Commentaries

Overheating in New Homes: A New Design Tool

Kevin Lomas discusses a new tool for the identifying and reducing overheating risk

The risk of overheating in homes is an increasing problem in the UK and elsewhere. Kevin Lomas discusses a ground-breaking new tool developed and launched to assist designers, planners and clients to identify and reduce the risk of summer overheating in dwellings.

Modern Methods of Construction: Unintended Consequences

Stuart Green explores the promises and pitfalls of Modern Methods of Construction

This article considers whether Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) can really resolve the construction industry's challenges of a diminishing workforce and low productivity, whilst also delivering a more energy efficient built environment. Stuart Green explores how an alternative conceptualisation might help to avoid failure.

Architecture and the Climate Emergency

Alan Short responds to the Climate Emergency and argues we must rethink our dependency on the mechanical conditioning of buildings.

A city comprised of buildings with high energy demand is risky and damaging to the climate. Alan Short suggests that for change to occur, the behaviours and attitudes of the supply side need to change. The main barrier is for clients and their designers to break with the status quo.

Climate Emergency and Built Environment Education

Fionn Stevenson explains why rapid change is needed to redefine education and training. Students need to be able to access and understand existing principles, methods and solutions for carefully defined, problem and evidence-based learning.

The built environment disciplines and their corresponding institutes / regulators must radically update their professional validation criteria for their education programmes now and more closely define the key competences that professionals must have. Fionn Stevenson explains why rapid change is needed to redefine education and training.