QS Focus
The state of play 02: Consultancy
In the second of our sector-by-sector reports, Ian Withers looks at the strategies consultants are adopting to meet the challenges of uncertain times
Hays International Salary Survey 2012: Rich in oil
Engineers, QSs and contractors can expect huge pay rises of up to £100k in the gas, oil and mineral mining sectors of the southern hemisphere and Canada. Emily Wright reports on the the multibillion-pound sectors fuelling construction as Hays International Salary Survey drills down into the data.
The 2012 consultants' salary survey: The measure of things
The Building/Hays Construction salary survey shows that infrastructure work has provided one of the few escapes in another sobering year for consultants, but the adoption of BIM technology is hitting technical experts hard. Building reports
My working day: RLF surveyor James Fozzard
The building surveyor’s work is fun and varied, and includes treasure hunts around Covent Garden
Economics: Infrastructure biomass energy
?The biomass sector is gaining momentum and should prove easier for construction firms to break into than either off-shore wind or nuclear energy. Simon Rawlinson of EC Harris and John Busby of Arcadis examine this emerging market
Mott Macdonald's Keith Howells: 'It's a bit like star wars'
How should the UK’s largest independent consultant respond to the ‘evil Empire’ of consolidated corporations taking over the market? Mott MacDonald chairman Keith Howells tells Building about the company’s plans to strike back. Tom Campbell photography
Market forecast: That sinking feeling
Construction output looks set to fall by 5% in 2012 as new work dries up and the UK, like the rest of Europe, slips back into recession. Peter Fordham of Davis Langdon, an AECOM company, reports
Predictions for 2012: The year of the groundhog
So what does 2012 have in store? Well, there’s the Olympics, of course, and some potentially interesting developments in nuclear power and infrastructure. But mostly it will be a year of battening down the hatches. There will be recklessly low bids for work, some firms will go under, others will seek refuge in emerging Asian markets. Hang on, this all sounds very familiar …
High drama: Review of 2011
It’s been a year of break-ups, make-ups and dramatic exits against the backdrop of a bleak economy and widening gap between the rich and poor. Building looks back at the plot and its main players
My working day: F+G QS Astrid Andersson
The quantity surveyor at consultant F+G in Leeds juggles a busy work schedule with her love for horses
Donald Lawson: Bigger and better
Faithful + Gould boss Donald Lawson knows a thing or two about consolidation thanks to Atkins’ takeover 15 years ago. He tells Building how it got the firm to where it is today
Q&A with the RICS: The new qualification
The RICS’ new AssocRICS qualification has been met with scepticism and accusations of devaluing the profession. Building talks to executive director Mark Walley about why a creating a new path into the institution is a good thing for everyone
The consultancy sector: Little and large
Consolidation is now the name of the consultancy sector game - except some clients still like a more individual touch. Joey Gardiner asks if uneasiness over the new giants is spawning small startups
EC Harris and Arcadis: Two become one
After years of secret courtship, EC Harris and Arcadis finally announced their engagement this week. Before they tie the knot, Joey Gardiner asks how the merger between Dutch engineer and UK consultant will work
Top 200 consultants survey: Are you positive?
This year’s Top 200 consultants survey shows that staff numbers and salaries are finally climbing. But it also warns not to let the optimism go to your head
BIM: Nine experts on what they've learnt
To mark this week’s BIM Live event, nine experts tell Emily Wright what they have learnt over the past 12 months
Market forecast: Spring hasn’t sprung
Fears over the eurozone crisis may be subsiding, but construction is still in for a miserable year, with £5.4bn less work than 2011
Lead times: January-March 2012
Lead times remain extremely low across all trades, with any bottlenecks being absorbed by the pre-construction programmes of contractors eager to win work. Brian Moone of Mace reports
The RICS' new rules of measurement
Next month, the RICS launches a suite of guidance and standards that is set to transform the way that costs are managed through the life-cycle of a building. Stuart Earl explains how it works
My working day: RLF QS Kat Hurworth
The young QS on a placement at RLF took on the nickname ‘the golfer’ even before she began work
Cost model: Standardised schools
As the James Review made clear, the future of schoolbuilding lies with low-cost standard solutions, much as it did in the fifties. Darren Talbot and Stuart Francis of Davis Langdon, an Aecom company, offer an overview of this burgeoning market and consider the costs
Green Deal: Does it add up for homes?
The Green Deal aims to reduce energy consumption at no upfront cost to homeowners, but which measures meet the ‘golden rule’? Phil Birch and Richard Quartermaine of Cyril Sweett report
Country focus: The Balkans
The republics of the former Yugoslavia were hit hard by the global recession in 2009, and now the EU debt crisis is threatening their recovery. Sasa Trajkovic from EC Harris reports
The oven gloves are off: The Great Building Bake Off
Take four industry teams, add gingerbread, cake mix, icing and an awful lot of chocolate, mix well, set the timer for an hour-and-a half, and stop when you smell burning … Emily Wright and Iain Withers invite you to sample the Great Building Bake Off. Images by Astrid Kogler
The tracker: Gloom, then more gloom
As the days get darker so does the industry outlook, with the latest figures from Experian Economics showing a deterioration in all sectors and construction activity hitting a three-month low
Public sector cuts: Client feedback
Public sector clients slashed projects in response to the chancellor’s swingeing cuts. But as the results of the Constructionline Building Index show, the pain is by no means over
The rise of the BIM consultant
With its clear government backing and success stories in the press, construction firms realise that BIM is a Very Important Thing. The question is, how to do it? Thomas Lane meets the new wave of BIM consultants who may have the answer
Sean Tompkins: Setting it straight
?The RICS has faced a lot of criticism lately, with its global expansion drive and proposal to drop its top level qualification under fire. Iain Withers finds out how chief executive Sean Tompkins plans to reconcile ambitious plans abroad with winning back support at home
Hold very tight, please: Mike Carroll interview
How do you put a consultancy firm in prime position for growth in the next few years? Mike Carroll, chief executive of Arcadis, tells Emily Wright why flexibility and change are essential to future success
My working day: EC Harris QS Rachel Titley
The chartered QS at EC Harris in Birmingham keeps her team of trainees and associates busy whilst juggling her family and working life
