News about the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and Studio E Architects, plus information about fire safety and changes to the Building Regulations
After a public outcry, four London skyscrapers have been redesigned to add second staircases. Ella Jessel speaks to architects and campaigners about how significant this could be
A former manager at the Building Research Establishment (BRE) did not mention that cladding used on Grenfell Tower had ‘spectacularly’ failed its fire tests when she was called to an emergency government meeting after the 2017 blaze
The government had evidence in 2002 that Grenfell Tower’s ACM cladding had spectacularly failed a fire test and should not be used on high-rises, the inquiry into the tragedy has heard
The RIBA has joined fire safety experts in calling for new regulation on staircases in high-rise residential blocks following recent concerns over two proposed single-stair skyscrapers in London
The government has told the Grenfell Tower Inquiry that official guidance around the installation of non-combustible cladding was clear to ‘competent’ practitioners
The government failed to crack down on a loophole allowing hundreds of high-rises to be clad with combustible materials because it was colluding with the construction industry, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry has been told
Specifiers should make rigorous checks to verify the claims manufacturers make for products, says Geoff Wilkinson
TV architect George Clarke has posted a video of the Grenfell Tower fire on Instagram in an impassioned plea for the government to take action on the cladding crisis
Contractor Rydon has alleged companies that supplied materials for the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower deliberately exploited unclear fire regulations
Closing submissions for the Grenfell inquiry’s second phase reveal how the far the profession's technical skills have diminished over the last two decades, writes Peter Drummond
The Architects’ Journal Architecture News & Buildings