Will Hurst

Shoreditch

Managing Editor at The Architects' Journal

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Articles

Sense of place - and history - are key to the success of our cities

1 month ago | architectsjournal.co.uk | Henrietta Billings |Will Hurst

Ten years on from the publication of the important report by Foster + Partners and Historic England Cathedral Cities in Peril, many of the perceived tensions between new development and heritage persist: new development is viewed as an opportunity for economic growth or a destructive force affecting a city’s intrinsic character; heritage is a constraint holding back a city or a treasure to be preserved untouched at all costs.
Why you should get involved with design codes

Feb 12, 2025 | architectsjournal.co.uk | Cristina Andrade Monteiro |Will Hurst

The introduction of design codes in the UK, as part of moves to step up housing delivery, could represent a significant shift in planning policy to a more prescriptive, zone-linked and automated model.
The Secret Architect: Not enough juice

Jan 17, 2025 | architectsjournal.co.uk | Will Hurst

Aaaaand we’re back, bigger and better than before. Except my green juice leaked all over my new messenger bag and I’ve received a flurry of invites for ‘super fun’ get-to-know-your-colleagues presentations for the whole of 2025. Sounds … great. I’m gutted to miss them though, as there’s a weekly project update meeting over exactly that time, or there will be once I’ve remembered my password and scheduled the invite.
Why we need the word ‘care’ in the new ARB Code of Conduct

Nov 26, 2024 | architectsjournal.co.uk | Cristina Andrade Monteiro |Will Hurst

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the ARB decided to revise its code of conduct for architects to ensure competence and ethical practice remain at the forefront. The revised code is being consulted on now and there is still time to respond if you haven’t already done so. The simplification from twelve to six standards within the code is welcome and the emphasis on competence is very important in setting out a clear framework of conduct.
In an age of dizzying speed, architects need to slow down

Oct 25, 2024 | architectsjournal.co.uk | Toko Andrews |Will Hurst

Convenience is the new currency. It’s one of the main drivers of 20th and 21st-century economics and has helped create some of the wealthiest companies and people in history. Steve Jobs understood the benefits of a closed system designed for ultimate consumer convenience. Amazon tries to remove as many as many barriers as possible in order to get the money out of your wallet as quickly as possible.
The quest for sexy architecture is harming architects

Sep 18, 2024 | architectsjournal.co.uk | Toko Andrews |Will Hurst

We architects place a high value on aesthetics. We often obsess over intricate details, forms and skylines, and pat each other on the back by circulating highly curated images of our creations. It’s nothing new and, unfortunately, we live in a world where a sexy image of our last project is highly likely to help convince a new client to take a gamble and appoint us as their architect.
Whipped up by election slogans, the housing debate is turning toxic

Aug 7, 2024 | architectsjournal.co.uk | Jas Bhalla |Will Hurst

In January this year, colleagues and I attended an event with the now former Minister for Housing, Lee Rowley. During a largely convivial exchange with a group of disgruntled, but by no means disenfranchised planners, the now former MP linked the UK’s housing crisis to ‘mass immigration’.
To save the RIBA, it needs to be decentralised

Jul 17, 2024 | architectsjournal.co.uk | Toko Andrews |Will Hurst

There is one thing we can gather from the results of the RIBA election: architects don’t care about the result. For those that missed it, the turnout for the election was 9.3 per cent of eligible voters. The shockingly low turnout is not new; recent turnouts for the last few elections have been hovering around 10 per cent, and I think this speaks volumes for the impact architects feel the RIBA has on their daily lives.
‘A new day brings a new government. Let’s seize the moment’

Jul 5, 2024 | architectsjournal.co.uk | Smith Mordak |Will Hurst

If you were born on the last day of the previous Labour government, you’d be picking your GSCE subjects now. Where were you the last time we had a Labour government? What do you know now that you didn’t know then? How much has changed in your life? In the lives of those around you? In the world?
Investing in green infrastructure, like retrofitting, is a no-brainer

Apr 29, 2024 | architectsjournal.co.uk | Cristina P. Monteiro |Will Hurst

A recent letter from the Environment, Farms and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) Committee to Environment Secretary Steve Barclay (see below) argued that the provision of green infrastructure should be a much higher priority in government spending. The committee is calling for an urgent re-evaluation of investment priorities to enable local authorities to provide and maintain green infrastructure, as well as for more support from central government generally.