October 2, 2025
Trends in modern residential architecture for new buildings

Trends in modern residential architecture for new buildings

When we talk about residential complexes today, we are no longer referring to just a place to live, but a whole range of features that architects bring to life. In this new article, we discuss this topic with experts in the real estate sector. Trends in modern architecture for new

Read More »
Top 10 new technologies in construction

Top 10 new technologies in construction

Progress does not stand still; it has also affected the construction industry. Every day, new technologies and materials are introduced into production, speeding up the work process, saving raw materials, and bringing huge profits, as well as improving the management of the production process. Innovations allow construction companies to take

Read More »
Latest Issue
Issue 333 : Oct 2025

October 2, 2025

Headline sponsor Baxi to showcase low-carbon heating and hot water solution expertise at elementalLONDON 2025

Headline sponsor Baxi to showcase low-carbon heating and hot water solution expertise at elementalLONDON 2025

Baxi is proud to be headline sponsor of elementalLONDON 2025, the dedicated event for built environment professionals responsible for reducing energy use and carbon emissions in commercial and large-scale residential projects. With a full stand on C20 showcasing its low carbon heating and hot water solutions, Baxi’s heat experts are looking forward to meeting fellow professionals from across the industry at what is set to be an inspiring show on 19 to 20 November at London ExCel. Visitors to the stand will have the opportunity to see up close: The Baxi team is looking forward to discussing the complete engineered solutions the company provides, backed with strong technical support from pre-contract design services through to commissioning and servicing. There will also be the opportunity to find out more about Baxi’s CIBSE-approved series of CPD courses, designed to support professionals in maintaining and improving competence and expertise. Baxi’s Director of External Affairs & Policy Jeff House and Head of Technical Solutions Andy Green will be among the experts offering actionable insights into decarbonisation at a series of panel sessions at the show. The first, Decarbonising Heat in Schools: Challenges and Opportunities will take place at 2:45pm on 19 November at the Climate Solutions Theatre, where the pair will be joined by Oakes Energy Services MD Nik Smith and Jim Kirby, Energy Consultant at The Priory Federation of Academies Trust. The panel will discuss existing barriers hampering progress in decarbonising UK schools, as revealed by a recent Baxi survey, and draw on experience and insight to suggest solutions and best practice approaches to accelerate uptake of heat pump deployment. For the second session, Andy Green will be joined by David Coulter, Certified Passivhaus Designer at BakerHicks to reflect on the importance of the hot water design strategy in low energy designs.  The role of point of use water heaters in meeting Passivhaus principles will use the design for Scotland’s first Passivhaus-accredited primary school, which uses Baxi’s Heatrae Sadia point of use water heaters, as a case study for achieving best practice energy performance. This session will take place at 11:25am on 20 November at the CIBSE Build2Perform Synergy Theatre. Shane Suter, Commercial Business Director at Baxi, will join the Construction Inclusion Coalition (CIC) led panel Why Inclusion Matters: Building a Better Future in Construction at 4:20pm on 19 November in the CIBSE Influence Theatre. Baxi is one of the founding members of the CIC, and Shane is passionate about driving sustainability and decarbonisation while championing inclusive leadership and greater diversity within the industry. Shane said: “It’s well established that a shift towards low carbon heating solutions like air source heat pumps and heat networks will be essential to keep the UK on track with 2050 net zero. Yet the reality is that commercial buildings are currently not being retrofitted at the pace or scale necessary to meet our critical milestones. “ElementalLONDON will bring together like-minded industry professionals under one roof to share successful techniques and come up with achievable strategies to the heat decarbonisation challenge. That’s what makes the show such an important event and why we at Baxi are so proud to be this year’s headline sponsor. We’re looking forward to showcasing our range of low carbon heating and hot water solutions, as well as to lively debates on our stand and at our panel discussions. We can’t wait to network and talk net zero!” Further information on Baxi’s range of commercial hot water and heating solutions is available at https://www.baxi.co.uk/commercial.  Baxi is headline sponsor of elementalLONDON 2025 and will be exhibiting on Stand C20. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Read More »
Gilbert-Ash posts strong profits and increase in turnover Contractor in buoyant mood and predicting a bright future

Gilbert-Ash posts strong profits and increase in turnover Contractor in buoyant mood and predicting a bright future

Leading construction and fit-out company, Gilbert-Ash has reported a strong increase in profits to almost £7million with further growth in turnover to more than £268million. The latest results revealed profit before tax of over £6.8million in 2024, up £5.3million from £1.5million in 2023 as a strong pipeline of work has maintained the company’s robust financial position. Projects completed in 2024 include the £24million Loveday Dementia Care Facility in London’s Belgravia and the 369-bedroom, £38million Premier Inn Paddington also in the capital. In Manchester the company completed the £29million CAT A office refurbishment at Great Bridgewater Street while at Brighton College Gilbert-Ash delivered a new performing arts centre valued at £24million. It was a year which also brought a shortlisting for the Stirling Prize for Gilbert-Ash’s outstanding work on the largest refurbishment in the history of the National Portrait Gallery in London. Looking ahead to 2025 the company is benefitting from a significant order book with several high-profile projects underway this year. Gilbert-Ash has been appointed to carry out phase one works at US healthcare technology company, Epic’s new campus project in north Somerset. The company has also been appointed to carry out a major refurbishment of RIBA’s Grade II listed London headquarters. And in a further boost to its strong reputation as an employer, Gilbert-Ash was named in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work listing, while earlier in the year the company transitioned to an Employee Ownership Trust model, giving staff a greater stake in its future direction. Gilbert-Ash Managing Director, Ray Hutchinson said the company is in buoyant mood and looking to a bright future. He said: “There is no question that the past few years have been challenging in the construction industry but at Gilbert-Ash we put our faith in the quality of our work and the excellence of our people to help us navigate this period. “During this time Gilbert-Ash continued to deliver outstanding projects as we strengthened relationships with a number of long-standing clients across several sectors. “Looking ahead we have a strong pipeline of work secured and coupled with continued vigilance against economic headwinds we can predict a period of further growth for the company.” To help fuel this growth Gilbert-Ash continues to significantly invest in its workforce through its Make Your Mark campaign. The initiative seeks not only to celebrate the achievements of its people but also to attract the industry’s best operators to join Gilbert-Ash. Ray Hutchinson said: “With The Sunday Times endorsement and a growing order book of projects across several sectors, it is an exciting time for Gilbert-Ash. We are continuing to seek the industry’s finest people to come and work with us and help us to take the next steps in our development.” The company has a unique approach to construction, fit-out and refurbishment based on the belief that great buildings come about through hard work, inspired innovation and genuine collaboration. Sustainability is a key focus for Gilbert-Ash with a number of initiatives underway to help the company to drive down its carbon footprint. To find out more about Gilbert-Ash visit www.gilbert-ash.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Read More »
LBB reports strong growth with £4.6bn GDV insured amid market headwinds

LBB reports strong growth with £4.6bn GDV insured amid market headwinds

Structural warranty and surety bond specialist LBB has announced a selection of trading results for the 12 months to 30 June 2025, underscoring its continued growth and resilience in a challenging market environment. The past year has also seen a notable shift in deal profile. Sites with build costs of £10m–£25m increased by 25%, representing 6,664 units, while sites with build costs of £100m+ doubled, representing more than 13,000 units. The nature of the insured projects breaks down into 61% build-to-sell; 12% build-to-rent; 11.3% self-build; and 0.5% commercial. These results come against the backdrop of a housing market slowdown, heightened economic uncertainty, regulatory pressures from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), and cost-conscious strategies from PLCs and large developers. Developers are also pivoting towards new areas such as conversions and build-to-rent schemes. Operationally, developers face added complexity, with requirements to secure three warranty quotes while often lacking the knowledge, time, or expertise to evaluate providers effectively. Many also struggle to supply the detailed information needed to obtain quotes. LBB has continued to grow by focusing on service and relationship excellence. As industry experts, the team bridges the gap between developers and warranty providers: Alex Lyons, Commercial Director, comments: “In an environment where developers face increasing pressures and shifting market conditions, our role has never been more vital. These results demonstrate the strength of our relationships, our deep market knowledge, and our ability to deliver value through clarity and service. With a pipeline of £33.5bn in construction costs, we are well positioned for continued growth in the year ahead.” “I am extremely proud of the excellent work that our team is doing. Every department has adapted and shown the meaning of true partnership with our clients—more and more of whom view LBB as an embedded part of their ongoing success. “We’ve laid the foundations for a busy 2025/26, with some notable appointments that we can’t wait to announce in the coming months.” London Belgravia Group, trading as LBB is an Appointed Representative of TEn Insurance Services Ltd t/a Eleven which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Reference Number 314593) Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Read More »
Trends in modern residential architecture for new buildings

Trends in modern residential architecture for new buildings

When we talk about residential complexes today, we are no longer referring to just a place to live, but a whole range of features that architects bring to life. In this new article, we discuss this topic with experts in the real estate sector. Trends in modern architecture for new buildings are mainly based on customer preferences. Prefabricated housing also allows for the creation of a unique building appearance: facade panels can be of any color, texture, and pattern. This allows you to stand out from the competition and create a pleasant and unusual facade appearance,” notes the expert. What do we mean by trends in 2025? “The trends in the premium real estate market are: terraces, interiors designed by renowned architectural firms using high-quality materials, enclosed, secure, landscaped courtyards without cars, landscaping by leading architectural firms using high-quality all-season greenery, modern play equipment and kinetic sculptures, a grand lobby and meeting areas for residents, and the necessary set of service facilities for the comfort of residents.” Here you will find many games of chance – lasatlantis.com “In addition, developers are responding to customer demand for ‘vertical streets’—buildings with rich infrastructure within walking distance of the apartment. It is convenient to create high-quality landscaping with extensive greenery in the areas adjacent to skyscrapers.” Transformer apartments with open floor plans are increasingly in demand. “For example, with the help of a movable partition, a traditional kitchen-living room in a studio can be divided into a separate kitchen and living room if desired. Today, there are design solutions that allow you to add this functionality to traditional acoustic partitions with plasterboard cladding. The integration of natural elements into the living environment is an important trend that makes living in a new building more comfortable and enjoyable. Green areas, parks, ponds, and artificial lakes improve the microclimate, reduce noise levels, and create favorable conditions for recreation and sports. Modern residential architecture in new buildings is aimed at creating a comfortable, safe, and functional living environment. Environmental friendliness, intelligent control systems, multifunctional spaces, and developed infrastructure are becoming key elements that determine the appearance of new residential complexes. These trends not only improve the quality of life for residents, but also contribute to the sustainable development of cities and the improvement of the environmental situation.” Artificial intelligence and metaverse architecture Architecture naturally depends on technological innovations. “Intelligent systems capable of adapting to changing conditions and needs are increasingly being integrated into buildings. The use of sensors, smart control systems, and automation capabilities make facilities more efficient, comfortable, and manageable.”

Read More »
Top 10 new technologies in construction

Top 10 new technologies in construction

Progress does not stand still; it has also affected the construction industry. Every day, new technologies and materials are introduced into production, speeding up the work process, saving raw materials, and bringing huge profits, as well as improving the management of the production process. Innovations allow construction companies to take the lead among their competitors. Many technologies compensate for the lack of labor and reduce production costs. The efficiency of the construction industry depends on the results of individual construction sites. The construction of each house is associated with high material and labor costs. One of the goals of innovative developments is to ensure high productivity with minimal investment. Let’s take a look at some impressive new technologies that are already in active use and those that are just getting ready to conquer the market. Self-repairing concrete This invention will save money on building repairs. Everyone knows that concrete deteriorates over time, and cracks appear in the material under the influence of loads and external factors, which requires costs for wall restoration. Interesting events here – Red Dog Casino for real money The secret of the invention lies in a bacterial additive that is added to the concrete mixture during the manufacture of reinforced concrete structures. The bacteria, which only come to life when exposed to moisture, are in standby mode. As soon as a crack appears on the surface, they are activated and release natural calcite, which fills the voids and hardens, ensuring water resistance. Aluminum oxynitride (transparent aluminum) If the name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s aluminum-based ceramics. The material combines seemingly incompatible properties – the transparency of glass and the strength of metal – it is four times stronger than glass. Moreover, it is much thinner than similar types of protective glazing. The use of transparent aluminum expands the possibilities for manufacturers of protective partitions, bulletproof glass, and other products. Aerogel This is a solid yet lightweight insulating material. It is called “frozen smoke.” It is obtained from a special gel using a special technology that transforms the liquid material into a gaseous substance with a solid consistency and transparency. The shape of the product is determined by the nanotubes in its composition. This method allows you to obtain the thinnest sheets with reliable insulating properties, consisting of 90% air. The possibilities for using aerogel sheets are wide-ranging, from sewing outerwear to installing thermal insulation in buildings. Its insulating properties are four times higher than those of fiberglass insulation. The thermal insulation material weighs almost nothing. 3D printing of buildings and structures The technology is based on the work of a construction printer that prints houses. It allows a small building to be constructed in one day. The introduction of this technology is being considered in various locations – in this way, not only individual houses but also entire complexes will soon be built. Transparent concrete This is concrete that allows light to pass through. Concrete products, permeated with fiber optic threads, allow a large amount of light to pass through and can withstand significant loads. The material has low water absorption (1%) and high compressive strength (70 MPa). Developers predict a bright future for transparent concrete—it can be used to build walls, swimming pools, and landscaping.

Read More »