Natural timber cladding can look great on a building, but you need to be design and install it correctly to stand the test of time, particularly at ground level. Unfortunately, poor detailing is far too common in modern construction projects. Below, we look at a classic mistake regarding how not to fit your boards near the floor, along with the

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If you are intending to extend your house in the near future and are not sure where to start, then have a read of my new help guide. Sign up here to download your free copy This guide is the culmination of nearly 30 years of hard-won experience and the uber-important, invisible ‘forensic’ work that I always do before starting

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Wah wah wahhhh🎶 That’s the sound of a project that hasn’t been checked and co-ordinated. Most people think architectural fees are just for the pretty pictures. They > are > not. My fees also cover you for the hours spent checking: If the ventilation ducts are about to hit steel beams, coupled with ceiling height restrictions. If the custom box

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🥂 I recently turned 50 ! A 1976 vintage for sure. I created a brief timeline of my not so linear career + some other bonus bits that not many people know about me. Still self-employed, still working, a timeline worth celebrating! Something that came out of this is that I still love designing and drawing stuff and running a

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Navigating the new building safety landscape. Some key takeaways from a recent webinar I helped present In the world of architecture and construction, the goalposts don’t just move. Sometimes the whole stadium gets redesigned. With the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022 and the amended Building Regulations we are currently seeing the most significant shift in industry standards and

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Let’s talk about Thermal Breaks in steel frames, and how to do things properly to reduce heat loss. In the world of modern building, steel is fairly important and indispensable as a structural material. It’s very strong, it allows for incredible spans and the open plan layouts many of us love. However, steel also has a ‘dark side’ that many

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Most people think architectural services end at the design, but for me, the design is only part of the job. The other part of the job is protecting the client’s bottom line and managing architectural project costs. Fears of cost overruns is a real and big issue. This is especially relevant as the supply only cost of materials over the

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Self-building to save money is a smart move. Until it isn’t. Some of my clients are now choosing to self-manage their builds to save on costs. I get it – the economy is tough. But ‘going it alone’ shouldn’t mean ‘guessing as you go.’ You can book me by the hour for the ‘ad-hoc’ occasional assistance stuff that keeps a

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My mind is refreshed but my legs are still screaming at me. This is what I was mostly doing a couple of weeks ago. I had a great week off playing in the snow in the French Alps, at Tignes and Val d’Isère. Finding peace while snowboarding in Tignes and Val d’Isère The mountains are probably my most favourite place

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In 1730, they built almshouses for ‘decayed Taylors,’ but today, it’s the preservation of older heritage buildings that is truly at risk of decay. While visiting the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in York, I spotted something that sent my ‘building nerd’ self into a total meltdown. It’s a mistake I often see with heritage properties. A few months ago I went

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The most expensive mistakes in construction rarely come from design—they come from what wasn’t spotted early enough, which is why de-risking your construction project is a vital step in the process, before design work actually starts. Cracking architectural design is only part of the job. The other part? De-risking your project from the legal traps and “hidden” costs that sink

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