The Architects’ Journal Architecture News & Buildings
ARB’s new draft Code of Conduct weakens its provisions
Astonishingly, the proposed new code of conduct will dilute provisions – particularly regarding climate and clients – precisely when they should be being strengthened, says Jeremy Till
Climate change
News and resources for architects on how the built environment is impacted by the climate emergency
Vertical building extension method Optoppen launches in the UK
UK cities could soon be sprouting upwards with new ‘timber canopies’ following the launch of ‘Optoppen’ – a viability tool intended to spread the practice of extending existing buildings vertically
Building upwards rather than outwards will create more sustainable housing
Optoppen – the practice of adding storeys to existing buildings – not only avoids creating more car-reliant communities but favours lightweight timber construction, which also captures carbon, writes Joe Giddings
Fewer than half of construction projects hitting sustainability goals
Under half of construction projects are hitting their sustainability goals, new research has revealed
AHMM publishes built-project carbon data for first time
Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) has become one of the first major UK practices to release its emissions data in full – including from the buildings it has designed
Less concrete, more jungle: the £10 billion Earls Court vision
Richard Waite reports on how the team behind London’s Earls Court regeneration project is embedding climate change shock absorbers into its huge plans
It’s time for architecture to make space for nature between our buildings
The spaces between our buildings should be as important as the buildings themselves, says AJ editor Emily Booth
How ‘sponge city’ Rotterdam is adapting to climate change
The Dutch city is creating public spaces that balance development with increased biodiversity. Rob Wilson visits and talks to De Urbanisten, one of the practices creating Rotterdam’s ‘sponge city’
Manchester’s sustainability is a particular concern, says global city study
A study by Arup has urged Manchester to focus far more on sustainability issues or risk losing its global competitive edge
Foster + Partners draws up plans to protect Maldives island from rising sea levels
Foster + Partners has drawn up a climate change-resilient masterplan for Gaafaru island in the Maldives, half of which is expected to be lost to the sea within the next century