This week’s article is all about design. It’s an art which makes the best of how something looks by careful arrangement of features and choices of colour, size and shape. The Government thinks design is important and is currently consulting on a National Design Guide for Britain’s buildings. It’s all about making Britain ‘beautiful, enduring and successful’ again. New planning policy recommends that streets in new estates are tree-lined, an excellent suggestion as trees bring shade. They cool the air, they absorb sound, they reduce flooding, they are living and beautiful and green. The design guide also suggests that buildings should aim to be passively heated by the sun and reach a high standard of construction.