All Comment articles – Page 57
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CommentPublic sector procurement – time to go private
Time has shown that public sector procurement needs private investment. The industry must lay its prejudices aside, says Ken Gillespie, and get stuck in
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CommentHas cavity wall got a future in low energy building projects?
One year on from the completion of the UK’s first cavity wall, the International Passivhaus conference takes place this Saturday (28 May 2011) in Innsbuck. Green Building Store’s Bill Butcher, project leader on the Denby Dale Passivhaus, will be speaking on the subject ’Passivhaus and cavity wall construction’. Here he ...
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CommentAround the world in construction projects
Moscow’s in a hell of a hurry, New York is a devil for speed; while Geneva and Montana take the slow lane. On a whistle-stop tour around the world, Jack Pringle relishes the comparisons
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CommentThe commercial sector: Tomorrow's world
The commercial sector is recovering but don’t expect to see lots more Shards and Walkie Talkies. The way we do business has changed and what we build has to reflect this
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CommentCAD images: Where have all the humans gone?
There’s nothing so seductive as a CAD image of your dream project, computer-generated visualisations of how we want the world to be. Trouble is, they’re divorced from reality
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FeaturesConstruction statistics: Is it really that bad ?
Government statistics suggest construction contracted 5% last quarter, but it’s hard to find anyone who believes that is true. Joey Gardiner argues the reality is actually more positive and presents alternative data to back up his case
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CommentWhat's driving firms to the wall?
KPMG’s director of restructuring Martin Kelly explains why voluntary insolvency figures have jumped 20%
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FeaturesUcatt: Out for the count?
In 2009 Alan Ritchie was voted leader of Ucatt - put there by 5.3% of its membership. But now the ballot has been ruled void and the union is having to spend its time appealing the decision and salvaging its reputation. How did it get into this mess?
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CommentGet defensive
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation could be the industry’s new best friend – at least, for those who play the game right
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CommentThe James Review: Now it's up to us
The James Review talks a lot of sense and clarifies what challenges lie ahead. It should inspire architects to use the best of their skills to meet them
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CommentA lesson in subeconomics
Cost consultants whisper in their client’s ear, ’take the lowest bid’. But by the time they’ve paid for poor quality products and claims and variations, it just doesn’t stack up
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CommentWhy new build is such old hat
If you want a new building but don’t want to contend with planning permission and delays, consider refurbishment. It’s quick, low risk, cheaper and loads greener
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FeaturesStep 1: Standardise your public building
Efficiency has long eluded the construction industry - but now the government is demanding cuts in costs of up to 20%. So any company wanting public sector work had better think up some pretty clever ways to help make that happen
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CommentThe Budget: Time to deliver
Last week’s Budget made it clear that the construction industry needs to be more responsive if it is to play an influential role in the UK’s growth strategy
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FeaturesOxford Street redevelopment: designing our way out of shopping hell
Oxford Street is famous as a shopping destination but nobody really likes it there. We look at how the redevelopment will change this world renowned location, and also why now is the perfect time to give Oxford Street a makeover
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CommentSustainability on a shoestring
The Budget didn’t do much to raise Pascale Scheurer’s hopes for the future of the industry. Here she considers what has changed and what you can do to mitigate the effects
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CommentGrowing pains
It’s Budget week so we have up to the minute analysis of what this year’s Budget means for the construction industry. We also look at the effect the recent events in Japan will have on the nuclear industry and the UK’s new build programme.
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CommentUnderstanding nature
The Japanese earthquake and tsunami have reminded us that the environment is core to contemporary architecture. The pity is, we needed reminding
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CommentHow clients can protect themselves from contractors that underbid
A legal view on tightening up contract terms and using two-stage procurement to route out unrealistically low bids