All Comment articles – Page 58
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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
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CommentOnce upon a time in the West
We live in turbulent times with the ascendency of the East our most direct challenge. But reports of the death of the West have been greatly exaggerated
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CommentBusiness planning: home and away
How do you plan ahead and formulate business strategies amid all the uncertainty of political uprisings - and the upcoming Budget?
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CommentOFT could pay for being over-keen
According to directives from Europe, the OFT’s fines are levied on the basis of companies’ global turnover, not profit
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Comment
CITB levy: For and against
We hear two opposing viewpoints over whether the CITB construction levy should be axed
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CommentOFT reduced fines: A vindication for construction?
The Competition Appeal Tribunal described the fines as ’excessive’ but that doesn’t mean cover pricing is suddenly okay
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CommentAsking for the moon
A lot of offices designed pre-recession and waiting to be built won’t meet the toughest environmental standards. Once we start building again, we have to aim higher
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FeaturesWho wants to be in social housing?
Six months on from the collapse of Rok and Connaught, their competitors are scrambling to take their places against a backdrop of cuts and jittery clients. And now the big players are looking to muscle in on the social housing market
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CommentIs anybody listening? Architect's future under the coalition
In its scorched earth policy of slashing costs, the government thinks architects and design are almost entirely dispensible. It’s our job to convince them otherwise
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News
BSF analysis: a hollow victory?
On 11 February, Mr Justice Holman seemingly handed down a victory for six “brave” local authorities that had challenged the legitimacy of Michael Gove’s decision to scrap the BSF programme and cancel funding for schools projects in their areas.The Department for Education has taken comfort from the fact that the ...
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News
BSF analysis: the future’s clearer – sort of
The two major developments in education over the past week - the outcome of the judicial review into the scrapping of BSF and news of how £800m of academies funding will be distributed - have solved some of the questions over the future of the nation’s school building programme.The judicial ...