The Met Office State of UK Climate 2024, published in July 2025, had one consistent and clear message: the UK’s climate is fundamentally changing and at a rate that is shockingly fast. Baselines are shifting. Records are regularly broken. Extreme temperatures are...
[To Download a FREE PDF of this guide scroll to the end] The beauty of thermography is that it is quick and non-destructive, so perfect to use in people’s homes as a first sweep across the external envelope.Infrared Thermography Infrared Thermographic...
Now is an exciting time to dive into sustainable and low-energy design. With the growing urgency of the climate crisis and a renewed focus on improving building performance, there’s a wealth of knowledge, training, and tools available to help you design and deliver...
We’re all familiar with the Time | Cost | Quality triangle, key to the selection of any construction procurement route. You want things done quickly, cheaply and to the highest standard. But in one of life’s many disappointments, you can only ever achieve two out of...
This article is written by Emma Thackstone. At the Detail Library, Emma helps the Detail Library with drawing new details and carrying out technical research. Emma is an Architect, who currently works on small residential projects and has previous experience of...
We've all been there. A client walks into your office with that familiar gleam in their eye, gesturing excitedly about their extension plans: "We want as much light as possible! Can we put skylights everywhere?" And honestly, who can blame them? There's something...
In March 2024, the National Audit Office (NAO) reported that heat pump uptake was slower than expected, despite the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) offering a £7,500 grant to replace an existing heating system with a new heat pump. The target is 600,000 installs per year...
Structural glazing is an increasingly popular feature in contemporary residential architecture. The addition of structural glazing to a house extension or renovation can completely transform the look and feel of an existing space, even if the extension doesn’t add a...
Good retrofit design is about balancing the motivations, risks and solutions appropriate to each property. The designer has an important role in the process, to identify the right products to use and how they are best installed. Understanding the sources of moisture,...
The robust detailing of bathrooms and wetrooms is essential in order to avoid moisture related damage to a building's structure. Poorly detailed wet areas will allow water to enter the building fabric, which can result in mould growth, structural damage and the...
The next iteration of the UK government’s retrofit standard comes into force at the end of March 2025. There are plenty of changes to be aware of, and it impacts all the key roles like Retrofit Assessor, Retrofit Coordinator and Retrofit Designer. Technical guidance...
This article is a special guest post written by Nathan Oliver of Ikonografik Design Ltd. Nathan and his team are based in Sheffield, delivering high-quality architectural services to Sheffield and the surrounding area. They have a focus on sustainability, providing a...