Boomers to Zoomers: Designing for the generations
The quiet revolution in built environment education and engagement – starting with children
As universities widen participation, Rosie Parnell explores how early engagement is opening new pathways into the built environment professions
The Coach: Why age isn’t the issue – it’s the life stage that counts
Louise Rodgers challenges the idea that age defines us at work – pointing instead to the impact of what’s happening in our wider lives
2,000 young people, one mission: Rethinking access to architecture at the Festival of the Future
Mary Richardson reflects on how last weekend’s Festival of the Future brought over 2,000 young people to RIBA’s 66 Portland Place, aiming to break down barriers to built environment careers
More than a masterplan: the people power behind Earls Court’s next chapter
For the latest in BD’s Boomers to Zoomers series, Mary Richardson went to meet the team of local people helping to shape the Earls Court redevelopment in west London as part of a wider programme of inclusive community engagement
The built environment belongs to everyone – so why are young voices so often excluded?
As the Festival of the Future takes place at Portland Place, Neil Onions challenges the industry to break down barriers and give young people a meaningful voice in architecture and urban design
Westminster’s public toilets get a designer makeover as Hugh Broughton Architects completes first upgrade in £12.7m programme
Westminster City Council has reopened the first of eight refurbished public toilet facilities as part of a wider £12.7 million investment
Designing workplaces that work for everyone
Investing in well-designed environments isn’t just a matter of preference – it’s a strategic advantage that enhances productivity and employee wellbeing, writes Sam Carey-Smith
The future faces of UK architecture
Mary Richardson meets three young alumni of Beyond the Box who share, in their own words, how the initiative shaped their paths into architecture
Paul Vick Architects secures planning for redevelopment of historic Chiswick care home
Plans for St Mary’s Convent and Nursing Home site aim to balance heritage conservation with sustainability and modern care provision
Youth-designed pavilion unveiled in Camden’s HS2 meanwhile garden
The six-metre-tall pavilion and performance space, ‘Reflect’, was co-designed by young people in collaboration with social enterprise MATT+FIONA and Fitzrovia Youth in Action
Rayner vows to ‘fix the system’ after report links 74 child deaths to temporary accommodation
Deputy prime minister describes findings by group of MPs as ‘shocking’
Compact living, big impact: Dovehouse Court’s lesson in sustainability and community
Designed by Mole Architects, Dovehouse Court is the UK’s first Passivhaus-certified almshouse scheme
Why inclusive housing design benefits us all
Georgie Revell reviews the Inclusive Housing Design Guide
Putting children and young people at the heart of housing design
Dinah Bornat explores how housing design can better meet the needs of younger generations
Closing the skills gap: Alison Watson on transforming built environment education
Alison Watson MBE is a woman on a mission to transform education in the built environment
UK nightlife faces extinction by 2029 if venue closures persist, warns industry body
Rising costs, shifting habits, and post-pandemic pressures are accelerating the decline of nightclubs, live music venues, and pubs
Chief Medical Officer’s report calls for active travel, improved housing, and cleaner air in cities
The annual report highlights how urban environments impact health
Labour urged to address built environment’s role in young people’s lives
A new report calls on Labour to address the built environment’s critical role in raising the “healthiest generation in history”
Rowan Court: a blueprint for council housing that repairs the urban fabric and elevates its context
Satish Jassal Architect’s Rowan Court helps to restore a sense of place for an under-utilised edge site on an existing council estate, writes Ben Flatman
Could the government’s curriculum review save the D&T GCSE and fix the green design skills gap?
A renewed focus on Design & Technology education is vital for equipping young people to tackle global challenges, write Rachel Bronstein and Matilda Agace
Taskforce calls for cross-departmental unit to lead national older people’s housing strategy
Wide-ranging paper also calls for planning presumption in favour of later living housing and requirements on Homes England to support its expansion
School closures threaten London’s future as a city for families
Soho Parish Primary School’s financial struggles reflect wider demographic trends, including declining birth rates, post-Brexit migration, and the long-term impact of Covid-19, challenging the city’s multigenerational identity
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