12 August 2011
Building
View all stories from this issue.
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‘First-time buyer blackspots’ named
12 August 2011
Tough in Yorkshire and Humberside, the South-east, the East Midlands, East Anglia, Wales, the South-west and Scotland
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100 sparks protest over wages at Balfour Beatty site
24 Aug 11
Unions claim electricians’ wages could be cut by up to 35%
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A third of architects expect workloads to fall
22 Aug 11
RIBA monthly survey also shows increasing pessimism over staffing levels
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Adjudication fees: Paying your dues
12 August 2011
Instead of the losing party picking up the bill, a clause in the NEC adjudicator’s contract says parties should pay the fees in equal shares, but there are ways round it
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Adroit Construction goes under
23 Aug 11
M&E construction services contractor goes into administration
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Aecom and Wilkinson Eyre land Rio 2016 roles
19 Aug 11
Aecom understood to have won masterplanning role on one of three main Olympic sites
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Aecom and Wilkinson Eyre’s winning Rio 2016 designs unveiled
22 Aug 11
Olympic Park will host 15 Olympic and 11 Paralympic contests
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Aiken announces new appointments
11 Aug 11
Firm expands team in Aberdeen HQ to help with expansion plans
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Aktins fees rise to £10m on Cambridge busway
15 Aug 11
Consultant fees rise following late delivery of guided bus route
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Alsop talks about departure from RMJM
12 August 2011
The architect’s new firm will involve a number of other colleagues from Alsop’s studio at RMJM
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Arcadis bags Environment Agency role
15 Aug 11
Consultant brought on board to help manage flood risk and waterways management
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Architect, composer and students explore Manhattan
11 Aug 11
Stillspotting nyc: To a Great City explores the relationship between space and sound in Manhattan
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Architects' e-petition renews call for procurement reform
25 Aug 11
Move follows call for change made by Rab Bennetts, RIBA and Design Council Cabe
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Aukett and IDA settle out of court over Russian tower dispute
12 August 2011
The firms have said they have ’amicably resolved’ the dispute
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Balfour Beatty buys fit-out firm for £8m
22 Aug 11
Office Projects Group delivers and manages commerical fit-outs and refurbishments in UK
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Balfour takes UK hit but global profits rise
17 Aug 11
Infrastructure giant’s UK order book suffers as underlying profit globally rises 4%
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BDP blames Galliford Try and DL for academy fiasco
12 August 2011
Consultant hits back at education department’s High Court claim over flagship Westminster project
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Benoy records £3m profit after year of overseas projects
23 Aug 11
Architect firm Benoy has recorded a £3 million hike in profits after focussing its projects outside of Europe.
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Berkeley boosts Pidgley's pay by a third to £3.2m
12 August 2011
Chief executive Rob Perrins’ pay also rockets by 70%, after two years of static wages
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Birmingham library: Going in circles
11 Aug 11
The first section of the striking facade for the Mecanoo-designed £189m Birmingham library was fitted into place on Wednesday.
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Blackfriars protest: 'They think they can force our hand in a recession'
24 Aug 11
Electricians vent their anger as unions claim contractors are demading up to a 35% cut in pay
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Book now for UK energy conference on October 11-12
17 Aug 11
Building’s conference on infrastructure will help you identify the best opportunities in the UK
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Boost your career without changing job
25 Aug 11
Our experts in construction reveal their top tips on improving your current job
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Boris to pay £8.5m toward Spurs stadium in Tottenham
25 Aug 11
London mayor reported to be willing to use public funds for redevelopment of White Hart Lane
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BRE signs deal for innovation park in Brazil
12 August 2011
Scheme should help win work for UK companies
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BRE to launch Passivhaus design competition
16 Aug 11
Winning design for semi-detached homes will be built at the BRE’s Innovation Park
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Breach of contract: A long climb to justice
12 August 2011
If you ask someone to design and supply a staircase and it arrives as a heap and not fit for purpose, you can shout breach - but does that mean you can reject the goods?
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Brettstapel envelope: The natural choice
12 August 2011
Getting planning permission to build a house in the stunning Scottish Borders requires a sensitive design, which is why architect Gaia specified a wooden Brettstapel envelope for this project
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Brian Green on ... workloads
12 August 2011
It may look flat, but in my book that’s positive
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Canary Wharf to build Docklands tower
12 August 2011
Move will complete eighties masterplan for the area
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Carillion's John McDonough to stand down
24 Aug 11
Group chief executive to be replaced by chief operating officer
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Citywatch: city turmoil hits construction and housing
12 August 2011
Construction and housing profits have fallen
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Climbing the career ladder
25 Aug 11
Take action and advance up the career ladder with some good advice from our industry expert
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Conservation range
12 August 2011
Mumford & Wood’s timber windows and doors meet Part L Building Regulation standards
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Construction Act changes: Are you ready?
23 Aug 11
What you need to know about payment notices to avoid falling foul of the new act
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Construction appointments 12 August
12 August 2011
This week, Lovell, Arup and SJ Berwin are among firms to have made new appointments
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Construction economy grows 2.3%
12 Aug 11
First growth for six months recorded in latest ONS quarterly figures
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Construction insolvencies up 12.5% in July
24 Aug 11
Over 300 business failures meant insolvencies are up on same period in 2010
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Construction response to riot 'overwhelming'
12 Aug 11
Construction professionals on Twitter and Facebook offer help to victims through web site created by architects
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Costain buys support services firm Promanex
22 Aug 11
Contractor spends £19m on outsourcing specialist for industrial firms
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Costain profits from focus on bigger margins
25 Aug 11
Pre-tax profit rises 23% to £10.1m as contractor targets work with long-term strategic value
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Councils to charge utilities for roadworks
22 Aug 11
Scheme designed to ensure work carried out when roads less busy
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CSCS chairman keeps job despite vote of no confidence
12 August 2011
Chief executive and board members voted to save Walker
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Delancey and Qatari Diar ink £557m Olympic village deal
12 Aug 11
Joint venture deal for 1,439 homes and development sites signed
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Derwent builds on demand for London office space
24 Aug 11
Office developer reports healthy demand for London office space despite global uncertainty
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Designs unveiled for Old Oak Common ‘super hub’
12 Aug 11
Transport interchange will link High Speed 2 and Crossrail
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Disruption likely as electricians plan Blackfriars protest
23 Aug 11
Up to 400 electricians expected to turn out to protest at Balfour Beatty station site
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Dos and don'ts: Pre-action protocol
12 August 2011
The latest in our dos and don’ts series looks at using the pre-action protocol to settle construction disputes
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Dry fix verge system
12 August 2011
Forticrete’s Dry Fix Verge System is suitable for new build or re-roofing applications
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Economic woes hit profits at three contractor giants
12 August 2011
Interserve, Laing O’Rourke and Morgan Sindall have all reported a drop in construction profits
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Eight architects shortlisted for Steamboat museum
25 Aug 11
Niall McLaughlin Architects on shortlist for Lake Windermere visitor attraction
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Enterprise Zones: are they all good news?
18 Aug 11
LEZs have had a mixed history, and what about areas that fall outside the incentive zones
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F+G is QS on Waters Corporation HQ and R&D centre
14 Jul 11
Consultant to provide commercial management on consolidating facilities into one unit
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Falling profits threaten SMEs
23 Aug 11
Below-cost bids are putting hundreds of construction SMEs at risk, says report
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Fibre cement sheets
12 August 2011
Marley Eternit’s cement sheet is watertight but limits condensation
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Financial turmoil worsens industry outlook
12 August 2011
CPA comments following its July forecast publication
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Flood protection
12 August 2011
Whitehouse Construction’s door system have security, thermal and sustainability credentials
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Four confirmed on £3bn West Midlands framework
22 Aug 11
Willmott Dixon, Thomas Vale, Morgan Sindall and Mansell win roles
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Get ahead through legal qualifications
25 Aug 11
With the number of construction disputes getting ever higher, now could be a good time to hit the books and get some legal qualifications
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Government announces 13 new Enterprise Zones
17 Aug 11
Coastal towns Sandwich, Newquay and Great Yarmouth among areas picked by ministers
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Government backs down on free schools planning
16 Aug 11
Consultation rejects proposed planning free for all for new schools
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Grainger 'performing well' despite subdued residential market
11 Aug 11
Statement says firm benefits from heigh weighting to London and South-east
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Half of homeowners reject 'Green Deal' in trial
10 Aug 11
Householders in South London tiral rejected Green Deal-style scheme despite promise of long-term savings
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Hansom: sincerest form of flattery
12 August 2011
The world at large is finally giving the construction industry the respect it deserves: Gleeds the musical, QSs making it onto the high street and the Sunday Telegraph basically trying to be Building
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Harmonising contract law: Europe's meddling
12 August 2011
The introduction of an optional instrument to harmonise contract law throughout Europe could muddy the contractual waters and leave uncertainty in its wake
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Hemp and lime walling system
12 August 2011
Lime Technology’s Tradical Hemcrete has zero carbon properties
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Henry Boot posts £9.1m half-year profit
24 Aug 11
Contractor’s profit edges upwards in ’stable’ property market
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Hill wins Saudi ministry of interior contract
11 Aug 11
Firm will project manage the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Security HQ
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Hill wins US General Services Administration contract
14 Jul 11
Hill /Berger JV will provide project management services for customs and border protection projects nationwide
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History in flames
12 August 2011
Demolition contractor 777 Group has already been engaged to pull down the remains of the Reeves furniture store in Croydon following rioting on Monday night
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HMRC arrests five plumbers in tax crackdown
16 Aug 11
Tax collectors say they are targeting 600 further tax evaders
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House prices fall year-on-year, reports Rightmove
15 Aug 11
Fall of 2.3% in seller’s asking prices in August contributes to 0.3% year-on-year fall
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How not to excavate a basement: 'This is the closest I dared to go'
15 Aug 11
Colin Burden kept his distance when he saw this house teetering on the edge of a large muddy hole
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How to negotiate a pay rise
25 Aug 11
Tips on fighting for a better pay rise and fight back the tears if you’re given a paltry one
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HS2 flawed, say Tory MPs
12 August 2011
Government urged to abandon current plans
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Humber vs Moor: Will the planning reforms work?
12 Aug 11
The government’s plans for the planning system have stirred up huge controversy in both the industry, and now, with the publication of the the new national planning frameowrk, the country at large. With so much at stake, and so much opposition, will the government get its reforms through? And, if it does, will the system work? Joey Gardiner asks the questions
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Inbox: That's enough
12 August 2011
This week, readers have had it with airports near their homes, having to operate at unsustainable margins, those late-paying main contractors and architects’ stardom-seeking experiments
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ISG wins contract to build £3.7m Cheltenham gallery extension
19 Aug 11
New three-storey structure by Berman Guedes Stretton will include extra gallery space and cafe
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It's all pants: Unreliable economic indicators
12 August 2011
We keep being fed confusing, contradictory, even wrong industry figures - often based on something as haphazard as the sale of underwear. You may as well ask Mystic Meg
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Jobs go as no buyer is found for Britspace
23 Aug 11
Administrator makes a “significant” number of redundancies
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Keller lands £30m Crossrail contracts
17 Aug 11
Specialist will deliver grouting, structural monitoring and surveying works
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Kinspan profit up 24%
22 Aug 11
Insulation manufacturer reports strong first half as building occupiers look to slash energy costs
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Lakehouse launches ‘jobs not mobs’ campaign
15 Aug 11
Contractor starts recruitment drive in riot-hit areas
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Low property transactions pose a problem
12 August 2011
Housebuilder results have been generally positive but property is still a problem
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M&E specialist GWD falls into administration
12 Aug 11
Leeds based contractor formed just three years ago
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Mace confirmed for £300m Olympic legacy role
16 Aug 11
Seven contractors also shortlisted for two jobs working under new legacy delivery partner
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Manage your working day
25 Aug 11
Our handy tips on how to improve your time management skills and get the most from your day
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Mayor pledges £20m to regenerate London after riots
17 Aug 11
Boris Johnson said money will focus on Tottenham and Croydon
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McLaren investigating Brighton uni cladding collapse
12 Aug 11
Two floors of cladding crash into street on £7.5m job
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Mears profits from Rok and Connaught demise
16 Aug 11
Profit up 7% as firm wins 56% of social housing jobs it bids for
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Mitie secures 85% of revenue for this year
15 Aug 11
Firm delivers upbeat trading statement, boosted by major PV panel deal
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Mixing career and parenthood
25 Aug 11
A project manager at the end of her maternity leave discusses the pros and cons of mixing the two
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MLM expands senior team
11 Aug 11
Engineering consultant announces appointments as part of its growth plan
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Modular contractor Britspace enters administration
16 Aug 11
Yorkshire-based firm will be run as a going concern by FRP Advisory
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Mortgage lending falls again
18 Aug 11
July lending down 6% on 2010 figure
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MPs attack 'poor value' PFI
19 Aug 11
Treasury Select Committee calls on government to stall procurement of £450m Liverpool hospital
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My digital life: Alex Bell
12 August 2011
He’s mad about bricks and likes a ’classy’ kind of YouTube
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My working day: Hill president David Richter
18 Aug 11
The Hill president and COO travels the world to meet clients and discuss business over a game of golf, or a steak and martini
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Nearly half of householders turn down Green Deal in trial
12 August 2011
Pilot scheme in Sutton was unsuccessful
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Northampton railway station plans approved
12 August 2011
Project will be the cornerstone of the town’s ’Station Gateway’ scheme
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NTU announces Centre for Lean Projects
4 Aug 11
University establishes a research centre to improve business efficiency in design and construction
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OFT refers aggregates industry to Competition Commission
16 Aug 11
OFT concerned over lack of competition in aggregate, cement and concrete sectors
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ONS admits construction growth figures are wrong
12 Aug 11
ONS to republish construction output at 4.30pm today after admiting 2.3% growth rate published this morning was too high
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ONS error overstates construction growth five-fold
12 Aug 11
Statistics body revises down second quarter growth from 2.3% to 0.5% within hours
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ONS figures show fall in SME activity
15 Aug 11
Work for small builders drops despite activity growth across the whole sector
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Passing competency-based interviews
25 Aug 11
How your skills match the requirements of the role will determine the likelihood of you securing the job
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Persimmon revenues drop 10%
23 Aug 11
Half year gross profits remain steady as housebuilder sells 5% fewer homes
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PFI doesn't have to be 'poor value'
19 Aug 11
PFI is ’poor value’ say MPs but they ignore the benefits such as risk transfer, predictability and maintenance of the public sector estate
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Planning permission for new homes plummets 23%
26 Aug 11
Labour blames Shapps for second lowest number of housing planning permissions for five years
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Probe launched into ONS error
17 Aug 11
UK Statistics Authority will run the rule over “all relevant matters” relating to construction statistics
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Rafael Vinoly breaks ground at Oxford labs
19 Aug 11
Mathematical Institute will be the main academic centre for 900 undergrads
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Raise your game with an MBA
25 Aug 11
Completing an MBA can help improve your career prospects
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Reconstructing Japan: Construction opportunities
12 August 2011
British firms are vying for a chance to be involved in the 23 trillion yen rebuilding of disaster-hit Japan, but with such capable local contractors, the trick is knowing where to offer expertise. Building reports
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Report suggests PFI needed for UK infrastructure
25 Aug 11
Confederation of British Industry report suggests government needs private investment for developing infrastructure
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RIBA promises highest funding for architectural research
5 Sep 11
It will allocate a record £185,000 towards architectural education by the end of 2011
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Richard Vining: True grit
12 August 2011
?Shepherd Construction boss Richard Vining reckons the industry’s in for its hardest year yet. But instead of panicking, the straight-talking chief exec is on a mission to turn the firm from York into a national player
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Riot threat forces lockdown of vulnerable building sites
11 Aug 11
Sites shut down as police warn of construction materials being taken and used as weapons by rioters
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Salmond wants VAT cut to boost home improvements
23 Aug 11
Scotland’s First Minister calls on government to help housing housing market
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Sell yourself with your CV
25 Aug 11
Keeping your CV up-to-date is one of the best ways to be prepared for a career opportunity
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Severfield-Rowen bags Cheesegrater job
17 Aug 11
Specialist wins steelwork package on the 52-storey London skyscraper
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Severfield-Rowen profitability down in first half
23 Aug 11
Specialist strikes cautious note on UK as it targets “immense” India prospects
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Shift happens – Until 31 August 2011
4 Aug 11
Shift Happens brings together the work of NLA Award for Architecture winners from the Royal College of Art. The four graduate architects challenge pressing issues in London’s near future. The work critically ...
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Shift happens: Four critical visions of London
11 Sep 11
Graduate architects explore solutions for pressing issues facing London’s future
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Shopping centre construction falls to early 90s levels
15 Aug 11
Westfield Stratford acounts for more than half of construction as activity slows
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Six contractors awarded £800m social housing framework
23 Aug 11
Consortium of ten ALMOs names contractors carrying out repair work on 10,000 properties around London
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Steel framing system
12 August 2011
Metsec’s steel framing system is made from lightweight steel sections and
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Stillspotting nyc: 15–18 and 22–25 September
11 Aug 11
For To a Great City, the second edition of stillspotting nyc, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and US and Norway–based architect Snøhetta are creating urban soundscapes around Lower Manhattan to explore the relationship between space and sound.
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Stolen Ove Arup statue to be replaced
17 Aug 11
Bust of the renowned engineer in Durham has been missing for more than five years
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Strathclyde Homes collapses after sales crash
18 Aug 11
Housebuilder goes into receivership following poor house sales in Scotland
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Straw house specialist goes Stateside
12 Aug 11
Bristol-based ModCell launches office in San Francisco
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Styles + Wood posts £0.9m loss
25 Aug 11
Property consultant hit by ailing retail sector
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Summertime blues
12 August 2011
Riots and fresh economic uncertainty were the last things the industry needed this week
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Sweett house goes walkabout in Melbourne
24 Aug 11
Australian project managers tackle the tricky move of a century-old heritage house
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Switching jobs from QS to legal
25 Aug 11
The legal profession is one of the few still prospering, which is why so many QSs are clamouring to enter it. But how easy is it to make the switch?
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T&T appointed on troubled Edinburgh tram project
22 Aug 11
Turner & Townsend takes over from Transport Initiatives Edinburgh after council reveals cost to taxpayer could top £1bn
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T&T tops QS barometer in year ending 31 July
11 Aug 11
Gleeds, Davis Langdon and G&T runners up in Building’s top 40
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T&T tops the QS barometer in June
14 Jul 11
Gleeds, Davis Langdon and G&T runners up in Building’s top 40
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Tackling job interview questions
25 Aug 11
Preparing for a job interview can be nerve wracking, so that it why it is important that you put in the time and effort to prepare
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The PFI alternatives may be hard to swallow
22 Aug 11
MPs are wary of PFI but the alternatives could see the government having to take on more risk
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The tracker: signs of life
12 August 2011
Overall activity is static and prices continue to be reduced, but enquiries and orders are higher than last month. Experian Economics examines the latest figures
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Thermal insulation
12 August 2011
Celotex’s insulation is not affected by moisture
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Timber frame company fined after man loses thumb
18 Aug 11
Kestrel Timber Frame fined £6,700 after guard is removed from circular saw
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Top of the class: Passivhaus school design
12 August 2011
A primary school in Exeter won’t win any architectural awards, but is earning gold stars in zero-carbon and Passivhaus design. Thomas Lane swots up on how to deliver a low-energy building on a budget
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Understanding collateral contracts
14 Jul 11
Collateral contracts form a binding contract which agrees the contractor/subcontractor guarantees his design, work, the material supplied and other specific issues - but are there hidden risks?
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Unite pushes on with student dorm schemes
24 Aug 11
Developer posts 67% increse in profit as it announces plans for 4,000 student rooms in London
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V&A appoints ZMMA to refurbish Europe galleries
19 Aug 11
Refurbishment of seven galleries will complete restoration of front wing of London musuem
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View from the Top: Steve McGuckin
26 Aug 11
Turner & Townsend’s UK managing director tells Emily Wright why there is still work to be won in Britain
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Wall insulation
12 August 2011
Kingspan Insulation’s Thermawall was specified for a Victorian terraced house in London
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Waterproofing system
12 August 2011
Alumasc’s Derbigum waterproofing system can be done with residents still inside the premises
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West Ham to keep Olympic Stadium after bid investigation
22 Aug 11
The OPLC will not withdraw the sale of its stadium despite director Dionne Knight’s work for West Ham
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Wexford's new council HQ
12 August 2011
London-based Robin Lee Architecture, formerly one half of Nord, has completed Wexford council headquarters in Ireland.
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Will Alsop names new practice ‘ALL Design’
18 Aug 11
Alsop announces up to fifteen staff will jump ship with him from RMJM
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Will the planning reforms work?
12 August 2011
The National Planning Policy Framework is firmly in the limelight after renewed pressure from campaigners. So will the government stick to the policy and how will it work in practice? Joey Gardiner leads a debate
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Willmott Dixon bags P21+ hat-trick
22 Aug 11
Contractor will deliver £20m worth of projects through the health framework
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Willmott Dixon storms ahead
12 August 2011
Two education contracts helped firm beat July’s 15% decline in new work for top firms
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Willmott Dixon wins UK’s largest Passivhaus resi
18 Aug 11
Contractor will deliver 53 homes to the ultra-low carbon standard
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Wonders and blunders: Christina Seilern
12 August 2011
Christina Seilern is dreaming of a holiday - but you won’t catch her travelling out of Luton airport. Stansted, on the other hand, provides the perfect start to a journey
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Write the perfect cover letter
25 Aug 11
This is the most important document – take your time, don’t lie and proof read
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Zinc composite panels
12 August 2011
Alcoa Architectural Products’ new zinc finishes are both pre-weathered
