news 2024

A new study has found that architects often take shortcuts by copying previous designs, and by relying too much on others to handle complex tasks without double-checking. The recent Grenfell Tower Inquiry found that a similar approach was taken at the London tower block which tragically caught fire in 2017, resulting in 70 deaths.

Thousands of students across Scotland are at risk of homelessness and unable to access the right housing in the country's biggest cities, according to a new report co-authored by the University of Glasgow. The report for the Cross Party Group on Housing says there is a severe student housing crisis in cities including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee and calls on the Scottish Government to take immediate action to tackle the issue.

Painting roofs white or covering them with a reflective coating would be more effective at cooling cities like London than vegetation-covered "green roofs," street-level vegetation or solar panels, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. Conversely, extensive use of air conditioning would warm the outside environment by as much as 1 degree C in London's dense city centre, the researchers found.