18 February 2011
Building
View all stories from this issue.
-
3XN to design Swedbank's Stockholm headquarters
22 Feb 11
V-shaped structure will house 2,500 office workers
-
Academies: £800m to be phased over two years
18 February 2011
Timeframe for spend revealed as court ruling gives £1bn of other BSF schemes hope
-
Aukett appears in Russian court over outstanding fees
18 February 2011
Architect accused of failing to pay consultant for shelved project
-
Avanti Architects on education specification
18 February 2011
With a smaller pool of projects and severe pressure on fees, winning work in the education sector is about to get even tougher. Building asks Amir Ramezani, a director at London architecture practice Avanti Architects, to assess the market
-
Barratt cuts losses to £4.6m
24 Feb 11
Mark Clare reports good start to 2011 but says long-term recovery depends on availability of mortgage finance
-
Bellway house sales up 3.8% in first half
7 Feb 11
Bellway house sales are up 3.8% as average selling prices climb 8%.
-
British Land reveals London plans as rent market soars 20%
18 February 2011
UK firm taking advantage of thriving London office sector
-
BSF analysis: a hollow victory?
18 February 2011
On 11 February, Mr Justice Holman seemingly handed down a victory for six “brave” local authorities that had challenged the legitimacy of Michael Gove’s decision to scrap the BSF programme and cancel funding for schools projects in their areas.
-
BSF analysis: the future’s clearer – sort of
18 February 2011
The two major developments in education over the past week - the outcome of the judicial review into the scrapping of BSF and news of how £800m of academies funding will be distributed - have solved some of the questions over the future of the nation’s school building programme.
-
Budget for buildings
18 February 2011
The Scottish budget deal agreed by MSPs this week is not the budget for recovery that the building industry has been crying out for
-
Bulgari reveals plans for luxury London hotel
23 Feb 11
Squire & Partners are designing the luxury brand’s five-star Knightsbridge hotel
-
Cabe name at risk as Design Council merger is finalised
18 February 2011
Paul Finch will move with 20 staff to Design Council, but future of brand will be consulted on
-
Can subbies survive on less?
18 February 2011
Government and private sector clients are pressurising contractors to make big savings on projects. Often that means just pushing the pain down the supply chain. Can specialists get by on smaller and smaller rations?
-
Capita Symonds appoints energy expert
18 Feb 11
New director for energy consultancy will run Capita’s expanding renewable energy division
-
CBI demands clarity on Green Deal
15 Feb 11
Government must clarify how retrofitting push will be funded and acredited, says Confederation of British Industry
-
CIOB warns against 'dilution' of Bribery Act
7 Feb 11
Institute wades in to debate over whether anti-corruption measures would unfairly punish British business
-
Common mistakes in… lump sum contracts
18 February 2011
The latest in a series of dos and don’ts on major projects highlights the provisions in a lump sum contract that mean the price offered by the contractor is far from fixed
-
Construction output for 2010 not as bleak as first estimated
18 February 2011
The ONS revises its fourth quarter figures for 2010
-
Contract cuts to continue under new MoD framework
21 Feb 11
But £1.5bn housing contract to be awarded in 2012 will go ahead
-
Cost model: Food retail
18 February 2011
The combination of recession and increasing interest rates will result in reduced delivery of retail space over the next few years. This means food retailers must maximise existing assets, say Paul Zuccherelli and Ben McCafferty of Davis Langdon, an Aecom company
-
Councils receive £100m for pothole repair fund
23 Feb 11
Extra allocation to repair winter damaged roads
-
Credit where it's due
18 February 2011
Your leading article on the rebuilding of Blackfriars station (28 January, page 44), was both interesting and informative.
-
Crossrail announces £375m Farringdon shortlist
18 Feb 11
Usual suspects win a place on four-strong list
-
Deleted expletives
18 February 2011
Quentin Shears, 48, is a partner in Newt UK, a Hertfordshire-based quantity surveyor that its US owner, construction giant Gator Corp, has never been quite sure what to do with. Quentin has recently been making excellent progress in his anger management sessions, which he was obliged to take after several “run-ins” with the local architectural community.
-
Delivering Sustainable Transport forum: Two days to go
18 Feb 11
Building’s infrastructure event takes place at RIBA on March 24. Book now for £99
-
Difficult jurisdictions: Kazakhstan
18 February 2011
Continuing our series on difficult jurisdictions, Chris Hill explains how doing business in booming Kazakhstan has become much easier. That’s not to say it’s a walkover
-
Drywall systems
18 February 2011
Knauf drywall systems are being installed in the second phase of Bradford’s BSF programme
-
Eaga buyout to add £700m to Carillion sales
18 February 2011
Carillion’s acquires Eaga in a share-boosting move away from general contracting in the UK
-
Eaga's biggest shareholder would not block takeover
7 Feb 11
The Eaga Partnership Trust said it would review any take over in the interests of its beneficiaries
-
Emergency lighting test system
18 February 2011
?Cooper Lighting and Safety has brought out a new version of its Easicheck automatic test system for emergency lighting systems.
-
Emry's Architects win mixed-use scheme in south London
15 Feb 11
Emrys Architects have won planning permission for a mixed-use development in Camberwell
-
Energy saving lighting
18 February 2011
Chalmor’s ReFit T5 lighting system
-
Engineer finds extra £2m in pay packet
25 Feb 11
Engineer at Devon based firm has repaid the £2m, which is 1,000 times his nornal salary
-
Extra special doors
18 February 2011
Automated doors maker Besam has supplied 24 doors to a school in Sheffield as part of the BSF programme.
-
Fabulous fenestration
18 February 2011
Sapa Building Systems supplied ?the fenestration on Bideford Community College in Devon
-
Fancy a stroll?
18 February 2011
?Glen Stark took this photo in central Edinburgh
-
First Impressions: Renzo Piano's Central St Giles
24 Feb 11
Nottingham Trent architecture students on the controversial and colourful scheme in central London
-
Flexicon publishes conduit specification guide
18 February 2011
Flexible conduit maker, Flexicon, has published a conduit specification and selection guide. The 100-page publication helps specifiers choose the appropriate conduit for specific applications and includes technical advice on ingress protection, low fire hazard performance, assembly and resistance to different chemicals.
-
Gensler designs London snow resort
18 February 2011
Acer Snowmec, ASL Developments and Gensler Architects have put forward plans to build Europe’s first indoor snow resort by converting the Olympic park media centre.
-
Gleeds wins work on scheme in Mumbai
18 February 2011
The Trees development will be 2.8 million ft2
-
Government concerned over feed in tariff funding for solar farms
7 Feb 11
Money targeted at household micro-generation being used to pay for fields of PV cells in Cornwall
-
Great Portland swaps property lease
21 Feb 11
Great Portland Estates said today it has swapped its lease on a property on Oxford Street from freehold to leasehold
-
Greg Clark: Local hero
18 February 2011
Greg Clark pretty much invented localism as a political idea, and now he’s the minister implementing it as a policy. But he’s adamant that he is genuinely pro-development and not the nimby champion we all fear
-
Gross mortgage lending down in January
18 Feb 11
Figures still represent first year-on-year rise since August
-
H+H receives BSEN 16001 accreditation for reducing energy use
18 February 2011
Aircrete manufacturer H+H has received BSEN 16001 accreditation for reducing energy use. The company had to demonstrate year on year reductions of at least 2.5% but it achieved a 7.5% reduction for 2009-10 compared to the preceding two years.
-
Half of Connaught compliance business snapped up
4 Feb 11
Purchase by private equity firm Better Capital is latest chapter in drawn out administration of failed social housing firm
-
Hammerson profits up 11%
21 Feb 11
Net Asset Value per share increases 17.6% as the group wrote up the value of its assets by £447m
-
Henry Boot wipes out debt with £33.8m land and develpment sales
7 Feb 11
Henry Boot has sold the Ayr Central Shopping Centre to raise £33.8m and clear its debts.
-
High velocity: The Olympic velodrome
18 February 2011
Hopkins’ Olympic velodrome is the first 2012 venue to reach the finish line and the result is a dynamic statement of simplicity and elegance
-
Home truths: Localism and development
18 February 2011
The government maintains that localism will boost development, but the latest planning figures show the exact opposite. Just how scared should developers be by this new political reality?
-
HomeServe custom up 14%
18 February 2011
The firm has seen an increase in customer numbers and insurance policies
-
HomeServe customer numbers up 14%
14 Feb 11
Maintenance firm has 4.8 million customers worldwide, with 10.9 million insurance policies
-
Housing plan to trigger cuts
18 February 2011
Affordable rented housing reforms could mean cuts in development programmes of up to 75%
-
If you want my advice …
18 February 2011
A couple of part-time developers were relying on their QS’ advice. The trouble is, he didn’t advise them about a specification error that made the project turn a loss
-
Keep the receipts
18 February 2011
If the government is concerned that they are overpaying for the services supplied by major contractors (building.co.uk, 9 February), a good start would be to investigate the legality of the bulk order discounts that are obtained from suppliers.
-
Kier profit jumps 26%
24 Feb 11
Contractor says work in large number of markets enabled it to up profit despite challenging environment
-
Kingspan publishes Part L guides
18 February 2011
?Kingspan Insulation has published four guides to meeting the four sections of Part L of the Building Regulations. The guides detail the effect the new energy regulations will have on the methods of insulating walls, floor and roofs and the thicknesses needed to meet the new requirements.
-
Kingspan receives Eurocode accreditation
18 February 2011
Kingspan has received structural Eurocode accreditation for its purlins and rails, meaning it can now offer CE marked products. The CE marked range makes Kingspan the first UK manufacturer to receive accreditiaion for this type of product.
-
Labbad: Lend Lease positioning for smaller construction jobs
18 February 2011
Shift comes as Australian parent confirms Bovis name will be dropped
-
Lean and mean
18 February 2011
Are subbies’ margins being damaged by a new procurement squeeze?
-
Localism is a good thing for developers
18 February 2011
Yes, the bill is ambitious but, if used correctly, could have a very positive effect on housing production
-
Localism thinks small; we need the bigger picture
18 February 2011
It’s all very well delivering small schemes but what about larger, infrastructure boosting developments?
-
Localism: A recipe for building homes in the wrong places
18 Feb 11
Real powers will help economic growth, but limited localism could just further seal off leafy suburbs to development
-
Love the one you're with
18 February 2011
As is fitting for the week of Saint Valentine, relationships have been hotting up in the industry. From sharing a romantic dinner a deux, to tackling the opposition, to swapping saliva, Cupid’s been busy!
-
Material costs rise outstrips tender prices
1 Feb 11
Survey shows material costs rose 1.5% more than tender prices in Q3 of 2010
-
Maude aims for OJEU change
18 February 2011
Cabinet Office minister tries to increase threshold by “at least double”
-
Mitie share price dips after outsourcing warning
31 Jan 11
Firm anticipates ’delays’ in delivering secured and prospective work this financial year
-
Money wasted on PPP projects as risks overstated
18 February 2011
Faulty risk ratings increase finance costs for PPP projects, according to fresh research
-
Morgan Sindall order book up £400m as profits flatline
22 Feb 11
Morgan Sindall’s order book reaches £3.6bn in the year to 31 December 2010, as revenues fall 5%
-
Multi-functional fans
18 February 2011
Elta Fans has supplied 159 of its ventilation units for a mixed-use development on the east coast of Qatar.
-
Naylor Drainage open new factory in Scotland
18 February 2011
?Naylor Drainage has opened a factory in Scotland which will make the company’s Band Seal flexible coupling. The product is suitable for connecting new and old pipework made from a variety of materials.
-
Network Rail overhaul revealed
21 Feb 11
Network Rail will split into nine regional units in a big shake up announced today
-
New Bournville College reaches development milestone
24 Feb 11
£66m Longbridge facility set to open in September
-
New legal threat to localism plans
18 Feb 11
Campaigners say that payment of money to a council on receipt of a planning permission would be unlawful
-
O'Keefe fined after teenager suffers burns
16 Feb 11
Contractor ordered to pay out over £25,000 after breaching Safety Act
-
Olympic park set to miss green target after Games
18 February 2011
ODA to look into alternative ways to reduce carbon emissions after failing to hit 20% renewables aim
-
Once upon a time
18 February 2011
The law determining whether there should be an extension of time when both employer and contractor are to blame for a delay in construction, is in disarray
-
Open mike: Early learning
18 February 2011
If you care about school design, you’ve probably thrown up your hands in despair by now. But John Lyall is optimistic we can build on the achievements of recent years
-
Prefabricated steel frame
18 February 2011
Elliott Offsite Building Solutions has completed a multipurpose building at Hayes School in Bromley.
-
Profits almost treble at Zaha Hadid
4 Feb 11
Revenue also booms as Middle Eastern clients are drawn to practice’s international fame
-
RCA's Dyson Building is 'topped out'
18 Feb 11
The Haworth Tompkins-designed Battersea campus will house printmaking, photography and units for start-up design enterprises
-
Reading, writing and … building
18 February 2011
?Ahead of next week’s BSEC event, Pascale Scheurer redefines the future of education building before
-
Recession cuts construction carbon footprint
1 Feb 11
Cement and landfill emissions down with UK total
-
RIBA Forgotten Spaces competition: Last day!
12 Apr 11
The London and Sheffield competitions hope to promote local engagement by inviting proposals for left-over land
-
Schools special: Where the money's going
21 Feb 11
A full breakdown of current schools funding and the outlook for the next five years
-
Scottish council stunned at low bidding
18 Feb 11
Mansell winning bid for care home contract 10% lower than council expects
-
SSE to build gas-fired power station in Wales
23 Feb 11
Facility has potential to provide electricity to 1.4 million homes
-
Stranger than fiction
18 February 2011
I write regarding your piece on architects in film, (28 January, page 34). It was entertaining but, being limited only to American architects, remained firmly in fantasyland
-
Tarmac and Lafarge merge to create giant materials firm
18 Feb 11
Deal is expected to deliver £60m in savings and sales in the region of £1.8bn
-
Tesco’s plans for solar panels put on hold
18 February 2011
Decision comes after government’s review of feed-in tarrifs
-
Time for a construction revolution?
22 Feb 11
SMEs are getting squeezed by the big boys and no-one’s taking up their cause
-
Travis Perkins indicates bumper performance in 2010
23 Feb 11
Preliminary results point to £3.2bn sales, up 5% on previous year
-
Treasury looks to PFI projects for savings
16 Feb 11
The Treasury launched a pilot scheme today, tasked with identifying savings on existing PFI projects.
-
Value discount payments are counterproductive
18 February 2011
Passing pain down the supply chain is harming the whole industry
-
Ventilation while you work
18 February 2011
Nuaire has supplied its Xboxer air-handling units as part of Manchester council’s BSF programme
-
Vinci appoints regional director for Yorkshire
22 Feb 11
Keith Shivers will take charge of nine BSF contracts worth £170m
-
Wind power companies offer communities £2,000 per turbine
15 Feb 11
Announcement by Renewable UK in addition to government handing back wind farm business rates
-
WSP planned next chairman quits
23 Feb 11
Tony Thorne has decided to step down from the board for personal reasons
