Hansom

BCO annual dinner, Grosvenor House Hotel, London. Ex-Tory leader William Hague entertains (ahem) the diners at the British Council of Offices bash. Take it Iain Duncan Smith wasn’t available

27 January

A WWF report is set to name and shame worst environmental performers in the housebuilding industry. Good time to book that eco-holiday in Peru?

18 February

Building Security Against the Threat of Terrorism conference, CIBSE, London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square. Leave the joke Osama Bin Laden mask at home.

19 February

Chartered Institute of Building annual dinner, Guildhall, London. Michael Portillo continues his extensive preparation for life beyond the Tory party as guest speaker at the CIOB chow-down.

25 February

Maitland Lecture. The Human Embryo: Thoughts on structural engineering, Institute of Structural Engineers, Royal Institution of Great Britain, London. TV’s Professor Robert Winston is the brain giving this year’s lecture.

17 March

RICS Construction Faculty annual dinner 2004, The Savoy, London. Bob “The Cat” Stevens of Five Live 606 fame bags the after-dinner spot.

24 March

MIPIM, Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France. Property people loosen their ties on the Cote d’Azur.

April

The Barker Review. Kate Barker produces the second and final part of her review into housing supply. If you’ve ever wanted to see grown men cry, this could be your chance.

20 April

Building Awards, Grosvenor House Hotel, London. Biggest awards night of the year …

11 May

The Regeneration Game, venue tbc.

Building’s conference will cover the Thames Gateway, RDAs and everything in between.

14 May

Institution of Structural Engineers annual dinner, Guildhall, London.

19 May

Health and Safety Awards, The Hilton, Park Lane, London. May as well keep suite booked until Building’s Specialist Contractor Awards on 4 November …

June

Lord Foster’s Gateshead Concert Hall is due to open (alas, news coverage may be swamped by Euro 2004).

16 June

RIBA awards dinner – date and venue tbc. Depending on who’s playing in Euro 2004 that night, cancellations may be thick on the ground.

7 July

Housing Design Awards, RIBA, London

9-11 July

RIBA Annual Conference. Trinity College, Dublin.
July

Scottish parliament building in Edinburgh due for completion.

13-29 August

The 28th Olympic Games in Athens. No Redgrave, but Radcliffe should deliver Olympic glory. Annual dinners worryingly thin on the ground this month – anybody know a dial-a-caviar number?

7-8 September

COBRA 2004, Headingly Stadium, Leeds. Annual international construction event run by RICS.
9-12 September

Little Britain Challenge Cup, Cowes. Construction bigwigs compete in Europe’s biggest corporate regatta. Nothing to do with the cult TV comedy.
10-13 September

Heritage Open Days 2004. Joe Public gets to nose around off-limit properties outside London. Take wirecutters just in case.

23-26 September

100% Design & 100% Detail, Earls Court, London. Design show incorporating exhibition for specifiers, which finishes a day earlier.

1 October

Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act comes into force.

12 October

Building Homes Quality Awards and Future Homes convention. Venue tbc.

16 October

Stirling Prize. Herzog & de Meuron’s Laban Dance Centre won in 2003. Who will win the accolade (and TV exposure) in 2004?

8-15 October

National Construction Week.

4 November

Building’s Specialist Contractor Awards, Hilton,

Park Lane, London.

26 November

Wales Millennium Centre. The £104m performing arts centre on Cardiff Bay waterfront opens for business.

1 December

Security Solutions for the 21st-century office,

BCO, London. One-day conference.

Until 23 December

Space of Encounter: The Architecture of Daniel Libeskind. Fancy a moment of serenity among the festive mayhem? Catch the master of deconstruction’s London retrospective before it finishes at the Barbican in London.