Modern Methods of Construction: New Kingsland Housing by Emmett Russell Architects; New Wave House by Thomas-McBrien Architects; and Euston Skills Centre by FBM Architects.

To celebrate the 30th year of AJ Small Projects, we have shortlisted 30 schemes which are showcased in this special issue. Their range and creativity encapsulate what the AJ Small Projects award has always been about: giving well-deserved recognition to projects realised on more modest budgets.

In the issue you’ll discover a home that works with a restricted site and a mature plane tree; a deep retrofit of a cold, leaky 1970s house using natural, local and recycled materials; a pilot project for improvements across an entire block of 153 flats; and a contemporary interpretation of a traditional cottage in the Scottish Highlands.

In addition to the Small Projects shortlist, we also publish a building study on Pollard Thomas Edwards’ landmark development for Haringey Council that mixes homes, healthcare and social purpose, part of the first large-scale social housing programme of its kind in a generation.

Within News, you can read a feature on Part W’s campaign to shine a light on the urban barriers hampering women, and check out the UK’s pavilion at the Osaka World Expo.

In a packed Culture section The Ghost of Ian Nairn, via Ian Martin and Jason Hazeley, expresses his Outrage at today’s London: ‘Look at the Olympic Park: 560 acres of showing off, where there used to be paint shops and railway sidings ... Now what have you got? Basketball, Waitrose and ABBA.’ There is also a review of Dinah Bornat’s new book on child-friendly design, and a write-up of the RIBA’s recent youth event, Festival of the Future.

Rounding out the issue are our editor’s pick of competitions; a column by Kunle Barker on nature; RIBA president Muyiwa Oki on apprenticeships; plus more from David Grandorge, Sketchbook and Hellman.

This month’s culture-focused issue contains a review of The Brutalist, which is also the title of Hellman’s cartoon of Donald Trump that appears on the cover. As AJ editor Emily Booth writes, ‘Megalomaniac? Genius? The former property mogul’s cultural impact is already profound.’

We present studies of three cultural projects, including ‘a powerhouse for dance’: O’Donnell + Tuomey’s Sadler’s Wells East. Gianni Botsford’s retreat for creatives on the Isle of Wight, and Reiach and Hall’s museum expansion in western Scotland, are also in the issue. And there is a feature called Exhibitionists, in which we ask a range of practices to tell us how they approach museum and gallery fit-outs, in particular how they prioritise sustainability in their work.

In News, there is a profile of government architects – yes, they do exist – and a feature on infill development – the issues that are holding it back, and some potential solutions. We also share a first look at Niall McLaughlin’s designs for the Maggie’s Centre in Cambridge.

You can read a book review of Protest Architecture by Nick Newman, and there are columns by Hana Loftus (‘a hideous new footbridge underlines the poor state of design standards in the UK’), and Toko Andrews, who argues that architecture shouldn’t be an ‘old man’s game’ anymore.

In Competitions you can find out about the William Sutton Prize, while this month’s sketches are courtesy of Jack Oaten.

This issue is devoted to buildings that are created with community at their core, a particularly important theme as we shake off the old year and face the new.

Heathlands is one of the largest schools for deaf children in the UK, and we publish a building study of the Woodland Building, designed by Manalo & White in collaboration with deaf architect- led practice Richard Lyndon Design. Each careful detail – from site to sightlines, from colour scheme to desk placements – focuses exactly on what signing and lip-reading pupils want and need. Other building studies include Jonathan Hendry Design’s community hub in a quintessentially English village, and a ‘carefully considered’ nursery fit-out by Office S&M in London.

In News, we present the findings of an extensive salary survey, which suggests pay rises might be on their way out. You can also read a feature on seven buildings that were lost to demolition in 2024. Christmas diversions are provided in our Buildings of the Year quiz and festive viewing round-up.

The Culture section contains a review of an exhibition showcasing the work of US architect Paul Rudolph, and Owen Hatherley takes a look at Simon Jenkins’ latest book, A Short History of British Architecture.

Also in the issue are opinion pieces by The Secret Architect, Toko Andrews and David Grandorge; a summary of the best architectural competitions; sketchbook, courtesy of Steve McCloy; and Hellman’s Christmas story.

We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a happy and peaceful New Year.

Roofing: Farmworker's House by Hugh Strange Architects; BEAM by Bennetts Associates; and Greenhill Building at Harrow Arts Centre by Chris Dyson Architects

In our annual Student Prize issue you’ll see the future of the profession on display, and there is much inspiring and creative work to discover by students completing undergraduate and postgraduate architecture courses in the UK.

Where architectural education can fall down is in the technical and the practical. We take a look at how mentoring schemes are helping engage students in built environment issues at an earlier stage, as a grounding for a possible career in the industry.

We also interview some leading architectural tutors to discuss the how education has changed since the late-20th century, including the impact of tuition fees and the aftershocks of the Bartlett ‘bullying’ scandal.

Earlier this month the Grenfell Inquiry published its final conclusions. The AJ news team take a look at what the findings could mean for architects, and Russell Curtis writes a column about what the inquiry missed: the inadequacies of Design & Build.

Elsewhere in the issue you can read the key takeaways from AJ Retrofit Live; discover which buildings have been shortlisted for the AJ Architecture Awards 2024; and find out what our critic thought of a new, illustration-led book on school design.

Columns this month are written by the Secret Architect (‘AI, take the wheel’) and Scott McAulay, who focuses on how sustainability is being taught within architectural education.

Our competition pick for September is a £100 million Shakespeare campus in Stratford-upon-Avon, while reader favourites David Grandorge, Hellman and Sketchbook round out this bumper issue.

The pull of the sea is strong, particularly at this time of year, and so we focus on coastal possibilities in our July issue.

Our three building studies this month are krft’s curvy arts centre for Brighton College; IF_DO’s retrofit of Hastings’ Observer Building – once a vacant heritage asset, now a vibrant social hub; and a twisting tower in the French town of Le Havre by Hamonic+Masson & Associés.

In News we present a snapshot of impressive – and never before published – seaside houses, but also reflect on deeper challenges faced by coastal communities. Peter Barber introduces his powerful Blueprints for Change proposition: our sea-circled, wind-buffeted, island offers intriguing possibilities for an ‘8,000-Mile Island’. And away from the shore, we take a close-up look at the re-emergence of co-living.

Also in the issue is a behind-the-scenes report of the one-day workshop exploring how M&S’s flagship store on Oxford St could be refurbished and adapted, rather than demolished. And for those looking for further retrofit inspiration, we provide the full shortlists for the AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards 2024.

Costa’s Barbers by Briso Loran and Arrant Industries; The Adani Green Energy Gallery, Science Museum by Unknown Works; and Somesuch 2.0 by Bureau de Change.

The AJ Small Projects issue presents gems of design, all proving that within the smallest budgets creativity flourishes. The 20 shortlisted schemes for 2024 demonstrate what can really make a small project sing: it’s about material choices, attention to detail, and a good understanding of the social and environmental issues within each site-specific context.

We also present two building studies: the London College of Fashion by Allies and Morrison, and a Jenga-like hotel in Manchester by Stephenson Hamilton Risley STUDIO.

In News, we interview four architects who have ‘jumped the fence’ to go client-side, discovering how many of our interviewees have found new opportunities from constraints.

For Culture, the first UK show dedicated to pioneering Italian designer Enzo Mari is reviewed, as is the Atlas of Never Built Architecture, a new book published by Phaidon.

Also in the issue are the latest competitions, including the Helsinki Museum of Design, and opinion columns by Toko Andrews on going viral, and the Secret Architect, who bemoans an insufferable ex-colleague.

This month’s sketches are provided by Chris Dyson, and Hellman draws the House of Fun (aka 66 Portland Place).

The AJ’s first issue of 2024 explores what is set to be one of the year’s most pressing and hotly-debated topics: housing. Our building studies include Child Graddon Lewis’s Harrow Road scheme which, following the election of a Labour council, was amended to offer 100% affordable homes. Plus projects from Urban Projects Bureau and CRCLR-Haus, alongside Duncan Lewis Scape Architecture, offer a look at innovative and community-driven homes.

In News we dissect the boom in life sciences projects - including explaining how architects can tap into this treasure trove of work - and look ahead at Zaha Hadid Architects’ upcoming retrofit of a 1960s modernist tower.

In a special In Memory, friends and colleagues reflect on the life and talent of photographer Ben Blossom, who recently passed away after a short illness. And, in a Technical Profile, Hattie Hartman talks with Glasgow-based John Gilbert Architects about the importance of building performance evaluation in tackling the climate crisis.

In our Culture pages, Betty Owoo reviews Housing Atlas: Europe 20th Century, wondering what happened to the contribution of women in an otherwise worthy compendium. Plus, in Opinion, David Grandorge ponders the rising demand for social housing, and The Secret Architect heads across the Atlantic for a thoroughly ‘80s themed PCSA meeting.

Finally, in Sketch Club, we meet Fraser Morrison of Farshid Moussavi Architecture, while Hellman asks which messes Rishi Sunak will be able to clean up in time for this year's general election.