Creekside: the potential of build-to-let
Build-to-let housing projects could play an important role in solving the UK’s housing crisis. Rod James takes a look at the growth of the idea and the design concepts that underpin it.
Rod James
I write about emerging market finance and anything else of interest. An experienced reporter, feature writer and editor, who has covered everything from Latin American politics to the luxury hotel segment, I'm always open to new proposals.
Pick 'n Mix
In today’s cities, mixed-use developments represent the greatest opportunity to embark upon mega-projects, with typical sites requiring a multiplicity of architectural solutions. Often, however, the ambitions of architect and client are not aligned. To what extent can architects drive the programme irrespective of the brief?
Bright lights, big cities
Westminster University has launched a new course that will give urban planners the tools they need to design the sustainable cities of the future.
Moscow's post-industrial revival
A major project is reviving one of Moscow's former industrial zones with an ambitious mixed-use retail development.
Future Shock: Escape the Urban Jungle
The UN forecasts that growing urban populations will place unprecedented strain on the infrastructure of our cities. Mitchell Joachim and Jürgen Mayer talk to Rod James about the relationship between cities and their inhabitants and the need for a radical reimagining of the urban landscape.
Double dare – the future of sustainable design
The double-walled facade has been around for some time, but architects are re-engineering the basic concept in order to manage heat and solar gain, deliver outstanding environmental performance and make a striking visual impact.
A sprawl to enthral
Rod James speaks to Arkiz’s Rafael Brych and MMBB's Alexandre Hepner and Milton Braga about Brazil’s urbanism.
Practice makes perfect: Qatar stadium architecture
The choice of Qatar to host the 2022 Football World Cup was a universal surprise. Considering its blisteringly hot summers, Mike Beaven of Arup tells Rod James about how a new prototype stadium could point the way to producing the optimum sporting atmosphere at no cost to the environment.
Shady character: Seville's Metropol Parasol
At first glance, Seville’s Metropol Parasol looks like something from another planet. Jürgen Mayer and Andre Santer tell Rod James about its innovative use of materials, the challenges posed by a Sevillian summer and how, aesthetically, it is more firmly rooted in Andalucían history than one might think.
Touch Wood
The need for more sustainable, energy-efficient design solutions has seen a growing number of wood-based projects. Rod James speaks to Reiulf Ramstad and Maria Smith, two architects working at different ends of the spectrum, about the cultural significance of wood, the effect of globalisation on design, and the dichotomy between the natural and man-made.
