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Category Archives: News

28
Jan 2021

How Architecture Can Help Children’s Creativity And Mental Health

This year, Children’s Mental Health Week is taking place between the 1st and 7th of February. The theme in 2021? Express Yourself. Children across the UK have had a pretty rough time as of late. The various lockdowns have prevented the normal kinds of social stimulation so vital for childhood and teenage development. That’s why – arguably more than ever before – we need to look for greater and more varied ways in which our younger generations can express themselves. The built environment has a big part to play in that; whether in our schools, our public spaces or anywhere […]

Two young children smiling to represent how architecture can help young people's mental health.
21
Jan 2021

The Rise Of The Hybrid Workplace – What Might This Mean For Future Workplace Design?

At the time of writing, England is in the midst of its third national lockdown as a result of COVID-19. Talk to almost anyone now and they’ll resoundingly give you the impression of being distinctly “over it”. Whether you want to call it fatigue, ennui or anything else, many of us are hitting a sort of lockdown ‘wall’ that we’re finding hard to cope with, both professionally and personally. Something which invariably helps in these situations, however, is to hold onto the light at the end of the tunnel, the prospect of the ‘beyond’. But what does that beyond look […]

A home desk to represent the hybrid workplace and what it might mean for office design
14
Jan 2021

What Might Brexit Mean For The Architectural, Building Surveying And Project Management Sectors?

Last month’s announcement of a trade deal following Brexit could (not unfairly) be described as leaving things to the very last minute. The architectural community was by-and-large against the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, with prominent industry voices having spoken out both prior to the 2016 referendum and since, on the damage they feared would be wrought as a result of the union departure. Vote to leave we did, however, and many industry bodies have therefore spent the past four years fervently preparing (or attempting to, at least) for what might lie in wait from here on in. […]

A Europea map to represent Brexit.
11
Jan 2021

How Has Social Media Changed The World Of Architectural Design?

One of the biggest changes seen within the global cultural landscape over the past couple of decades has unquestionably been the advent (and subsequent proliferation) of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. What started out simply as one college student’s goal to enable students to connect more easily, has morphed into an all-encompassing digital behemoth, one in which today’s world increasingly seems to revolve around. There are few areas that haven’t been affected in some way or another by the reaches of these mega-companies. The world of architectural design is no exception. With that in mind, the team […]

An image of a neon sign 'like' button to represent social media and how it's changed architectural design.
28
Dec 2020

Unpacking The Government’s Recent Energy White Paper

This month, the UK Government released its keenly-awaited Energy White Paper, inside of which are outlined the various ways in which the UK will strive to achieve its goal of a ‘Net-Zero’ future. The white paper covers a wide range of sectors, including Consumers, Power, Energy System, Industrial Energy and Oil and Gas. The chapter we’re most interested in here at Munday + Cramer, however, are the twenty-or-so pages contained within Chapter 4 – Buildings. We wanted to delve into what industries surrounding the built environment could expect to see, moving forward, from what’s been laid out in this white […]

21
Dec 2020

Ho-Ho-Ho! Munday + Cramer’s Architectural Christmas Almanac!

This year, more than any other, has seen many of us looking forward desperately to the Christmas holidays; a brief respite from the continual flak fired at us throughout the year, in the form of a deadly virus. Here at Munday + Cramer, we’re no different, and in this blog post, we wanted to get holly, jolly and ready for the Christmas season with some festive architectural discussion. Trust us on this one… The Architecture Of The Christmas Tree For most people, when they see a Christmas tree they see a symbol of festive spirit and anticipation. For architects, however, […]

A Christmas bauble to represent our festive architectural almanac.
14
Dec 2020

Examining The Lifetime Skills Guarantee

Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently outlined his plans for a new ‘Lifetime Skills Guarantee’ in which tens of thousands of adults will be able to study on free courses, from next year. The media-grabbing figure was that the scheme is supported by a not-insignificant £95 million from the National Skills Fund (NSF). The programme is specifically aimed at those adults who don’t have any A-Levels (or equivalent qualifications). This isn’t the first vocation-geared direction taken by the Government in recent years, either, with the introduction of T-Levels showing that their intent lies just as much in preparing people for the […]

A person studying to represent the training offered by the new Lifetime Skills Guarantee.
7
Dec 2020

Building A Better Tomorrow: RIBA’s 2020 President’s Medal Winners Announced!

One of the most exciting dates in the architectural calendar is unquestionably the annual announcement for the winners of the President’s Medal – RIBA’s prestigious student architecture award. Previous winners include the acclaimed British architect Norman Foster (now Baron Foster of Thames Bank, in fact) and Sean Affleck, one of Foster’s later wide-eyed protégés. The award (split into silver, bronze and dissertation medals) helps recognise the best and brightest that architectural students have to offer, globally, and in a time where innovation is needed more than ever, its continued annual awarding is important to see. The team here at Munday […]

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4
Dec 2020

A Detailed Look At The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) 2021/2022

It seems like only yesterday that the announcements for the 2020-2021 CIF results were being published, but here we are again, having gotten around to next year’s application opening. With finances as stretched as they currently are for many within the education sector, the prospect of any additional funding is most certainly a welcome one. The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) has become a mainstay of the Government funding circuit, with its offerings helping many schools and academies to carry out vital maintenance, structural repair works and even to help with some expansion projects (though CIF capital cannot be used in […]

A piggy bank to represent the condition improvement fund.
27
Nov 2020

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) – What Is It And Why Exactly Is It Needed?

Back at the start of October, the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) launched a new scheme through the non-departmental public body Salix. It falls under part of the UK’s broader environmental commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. It’s known as the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) and it’s set to drastically improve energy efficiency within schools (and other public sector buildings) the nation over. And whilst not having been exclusively earmarked for the education sector, there’s a good chance that a large portion of the scheme’s funding will find itself […]

A sapling to represent efficiency improvements aided by the public sector decarbonisation scheme.