The Gilden Way Community Centre in Harlow was commissioned to provide a vital community hub for residents of a new housing development on the outskirts of the town. With the area expanding rapidly, the centre was designed as a landmark building that serves both practical needs and as a focal point for local identity. Designed to reflect the character of the surrounding new homes, the building also needed to deliver long-term durability and low maintenance, ensuring it remains

AkzoNobel Powder Coatings has launched the new superdurable Interpon D2525 Futura 2026–2029 Collection, now available across Europe and North America. Drawing on the enduring beauty of classic design while embracing the bold expressions shaping tomorrow’s buildings, the collection brings together expressive finishes, advanced textures, and a refreshed vision for the built environment.   Designed to show where architectural colour is headed next, the new Futura 2026–2029 Colle

By Thomas Roche, Secretary of Business Sprinkler Alliance The huge fire that closed Scotland's busiest railway station for ten days raises a question bigger than its cause. It is the same question raised by a substation fire at Heathrow and a car park fire at Luton Airport: how resilient is our critical infrastructure to the fires that inevitably occur around it? The fire on Sunday 8th March broke out in a retail unit adjacent to Glasgow Central Station. Within hours, the B-l

Stannah lifts keep people and goods moving every day. Now they’re getting mobile themselves– supporting charities across the UK.   Stannah Lifts Distribution and Service (LD&S) has announced an ambitious charity cycling challenge, bringing together over 700 colleagues across its Andover headquarters and 11 service branches.   Together, Stannah is cycling one full lap of Britain – 4,000 miles, the equivalent of 1.28 million lift journeys – keeping Britain moving in more ways t

Nestled within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Hidden House is a striking replacement for a 1960s bungalow in Abinger Hammer. Designed by Duncan Foster Architects, the new home sits within the green belt, where strict planning regulations demanded a careful approach to scale, volume and architectural expression. Designing within green belt constraints​ To work within planning limits, the architectural concept centred on an efficient, compact form. The hou

Working alongside MPACT and Form Design Consultants, Style Group has delivered a high-performance acoustic solution as part of a large-scale office fit-out of Virgin Money’s Glasgow workplace. Designed to improve speech clarity and reduce reverberation in meeting rooms, focus spaces and collaborative zones, Style installed Autex panels across the 11th and 12th floors, combining strong acoustic absorption with distinctive branded aesthetics. Autex Cube™ panels were strategical

The National Galleries Scotland: Portrait in Edinburgh, a grand, neo-gothic listed building, offers visitors a journey through the country’s past and present with a remarkable collection of paintings, sculptures, photography, and film. The cafe, managed by Heritage Portfolio is a popular destination for visitors, set in a light and spacious area.  Space Solutions led the design and refurbishment of the café, to modernise the space while preserving the historic character of th

This Berkshire new build is the result of extensive design development and careful construction coordination, bringing together the many considerations required to deliver a refined long-term family home. The house was designed by NEON Architecture, a design-led Architects practice based in Berkshire. They guided the project through each stage of the RIBA Plan of Work. Working closely with the clients, the practice developed the brief from early concept through to the deliver

As part of a significant refurbishment project, Style Group collaborated with 3BM and ACS Construction to create flexible learning spaces at Kensington Aldridge Academy, London. A market leader in movable wall systems, Style installed two Dorma Variflex 100 manual partitions enabling large teaching areas to be quickly reconfigured into smaller, fully functional classrooms. Finished in a durable laminate melamine panel, the movable walls provide a robust, low-maintenance surf

Bristan is launching a Lifetime Guarantee across its taps, showers and accessories – a move that  sets a new benchmark for long-term product support across the industry. Designed to be clear, comprehensive and built for the long term, it covers parts, finishes and working components on products sold from 1 April 2026. The guarantee heralds itself as ‘Watertight’ and reflects Bristan’s confidence in the quality, durability and performance of its products.  Quite simply, if som

Continually at the leading edge of progress in solid surfaces, HIMACS introduces fifteen new colours for 2026, expanding its portfolio with alluring aesthetics, further options with recycled content, and even greater design freedom. Ranging from refined marble, stone and terrazzo effects to in-demand greens and darks, these new choices enable specification of the finest aesthetics together with premium performance and enhanced sustainability.  Several additions include SCS-ce

The UK is facing a critical housing shortage, with the government pledging to build 1.5 million new homes to meet demand. However, this ambition is coupled with the urgent need to decarbonise the construction industry, a sector traditionally associated with a significant carbon footprint. In a groundbreaking R&D project, FP McCann, a leading UK manufacturer of precast concrete solutions, is tackling this challenge head-on by developing scalable production of graphene-enhanced

Construction professionals from leading architects’ practices to fire engineers and major contractors are signing up in increasing numbers to receive a significant new CPD seminar from Stephen Neville, the Specification Sales Manager for FIREFLY® keen to understand the technicalities of compartmentation and other key fire safety considerations. Leveraging a comprehensive portfolio of barrier products and fire hatches employed across commercial, industrial, healthcare, and oth

A university ranked in the top 25 of sustainable UK universities is using Magply’s fire-resistant roofing boards on its latest project to help it achieve Carbon Net Zero from all energy by 2030 and from all emission scopes by 2035. Some 1,500m2 of Magply’s 12mm-thick boards, which meet Euroclass EN13501 (A1 Non-Combustible) standards and are BBA approved, were specified by renewable energy company Vital Energi for the roof of Energy Centre 2 at Lancaster University. The magne

GEZE UK has announced a new series of online CPD webinars taking place across April, offering architects and specifiers the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of door, window and access control systems through four RIBA-accredited sessions. Running on the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th April, the live webinar series has been designed to support architects in meeting ongoing professional development requirements while gaining practical, up-to-date insights into the specification

Building on its well-founded reputation as a manufacturer of cladding support systems and high-performance fasteners, SFS Group Fastening Technology  has developed an advance, user-friendly new fastening system for installing flat panels across both steel and aluminium sub-frames. Amongst the benefits of the patented Center Point System is the fact that it answers the challenge of accurately positioning the self-drilling, double thread fastener at the exact centre of the hole

Every year, design, technology and lifestyle shifts transform the way people experience and interact with their kitchens. Leading distributor of kitchen and bedroom components, PWS, highlights its top 3 influences shaping kitchens in 2026 from the popularity of wood cabinetry to timeless taupe.  A nod to nature with oak  Offering unparalleled quality, durability and beauty, last year saw a surge in popularity for natural wood-drenched kitchens. Providing quiet luxury and soph

A community-led charity has recently refreshed the entrance and hallway of their community hub, thanks to Bradite’s most popular coating, One Can. This all-in-one primer, stain block and professional finish was tinted in two bold shades from the NCS colour range to create a joyful and welcoming first impression. Originally built in 1889 to serve the community’s needs, The Gregson Community and Arts Centre in Lancaster is committed to carrying on this legacy through their café

Pyroguard, the world’s leading independent provider of fire safety glass, has established a new manufacturing partnership with South Glass in India as part of its strategic expansion to support increasing demand across India and the Middle East.   This investment reinforces Pyroguard’s long-term commitment to the Indian market and strengthens its operational presence in the region. The collaboration will enable shorter lead times and enhanced local technical and sales support

With the Zenura collection of sheet vinyl, IVC Commercial can respond to the need for cost-effective floors that enhance the lives of people living in social housing. With growing focus on social housing providing a good standard of accommodation or tenants, providers are considering flooring outside of the regulatory requirement for its use in bathrooms and kitchens. The consensus is that providing suitable flooring in all areas of the home positively impacts the physical an