‘A pool in the basement is a clear marker of wealth’: how the super-rich are digging down

In London’s richest boroughs vast subterranean enclaves are being carved out over several floors to house cars, wine, saunas and private nightclubs. How did underground living – once associated with poverty and disease – become an investment scheme for the uber-wealthy?

The £3bn rebirth of King’s Cross: dictator chic and pie-in-the-sky penthouses

Google HQ, boutique shops in old coal sheds, gasholders offering wedge-shaped flats at sky-high prices … as the vast project comes together after 18 years, our critic gives his verdict

The top 10 architecture and design events of 2017

It was a year that celebrated new dawns. From plywood to postmodernism, from the return of council housing to a Cornish art gallery, our critic picks his highlights

Empty homes council tax rise unlikely to deter rich owners, say critics

Hammond’s 100% extra tax on vacant property dismissed as ‘joke’ unlikely to hit wealthy buyers or spur re-use of housing

Millionaire tells millennials: if you want a house, stop buying avocado toast

Australian real estate mogul Tim Gurner advised young people to solve their housing woes by putting their ‘$22 a pop’ toast toward a deposit instead

£220,000: the price super-rich will pay to keep their privacy

Call for greater transparency as wealthy foreigners fork out to avoid registering London properties