All Building articles in 2000 Issue 04
View all stories from this issue.
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Comment
Speak your weight
First person Materials producers have a new body to speak for them that promises to have real political and industrial clout.
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Features
Pret a port-air
Fewer faults in a fraction of the time – that's the message for clients from a firm that prefabricates services, including air-conditioning, in its factory and assembles them on site.
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Features
The instant office
Serviced offices no longer mean a few desks plonked in a spec office block. A new generation of purpose-designed serviced office buildings has arrived.
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News
Social housing set to soar
The public housing market is set for a two-year boom fuelled by government support for local authority housing schemes, says the Construction Products Association. The CPA’s annual forecast predicts that new-build social housing will grow 7% this year and 9% in 2001. It also forecasts a 5% increase in repair ...
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Features
Inspecting gadgets
Don't be scared off by microtechnology – the new portable gizmos are light, affordable and easy to use whether you're on site or in the car. So, what should be in your briefcase?
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Features
Filling the post
Superstars required. But how do you hire them? Robert Smith of recruitment consultant Hays Montrose explains.
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Features
The wow factor
Tom Wright designed a jaw-dropping hotel at Dubai's Jumeirah Beach. Now he's putting WS Atkins Architects on the map all around the world – even in the UK.
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News
Face that launched New Deal hits the rocks
Porter builders, the firm founded by the man who launched the government’s New Deal employment initiative, has ceased trading, leaving 110 staff out of work. The Wirral-based business, which had a turnover of £18m, slipped into receivership days before Christmas. Last week, receivers Moore Stephen Booth White confirmed it had ...
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Features
Culture shock
From 1 April, councils are legally obliged to procure on the basis of best value. This is great news for contractors – if councils are up to making the change. But are they?
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Features
Would you win in court?
Firms trying to avoid litigation would do well to embrace early neutral evaluation, a procedure that allows a judge to tell the parties who is likely to win long before they get to court.
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Features
Whole-life cost model
The government is set to spend £450m on new and refurbished PFI schools next year. To help firms thinking of bidding to prepare tenders, Citex details the occupancy costs of typical schools, together with case studies of new-build and refurbished institutions.
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News
Schal set to lose construction director
Gareth Lewis tipped to join rival firm now the Royal Opera House is finished and other senior staff consider their positions.
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News
Revenue to take the heat off small companies
Firms with less than £5m turnover set to have their paperwork cut out for them by the taxman.
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News
Cala buy-out puts dent in profit
Cala, the Scottish housebuilder that went private last year after a highly public battle for control of the company, saw a slight fall in pre-tax profit for the year to 30 June 1999.The company’s annual report reveals a dip in pre-tax profit from £10.7m to £10m for the period. Group ...
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Comment
Build without prejudice
Second opinion In our drive to be cutting-edge, we need to get rid of outmoded ideas. Let’s start with discrimination.
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Features
Scrutiny on the bounty
In the first of a series of columns designed to help small businesses run more efficiently, accountant Smith & Williamson examines the role of the external audit in cutting costs and improving management processes.
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News
NAO queries role of best practice bodies
Watchdog questions the number of government-funded construction efficiency initiatives.
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Features
Was it Bill or was it Ben?
If housebuilding ends up wonky, who’s to blame? The person who takes on the work, of course. But just who is that? The main contractor, the subcontractor, the builder, the architect or the surveyor?
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News
Mace hot favourite to win Paddington Basin contract
Developer confirms that construction manager likely to win first phase of £300m project.