Our Journal
Stay informed about the latest news and perspectives from Block Architects. We provide valuable tips, guidance, and discussions on our recent projects and the world of architecture.
New Directors. Familiar Faces. Meet John Burns and Oliver Shields
New Directors. Familiar Faces. Earlier this week, we announced that John Burns and Oliver Shields have joined Kenneth Martin as directors of Block Architects. The titles might be new, but the faces certainly aren't. Both John and Oliver were already established...
Block Architects Strengthens Leadership Team with Two New Directors
Block Architects has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of John Burns and Oliver Shields as directors of the practice. The appointments have now taken effect, with John becoming Director & Head of Sustainable Design, while Oliver takes on...
Why Professional Standards Matter More Than Ever
Why Professional Standards Matter More Than Ever There was a time when architecture felt much simpler. When I first entered the profession over 20 years ago, the focus was straightforward - design good buildings, solve problems, and help bring projects to life. Today,...
Strengthening Professional Standards Through the RIAS
Reinforcing Our Commitment to Professional Standards & Continued Development At Block Architects, we’ve always believed that good architecture is about far more than producing drawings. It’s about guiding clients through complexity, balancing creativity with...
Why Mental Health in Construction Needs Our Attention – More Than Ever
When people think about health and safety in construction, they usually picture hard hats, steel-toe boots and site inductions. While physical safety is a crucial part of what we do, I believe we need to start giving just as much attention to something far less...
How Early Collaboration Prevents Costly Project Mistakes
The Most Important Conversations Happen Before the Design Begins With more than 20 years in architecture, I’ve seen it happen countless times. Projects stumble not because of poor design or construction failures, but because the fundamentals of the project weren’t...
Block: Beyond the Blueprint – Newsletter #10
Plan to Succeed in Bad Weather: What We Shared in February February in Scotland reminded everyone of something most delivery teams already know: winter doesn’t just slow a housing site down - it exposes weak points, creates risk, and turns small issues into programme...
Reflections & Highlights of 2025
A Moment to Pause - and Look Both Back and Forward I’m writing this in the week before Christmas 2025 - our final week in the office before the festive shutdown. It’s always a reflective time of year. A moment to pause, take stock, and think not just about what we’ve...
The Hidden Time Drain: How Email Consumes an Architect’s Day on a Construction Project
Why I’m Talking About Email - And Why It Matters to You If you were to ask most architects why they entered the profession, the answers are usually the same: “to design better places, solve problems creatively, and deliver buildings with purpose.” But ask what takes...