
The Big
Conversation
2025
Addressing design’s most thought-provoking questions on topics spanning sustainability to inclusivity, innovation and social value, our multidisciplinary experts share their thoughts in our latest annual review.
Featured Story

Creating an Inclusive City
Author and architect, Sumita Singha OBE explains what it takes to make a city truly feel like it is designed for everyone.
All Stories
The Well is the epitome of urban uniqueness
How can new developments still deliver architectural individualism and placemaking whilst reflecting the uniqueness of their context?
A learning oasis in the city
Amy Whitehead explores a solution to improve and enliven a city using existing buildings and infrastructure
Future scitech ecosystems
The changing landscape of science and technology clusters is creating new city-scale ecosystems for research and discovery.
A tapestry of humans and nature
Darrell Wilson, landscape architect explains how the new sky park at Castlefield Viaduct is bringing more nature, beauty and history to Manchester.
A culture of curiosity
Elliott Crossley, Director of Digital Delivery, looks at the ever-evolving relationship between designers and design technology.
Visualising change
It’s time that visualisations started representing the world around us, writes Evie Martin, Part II Architecture Graduate.
A modern vision for education and community
Education plays a fundamental role in shaping a better future for Scotland, and the design of school environments is crucial in supporting this goal.
Sub terranean solutions
Central Foundation Boys School in London stands as a testament to the ingenuity and expertise in civil and structural engineering.
The regeneration game
Nestled across the Mersey from Liverpool, The Wirral holds a world of potential waiting to be unlocked.
Barracuda bay
Nick Tyrer details the design of the 63,000-seat Suoyuwan Stadium, rationalising its connection between community spaces and the waterfront.
From Mighty Oaks
The Royal Marsden’s Oak Cancer Centre is delivering breakthroughs in treatment and care, transforming the lives of cancer patients.
Data centres: beyond a box
Today, more than four billion people live in cities, a number that continues to grow as urban areas expand to accommodate rising populations.
Factory reset
Steve Merridew, Building Services Engineering Director, analyses the lighting and building services marvel at Aviva Studios in Manchester.
Let’s decarbonise
Mass timber midrise
Architect, Wayne McMillan describes how to harness design innovations in timber to create healthy, high-performance, green buildings.