots and flows

    19-Jul-2001

    technical news & reviews: A review of some of the more imaginative products and practices for the building of the future

  • people crossing the boundaries

    12-Jul-2001

    Concerned with blurring the distinctions between form and function, Thomas Heatherwick hates the label 'artist', preferring to describe himself as a '3D designer' who creates structures that could be taken for sculpture.

  • Stairway to heaven

    12-Jul-2001

    TECHNICAL & PRACTICE: One designer and four boatbuilders have come together to produce an artwork masquerading as a staircase

  • A new angle on offices

    5-Jul-2001

    An office headquarters for Velux in Kettering provides an interesting, low-cost, quality design in a brownfield setting

  • Butyl is only skin deep

    5-Jul-2001

    technical & practice: Flat roofing is here to stay. But, with so many waterproofing products, do you have to be a scientist to specify them?

  • One-trick pony

    28-Jun-2001

    REVIEW

  • Back to the future

    31-May-2001

    The aspirations behind different visions of sustainability are reflected in the spate of designs for homes for the future

  • plain english

    31-May-2001

    The devolving of power to Scottish and Welsh parliaments was the cue for architect Chris Nickerson to launch the English Independence Party, in a bid to halt the march of globalization and recreate a sense of Englishness. by austin williams. photograph by

  • Logged on for education. com

    17-May-2001

    Putting a university's full range of educational material on the web is an exercise in wising up rather than dumbing down

  • Put your foot down

    10-May-2001

    Public transport pods, a 'sustainable' petrol station and tyred solutions for roof tiles show that transport is driving design

  • 'L' is for low (heat losses)

    3-May-2001

    Part L has at last been revealed - it requires robust detailing, better practices on site and more rigorous certification

  • 'arcitetcher rools'

    19-Apr-2001

    One 17 AD has cut out the middlemen by taking procurement in-house. Its workload is eclectic - it has designed wine labels, Christmas grottos and cartoon characters - but allows the partners to practise on their own terms by austin williams. photograph by

  • Bigger, better, cooler karma

    19-Apr-2001

    As the Taliban destroy Afghanistan's Buddhist icons, plans are advanced for the erection of a giant new one, in India

  • DETR's Part L preview goes easy on U-value reductions

    12-Apr-2001

    The Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions has taken the unprecedented step of issuing interim draft Building Regulations on energy efficiency provisions to allow industry time to gear up to accommodate the changes. The revisions to Approved Document Part L, covering insulation and ventilation standards, will be published in August and will come into effect in February 2002. The AJ has obtained a copy of the document.

  • Driving forward transport on a grand scale

    12-Apr-2001

    The complex requirements and constraints of global transport hubs were explored in depth at the AJ's Interchange conference sponsored by Argent. Leading names in transport architecture presented current schemes. Austin Williams was there

  • Shattering illusions

    12-Apr-2001

    High-profile accidents involving glass failure have opened the debate on safety. So how safe is the glass in our buildings?

  • Singapore swing

    29-Mar-2001

    Singapore is looking to the future with its go-ahead policies on transport and a whole-city attitude to masterplanning

  • Terminal triumphs

    29-Mar-2001

    A selection of transport schemes from the UK, Europe and Asia shows the exciting possibilities for good architecture in what could otherwise be utilitarian projects. Our snapshots prove that, with imaginative design, it is possible to combine the aestheti

  • the underground man

    29-Mar-2001

    He might be plain John Smith back home in the UK, but his work in transport architecture in the Far East is anything but. Here he explains why he is so frustrated with the UK system of funding and planning by austin williams. photograph by david richards

  • Conference centre to put Telford on the map

    15-Mar-2001

    Local practice Hickton Madeley Architects has won planning permission to redevelop Telford International Conference Centre. The £14 million scheme is being carried out in two phases, the first of which is scheduled to start in June for completion in May 2001, with the next phase commencing in early 2003. The phasing requirements have been set to accommodate the centre's existing conference programme.

  • Flexitime in the office

    8-Mar-2001

    Wireless computer technologies save space and costs. The next generation of fuel-cell computers will offer greater flexibility

  • Surface airier

    8-Mar-2001

    The recent AJ-sponsored Cool Space conference examined whether the mass of a building benefits thermal comfort

  • Cinematic comparisons

    22-Feb-2001

    Walls Have Feelings: Architecture, Film and the City By Katherine Shonfield. Routledge, 2000. 204pp. £18.99

  • Beating the freeze

    15-Feb-2001

    Innovative freeze-dried latex and frozen concrete are just two of the issues under the microscope this week

  • A rhapsody in blue

    8-Feb-2001

    A reworked public square in Newcastle brings an approach to hard landscaping that is both radical and enjoyable

  • Designs on the presidency

    1-Feb-2001

    The three RIBA presidential hopefuls share their views on architecture, while we examine their own designs

  • Safer than you think

    1-Feb-2001

    Talking up construction risk is a waste of time and effort.It is time to replace health and safety paperchasing with realism

  • Frensham Heights School, Surrey by Burrell Foley Fischer

    25-Jan-2001

    Burrell Foley Fischer has risen to the challenge of a tight budget to create a performing arts space in Surrey which excels in its simplicity

  • the big picture

    25-Jan-2001

    Burrell Foley Fischer has established a niche market in the design of performance and cinema venues, applying a rigorous and principled approach to fulfil its belief in architecture's wider social responsibility by austin williams. photograph by guy jorda

  • Genteel persuasion

    18-Jan-2001

    Indignation: The Campaign for Conservation By Mavis Batey, David Lambert and Kim Wilkie. Kit-Cat Books, 2000. 63pp. £6.50. (Available from 020 8846 9550)

  • What we want from a new RIBA president

    18-Jan-2001

    As voting for the RIBA's three presidential candidates - Alex Reid, Paul Hyett and Brian Godfrey - gets underway, we ask architects from around Britain to voice their expectations

  • defining vision

    11-Jan-2001

    When the IRA blew open Manchester city centre Alison Nimmo helped turn the disaster into an opportunity for positive redevelopment. Now she is attempting to drive through regeneration in Sheffield as head of Sheffield One by austin williams. photograph by

  • Masterplanning a getaway

    11-Jan-2001

    In a frank interview, Terry Farrell explains why masterplanning is so important - and why he will not be doing it anymore

  • My doors are always open

    21-Dec-2000

    The Revolving Door since 1881 By Alan Beardmore, Boon Edam, Holland, 2000

  • Every lining has a cloud

    30-Nov-2000

    In our monthly round-up of technical issues we look at ways of harnessing the elements and keeping them at bay

  • Suspended animation

    30-Nov-2000

    Bridges are hot news at the moment, as architects span the disciplines. We look at the most talked-about recent examples

  • Concrete evidence

    23-Nov-2000

    JCDecaux's London HQ challenged the architects to design a functional site while respecting the original listed building

  • the house of muthesius

    23-Nov-2000

    At next week's conference 'Joined Up Housing', Stefan Muthesius will be arguing that the English terraced house is one of the most efficient building types. He has the weight of history and a lifetime of research to back him up by austin williams. photogr

  • Teaching old dogs new tricks

    16-Nov-2000

    Tutors are climbing down from their ivory towers into the real world in an attempt to make courses more relevant

  • The international panel beaters

    9-Nov-2000

    tructural insulated panels made fast-track building a success abroad and now they are arriving over here

  • Accessing audit work

    26-Oct-2000

    A rigorous accreditation process might prevent architects from jumping on the disability audit bandwagon

  • Holding up under fire

    26-Oct-2000

    Seeking to explain how steel performs at high temperatures, researchers have come up with some cost-saving calculations

  • Conflict resolution

    19-Oct-2000

    Halfway through construction, the fragmented shapes of Studio Libeskind's Imperial War Museum - North have already become a symbol of regeneration for the city of Manchester

  • Glass blocks look for support

    19-Oct-2000

    A revival of interest in glass blocks is being hampered by the lack of an agreed standard and clear technical information

  • Home is where the hearth was

    28-Sep-2000

    A house in Scotland, built from recycled materials, has achieved the ultimate sustainable benefit- 'zero heating'

  • Upstairs, downstairs

    28-Sep-2000

    A century ago, basements were a common feature of housing. It's about time we started building them again

  • Aussies rule

    21-Sep-2000

    Australian Architecture Now By Davina Jackson and Chris Johnson. Thames & Hudson, 2000. 264pp. £39.95

  • Steel groups say 'cut down on expensive fire protection'

    14-Sep-2000

    Research out this week suggests that building owners will be able to save time and money by cutting down on unnecessary fire protection.

  • Creative angle

    7-Sep-2000

    The triangular plan form of Computer Associates’ parkland headquarters by Blair Associates offers a luxurious office idyll for the company’s executives

  • Shingle file at primary school

    7-Sep-2000

    Hampshire County Council has chalked up success in the classroom with its choice of environmentally-friendly materials

  • The new model army

    7-Sep-2000

    The skill of model making is often neglected but its value for visualisation is gaining recognition in academia and practice

  • Curing a glaring headache

    31-Aug-2000

    A prototype glazing system promises to even out the amount of light at the front and rear of a room and to reduce glare

  • Review: Safety & Security Glass: A comprehensive Guide to Glass Types, Sources of Supply, Installation and Standards,

    31-Aug-2000

    by David Crook and Ray Jennings, Miller Freeman, 2000, price £17.50

  • The future looks bright

    31-Aug-2000

    Fibre optics are set to play a key role in lighting systems, providing big benefits in the home and workplace

  • Order online - for your project

    17-Aug-2000

    Project information on a secure web connection for real time communications is what Internet interactivity is all about

  • Special report: steel

    3-Aug-2000

    The complex geometry of a millennium greenhouse relied on the design team's cohesion as much as the steel fixings

  • YRM takes off at Bristol

    3-Aug-2000

    YRM has completed Bristol's new £27 million International Airport terminal, offering a greatly improved passenger capacity for the south-west of England. The 17,500m 2building will handle more than two million passengers this year and is designed to cater for up to 3.5 million each year.

  • Zaha, queen of confusion

    3-Aug-2000

    Zaha Hadid At the ICA, The Mall, London SW1 until 10 September

  • Frameless wonder

    27-Jul-2000

    The idea of a frameless glazed screen is still elusive, although Foster has used glazing technology imaginatively

  • Millennium Bridge team keen to avoid question of blame

    6-Jul-2000

    Lord Foster sat quietly to one side as four Ove Arup engineers presented their initial analysis of the cause of the swaying Millennium Bridge last week. Tony Fitzpatrick, the engineer at Arup responsible for bridge, was bullish: 'We know a lot of things that it isn't and we're fairly certain that we know what it is.'

  • Failure to deliver

    15-Jun-2000

    The Creative City: A Toolkit for Urban Innovatorsby Charles Landry. Earthscan Publications, 2000. 300pp. £17.95

  • What IT's doing, what IT's not

    15-Jun-2000

    At a recent seminar on IT and the architect, experts spoke with both excitement and scepticism about how we use computers

  • Here comes the sunflower

    1-Jun-2000

    Sunflowers mark the BRE's new guidelines for environmentally friendly design. But has sustainability become flowery?

  • Cast away in an upturned boat

    25-May-2000

    BBC TV's Castaway series was dominated by bickering, intrigue and . . . an architect.This is his story BY AUSTIN WILLIAMS

  • A move in the right direction? A lot more will be heard of M4I in the coming months, but what is it and what relevance does it have for architects?

    11-May-2000

    technical & practice

  • Driven to concern

    4-May-2000

    courses
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