Lighting up the gallery: daylighting in arts institutions

Advanced techniques in lighting analysis are allowing designers to reintroduce daylighting into galleries without damaging the exhibits or causing visual discomfort to those viewing them. Max Fordham’s Nick Cramp highlights the benefits

Sound advice

Noise and vibration from HVAC systems such as large heat pumps can have a huge impact on occupant comfort. KP Acoustics Group’s Kyriakos Papanagiotou and Mason UK’s Adam Fox say CIBSE’s Guide B4, and early engagement with acoustic specialists, will give peace of mind

Placemaking and performance: Chobham Manor housing POE

Chobham Manor development is a legacy of the London 2012 Olympics and now its performance is being assessed in a post-occupancy evaluation that’s likely to be adopted across the industry. Buro Happold’s Dr Mark Dowson FCIBSE describes the process and reveals the results

On the same page: New Library at Magdalene College

the distinctive appearance of the Stirling Prize-winning New Library at Magdalene College was inspired by Cambridge University’s historic buildings and Max Fordham’s ventilation strategy. Alex Smith reports on the melding of form and function in Níall McLaughlin Architects’ elegant design

Boxing clever: retrofits in Ireland

With Dublin planners now requiring that building re-use is considered over demolition, innovative office retrofits will soon become the norm. Andy Pearson looks at two: Tom Johnson House and the Tropical Fruit Warehouse

The big picture: embodied energy at 100 Gray’s Inn Road

With a new development at 100 Gray’s Inn Road, in central London, set to become the UK’s largest full-timber, net zero carbon office building, Phil Lattimore finds out how the building’s whole life-cycle carbon impact has been assessed