The last government’s Office for Place achieved a lot of good, but whilst beauty matters, placemaking demands more, argues Kunle Barker
The Stirling Prize highlights good architecture – that’s its raison d’etre
It might not be perfect but the RIBA Stirling Prize continues to communicate the long-term value of architecture, argues this year’s host Kunle Barker
Why on earth isn’t the government engaging with architects on retrofit?
Without architects’ close expert involvement, government plans to retrofit millions of homes will be prone to unintended consequences such as mould, argues Kunle Barker
If you want to win work and innovate, get networking
Networking is a vital skill for an architect and, like any skill, the more you practise it, the better you become
Where the 15-Minute City model falls short
Moving to Spain has convinced Kunle Barker that walkable access to nearby infrastructure isn’t enough. To foster community, he argues, we need social encounters, too
Natural service, not national service, is what Britain needs
A biomimicry conference in Spain gets Kunle Barker thinking about how a truly forward-thinking new UK government might transform our relationship with nature
This is the year to get political and make the case for what you believe in
Many architecture practices are looking at strategic political alliances to influence policy, says Kunle Barker
Opinion: Let’s do away with sustainability categories in architecture awards
Architecture which fully answers the challenge of the climate crisis is starting to become a duty, not an achievement worthy of applause, argues Kunle Barker
Architects must embrace AI and harness its power
We can’t stop technological advances, so it is best to embrace them and use them to improve the output of architectural pursuits, says Kunle Barker
Practices need to be bolder about promoting diversity and inclusion
The BAME architecture students of today will have quite a shock when they leave university, writes Kunle Barker