More Comment – Page 481
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Comment
Education is flourishing
It was uplifting to see so many fantastic examples of school design recognised at the awards last night hosted by the British Council for School environments. Also great to share the upbeat mood of those in a sector that is still flourishing – for now at least – who ...
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Global forecasts getting less dreary, but looming black cloud of government debt
With all the talk about increasing signs of economic “green shoots” in recent months, it was perhaps too easy to suddenly relax and think that the good times are just around the corner.The OECD’s Economic Outlook published this week provided a much more sober picture of recovery prospects and was ...
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Is partnering dead?
“It took 12 years to put together and 12 weeks to dismantle.” That was one of the more wry comments on BAA’s decision to turn its back on framework agreements for a good chunk of its work.The decision was taken by Steven Morgan, the man brought in by the airport ...
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Pidgley hands over keys to kingdom if not the crown
Around eighty bankers, analysts and lawyers squashed into a meeting room at UBS this morning to hear Tony Pidgley's swansong as managing director of Berkeley.Despite speaking for 45 minutes there was still enough energy in the room for a round of applause at the end. "It's been a while ...
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CommentHansom: Songs of love and hate
In the nice corner this week we have wine-waiting estate agents, relatively honest MPs, optimistic housebuilders and self-critical contractors … and in the nasty corner: Cliff Jones of Procure 21
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A royal response
In response to your article “Prince Charles given say in major London schemes” (19 June, page 9), I would like to point out that the Prince of Wales is not routinely contacted by property developers seeking his opinions or his approval on major projects in London, or elsewhere for that ...
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What really happened...
I write with reference to your story “Rogers turned back on project role after design was scrapped” (12 June). This is factually incorrect and I am writing to clarify our position
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Material concerns
Robert Adam (12 June, page 34) makes a distinction between my reference to architectural style and the use of traditional building materials. Surely he must know the two are closely associated
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Two steps backwards
One sign of greatness is being able to admit to mistakes and learn from them. It seems that construction cannot or will not learn from past failings and is about to return to single-stage tendering and confrontational relationships (12 June, page 29)
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The unfairness of frameworks
Our prequalification questionnaire for the East Midlands (SCAPE) Framework, Minor Works £10,000-500,000 Derbyshire Sub-region, didn’t pass muster
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CommentDining and designing
Buildings are consumed by the eye in the same way that food is consumed by the organs of digestion. And in both cases, the important thing is that they’re tasty
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CommentBuilding buys a pint... for Ryder
Tonight’s jaunt happens to coincide with London’s tube strike, so just getting to the venue presents a challenge
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CommentSelf-harming architects
If architects have any time left over after baffling their novice clients, they ought to spend it explaining that it makes sense to pay them what their work is actually worth
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CommentConsider the Australians
Ty Goddard has been looking at schools Downunder, and he has some rather good news for everyone involved in designing new schools in this country...
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CommentThe one and only: using the NEC for public projects
The Office of Government Commerce has decreed that only one form of contract be used for all public work. But how did it come that conclusion? Well, that’s a good question
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CommentLegal energy: clean coal power stations
Clean coal power stations have been lauded as the next big thing in energy generation, but what exactly is involved in building them?
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Legal energy: nuclear power stations
Paul Cowan A nuclear power station is about the hardest project it is possible to undertake. Here are the legal implications
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Legal energy: alliancing
Alliancing has been little used as a procurement method in the UK to date, but experience overseas shows it can deliver projects economically and on time