Small projects can have a big impact in pursuit of net zero and housebuilding goals
Any attempt to hit housing and carbon reduction targets depends on businesses of every size playing their part – and technology can help, writes WSP’s Diego Padilla-Philipps
The construction industry needs a Building Safety Regulator that is fit for purpose
The government must get its house in order and act to remove the gateway 2 bottleneck, says Tom Dodson
The infrastructure strategy opens the door to private finance
Last week’s infrastructure strategy put off a final decision about using private finance for social infrastructure until the autumn. But, Joey Gardiner writes, it has still set out an important principle that such schemes are not entirely off-limits
We must go back to basics to keep the talent within our industry
Workers are motivated more than ever to look for – and stay with – employers whose values align with their own, says Eleanor Thomas of Southern Construction Framework
Devolution can be a catalyst to unlock private finance
As part of Building’s Funding the Future series, Stuart Howie, principal and head of regeneration at Avison Young, considers the role of devolved authorities in attracting investment
Labour must shore up materials security or fall short of infrastructure strategy ambitions
By importing key construction materials such as cement, the infrastructure strategy faces potential disruption due to supply chain bottlenecks and geopolitical issues. Diana Casey, executive director at the Mineral Products Association, makes the case for a thriving domestic industry
Construction must start facing up to new labour pains
The government is stuck in a spending straitjacket of its own making. However, borrowing for investment will help to sustain future workload for construction, writes Simon Rawlinson of Arcadis
The chancellor’s £39bn boost buys time for social housing – now innovative private finance models must help deliver at scale
The Labour government is prioritising funding for grant-heavy, and much-needed, social rented homes while also promising to ramp up delivery to 1.5 million homes a year. Innovation to draw in private finance can help square the circle, says Carl Brown
A week in the world of main contracting
Sluggish output data masks signs of some real ambition among some top tier contractors
We need more than warm words if we want to save the high street
The demand is there for a broader range of uses but the government has a vital role to play in revitalising our town and village centres, writes Richard Steer
It’s time to rethink design and construction education
Our industry is full of specialists who tend to be siloed in their thinking. A new qualification at the University of Leeds aims to produce graduates with a broader range of skills across architecture, building services and structural engineering, writes course leader Justin Lunn
The genie is out of the bottle – what next for commercial property in the capital?
The City of London’s workspace market has weathered a turbulent few years, but shifting workplace strategies and sustainability-driven renovations are shaping a resilient, adaptable future for the capital’s offices, says Chris White of CPMG Architects
If I were the chancellor… (or how to finance infrastructure when there’s not enough money)
Bold action will be required if the government is to deliver on its eagerly anticipated infrastructure strategy. Some kind of public-private partnership could well be the best way forward, writes Beth West
Can the next London Plan deliver what the city’s residents really need?
Ben Derbyshire reflects on Sadiq Khan’s latest policies to boost housebuilding in the capital
Why puddles are the latest in a long list of obstacles to building the homes we need
The planning system no longer recognises the difference between rivers and puddles and this must be fixed, says Paul Smith
How do collaborative contracts work?
NEC’s Peter Higgins explains the key differences between traditional forms of contract and the new collaborative breed
When does a contract clause count as a condition precedent?
A new appeal ruling underlines how failure to fulfil notice conditions can jeopardise any later payment claims
Why are we seeing a surge in latent defects claims?
Remediation surveys prompted by post-Grenfell legislation are exposing other defects
Adjudication – what’s to be done? An ANB responds
What are adjudicator nominating bodies doing to address negative perceptions among users of adjudication? Robert Stevenson of TECSA responds to concerns
Why it’s important to use everyday language in contract documents
Tony Bingham on DBS vs TCS and why standard form contract devisers need to get more everyday with their language
Barratt Supreme Court ruling highlights what the government should have done after Grenfell
The URS vs BDW (Barratt) decision highlights the government’s failure to formulate an effective response to Grenfell. Here’s what it should have done instead
How landmark Supreme Court ruling clarifies liability and limitation on building safety
Construction professionals must now operate with heightened awareness of their long-term liabilities, in the wake of the pivotal ruling in the Barratt Homes case
Legal abroad: Doing business in Indonesia's fast-growing construction industry
With a construction market set to reach US$300bn this year, the new BRICS nation has great potential for UK companies
Adjudication doesn’t need to be complicated
Tony Bingham on a failed attempt to overturn an adjudication on the ground that it covered multiple contracts with slightly differing terms
Why the Supreme Court ruling on women-only spaces and services matters for construction employers
Monica Kurnatowska and Rebecca Bull on the implications of For Women Scotland Ltd vs The Scottish Ministers
Construction claims over sinkholes and landslips are on the rise
As geological risks increase, driven by climate change, claims relating to geotechnical impacts on construction projects may become more common
