This week on Dezeen: the BBC apologised to Royal Gold Medal winner Zaha Hadid after a live radio interview went sour, and we covered the latest news, product launches and installations from the London Design Festival 2015.

Zaha Hadid was named as the recipient of the 2016 Royal Gold Medal for architecture – the first time a woman has won the award in her own right – on Thursday.

A subsequent interview on Radio 4's prestigious Today programme was cut short by the British architect after the presenter asked poorly researched questions about the architect's stadium project for the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022. Later on, the BBC issued a public apology.

Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby were awarded this year's London Design Medal, but warned that the city's position as a leading creative centre is being threatened by spiralling costs and a government "scared by creativity".

Norman Foster didn't entirely agree with the design duo's interpretation, describing the exodus of London's creatives as "inevitable" and "not necessarily bad".

Popular product launches from this year's London Design Festival included multi-coloured drawers made out of leftover materials by Raw Edges and a coffee table made from plaster and resin composite material Jesmonite.

Studio Toogood created a "drawing room" filled with furniture, clothing and personal objects at Somerset House and a tunnel-like installation made out of acrylic was unveiled at the V&A museum (main image).

In other design news, Transport for London announced that it is to fit opening windows on the upper decks of Thomas Heatherwick's new London buses and reports emerged suggesting Apple will launch an electric car in 2019.

US firm MASS Design Group revealed plans to open "the Bauhaus of Africa" and Japanese studio SANAA completed a building for a nature reserve in New Canaan, Connecticut, featuring a ribbon-like roof.

David Chipperfield scaled back his design for the Nobel Center in Stockholm and David Adjaye released plans for a museum in San Antonio, Texas.

Popular stories this week on Dezeen included a seemingly windowless residence in Tokyo, Aesop's "simple and elegant" UK headquarters and our feature on why Los Angeles has become "the hottest destination" in America for international architects.

More architecture | More interiors | More design | More news