More Focus – Page 577
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Birmingham symphony
From Walsall to Worcester, architects are providing innovative and attractive local amenities. Here, Building showcases seven inspirational projects.
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Urban spacemen
One bright young practice resisted the lure of London to bring loft living to Birmingham. Now its gamble is beginning to pay off.
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Chain reaction
Supply-chain management is the industry's new buzzword, with contractors drastically cutting back on suppliers to boost profits and competitiveness.
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Nissan: a model manufacturer
The construction industry taskforce, which advised Sir John Egan on Rethinking Construction, held up Japanese car manufacturer Nissan as a role model after visiting its Sunderland factory in January 1998. What impressed the Nissan pilgrims was how the firm managed its suppliers to reduce costs and improve design. ...
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Package deal
Bentley Systems' new product is not your average CAD program. It is made up of several applications and has been written in Java, programming language of the Internet. But how will these changes affect the user?
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Private and confidential
Expert witnesses from opposing sides may be ordered to meet before the trial to discuss their opinions on the dispute. But they shouldn't then be asked to reveal what was said.
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What Morrison means
The QC who represented Morrison in the case of Macob Civil Engineering vs Morrison Construction Ltd dissects the implications of this important judicial pronouncement for the future of the system of adjudication.
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Is this evolution?
The recently granted power that allows courts to impose Alternative Dispute Resolution on litigants seems to be missing the point.
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Clash points 1
If contractors can pass on their subcontractors' costs to the client, they probably will, won't they? Clients suspect this might be true, but fortunately Rudi can set their minds at rest
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Clash points 2
Not exactly. Contractors aren't always angels they are businesses like any other. However, the client can solve its own problems by choosing best practice procurement routes.
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What does 'best value' mean?
To improve the quality and delivery of public services, compulsory competitive tendering is to be replaced by the best value initiative. But has the new system been thought through properly?
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Behaving badly
The Federation of Recruitment and Employment Services' Christine Little gives her tips for dealing with the colleague from hell.
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Cost study: London Heathrow Marriott Hotel
The Whitbread Hotel Company s 390-bedroom London Heathrow Marriott is its first new-build hotel, procured to a tight timescale using extensive prefabrication and within a fixed budget of £56 000 a bedroom. The result is Marriott s flagship for the UK
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Hull firms set for £1bn boom
Hull wants to be one of the UK's top cities and local contractors plan to team up to make sure they land some of the building contracts.
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Why we must outlaw the cowboys
Cowboy builders are tarnishing the whole industry's image. Everyone from small contractors to eminent figures such as Bovis chairman Sir Frank Lampl are concerned that the association with cowboys will drive away staff and make it difficult to attract high-flying graduates. The problem is: how to ostracise the crooks and ...
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Art and power
Beset by nightmarish construction difficulties, the transformation of Bankside power station to the new Tate gallery looks set to be completed on budget and may even meet its 18 June deadline.
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This little company went to market
When contractor Connaught sought expansion, independence and staff motivation, a flotation was the perfect solution.
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VAT's what it's all about
The construction industry was in a spin when it thought it would have to account for VAT on money due but unpaid. Now Customs and Excise has come up with a solution that could satisfy everybody.
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Welcome to the reel world
Ster-Kinekor, the South African international cinema operator, is set to invest £90m across Europe and has plans for 50 multiplex cinemas. It helps if you speak in Zulu or Afrikaans to the boss.
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Disco inferno
Burning in your own CD-ROMs is now fast, idiot-proof and completely affordable, thanks to the latest CD writing technology.