More Focus – Page 84
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FeaturesWhat to specify: Off-site solutions
Modular deals include the office space at Hinkley Point C and a quick solution for school classrooms, while a demountable bathroom pod and a solar-powered drying unit are among this week’s new releases
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FeaturesTop 150 contractors: Whatever the weather
This year’s contractors and housebuilders Top 150 shows the sector enjoying reasonably benign market conditions but remaining fearful of the uncertainties of Brexit and volatile domestic politics
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FeaturesTalkin’ bout a revolution
Take some well-tested modern manufacturing techniques, add them to a radical streamlined procurement route that makes the supplier king and you have the beginnings of what could be a revolution in how we build. Ike Ijeh reports on the latest advances in off-site manufacture
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FeaturesMarket review: Picking up
Despite mixed messages it looks likely that growth in the UK economy will pick up in the second quarter. Michael Dall discusses the highlights of Barbour ABI’s monthly Economic Construction Market Review
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FeaturesBattersea: ‘The toughest project in the world'
Battersea Power Station’s redevelopment has not had an easy time of it lately, with profit margins plummeting and costs soaring. The development company behind the scheme speaks exclusively to Building about the scale of the problems
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FeaturesSpencer McCarthy: All in the family
Churchill boss Spencer McCarthy explains why his business model works and why the firm – one of the UK’s biggest providers of private housing for the elderly – will be sticking with traditional designs for its homes
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FeaturesBracknell: Talk of the town
Bracknell is the first post-war new town to be comprehensively demolished and rebuilt - to the tune of £750m. Building visited just weeks before completion to see a scheme that hopes to get shoppers and visitors returning in droves
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FeaturesLead times: April-June 2017
Lead times have stayed level, with most packages at the highest level since records began, and little further change is expected over the next six months
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FeaturesCarolyn Dwyer: Square deal
The City of London Corporation’s head of the built environment has plenty to take into account, from protecting views of St Paul’s to fostering tech hubs. David Blackman talks to Carolyn Dwyer about her plans for the Square Mile
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FeaturesQatar: ‘This dispute has escalated beyond any reasonably sane level’
With tensions between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and its allies rising by the week, many are fearful of the impact this row could have on construction companies working in the Gulf state, the World Cup 2022 preparations, and Qatari investment in UK projects
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FeaturesFacades: Do all-glass buildings make financial sense?
All-glass commercial buildings are a common sight in large cities in particular and make a dramatic architectural statement. But do the numbers add up?
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FeaturesHousing Design Awards 2017: the winners
It’s good to be reminded of the high quality that characterises much of the new work being produced in housing
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FeaturesShow us the money, Mr Hammond
When Philip Hammond announced last month that UK Guarantees would include construction, many viewed it as a lifeline for infrastructure projects unlikely to have access to funding from the European Investment Bank after Brexit. But will this replacement work?
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FeaturesWhat to specify: Roofing
Roofing products and systems featured in this issue’s specifier section include information on Welsh Slate used in a heritage rebuild and a Center Parcs that is using JB Western Red Cedar Shingles to create four treehouses
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FeaturesIn Grenfell’s shadow
After the immediate shock of the Grenfell Tower fire, local authorities and housing associations are trying to work out what it all means for the social housing sector. Joey Gardiner reports
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FeaturesInfrastructure update: Smart vehicles
Connected and autonomous vehicles are expected to lead the next urban transport revolution - transforming urban mobility and the way roads are managed
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FeaturesV&A extension: Culture shock
Amanda Levete’s £48m expansion of London’s V A connects the museum with the public realm through a superb porcelain-paved courtyard. But it’s the sheer immersive power of its vast subterranean exhibition hall that will make visitors stand and gawp
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FeaturesTracker: May 2017
Total activity growth remains steady but R M continues to slide, while materials costs have risen notably and there has been a positive level of activity in nearly all regions. Experian Economics reports
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FeaturesBuilding intelligence: Q1 2017
As uncertainty continues to stalk the economy, modest private housing sector growth is expected, with public housing having grown strongly
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FeaturesGrenfell Tower: Heated debate
The Grenfell Tower fire has led to calls for fire safety regulations to be examined. But this was not the first warning sign that the current rules are not fit for purpose. What can be done to make sure a tragedy on this scale doesn’t happen again?