All articles by Luke Wessely

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    Snakes and ladders

    2010-11-05T00:00:00Z

    Our sustainability targets are well within our reach. The only problem is working out which technologies will give us a leg up, and which will send us sliding back to square one

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    The land of the Dachdeckermeister

    2010-08-06T00:00:00Z

    Germany’s technical and political approach to sustainable construction is much more advanced than the UK’s. So why don’t we steal a few ideas from them

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    Luke Wessely: Greek tragedies, British farces

    2010-05-28T00:00:00Z

    Before we get too comfortable as armchair critics of rapacious footballers and financially illiterate European states, we should take a long, hard look at ourselves

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    A very expensive way of saving a few bob

    2008-05-09T00:00:00Z

    Open mike - With the economy taking a dive, clients are trying to save money by ditching the main contractor. But they seem to have found no way to replace their skills and experience, says Luke Wessely

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    Eat your heart out, J-Lo

    2003-10-31T00:00:00Z

    We enter a contract like an A-list marriage, expecting it to end in conflict. But is the industry really so confrontational? Or do lawyers just love a good old barney?

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    Talking turf

    2003-09-05T00:00:00Z

    Architects like to have the final say on the design, and we respect that. But we know more about roofs than they do, so how do they feel about that?

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    The top down revolution

    2003-05-16T00:00:00Z

    Anyone who thinks of roofing subbies as simple, horny-handed sons of toil had better think again. The modern firm is a slick, high-tech, high IQ outfit

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    I'm talking serious money

    2003-05-16T00:00:00Z

    Slow payment is a bad habit that the industy has got used to. It's just possible, you know, that by speeding it up we could solve quite a few other bugbears

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    You get what you pay for

    2003-02-28T00:00:00Z

    If your daughter was getting married, you wouldn't chose the cheapest caterer regardless of quality, would you? So why chose a subcontractor that way?

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    Don't hold back, now

    2002-11-01T00:00:00Z

    The archaic practice of retention is senseless, unfair and damaging to all parties – and there are much more agreeable alternatives. Let's stop it once and for all

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    The cricket test

    2002-07-05T00:00:00Z

    It probably isn't a coincidence that England's cricketers started performing after they were given guaranteed places. And therein lies a moral for construction …