Designing for Health: The Role of Ventilation in Modern Architecture If you’ve ever woken up to condensation streaming down your windows or battled damp, musty-smelling clothes that won’t dry indoors, poor ventilation could be the culprit. It’s a problem affecting millions of homes in England—with 3.7 million properties failing to meet the ‘Decent Homes Standard.’ Beyond discomfort, inadequate ventilation can lead to serious health risks, including damp, mould, and respiratory issues. The...
19 days ago • 1 min read
Welcome to our March edition of 5 Useful Things. In these mid monthly emails we share with you 5 useful things we have come across during our work and personal time that we hope you will enjoy. This month we have a variety of discoveries that we hope you will get some value from. If you have stumbled across something that you think our readers would find useful, please let us know! 1. Something to Attend Ipad for Architects & Designers Summit Our friend David is hosting his iPad for...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Why Biophilic Design is More Than Just a Trend Have you ever walked into a space and instantly felt at ease? That’s the power of biophilic design—an approach that brings nature into architecture to enhance well-being, reduce stress, and even boost cognitive function. From tropical gardens in train stations to dynamic facades that mimic natural patterns, architects are rethinking the way we interact with our built environment. But what are the key principles behind biophilic design? How can it...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to our February edition of 5 Useful Things. In these mid monthly emails we share with you 5 useful things we have come across during our work and personal time that we hope you will enjoy. This month we have a variety of discoveries that we hope you will get some value from. If you have stumbled across something that you think our readers would find useful, please let us know! 1. Something Useful SketchUp Free Tool I have been spending a lot of time on SketchUp lately, fiddling around...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to our February newsletter! January is all wrapped up and over in a flash. How has your start to the year been? Did you keep up with those New Year Resolutions? We've had a busy start to the year, jumping straight back into the Extension Book as we pull everything together and finish off all the drawings and content for the book. We have also taken some time during January to plan for the year ahead and see how First In Architecture can continue to be helpful to you. We have some...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to our January edition of 5 Useful Things. In these mid monthly emails we share with you 5 useful things we have come across during our work and personal time that we hope you will enjoy. This month we have a variety of discoveries that we hope you will get some value from. If you have stumbled across something that you think our readers would find useful, please let us know! 1. Something Useful Climate Central This website researches and communicates climate change impacts and...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Happy New Year! I hope you had a fantastic Christmas break. After a few too many mince pies and mulled wines, we are back and ready to start the year. 2025 stretches out ahead of us - let's make it a good one. Just in case you missed our recent articles on the blog during December, you can have a little catch up below. Latest Blog Posts Round Up of the Year 2024 Our year in review - see our top content, best resources, news and intentions. Read the article God is in the Details Find out about...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome to our December edition of 5 Useful Things. For our last 5 Useful Things email of the year, we thought we would do something a little different. We’re thinking, cold, snowy, festive… 1. Something Snowy Snow Art Artist Sonja Hinrichsen and some 60 volunteers wearing snowshoes trekked out onto the frozen Catamount Lake in Colorado to trample miles of swirling and twisting patterns into the deep snow. Visit the website 2. Something Cold 8 Buildings that Welcome a Snowy Winter Winter is...
4 months ago • 1 min read
November has whizzed by in a flash. We have been working on the Extension Book all hours of the day as we start to bring everything together. We will be sharing an update with all our Extension Book VIPs very soon - if you are not on the list, you can join here: Join the Extension Book VIP list Christmas is just around the corner and we are speeding towards the end of the year. What can we help you with in 2025? Let us know if there is anything you are struggling with in your studies or work...
5 months ago • 1 min read